Review: MANSON, KORN And PANTERA Surprise Appearance Wear OZZFEST Audience Out

August 4, 2003

Gemma Tarlach of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Ozzy Osbourne "arrived onstage with noticeable pep in his step Saturday (Aug. 2) at Alpine Valley Music Theatre. As his headlining set wore on, however, Ozzy wore out.

"Perhaps, like the throngs of fans spotted leaving early in Ozzy's set, he'd already experienced too much metal for one day.

"The main stage alone at Ozzfest 2003 featured viscerally satisfying performances by KORN and MARILYN MANSON and, during DISTURBED's set, a surprise walk-on by Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul of PANTERA.

"Non-metalheads, that's kind of like MADONNA getting onstage with BRITNEY SPEARS.

"All the earlier excitement made Osbourne's set anti-climactic. Despite a burst of energy out of the gates, Ozzy's trademark mumble grew noticeably more slurred by 'Goodbye to Romance', just a few songs into his set, and his stage moves seemed to be at half-speed.

"With a scaled-back production — no self-parodying pre-show video, no extravagant pyro — it fell to Ozzy's backing band to carry the set. But new bassist Jason Newsted, who played with second stage act VOIVOD earlier in the day, has an unassuming stage presence. That left the showboating to Ozzy's longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde." Read more.

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