Saturday was all about paying tribute to Black Sabbath and every single act on the bill performed at least one cover track. Openers Mastodon (who decried that the ensuing day will be the “greatest metal show of all time”) started the trend off in spectacular fashion with their rendition of “Supernaut.” Drummer Brann Dailor handled lead vocals and did a great job of matching the famous depths of power that Ozzy summons up on that Sabbath classic. The track’s closing stretch was filled out by some additional on-stage percussion from members of Gojira and Tool, setting the tone for a day of covers, collaborations and white-hot metal performances.

The monster lineup of “Back to the Beginning” celebrated metal in all its forms, from blues revivalists to thrash legends to gnarly modern masters. Lamb of God fall firmly in the latter bracket. Their intense groove metal is as anthemic as it is razor-edged, and their mid-afternoon set drags Villa Park to new levels of intensity. Frontman Randy Blythe stalked the stage like a hungry hyena, inciting countless mosh pits and thanking the four Sabbath members for “inventing metal.” Ending with the strange sight of Blythe throwing both of his shoes into the crowd, Lamb of God’s set is as short, head-spinning and satisfying as a quick pull on an illicit cigarette.

One of the night’s low-key heroes was Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt who, between his shifts in various supergroup performances, spent more time onstage than any other musician. He joined Sleep Token drummer II and Yungblud for a rendition of Sabbath’s “Changes,” an emotionally resonant ballad that feels tailor-made to be belted out by the expressive, charismatic Yungblud. This writer happened to be in the same location as Sharon Osbourne during the performance of the track and can confirm it reduced her to floods of tears. Given the song’s reflective, personal lyrics and the famous latter-day version featuring her and Ozzy’s daughter Kelly, it’s not hard to see why she – and the rest of us – would have found it a deeply poignant listen.

The first of many legendary musician supergroup team-ups saw a rare two-track appearance by ex-Ozzy solo guitarist Jake E. Lee. Accompanied by the likes of Faith No More’s Mike Bordin on drums and Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson on bass, he entered the stage to enormous applause from both the crowd and his bandmates, and looked a little overwhelmed by the acclaim. In October 2024, Lee was shot in a random act of violence and placed in intensive care, but rallied back to the stage. The fondness wasn’t extended to Disturbed frontman David Dramian, who was repeatedly booed whenever addressing the crowd during his brief stint onstage, before meekly departing. Google is your friend if you’re wondering what might have elicited this reaction.

The second supergroup slot involved a truly dizzying number of musicians intertwining with one another across an array of cover songs. The opening section of this fascinating, fun stretch of the show was a particular highlight. Blink-182’s Travis Barker, Tool’s Danny Carey and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith accompanied Tom Morello and others in a deconstructed version of Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe,” taking it in turns to bust out fiery solos. Barker pulled out his usual tricks, but it was Smith and his tiny (compared to Carey’s) kit which proved an intuitive delight to watch.

Toward the end of the aforementioned second supergroup slot, a stellar lineup that includes Chad Smith, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler came together for Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” Tyler put in a fantastic performance, exuding presence and swagger that sparked widespread admiration. Later in the evening, Guns ‘N’ Roses’ Axl Rose also silenced his critics. His sometimes patchy live performances are well-documented, however he was in note-perfect, energetic form, particularly during a great cover of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” far from the easiest vocal performance to emulate. 

Palpable excitement coursed through the air prior to Metallica’s arrival. Opening with a solid, if un-spectacular cover of “Hole in the Sky,” their set immediately shifts into fifth gear with a one-two punch of “Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The four-piece seem extremely up for it, bouncing around the stage, pulling out all the signature moves (from bassist Robert Trujillo’s crab walking to drummer Lars Ulrich’s gurning) and ripping through these iconic songs with such effortless élan you’d think they were in their practice room. not a stadium. By the time they finish the solid-as-granite masterpiece that is “Master of Puppets,” Villa Park was crackling with paroxysms of delight.

The time had come for the prince of darkness to reclaim his throne. Seated at the front of the stage in an ornate black chair (atop of which is, of course, a giant bat), Ozzy Osbourne explained to his feverish audience: “I’ve been laid up for six f—ing years, you have no idea how much this means to me.” His words surmise the tone of this set, which saw him give five of his finest solo tracks a run out.

He might not be able to stand, but his voice sounds immaculate, still possessing that signature volume and heft, which drives the energetic likes of “I Don’t Know” and “Crazy Train.” Along with the frail and grateful Ozzy, another surprisingly moving sight is that of grizzled longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde stood by his side like a faithful old guard dog, or perhaps the devil’s favorite minion.

Of course, we end where it started. Black Sabbath’s original lineup (Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward) took to the stage together for the first time since 2005, for a half-hour set that opened with “War Pigs,” followed by “N.I.B.” and “Iron Man,” before closing with “Paranoid.” 

Interestingly, it’s bassist Butler who put on the most eye-catching performance, reminding the world of his stature as one of rock’s all-time great bass players. By the time they reached “Paranoid,” you sensed that the legends didn’t have much left in the tank. However, following Ozzy’s request to “go f—ing crazy,” a plethora of mosh pits open throughout the crowd. It’s short and sweet and absolutely monumental; a final explosion of metallic sound from four epochal musicians whose influence is impossible to quantify. This spectacular event did them justice and poignantly suggested that every end is merely another beginning.