Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Black Sabbath: The End 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 17, 2024

Mercury Studios released Black Sabbath: The End - Live in Birmingham on 1080 disc back when it was still Eagle Rock Entertainment (and/or Eagle Vision Media), and is now revisiting the title with this new 4K outing, one that not only repeats the audio options of the old 1080 disc, but which does not even offer HDR here, kind of oddly, since Mercury Studios released Eric Clapton: Slowhand at 70 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall 4K simultaneously with this disc, and that one does offer HDR. This release also does not have the CD of the concert that came with Eagle Rock Entertainment's 1080 release.

For my thoughts on the concert and Eagle Rock Entertainment's 1080 presentation, please head over to my old Black Sabbath: The End - Live in Birmingham Blu-ray review . For convenience sake, I'll repeat the disc's track listing here:

1. Black Sabbath
2. Fairies Wear Boots
3. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes
4. After Forever
5. Into The Void
6. Snowblind
7. Band Intros
8. War Pigs
9. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
10. Bassically / N.I.B.
11. Hand Of Doom
12. Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania
13. Rat Salad / Drum Solo
14. Iron Man
15. Dirty Women
16. Children Of The Grave
17. Paranoid

Black Sabbath: The End 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Note: This release does not include a 1080 Blu-ray, so these screenshots are taken from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080. They are therefore not an accurate gauge of the image quality. Those interested may want to look at the 1080 screenshots accompanying my 1080 review. Because there is no 1080 disc in this package, the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.

Black Sabbath The End is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Mercury Studios with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. I gave pretty topnotch marks to Eagle Rock's 1080 presentation, and while this is a solid enough 4K outing, in at least some ways it merely duplicates the excellence of the 1080 version instead of actually improving on it. The 1080's progressive presentation was one of its strengths, and this 4K version carries over the nicely organic fluidity that helps to keep even fast motions problem free. And there's no arguing that the palette pops quite nicely throughout this presentation, especially some of the moody blues (sorry) and purples. But, again, without HDR what's offered here is basically an echo, albeit a vivid one, of the 1080 presentation. HDR could have arguably helped the one area I felt could have used improvement in Eagle Rock's 1080 presentation, namely deficits in shadow detail. Again, there's really not much difference between the deficits in that presentation and the ones on tap here.

Black Sabbath: The End 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As mentioned above, this 4K disc repeats the same audio options as were offered on Eagle Rock Entertainment's old 1080 release. Black Sabbath The End features a forceful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well as a somewhat more focused sounding LPCM 2.0 offering. The surround track has ample energy in the all important low end, delivering really punchy bass and drums while also offering clear accountings of what typically is pretty heavily massed instrumentation in the mid and lower registers. As often seems to be the case in these surround mixes, I at least occasionally wished that Ozzy's voice could have been prioritized a bit better, as it sometimes tends to get slightly buried in the instrumental maelstroms. In that regard, some listeners may find the stereo version more to their liking, but both tracks offer superior fidelity and clarity, with no problems of any kind. As is kind of weirdly the case on many of these Eagle Rock releases, the disc is authored to default to the stereo track rather than the surround track.

Black Sabbath: The End 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Angelic Sessions (HD; 20:26) include:

  The Wizard

  Wicked World

  Sweet Leaf

  Tomorrow's Dream

  Changes

An insert booklet featuring a 2017 essay by Kary Grow and quite a few photographs is included. This is packaged in a cardboard sleeve and I have to say it was almost insanely difficult to get the disc out of its pocket on the right side. A thumb notch or something similar would have been a better design choice in my not so humble opinion.

Black Sabbath: The End 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mercury Studios still seems to be finding its sea (and/or C) legs with its 4K UHD releases, as evidenced by the kind of odd fact that two releases coming out on the same day have one with HDR and one without. This 4K presentation probably ups the perception of the vividness of the palette a bit, and provides the same excellent detailing that the 1080 presentation did, but this may be one of those releases where those prone to double dipping may ask "why"? Similarly, those wanting to check this concert out for the first time may actually prefer the 1080 version (or the deluxe version I link to in my 1080 review) since this one doesn't offer the CD (or in the case of the deluxe version, all of the other bonus items). Still, taken on its own merits and with caveats noted, Black Sabbath The End comes Recommended.