Terrorizer Does Download: Two Words…

“Black” and “Sabbath”. But before the godfathers of heavy metal make a triumphant return to headline the Jim Marshall stage at the 10th Download festival, Sweden’s Satanic footsoldiers Ghost play to a packed out Pepsi Max tent, and going by the rapturous applause after ‘Ritual’ closed the show, they have succeeded in converting many more young minds to the dark side.

Now waiting patiently at the foot of the main stage, it’s not until a ringing clap of thunder introduces the gig everyone thought they’d never get to see, Black Sabbath at Download, and they’ve only just gone and opened with the harrowing ‘Black Sabbath’. Tony Iommi looks exuberant as he nails the most menacing riff ever laid down to record and any concerns over how Ozzy’s voice would measure up are promptly dashed as he wails through a set not too dissimilar to their intimate warm-up show in Birmingham recently.  Anthemic cuts like ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ and ‘Snowblind’ are played at a near perfect pace to keep the crowd jumping, whilst the sledge-hammering riffs of ‘N.I.B’ and  ’Symptom Of The Universe’ possess a doom-like weight.

Despite the absence of drummer Bill Ward, and yes it was strange seeing someone else behind the drumkit (even if Tony Clufetos is a powerhouse of a drummer), there is no denying, that thousands of people just witnessed a truly amazing show.

Thanks Download, and more importantly all hail the riff, all hail Black Sabbath!

Setlist:

‘Black Sabbath’, ‘The Wizard’, ‘Behind The Wall Of Sleep’, ‘N.I.B’, ‘Into The Void’, ‘Under The Sun’, ‘Snowblind’, ‘War Pigs’, ‘Sweet Leaf’, ‘Symptom Of The Universe’, ‘Iron Man’, ‘Fairies Wear Boots’, ‘Tomorrow’s Dream’, ‘Dirty Women’, ‘Children Of The Grave’, ‘Paranoid’

You can read the rest of our Download coverage here