Report From The Kenster: Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell Tour Hits Holmdel, NJ

August 19, 2008 – 2:11 pm

Testament thrashed, Motorhead banged, Dio belted, but Judas Priest ruled the night…tough call between H&H and the Priest, but the new nuggets (2, one instrumental, and the title to “Nostrodamus”) were too tasty not to comment…and for seeing the Priest as many times as I have (countless at this point, but possibly over a dozen times), they finally overhauled the playlist structure they have clung to since the “Screaming for Vengeance” era and opened with new material, and even left a couple staples at home (while peppering things with other tasty nuggets). “Dissident Aggressor”, all along known to be in the set this tour, still ruled. Slayer covered it about 10 years back, and Priest has seldom - if ever - busted this one out. They are a live machine. Not to pull any credit away from Lemmy for the Motorhead 45 minute contribution, but this reminded me of seeing the Ramones open for someone much newer and younger, way back a couple years - too seasoned and professional to make the show suck, but really there to bang the heads with some known tasties, and collect a paycheck. I look forward to Lemmy taking things into his own with a club tour later this year or next. You just cannot “see” Motorhead in 45 minutes in an outdoor stadium. Not to dismiss the Dio-Sabs either, who were all on top of their game. Dio just turned 54 rumor has it, and he sounds better than half the hard rock singers of the last 2 decades combined. H&H hit some really high notes, especially “Children of the Sea”, the titular “H&H”, and an earth-shattering “Sign of the Southern Cross”…Here’s Mob Rules captured last year.