Ozzfest – 10^th Anniversary Edition (Summit/Warner Music Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B-     Extras: C     Concert: C+

 

 

Surprisingly after 10 years, there seems to be no slowing down Ozzfest.  The rock festival is the longest running of its kind and has garnered a huge and loyal following.  The shows have solidified themselves in rock history by showcasing newcomers and rock legends alike; there is no band too big or too small for Ozzfest.  The new Ozzfest: 10^th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray celebrates 10 years of rocking out to hell and back on the road.  The Blu-ray follows the epic concert series around the globe as it makes stops in the jolly old UK and the sweltering heat of Camden, New Jersey.  It is odd how Ozzy Osbourne has become a timeless entity to both young and old alike with Ozzfest.  Ozzy has gained much praise, support, and homage by both fans and fellow artists due to his efforts to keep the rock world fresh and alive.  Ozzfest has always been about delivering what the fans want from beginning to end.  So sit back and crank up the surround sound as Ozzfest blows your mind…or perhaps your ear drums.

 

The rock infused Blu-ray features 15 performances with 15 Ozzfest reflection segments in between, 5 candid interviews, and 3 bonus performances in the Blu-ray Special Features Section.  The 29 performances on this disc include:

 

1. Intro
2. Anthrax - Caught in a Mosh
3. In the beginning
4. Trivium - A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation
5. The Ozzfest Tour Machine
6. Soilwork - Blind Eye Halo
7. The Early Morning Gig?
8. The Haunted - Bury Your Dead
9. The Second Stage
10.  Gizmachi - The Voice of Sanity
11.  Rob Zombie  on the Second Stage
12.  Rob Zombie- More Human than Human
13.  The Ghosts of Ozzfest Past
14.  Where the &*@$ did Heavy Metal Come From?
15.  Wicked Wisdom - You Can’t Handle
16.  Shelter from the Sun?
17.  It Dies Today - A Therenody For Modern Romance
18.  The Original Lunatic
19.  H.I.M.- Soul on Fire
20.  Just to Play?
21.  A Dozen Furies - Awake and Lifeless
22.  A Shot in the Dark
23.  Rob Zombie - Dragula
24.  Look at us Now
25.  Velvet Revolver - Sucker Train Blues
26.  The Psychometry of Black Sabbath
27.  Black Sabbath - War Pigs
28.  Black Sabbath - Iron Man
29.  Ozzy Reflections
30.  Black Sabbath - Paranoid

 

 

 

Overall the collection of rock performances was nicely put together and entertaining.  The main problem with the Blu-ray is that for a 10^th Anniversary collection one would expect the Ozzfest release to be more in the vein of the “Best of Ozzfest through the Years,” but instead is a just a collection of select performances from the concert series’ 10^th year.  Most of the performances are entertaining, but could be just as easily dismissed.  Select performances from great bands/artists like Velvet Revolver, Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath, and H.I.M. are obviously great, but most other performances failed to leave a lasting memory.  The bonus concert section featured one Bowling for Soup performance of the song 1985 that was entertaining, but once again bands like Alterbridge and The Mad Capsule Markets were ‘meh’ at best.

 

The technical features are not as great as one would expect for an anniversary collection, nor one that is so heavily reliant on music.  The picture is presented in 1080i/VC-1 that is certainly nothing special as it becomes problematic with the productions’ many lighting effects, dark sets, and quick transitions.  The image is often times too fuzzy for a Blu-ray and has light/dark, as well as color issues.  The image is not horrific, but overall is merely average.  The sound is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as 2.0 Stereo that is adequate, but is no major upgrade from DVD, which is just sad in terms of a concert series and even more so because it is Blu-ray.

 

The extras include the 3 additional performances mentioned above as well as interviews with Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, Slash, Zakk Wylde, and Wicked Wisdom.  The interviews are nice and certainly spell out some of the emotion and heart that goes into setting up the festivals each year, but overall the interviews hold little rewatchable content.

 

This Blu-ray fails to impress in many ways; so only extreme Ozzfest fans need to obtain this backstage pass.  I’ll be out back with the roadies…

 

 

-   Michael P. Dougherty II