Written in eyeliner and spilled beer by The Riff Report 🍻
Alright, let’s settle this like rock fans do — LOUDLY, BIASEDLY, and with absolutely no regard for decency or subtlety. 🤘
Back to the Beginning wasn’t just a farewell — it was a fire-breathing, riff-shredding tribute to the gods of heavy metal. Everyone from doom lords to glam warriors rolled up to take on the sacred scrolls of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, armed with nothing but face-melting solos and an unholy amount of pyro.
But only one question matters: WHO DID IT BETTER?!
Let’s get into it, c’mon butt! 🏴
🥇 THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
🦴 LAMB OF GOD – “CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE” (SABBATH)
This was biblical, mate. Randy Blythe didn’t sing this song — he summoned it from the underworld. Drums like jackhammers. Guitars like chainsaws. The crowd? Absolute carnage.
🩸 Score: 10/10
🕯️ Doom Level: High priest of Hades
🔥 “Best Sabbath Cover of the Night” – FACT.
💋 THE SUPERGROUP – “SHOT IN THE DARK” (OZZY)
Lzzy Hale. David Draiman. Nuno Bettencourt. Scott Ian. Everyone your dad had on a denim jacket in 1987. This was Ozzy’s glammed-out 80s cheese anthem reworked into a stadium-sized banger. Nuno’s solo? Honestly, someone call the fire brigade.
⚡ Score: 10/10
🎸 Guitar Face Count: 7
👑 “Best Ozzy Cover of the Night” – No question, butt.
😈 THE RIFF REPORT RUNNERS-UP
⚖️ HALESTORM – “PERRY MASON” (OZZY)
A deep cut pulled out with black-lipsticked vengeance. Lzzy Hale stomped through this legal thriller like she was suing the devil himself. You could feel Sharon Osbourne raising an eyebrow in approval from across the globe.
💼 Metal Courtroom Drama Rating: 9/10
📣 Vocal Power: Weaponised banshee
💥 Verdict: PROPER JOB.
🗿 ANTHRAX – “INTO THE VOID” (SABBATH)
Scott Ian and the gang said “What if doom… but THRASH?” and we said “YES PLEASE”. It was like getting punched in slow motion by a spiky fist made of riffs. Groove for days. Stink faces everywhere.
💥 Riff Chug Level: Industrial
🥋 Metal Style: NYC Underground Dojo
🧠 Mosh Memory: “I saw God… and he was headbanging.”
🌫️ RIVAL SONS – “ELECTRIC FUNERAL” (SABBATH)
Moody. Smoky. Spooky. Like if Led Zep got lost in a Welsh forest and started chanting at the moon. Gorgeous stuff, but didn’t break bones like the others.
🦉 Witch Level: 8/10
🌒 Vibe Check: Candlelit séance in a cave
🍷 Fancy Doom: Lush as a Friday chippy tea
🚀 MASTODON – “SUPERTNAUT” (SABBATH)
Space beards and cosmic breakdowns – this was Sabbath filtered through a wormhole made of DMT and distortion. Was it tight? Not always. Was it a spiritual experience? YES MUN.
🎛️ Time Signature Confusion: 9/10
🌌 Intergalactic Groove: Activated
🧠 Thought you saw aliens mid-song: Confirmed
🦇 WILD WITCHY BONUS ROUND
🎭 MARINA VIOTTI x GOJIRA – “MEA CULPA (AH! ÇA IRA!)”
Wait, WHAT?! Opera metal madness with French revolution energy. Marina sang like a Disney villainess possessed by Beelzebub, while Gojira just growled the walls down. Absolute chaos — and somehow, it worked.
🥖 Level of WTF: Baguette-slammed to the face
🩰 Elegance Meets Mayhem: 100%
👑 Most Unexpected Banger of the Night
🏆 THE FINAL RIFF RANKINGS
| Cover | Artist | Origin | Score | Madness Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children of the Grave | Lamb of God | Sabbath | 10/10 | ⚔️ Doomageddon |
| Shot in the Dark | Supergroup | Ozzy | 10/10 | 👑 Arena Anthem |
| Perry Mason | Halestorm | Ozzy | 9/10 | 🧨 Legal Thriller Shred |
| Into the Void | Anthrax | Sabbath | 8.5/10 | 👊 Slammy |
| Electric Funeral | Rival Sons | Sabbath | 8/10 | 🦉 Spooky Lush |
| Supernaut | Mastodon | Sabbath | 8/10 | 🚀 Doom in Space |
| Mea Culpa | Marina + Gojira | Ozzy-adjacent | 9/10 | 🧛♀️ WTF Baroque Fury |
🎤 FINAL VERDICT:
🔮 SABBATH edges the night… JUST.
Why? Because Lamb of God’s “Children of the Grave” felt like an ancient curse made flesh. But Ozzy’s solo stuff had the flash, the flair, and enough eyeliner to black out Birmingham.
🎸 BEST COVER OVERALL: Lamb of God – Children of the Grave
💅 Most Glam-as-Hell: Supergroup – Shot in the Dark
💥 Best Use of a Judge Metaphor: Halestorm – Perry Mason
🤘 SO, WHO DO YOU THINK WON?
Was it the children of the grave or the prince of darkness himself? Let us know in the comments, shout about it on the forums, or just scream it into the void like you’re at the back of a Sabbath gig in 1972. 🖤
Until next time, keep it heavy and keep it daft.
#BackToTheBeginning #SabbathVsOzzy #LambOfGodKilledIt #SupergroupMayhem #RiffReportReckons 🦇🔥🎸
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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