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OZZFEST 2004 Review: The Significance Of SABBATH's Original Lineup Cannot Be Understated

August 23, 2004

Jeff Pizek of The Daily Herald reviewed the Ozzfest 2004 traveling festival when it hit Tinley Park, IL on Saturday (August 21). An excerpt from his review follows:

"While Ozzfest has always been a financial success, until now it's been an artistic letdown, mostly pushing a parade of faceless nü-metal trendies.

"That changed this year with legendary headliners BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST and SLAYER, plus a host of fiery younger bands bred in American community halls and basement shows rather than corporate board rooms.

"The significance of BLACK SABBATH's original lineup cannot be understated. The world's first heavy metal band has seen better days, but Saturday's performance proved bassist Geezer Butler's and drummer Bill Ward's durability. If anything, their hard, hungry playing rushed the songs a bit, though not as detrimentally as Ozzy's refusal to follow the deliberate rhythm of 'Black Sabbath'.

"After a debilitating accident last winter, Osbourne actually seemed in better shape than he did last year … as well as can be expected for Ozzy, anyway. Bluesy album cuts 'Fairies Wear Boots' and 'Into the Void' centered on guitarist Tony Iommi, a riff god still able to cut raw power from his ax.

"Yet it was JUDAS PRIEST, reunited with vocalist Rob Halford after 12 years, who earned the greatest applause. Guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing delivered classics with gleaming melody ('Electric Eye', 'The Sentinel') and driving chugs ('Heading Out To the Highway', 'Living After Midnight'). Halford's voice raised chills on moody '70s numbers 'Victim of Changes' and 'Beyond the Realms of Death', and the shrieking power metal anthem 'Painkiller' remained sharp, raising hopes for PRIEST's new studio album due in late December." Read more.

A bunch of photos of several second-stage bands, taken at the Tinley Park, IL stop of the Ozzfest 2004 tour, can be viewed at this location (in the "Portfolio" section).

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