The Words JAMES HETFIELD Waited Decades To Say Onstage To BLACK SABBATH At Their Final Show

Metallica showed up in full force at Back to the Beginning, a farewell event held on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. The show was designed to mark the final chapter for Black Sabbath as a live band, as well as the last-ever solo performance by Ozzy Osbourne.

It also gave Metallica’s James Hetfield a chance to say thank you, loudly and directly, to the group that shaped his life and career (watch below).

The concert wasn’t just a retirement sendoff. It felt more like a family gathering of metal’s bloodline, with Sabbath at the head of the table. Among the night’s many tributes, Metallica carved out their own 30-minute set.

Six songs, two of them Sabbath covers, and one message: gratitude.

A Brief but Loud Set

Metallica didn’t waste time. They opened with “Hole in the Sky,” a track from Sabotage (1975), and later pulled out “Johnny Blade,” a deep cut from Never Say Die! (1978) that they had never played live before.

Sandwiched between these covers were classics like “Creeping Death,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Battery,” and “Master of Puppets.”

Each song came with intensity, as expected, but the emotional high point wasn’t a riff or a scream, it was a few sentences from Hetfield.

Hetfield Gets Personal

Before launching into Creeping Death, Hetfield paused to speak directly to the crowd. The words weren’t complicated, but they hit hard:

“Let’s celebrate the band Black Sabbath,” he said. “Because without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica. Thank you boys for giving us a purpose in life. Thank you, Black Sabbath.”

That statement wasn’t some scripted nod. Oh, no, no, no. James has told this story before, going back to his childhood. As a kid, he would sneak into his older brother’s room, play records he wasn’t allowed to touch, and get blown away by the sound of Sabbath’s debut album.

The opening song, “Black Sabbath,” especially haunted him. He once described it as the kind of track you play in the dark, wearing headphones, just to scare yourself, and it worked.

Sabbath Wrote the Playbook

Guitarist Kirk Hammett echoed the same feelings earlier this year. In a March interview with Consequence, he talked about what it meant for Metallica to take part in Sabbath’s final show.

“It’s a real opportunity to say thank you to Ozzy and Tony and Geezer and Bill,” Hammett said. “They freaking wrote the book on the genre.”

He didn’t stop there. He credited them with creating an entire foundation, one that bands like Metallica still stand on decades later.

“They developed it, they fleshed it out,” he continued. “They turned it into a few different things over the course of their career. That’s completely awe-inspiring.”

For Hammett, it’s personal. He said he feels lucky to be in a position where he can publicly thank the people who shaped his musical path.

“My life would be extremely different if they didn’t do what they did.”

Closing the Loop

The Back to the Beginning concert was about closure, but it wasn’t just Sabbath’s door that was shutting. Ozzy Osbourne confirmed it would be his final live appearance too.

Metallica didn’t try to steal that spotlight. They used their short time onstage to reflect the legacy of the band that made theirs possible.

It wasn’t about ego or promotion. There was no album tease, no tour pitch, no guest appearances. Just six songs, two Sabbath tributes, and one clear message:

Everything Metallica became started with four guys from Birmingham.

That’s why James’s words stood out. They were simple. Direct. Honest. And probably the most fitting tribute anyone could give in that moment. 👇

Got a tip for us? Email: [email protected]