Metallica Delivers Deep Cuts For 6-Song Covers At Last Black Sabbath Show

Metallica delivered a high-energy performance at Birmingham’s Villa Park as part of the massive Back to the Beginning concert, a celebration centered around Black Sabbath’s legendary legacy. Their six-song set included a mix of Black Sabbath covers and fan-favorite originals, setting the tone for a night filled with hard rock and heavy metal icons.

Rare Sabbath Covers and Metallica Classics

The band kicked off their set with “Hole in the Sky” from Sabbath’s Sabotage album— a song they hadn’t performed live in over a decade. In a surprise move, they also played “Johnny Blade” from the Never Say Die! album, marking the first time they’d ever performed the track live. These rare Sabbath tributes were paired with signature Metallica anthems like “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Battery,” and the epic “Master of Puppets.”

A Star-Studded Celebration of Sabbath’s Legacy

Metallica was one of many legendary acts featured in the day-long festival. The concert also included performances by Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Alice in Chains, and several “supergroups” assembled specifically to perform Black Sabbath covers. The main event of the evening featured Ozzy Osbourne’s final solo set, followed by the first live appearance of Black Sabbath’s original lineup—Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—since 2005.

Metallica, 7/5/25, Back to the Beginning Set List:
1. “Hole in the Sky”
2. “Creeping Death”
3. “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
4. “Johnny Blade”
5. “Battery”
6. “Master of Puppets”