Sabbath stays true to the faithful Ozzy Osbourne was in fine form at a Black Sabbath concert in Sydney. Picture: Marc Roberston Source: Supplied MUSIC Black Sabbath Allphones Arena, Sydney, April 26 THE dark legions that swarmed to Sydney's Allphones Arena on Saturday to worship at the altar of Black Sabbath did not leave disappointed. Sabbath is often cited as one of the world's most influential bands and Tony Iommi's growling chords have been an inspiration for metal wannabes for more than four decades. Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne was in fine fettle, peppering his performance with his usual expletive-laden exhortations and looking fitter and in better voice than might be expected from someone only recently released from the thrall of drugs and drink. The fact that Ozzy can perform at all, let alone with such presence, is a modern miracle even if he did periodically dunk his head in a bucket of water and make cuckoo noises while observing how much fun it is being crazy. His vocals were by no means perfect, and the start to Electric Funeral was particularly dodgy. But showman Ozzy got it right most of the time and had the amiable, cross-generational crowd onside. As he kicked off the concert by bellowing "Let me see your f ... ing hands" it was as if the masses packed on the arena floor had been precision-drilling the move for weeks. A fan-pleasing set list focused mainly on Sabbath's classic first albums - Black Sabbath, Master of Reality, Paranoid and Vol. 4 - without straying too far from the studio versions. The concert began to loud acclaim as Iommi's distinctive riff and "Geezer" Butler's powerful bass announced the start of War Pigs at an ear-splitting volume that continued for the rest of the gig. A highlight was a triplet of tracks from the first album, displaying the innovative sound the band brought to early-70s rock. Exceptions to the classic line-up included Symptom of the Universe, Dirty Women and two tracks, God is Dead and End of the Beginning, from the band's new album, 13. A contractual wrangle excluded original drummer Bill Ward, but shirtless wild man Tommy Clufetos was an energetic replacement whose impressive drum solo wowed the house. Butler and the always cool Iommi were in good form, but the ear-bleeding volume and challenging acoustics at Allphones meant some of the guitar wizard's faster solos were overwhelmed. The night ended with Ozzy orchestrating a roaring demand for an encore that morphed into the band's biggest hit, Paranoid, to send the crowd off happy and with ears ringing. Melbourne, tonight and Wednesday; Perth, Saturday; Adelaide, May 7.