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Rating: And the day came.
That's really how one could put it, considering the endless patience that the Italian audience had to have to finally witness this Black Sabbath tour. A reunion that started badly, very badly, with Bill Ward, as usual, expected to be part of it but then promptly backing out, Tony Iommi battling cancer, and all while trying to finish that blessed album, "13," which was finally released last year without too much fanfare. If their cancellation from the Gods of Metal 2012 was expected, frankly, no one has yet understood the reasons for the cancellation of last December's date in Milan, and we're still here wondering what the heck these unspecified "logistical problems" are.
In the end, as was mentioned before, we finally pulled it off, and Italy also finally appeared among the many destinations of the world tour of the four from Birmingham. A tour definitely long and tiring, surely not easy, especially knowing the health condition of the good Iommi, but finding someone left disappointed by the performance of the Englishmen at the end of the evening was virtually impossible. The Unipol Arena, despite the two consecutive cancellations, is packed, the crowd is there, ranging from twenty-year-olds at their first concerts to hippies in their sixties and older, people who bought the various "Master of Reality" and "Vol. 4" on vinyl when they were sixteen. It was quite warm, to tell the truth, but it must also be said that the various "cannabinoid" effluvia present in the air contribute to creating quite a happening atmosphere.
On this occasion, Reignwolf and Black Label Society opened the date: enjoyable, for sure, but if the History of Rock plays after you, it’s quite difficult to impress much; likewise, it must be said, if it wasn't for two gentlemen, namely Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads, dear Zakk Wylde would probably be working as a clerk in some quaint post office in Kansas now. An enormous stage and giant screens are a salvation, also because, with such a crowd, expecting to see something of what's happening on stage is virtually impossible.
The sirens of "War Pigs" start things off: more than in front of musicians, it feels like being before fossils. Geezer Butler marks the rhythm impeccably, today as from thirty and forty years ago, Iommi is heavy metal riffing personified, and Ozzy, despite excesses and weaknesses, holds up really well, both vocally and in stage presence. They probably thaw him out specifically for the tour; the rest of the time, he must be preserved in a block of granite, like Han Solo. "Sulfurous" images accompany the notes emerging from the mountain of amplifiers, with "Under the Sun" providing the soundtrack to seductive nuns’ lesbian loves and possessed priests' deliriums. "Into the Void" always has that psychedelic touch, while "Snowblind" (a song about "things we no longer do"... hard to believe?) is the usual boulder.
Iommi casually rolls out the ABCs of hard rock like it's nothing, with the aplomb of an English lord. Dressed in a long leather jacket but still an English lord. Tommy Clufetos, for those still following the debate on the thousand (frankly too many) drummers of Black Sabbath, confirms himself as a great class hitter, almost a young Bill Ward, well immersed in the group's sound and not coincidentally also part of the court of Ozzy as a soloist for years. They move from a "Black Sabbath" (chills...) to an "Iron Man," with the Bologna audience, actually coming a bit from all over Italy, completely captivated by the four Englishmen's insanity. The most attentive may have noticed that, unfortunately, the Italian setlist is shortened compared to the first part of the tour, but considering the not easy conditions under which it took place, it would be absurd to complain. In this regard, it was preferred to leave out a few tracks from the latest "13," represented here only by the single "God is Dead?", rather than cutting the older classics too much: a wise choice, in the end. The grand finale, as tradition dictates, is entrusted to "Children of the Grave" and "Paranoid," leaving everyone present with the sensation of having truly participated in an event.
The future? It is not known. Ozzy has expressed openness to a new album; Iommi, always more pragmatic, first pointed out that after the summer concerts, the group has no engagements in the calendar and that his health will return to being a priority. Disbandment? The hypothesis has been floated, but frankly, it was also talked about fifteen years ago, and the Sabs are still here. Certainly, the chances of witnessing such events will become fewer as time goes on. Let's enjoy them while we can; as someone once said, "tomorrow is never certain." Immortal and a memorable evening.
Ozzy Osbourne, vocalsTony Iommi, guitarsGeezer Butler, bassTommy Clufetos, drums
War PigsInto the VoidUnder the Sun/Every Day Comes and GoesSnowblindBlack SabbathBehind the Wall of SleepNIBFairies Wear BootsRat Salad / Drum SoloIron ManGod Is Dead?Children of the GraveParanoid
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