In Search of Ozz

First off, Drudge's reporting here is true. There was footage comparing President Bush to Hitler playing during Black Sabbath's War Pigs. That really got to me, and soured the whole Sabbath set.

I unfortunately missed most of Black Label Society's set. I got there just as Zakk Wylde stuck up for the President and, more importantly, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He proudly shouted something along the lines of, "When you mess with the best, you're gonna get stepped on," in reference to the attack on September 11th.

Superjoint Ritual was alright. I still think it was a mistake for Phil Anselmo to leave both Pantera (one of the best bands of the past 20 years) and Down. He was also unnecessarily arrogant throughout the set, and did little to gain the crowd's support. I don't mind provoking the crowd, but when he called Superjoint "the most dangerous band on the planet" even I couldn't help but laugh, and I was one of the guys trying to root for Phil.

Dimmu Borgia, a Norwegian deathmetal band, was surprisingly good. Technically speaking, they're a very good band (oh, and for the record, when I praise this and other bands that I heard for the first time at Ozzfest, I do so solely based on the music; I couldn't catch most of the lyrics on the first go around, so I can't comment on that). They had amazing arrangements, and some amazing guitar solos.

Slayer was, quite simply, phenomenal. They did nothing but play for their entire set, unlike other bands whose lead singers spent way too much time droning on and on, usually about the President being Satan incarnate and other such nonsense. And talk about fast! It was amazing to see those guys in action; they take speed metal to a whole new level. That said, I've never bought one of their albums and I never will. They work for the Enemy. They are by far the most interesting of the satanic bands, though, and one must know one's enemy in order to beat him.

Judas Priest was incredible! It was so much fun to see some good old fashioned metal, music that cares more about quality than sheer speed or volume. They've been in the business for over 30 years and are still leagues ahead of any of the generic metal (Hatebreed, Lamb of God, etc.) that played the second stage. It actually started raining just as Judas Priest took the stage, a pleasant storm. The lighting seemed to be timed as it rent the sky at precisely the right moments, giving the lyrics and music extra emphasis. Loads of fun, all in all, despite the soaking rain.

Black Sabbath, as I said, disappointed me with their juvenile attempt at political speech. Musically, though, they were spot on. Tony Iommi is a wonderful guitarist. It was a joy to watch him perform; with minimal effort he produced some of the greatest riffs and solos in all of rock. Geezer Butler on bass was also jaw-droppingly good. Ozzy was fun to listen to, as usual; he's one of the best voices in rock. It was sad to see him putter around stage. Years of serious drug abuse have destroyed him (which makes me wonder why he persists in playing Sweat Leaf while the screens behind him showed plumes of smoke and large tri-leaves, if you get my drift).

There are a lot of very talented people at Ozzfest this year. Seeing them play their music, and listening to their lyrics and the nonsense they spouted, makes me think Plato was right. I think it was in the Ion where Socrates argues that artistic talent comes from divine inspiration, and has nothing to do with the intelligence of soundness of the artist himself. It's a shame Slayer's so anti-Christianity, and the other bands were stupid in their own ways. The Enemy sure knows how to use aesthetics to his advantage.