Live Review : Bat Sabbath + Froglord + Black Mastiff @ Rebellion, Manchester on July 14th 2026

Last year’s Back To The Beginning event helped to reaffirm what most of us already knew, that we, as a community, love Black Sabbath and that we cannot get enough of hearing those songs no matter who is playing them. Bat Sabbath aren’t just any tribute act, they’re the alter-ego of Canadian punk metallers Cancer Bats, who have a devoted following themselves, and whilst there are plenty of Cancer Bats, Sabbath and Ozzy shirts in attendance tonight, there are also shirts representing the many tribes of metal, from death metal to goth to pop-punk and everything in between, showing Sabbath’s universal appeal.

Canadian power trio Black Mastiff open the show. They start off with some heavy blues reminiscent of Clutch but when lead singer and guitarist Bobby Yiannakoulias opens his mouth, it all changes. His voice is striking, clean with a touch of soul and reminiscent of Chris Cornell which immediately brings Soundgarden comparisons to mind especially when they add big Sabbathian riffs.

These aren’t the only grunge influences as Alice In Chains are also brought to mind a number of times. The vocal harmonies from all three members adds a melancholic edge whilst one track is dark grunge with a super stop-start riff. On record, they have much more of a stoner rock sound but, pleasingly, the blues and grunge influences are much more prevalent live.

A couple of tracks have a Hendrix style blues rock groove and they often feel quite spontaneous in these moments, possessing a jam band quality. Clay Shea’s bass playing is fluid whilst Allan Harding’s drumming is versatile, loose when it needs to be yet hard and driving at other times. The audience reaction is polite but it’s a good start to the evening.

Things take a much heavier turn as Bristolian doom overlords Froglord take to the stage. The stage is covered in foliage to simulate wetlands which complement the swampy doom grooves created by the low tuned bass and tar thick guitar riffs. Low and slow is the vibe here, from the Electric Wizard influenced ‘Green Inferno’ to the hypnotic blues doom groove of ‘They Came From Saturn’. They even add in a harmonica at one point to further enhance the ‘deep in the bayou’ feel.

Froglord’s (confusingly, the pseudonym of the singer Ben as well as the name of the band) vocals switch between a deep, guttural death metal style and a cleaner psychedelic approach. I’m not always convinced by the cleaner vocals as they don’t always seem to be in key but it works well with the music anyway. He knows how to work the crowd though, being a shamanic presence throughout. At one point he brings out a ritual frog to great appreciation from the crowd and the bassist even uses it to play his bass for a short period of time.

The closing ‘Swamp Boogie’ is a groovy stoner blues number which goes down a storm and it’s hard to argue with a band who can elicit such a great reaction from a crowd.

Bat Sabbath open with a pulsating ‘Children Of The Grave’ and frontman Liam Cormier brings out his own floor tom to add extra weight to the driving beat. The middle section sees hundreds of fists punching the air in unison, and that’s the effect prime Sabbath has, and make no mistake, this is all prime Sabbath. There are no deep cuts here, it is Sabbath 101 with all the classics - a souped-up ‘Paranoid’, the incendiary proto-thrash of ‘Symptom Of The Universe’ and an ominous, devastating ‘Black Sabbath’ are all present and correct.

The band are fantastic. Jaye R Schwarzer does a fine job of replicating Geezer Butler’s bass runs and grooves whilst Mike Peters still adds in Bill Ward’s drum fills but puts his own spin on the drumming. Jackson Landry looks magnificent in his tasselled cowboy shirt and he plays those riffs to perfection whilst his solos are authentic without being exact replicas.

Resplendent in a cape, Liam is an absolute livewire who covers every inch of the stage, frequently banging his head, throwing his arms up in a signature Ozzy pose and generally having as much fun as possible. Liam adopts a different persona for Bat Sabbath, with a theatrical, deeper speaking voice that is constantly exhorting us to “worship the lords of metal, Black Sabbath”. His vocals often match this persona but he also frequently switches to the harsh roar of his day job.

There is a punked up energy running throughout the set, and a riotous ‘N.I.B.’ and ‘Electric Funeral’ are particularly wired. We’re already in the midst of a heatwave but this electricity only makes it hotter and extremely sweaty. The heavy groove of ‘Into The Void’ is monstrous, but you already knew that. They’re not reinventing the wheel here, they’re just playing classic songs exceptionally well and injecting their own personality into them. We play our part too, and the crowd singing along to the verses and closing instrumental passage of War Pigs is magical.

The guitarists tops are off and Liam is back to his usual self as the Cancer Bats take over for the encore, playing their own ‘Lucifer’s Rocking Chair’ and the crowd go just as crazy for the chugging sludge punk. Cancer Bats and Black Sabbath are both bands where you are guaranteed a good time, and the fusion of both bands is beyond any high expectations you might have.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Bat Sabbath + Froglord + Black Mastiff

Writer : Gareth Beckley