METALLICA brought thunder and precision to BLACK SABBATH’s legendary farewell concert, “Back To The Beginning,” on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK. During their powerful set, the metal giants paid tribute to their biggest influence with a ripping cover of “Hole In The Sky,” a fan-favorite track from SABBATH’s Sabotage album (1975).
Taking the stage at 7:53 p.m., METALLICA lit up the crowd with their trademark energy — and when the opening riff to “Hole In The Sky” dropped, the stadium erupted.
As one of the final acts before BLACK SABBATH themselves took the stage, METALLICA’s tribute carried emotional weight. The band has often spoken about the profound impact SABBATH had on them as musicians — and this performance felt both personal and historic.
The “Back To The Beginning” concert, curated by Tom Morello and hosted by Jason Momoa, featured a once-in-a-lifetime lineup, including SLAYER, TOOL, GUNS N’ ROSES, PANTERA, GOJIRA, and more, along with surprise supergroup collaborations and a final reunion of SABBATH’s original lineup.
METALLICA’s “Hole In The Sky” cover joins an epic list of tributes from the event, including:
- GUNS N’ ROSES – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”
- TOOL – “Hand Of Doom”
- SLAYER – “Wicked World”
- ALICE IN CHAINS – “Fairies Wear Boots”
- LAMB OF GOD – “Children Of The Grave”
- ANTHRAX – “Into The Void”
- HALESTORM – “Perry Mason”
- Supergroups performing “Shot In The Dark” and “Bark At The Moon”
- And Jason Momoa diving into the pit during PANTERA’s “Cowboys From Hell”
Stay locked to MetalAddicts.com for full coverage, exclusive footage, and behind-the-scenes moments from this historic tribute to the band that started it all.
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