Black Sabbath Kicks Off U.S. Tour [VIDEO]

Black Sabbath kicked off its North American tour last Thursday night (July 25th) in Houston, with the reunited group adding four tracks from its new album 13 to a set already filled with Sabbath classics and a few deeper album cuts. The original trio of singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler were joined as on all their live dates so far by Ozzy's solo touring drummer Tommy Clufetos. Founding drummer Bill Ward has sat out the group's activities despite originally being announced as part of the reunion back in November 2011.

Tony Iommi said a while back how hard it is for Sabbath to make up a set list: "There are so many tracks that it's really difficult what to pick, because there's always somebody gonna go, 'Oh, why didn't you play that one? Why didn't you play this?' you know. And there's only a limited time you can play as well, so you've gotta work out a set that everybody wants to do without upsetting the people that say, 'Oh, I wanted to hear this. I wanted to hear that,' you know? But you've gotta drop some to put new ones in, and it's hard."

13 is the first Sabbath album to feature Ozzy on vocals in 35 years and the first studio set by the group to ever hit Number One on the Billboard album chart.

The group's reunion plans were delayed in early 2012 by Iommi's cancer diagnosis, although he has been receiving regular treatment and the band was eventually able to record and start touring.

Sabbath next plays in Tampa, Florida on Monday night (July 29th).

Black Sabbath's set list from its opening night in Houston:
"War Pigs"
"Into The Void"
"Under The Sun"
"Snowblind"
"Age Of Reason"
"Black Sabbath"
"Behind The Wall Of Sleep"
"N.I.B."
"End Of The Beginning"
"Fairies Wear Boots"
"Methademic"
"Rat Salad" (instrumental and drum solo)
"Iron Man"
"God Is Dead?"
"Dirty Women"
"Children of the Grave"
"Paranoid" (encore)