Progressive metal titans TOOL delivered one of the most haunting and powerful tributes of the night at BLACK SABBATH’s monumental “Back To The Beginning” farewell concert on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK. The band performed a chilling, hypnotic version of “Hand Of Doom,” one of the darker and more brooding tracks from SABBATH’s legendary 1970 Paranoid album.
Taking the stage at 6:17 p.m., TOOL immersed the massive crowd in their signature atmosphere of layered soundscapes and restrained fury. Frontman Maynard James Keenan kept to his usual enigmatic stage presence, letting the music and visuals speak for themselves as the band slowly built the track into a menacing crescendo.
The performance felt tailor-made for TOOL — “Hand Of Doom”’s themes of war, addiction, and psychological decay are right in the band’s lyrical and emotional wheelhouse. With Danny Carey’s massive drumming and Justin Chancellor’s pulsing low end anchoring the piece, TOOL honored the original while making it unmistakably their own.
The “Back To The Beginning” concert — curated by Tom Morello and hosted by Jason Momoa — brought together an unprecedented lineup of metal and rock royalty, including SLAYER, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, LAMB OF GOD, PANTERA, METALLICA, and of course, the original BLACK SABBATH lineup closing out the night.
TOOL’s performance came just ahead of SLAYER, GUNS N’ ROSES, and METALLICA, holding its own as one of the most cerebral and atmospheric sets of the event.
Footage of TOOL’s “Hand Of Doom” performance is starting to surface online, and we’ll be updating Metaladdicts.com with more clips, fan reactions, and coverage from every unforgettable moment at this once-in-a-lifetime event.
More Unmissable Covers From “Back To The Beginning”
TOOL’s haunting rendition of “Hand Of Doom” was just one of many unforgettable tributes to BLACK SABBATH and Ozzy Osbourne throughout the event. Be sure to check out:
- LAMB OF GOD performing “Children Of The Grave”
- ALICE IN CHAINS covering “Fairies Wear Boots”
- ANTHRAX tearing into “Into The Void”
- HALESTORM honoring Ozzy with “Perry Mason”
- A supergroup of Jake E. Lee, Mike Bordin, David Ellefson, Adam Wakeman, and David Draiman performing “Shot In The Dark”
- Another all-star lineup featuring Papa V Perpetua, Nuno Bettencourt, Vernon Reid, Rudy Sarzo, and Travis Barker crushing “Bark At The Moon”
- And of course, Jason Momoa jumping into the pit during PANTERA’s performance of “Cowboys From Hell”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.