Black Sabbath calls it a night at the Tacoma Dome — for good

Concert review

From Ozzy Osbourne’s throaty screams to Tony Iommi’s ribbons of guitar notes, Black Sabbath was Black Sabbath at least one more time Saturday (Feb. 6) at the Tacoma Dome.

It was the Northwest stop of the band’s final tour, billed as “The End.” It’s safe to say the expectations of the 20,000-plus fans there were met — and probably exceeded.

The group credited with inventing heavy metal began with its titular track, as the JumboTron showed a demon born from a red egg and light washed over the crowd like a bath of fire. The rush of energy in the Dome felt genuine and celebratory

Osbourne, Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler were joined by 36-year-old drummer Tommy Clufetos, who filled in for original member Bill Ward.

Known for its looming, brooding rebellion and big, bassy rhythms mixed with quick yet heavy guitar riffs, the band struck note after note, beat after beat perfectly during its 14-song, 100-minute set. Butler and Iommi were exceedingly proficient, their fingers metronomic.

Hits included “Paranoid” and “War Pigs,” each of which spawned head bangs and fist pumps from the adoring crowd.

Though Osbourne, Iommi and Butler, all in their late 60s, were visibly slowed by age — including Osbourne’s slight physical tremors and his well-known muttering — the band’s music didn’t suffer. And besides, the point of the night was to appreciate, not criticize, if for just one more time.

The point was for the gray-haired heavy-metal fan 25 rows up to forget his day-to-day grind, lean as far over the railing as he could, hold an invisible microphone in both hands, and shout-sing the lyrics for over an hour and a half. The point was to live for just one more night in the bat-chewed, dark art of heavy-metal music.

This did not seem to be lost on Osbourne, who said to the audience, “Thank you for my life,” before exiting the stage with his band.

And just like that it was over.