Stephanie Dennis

Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press

INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Ozzy Osbourne wanted to see our hands during Black Sabbath’s concert Thursday night, Aug. 6, at the DTE Energy Music Theatre.

Our f—— hands, that is. As often as possible.

And he certainly got what he asked for, from a legion of headbangers thrilled to join the veteran heavy metal group in celebrating the release of its first new album with Osbourne singing — the chart-topping “13” — since 1978, with fresh fare such as “God is Dead,” “End of the Beginning” and “Age of Reason” joining decades-old favorites during the two-hour, 18-song show.

The four band members dressed in trademark black, with a cobweb-filled cave scene filling the stage background. After mumbling from Osbourne, the group opened with “War Pigs.” Ozzy lifted his leg and laughed to introduce “Fairies Wear Boots.” During the performance of “Black Sabbath,” when Osbourne announced the group was taking the audience “back to the beginning,” the band’s name appeared on the screen behind them.

Some of Osbourne’s shouts were inaudible and his own headbanging seemed more like bowing, but he sang strongly throughout.

Geezer Butler’s bass playing was expressive, while a vigorous, 10-minute drum solo from Detroit native Tommy Clufetos led into the classic, “Iron Man,” just one of many highlighted by burly instrumentals that felt as much like 1968 as they did 2013.

Black Sabbath finished the night with the “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” intro seguing into “Paranoid,” another blast into the past that was exactly what the Sabbath crowd came for.