Ozzfest was held in such unbearable heat, the only people properly attired at the Post-Gazette Pavilion Friday were the bikini models from Hustler.

Two of those girls made out, but their kisses provided only temporary relief to the sweaty masses. Nonetheless, the unwelcoming weather didn't prevent many of the acts or fans from wearing makeup and costumes.

The crowd seemed to be on the older side, not a healthy sign for metal. Could it be the singers of contemporary metal bands not taking enough of a cue from Ozzy? They tend to drown out good music with screams that get annoying after 20 minutes, let alone after a day-long show.

Here are my takes on the bigger acts:

Behemoth:

The vocals of lead singer Adam Darski sounded like well-enunciated burps. The guitars were the best part of their performance, something that was true for all the bands that performed. Members wore Kiss-like makeup that dripped off in the heat, until all that was left were disheveled musicians trying to look the part.

Hatebreed:

Jamey Jasta, lead singer of the second-stage headliner, was a better vocalist than Darski, but he still tended to scream rather than sing. The guitar work wasn't as good as Behemoth. Their best songs were "Under the Knife," "Straight to Your Face," and "Perseverance." There was a bit of humor as well. Jasta gave a soliloquy about unity and how everyone should pursue their heart, despite what others pressure them to do. It was a call for united individualism. He then performed "Proven" and everyone in the crowd did the same thing: moshed to an angry song.

Lordi:

By far my favorite performance of the day, mostly because I couldn't stop laughing. The Finnish band takes more than two hours putting on its costumes and makeup to look like the offspring of a Klingon and "Conan the Barbarian" villain. I never knew when or where a firework or a flare would come. Drumsticks, guitars, chainsaws and various stage props could all shoot out fire. Musically, there were still the screams, but they were decipherable. Playing into the humor theme, the best song was "Who's Your Daddy?" which was aided by a water cannon that Mr. Lordi held around his pelvic region. It got the point of the song across.

Static-X:

Less theatrical and a bit of a letdown after Lordi. Because they emphasized the drums and guitars over the vocals, their performance was one of the better ones, with highlights like "Cold" and "I'm with Stupid."

Lamb Of God:

Randy Blythe, the worst screamer of the day, didn't deliver a refrain or lyric that was crisp or clear. He obviously favors intensity is more important than delivery. The only time people could understand him was when he spoke to the crowd before a song. He demonstrated his hypocrisy with a criticism of "American Idol," saying people shouldn't accept that music, but they should accept his.

He felt one was "authentic," while the other was "fake." I guess he doesn't like different musicians just because they pursue recognition on national television. Frankly, given that this is a band that provided a soundtrack for a video game and performs at a festival that derived its name from a guy who was on a reality television show, they should be the last ones labeling people as commercial. That being said, his fellow band mates shined through on "Ruin" and "Now You've got Something to Die For."

Ozzy Osbourne:

Surprisingly, the 58-year-old Ozzy had the clearest vocal delivery of any singer at the show. He struggled on his first song, but found his footing with "Mr. Crowley," "Walking" and "Road to Nowhere." The highlight was guitarist Zakk Wylde's 10-minute rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner," on which he imitated Jimi Hendrix by putting the guitar behind his back and playing with his teeth.

Ozzy capped off the night with "I Don't Know," "I'm Here for You," "Mama, I'm Coming Home," "Crazy Train" and "Paranoid." The show ended at 10:50, but it could have gone longer. Osbourne was one musician who left us wanting more.