Metal mayhem is back in the Valley

By CHRIS HANSEN ORF
GET OUT

It has been 10 years since Ozzy Osbourne's brain trust (essentially his wife, Sharon) organized the first Ozzfest tour, amassing a slew of contemporary heavy-metal bands to tour with the aging rock icon in hopes of introducing young metal fans to the magic that is Ozzy.
It worked.

Ozzy is a popular draw on the tour year after year — this year he'll perform with a reunited Black Sabbath, the band that initially shot the singer to fame before MTV realized that the Ozzman is unintentionally hilarious, clueless and foul-mouthed (as is his family) and crafted a reality sitcom.

This year's Ozzfest promises many rockin’ moments. Here are the top things to check out at the fest that promises 20 bands and a whopping 14 hours of metal mayhem.

BLACK SABBATH

Ozzy had to cancel a few shows on the tour due to throat problems, but he'll be onstage with the legendary Black Sabbath during the Valley stop. Any chance to check out Sabbath without Ozzy's replacement (rock's favorite maniacal midget, Ronnie James Dio) is a must-see. But don't get too close: Ozzy bites the heads off stuff.

ROB ZOMBIE

The man who mixes elements of ’50s and ’60s horror flicks into his music and his own films — the latest of which, “The Devil's Rejects,” opened to mixed reviews a few weeks ago — will be headlining the Hot Topic stage. While not as titillating as his former band, White Zombie, Rob can still bring the hard-rockin' voodoo.

CRISS ANGEL

The Goth magician and star of the A&E show “Mindfreak” — where he sets himself on fire, levitates and catches speeding — will be walking the crowd. Angel, who looks more like a rock star than some of the musicians playing Ozzfest, will undoubtedly try out some of his tricks on the crowd, so if you want to levitate, look for the dude in the leather and long hair. On second thought, that will pretty much describe everybody.

IRON MAIDEN

The men behind 1984's hilarious heavy-metal spoof ‘‘This Is Spinal Tap’’ claim that these British metal gods were the inspiration for the movie and title band, which might not exactly be a compliment, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? The Phoenix date is one of the few that Iron Maiden will play on the tour.

BEER STANDS

Nothing fuels a heavy-metal rush on a hot day like a frosty brew. Oh, yeah, drink plenty of water, too.

A DOZEN FURIES

These Texas dudes won MTV's “Battle for Ozzfest” reality show, in which metal bands across the country had to pass a series of strenuous, head-banging auditions for a chance to play on the Ozzfest tour. Can A Dozen Furies hang with the big boys?

Adam Jacobson's top Black Sabbath songs

Tempe's Adam Jacobson, founder of the hard-rock band Steppchild and the self-proclaimed “best Sabbath tribute band ever,” Black Steppchild, lets us in on his Top 5 favorite tunes from the founding fathers of heavy metal.

5. Wicked World (from “Black Sabbath,” 1969) One of the best things about Sabbath was that they could appear to be the most evil band in the whole world, but actually send out some powerful and truthful messages. “Wicked World” is just as appropriate today as it was when it was released.

4. A National Acrobat (from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” 1973) This song is a great poem of the world and what man does to it. Once again they are screaming the truth of the world and its awfulness with the grace of masters.

3. Fairies Wear Boots (from “Paranoid,” 1971) I've never been a fan of songs about goblins and witches and D&D-type stuff, which this song seems to be outwardly about, however, this is where the world starts to see that there's more than the message of the despicable world that Ozzy and the gang live in.

2. Into the Void (from “Master of Reality,” 1971) Sabbath songs were written in a time where metaphor and poetry were still alive in the world. Kids were memorizing Blake and Frost in school and the world had a much better knowledge of the written and spoken word. This song is about the end of mankind as we know it.

1. A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning (from “Black Sabbath,” 1969) Epic 15 minutes of Black Sabbath. What needs to be said, and hasn't yet, is that this was a (expletive) blues band! Black Sabbath took the blues and created a genre all their own that still stands out today.

Ozzfest
With: Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Velvet Revolver, Rob Zombie, Killswitch Engage, Mudvayne, Mastadon, As I Lay Dying, Shadows Fall, Black Label Society
When: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday
Where: Cricket Pavilion 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix
Cost: $44 to $69

What's allowed: One sealed bottle of water allowed per patron (limit 1.5 liter), binoculars, seat cushions, ponchos or rain jackets, sunscreen, blankets, small umbrellas, nonprofessional cameras, low-profile chairs (seats no higher than 9 inches), sandwiches and other picnic food What's not allowed: Alcohol, glass bottles, coolers, laser pointers, strollers, lawn chairs with seats higher than 9 inches, pets (except service animals), professional cameras, recorders (audio or video) and weapons of any kind
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