Bat Sabbath, the "evil twin" of Toronto-based metallic hardcore/hardcore punk outfit Cancer Bats, is the very best kind of joke: one that has taken on a life and power all its own. Playing an early set at Heavy Montreal, Bat Sabbath have gone beyond mere cover or tribute band to something else entirely, as though the project has come out the other side of satire to a pure place.
Liam Cormier's open black shirt and cape harkened to Ozzy in his prime without seeming like a costume, and the blackened, blistering energy that they brought to some of Sabbath's best-loved songs was pure delight. The re-interpretation did great justice to the source material, and hearing it live, in one of an outdoor festival's major stages, added another layer of joy. Bat Sabbath leading the already-impressive early afternoon crowd in a sing-along of "Warpigs" was a perfect distillation of the feeling of positivity and community that Heavy Montreal embodied.
Liam Cormier's open black shirt and cape harkened to Ozzy in his prime without seeming like a costume, and the blackened, blistering energy that they brought to some of Sabbath's best-loved songs was pure delight. The re-interpretation did great justice to the source material, and hearing it live, in one of an outdoor festival's major stages, added another layer of joy. Bat Sabbath leading the already-impressive early afternoon crowd in a sing-along of "Warpigs" was a perfect distillation of the feeling of positivity and community that Heavy Montreal embodied.