Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The progenitors of heavy metal hit the road for one final global tour following their amazing 2013 comeback album 13. Although the tour was delayed due to guitarist Tony Iommi’s lymphoma diagnosis, it was obviously worth the wait. The worldwide phenomenon culminated in a final two-night stint in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England. That is where Black Sabbath: The End, taking its title from the name of the tour, was filmed.
The concert opens fittingly with “Black Sabbath” the doom and gloom horror metal that put the band on the map and a song that was inspired by the Gothic horror film of the same name starring Boris Karloff and directed by Mario Bava. From there Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, joined on drums by Tommy Cluffetos and on keyboards by Adam Wakeman, launch into their super hits that all laid the foundation for heavy metal, from “Faeries Wear Boots” and “Into the Void” to the anti-war anthem “War Pigs” and “Iron Man.”
The performance from the band is loud, grating, menacing, dark, and like they never went away. In comparison to, say, the Mötley Crüe concert video I recently reviewed, this Sabbath concert is miles above in terms of quality, performance, and all-out, balls to the wall metal. These guys can be proud of this final testament, or, if you will allow, black sabbath they have left behind, if it is truly to be “the end.”
The video also includes The Angelic Sessions, live in-studio performances of a few tracks not performed in the main concert. It is also a superb performance.
Purchase Black Sabbath: The End 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.com
The Track List:
- Black Sabbath
- Fairies Wear Boots
- Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes
- After Forever
- Into the Void
- Snowblind
- Band Introductions
- War Pigs
- Behind the Wall of Sleep
- Bassically/N.I.B
- Hand of Doom
- Supernaut/Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Megalomania
- Rat Salad/Drum Solo
- Iron Man
- Dirty Women
- Children of the Grave
- Paranoid
The Angelic Sessions:
- The Wizard
- Sweet Leaf
- Tomorrow’s Dream
- Changes
The Video
Black Sabbath: The End hits 4K Ultra HD in a 2.40:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) SDR encodement that looks spectacular for a concert film. The contrast is superbly rendered, detail is crisp, digital noise is minimal, and the lighting for the show pops. The strings on guitars and other little details can be seen easily.
The Audio
Black Sabbath –The End comes with LPCM 2.0 stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes for both the main concert and The Angelic Sessions. For the concert I definitely recommend the lossless 5.1 mix with surrounds you in a massive yet cohesive soundscape with massive guitars, impactful drums, and powerful bass and drums. Ozzy’s voice peaks over the voluminous band and occasional crowd noise. For the Angelic Sessions, go with the LPCM 2.0 stereo mix, which has more intimate sound for the live studio sessions and for which the 5.1 mix’s low end is disproportionately boomy, at times overwhelming the other elements of the band.
The Supplements
Apart from The Angelic Sessions (listed above) there is a booklet with liner notes from Kary Grow from Rolling Stone, and production credits. The disc comes packaged in a cardboard sleeve that is very difficult to remove the disc from and I do wish that UMG would stop using this packaging. The discs can easily get damaged as there is no feasible way to remove the discs without grabbing the data section of the discs.
The Final Assessment
This is a magnificent, hard rocking, classic metal concert from the godfathers of the genre. Anyone who missed the tour, anyone who loves Sabbath, and anyone who loves heavy metal, needs to own this concert video, even if you already own the Blu-ray. This offers a significant upgrade in picture quality and the Angelic Sessions. Highly Recommended.
Black Sabbath: The End is out on 4K Ultra HD September 13, 2024, from Universal Music Group
Purchase Black Sabbath: The End 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.com
- Rating Certificate: 15
- Studios & Distributors: Eagle Rock Film Productions | Mercury Studios | Universal Music Group
- Director: Dick Carruthers
- Run Time: 136 Mins.
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
- HDR Format: SDR
- Primary Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Secondary Audio: LPCM 2.0 Stereo
- Street Date: 13 September 2024