This year's Ozzfest was billed as "Free Fest," due to the fact that entrance to the show was "free." Basically that meant that fans were able to register online for tix through Ozzfest.com, or any of the corporate sponsor sites. If you were lucky enough to get through in line, then you were in. Another way was to purchase the new Ozzy album before the "on sale" dates, enter a special code given, and better seats were obtained. Of course, nothing in life is really free, and the organizers made their profits from t-shirt sales and food/drink purchases. Still, if you're a fan of the bands on the bill, then it was a good deal.
Unfortunately, due to traffic, we got there late in the afternoon and missed most of the second stage acts, including one of my fave new bands: 3 Inches Of Blood. If you're into "Painkiller"-era Judas Priest, then 3 Inches Of Blood is for you. The lead vocalist is a dead ringer for Rob Halford, and has even been endorsed by the Metal God himself. Behemoth was next and tore it up with their brand of Death Metal. Finally, Hatebreed rounded out the second stage with their hardcore assault.
On to the Main Stage next -- that started around 6pm with Gwar wannabe's Lordi. They might look sinister, but their sound is more reminiscent of Pop Metal.
Probably the best band of the day, Static X, was next. They entertained the crowd with their Industrial Metal sound, and special guest guitarist John 5 made an appearance during their set as well.
Then it was time for Lamb Of God to show their stuff. These guys are brilliant at what they do and had the fans eating it up. LOG are great musicians and showmen, even though their songs may tend to sound a bit monotonous after awhile.
The Prince Of Darkness himself, Ozzy, ended the evening with a set chock-full of hits. You know the score: "Bark At The Moon," Crazy Train," "I Don't Know," "War Pigs," etc. The highlight was "Suicide Solution," with Zakk Wylde showing off his guitar capabilities. Ozzy's slowing down a bit these days. After all, he's 58 and has led quite a rough life. But I give him credit for getting out there and still giving it his all. The fans still adore the man and he always pays his respect for that.
Rumor has it that Black Sabbath will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2008 with a tour and a possible album. Will that be the end for Ozzy? If so, it will be a great way to bow out of his legacy.
