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Lauren Hernandez

Last Sunday, the forefathers of drive-thru metal, Mac Sabbath, made their San Antonio debut at the Paper Tiger. A show filled with hard-crunching metal riffs, Ronald McDonald fog machines and incredible lighting theatrics, the band’s performance was certainly a spectacle to see. 

A parody of the metal group Black Sabbath, Mac Sabbath was formed in 2014 out of Los Angeles, California. They are composed of four members: Ronald Osbourne on vocals, Slayer MacCheese on guitar, Grimalice on bass and The Catburglar on drums. While the band covers the Sabbath classics, they add their own style by using an assortment of McDonald-themed lyrics and props. 

Opening their set with a parody version of “Electric Funeral,” the band played a variety of Black Sabbath classics. Despite the changes in lyrics, the group’s playing seemed nearly identical to that of the famous heavy metal group. Frontman Ronald Osbourne electrified the crowd with his on-stage antics, squirting ketchup bottles at fans and joking with the audience in between songs. Other band members, such as Grimalice and Slayer MacCheese, made their stage presence felt through their incredible playing and crowd-taunting gestures. 

There were various guest character appearances throughout the night, including 1990s McDonald’s mascot Mac Moon, who performed a cover of the KISS song “Beth.” A mutated lizard, described as the dead lizard that was found in a McDonald’s customer’s drink, was also brought out to play the harmonica on the band’s cover of “The Wizard.” During their “Children of the Grave” performance, a pumpkin prop was brought out onto the stage to interact with the audience and squirt water onto the crowd. 

Though Mac Sabbath’s playing was incredible, it was their theatrics and pyrotechnic excitement that stole the show. Two towering Ronald McDonald fog machines flooded the crowd with smoke, while the large McDonald-themed grill shot soaring flames into the sky. Props such as large straws were used by Osbourne to chug different drinks, and inflatable balloon burgers were tossed into the crowd towards the end of the night. With such a large theatrical presence, the band was able to fully immerse the crowd in the evil, satiric world of Mac Sabbath. 

Bringing out members from the opening act, Cybertronic Spree, Mac Sabbath performed the famous Misfits song “Halloween” towards the end of their set. The crowd sang happily along as the group played to the audience perfectly. Closing their set was a parody of the Sabbath hit “Paranoid.” Halfway through the song’s performance, Osbourne leapt into the crowd, surfing through the audience on an inflatable burger balloon. 

Although the audience cheered for an encore, the band only played a snippet of the Ozzy Osbourne song “Crazy Train” before thanking the audience and stepping off the stage. Overall, the concert and theatrical performance was an incredible experience. Mac Sabbath’s electricity and stage presence moved nearly all who were in attendance. More can be found out about the band through their website.