Back To The Beginning (2026)

Ozzy & Black Sabbath

Concert Film, Filmhaus Spittelberg Wien, 20261029

While the Viennale, Vienna’s most common film festival followed by Slash is running, the Filmhaus right across from the Theater am Spittelberg holds a special movie (premiere). Because a bit more than one year ago, the biggest show in Metal history took place, followed by the passing of its hero about two weeks later. 

After trailers for „Wild Horse Nine“ featuring John Malkovich and the Butthole Surfers documentary, the two-and-a-half hours ride „Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning“ begins. It documents their final concert, including all their performances plus many of the guest appearances, so everyone is to be seen at least once. 

Since Black Sabbath played „The End“ 2016 at Wiener Stadthalle, Ozzy unfortunately couldn’t bring his „No More Tours“-tour to town anymore. So they decided to do one final show where it all began – in Birmingham. Tom Morello (RATM) tells how he called the guests, to put up a concert similar to the Taylor Hawkins tribute with Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher, Brian May and Roger Taylor and more. 

Apart from behind the scenes material, the various interpretations are simply compelling, starting with Mastodon and Rival Sons. Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) immediately knew which song he wanted to growl: „Children of the Grave“. Tom Morello also put together All Star groups like with Whitfield Crane and Scott Ian of Anthrax, or Yungblud, who shot the video „The Funeral“ with Ozzy, performing „Changes“. 

The drum-off with Travis Barker (blink-182), Danny Carey (Tool) and Chad Smith (RHCP) is a highlight. Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) sang on „Iommi“ (2000) and „Snowblind“ that evening. Sammy Hagar reunites with Chad Smith after Chickenfoot, Papa V Perpetua from Ghost does „Bark At The Moon“, and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) even gets an own one with „Walk This Way“. 

So the list would even go on, with shows by Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and more. Then the original four members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward do four songs: „War Pigs“, „N.I.B.“, „Iron Man“ and „Paranoid“. An emotional moment as tears come to one’s eyes, topped off with Ozzy’s performance of „Mama I’m Coming Home“, written by Lemmy and with Zakk Wylde (BLS). 

„Back To The Beginning“ is a fantastic live document, of a band which wrote history, a man obviously having a great time shortly before his passing, and including archive footage, remembering how Black Sabbath playing the Devil’s Chord invented Heavy Metal and changed the course of the world.