A variation of this review can be found on rockflesh.com.
The Back To The Beginning event last year showed that the image of Black Sabbath has been firmly rehabilitated. The wilderness years of the eighties were a rough period for Sabbath (even though the Tony Martin years were pretty good) and many people forgot how good prime Sabbath were. However, over the years people have rediscovered the classics (often championed by newer bands) and Back To The Beginning showed that metalheads these days can't get enough of hearing these songs no matter who is playing them.
Tonight sees Canadian metalpunks Cancer Bats in town as their Bat Sabbath alter ego. There are a fair few Cancer Bats, Sabbath and Ozzy shirts but metal is represented by its many tribes from death metal, doom classic metal, pop punk and everything in between showing the universal appeal of Sabbath.
Edmonton's Black Mastiff open up the evening and start off as heavy blues reminiscent of Clutch but as the set progresses, it takes on more of a heavy grunge feel. Bobby Yiannakoulials' voice is great; clean and powerful with a bit of soul similar to Chris Cornell which lends a Soundgarden edge to them. A couple of tracks are Alice In Chains style dark grunge and the vocal harmonies only add to the comparison.
The bassist Clay Shea asks "are you you ready to worship Sabbath?" before they cheekily play the intro to 'Heaven And Hell'. The penultimate track has a Hendrix style blues groove which feels quite spontaneous. The bass playing is fluid whilst the drumming is versatile, loose when it needs to be but tight and driving at other times. The final track is bluesy grunge which comes across as The Black Crowes with Layne Staley on vocals. Good stuff.
The stage is covered in foliage for Froglord, helping provide a fitting setting for their swampy doom grooves. 'Green Inferno' is slow and heavy with an Electric Wizard feel. The use of harmonica only adds to the 'down in the bayou' feel. Musically, they're fuelled by low tuned bass and tar thick guitar riffs whilst Benjamin Oak's vocals range from gutteral death metal growls to a cleaner, psychedelic style. I'm not always convinced by the vocals as they dont always seem to be in tune but it kinda works with the music and he is a shamanic presence as a frontman.
They really know how to work a crowd and they get a great reception. The ritual frog is brought at one point and the bassist even plays his guitar with it. 'They Came From Saturn' has a slow blues-doom groove and is mildly hypnotic. The closing 'Swamp Boogie' is a groovy stoner-blues number. They go down a storm and you can't really argue with a band who can draw that kind of reaction.
Bat Sabbath open with the pulsating 'Children Of The Grave' and frontmn Liam Cormier brings out his own floor tom to add extra weight to the beat. The mid-section sees hundreds of fists punching the air in unison. The band are fucking great, with Jaye R. Schwarzer replicating Geezer Butler's bass runs whilst Mike Peters still adds in Bill Ward's drum fills yet puts his own spin on it. Jackson Landry's tasselled shirt is magnificent and his guitar solos are equally good. Resplendent in a cape, Liam is a livewire who covers every inch of the stage. We see a different persona of Liam tonight, slightly tongue in cheek, as he talks about metal in a deeper voice than normal. His vocals on 'Supernaut' are closer to that of his day job though.
It is getting hot and sweaty as they launch into a riotous 'N.I.B.'. There is a punk energy running throughout the set and 'Electric Funeral' is particularly wired. The proto-thrash of 'Symptom Of The Universe' is incendiary and even the mellow blues interlude is blazing. The groove of 'Into The Void' is monstrous, but you know that already. There are no deep cuts here, this is Sabbath 101. Liam bangs his head and raises his arms in the signature Ozzy pose, and he is having as much fun as we are.
The quiet part of 'Fairies Wear Boots' is a rare opportunity to catch your breath before it goes wild again whilst an ominous 'Black Sabbath' is devastating. The crowd singing along to the verses and closing guitar passage of 'War Pigs' is magical. The encore sees them transformed back into Cancer Bats as the guitarists take their tops off and Liam reverts back to his normal self for the intense, chugging sludge punk of their own 'Lucifer's Rocking Chair'. You're always guaranteed a great time with classic Sabbath but this was fantastic.
Black Sabbath *****
Froglord ***
Black Mastiff ****
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