Director Penelope Spheeris offered a witty and insightful look at the 1980s metal scene in her documentary The Decline of Western Civilization 2: The Metal Years, and now she examines the state of metal at the end of the century as she documents the 1999 edition of Ozzy Osbourne's annual touring road show, the Ozzfest. Perennially headlined by Ozzy and a reunited lineup of his pioneering metal group Black Sabbath, Ozzfest is a traveling festival that brings together a handful of the leading hard rock acts of the day, and despite waning media attention paid to heavy metal, Ozzfest has proven to be one of the biggest grossing attractions on the arena circuit since debuting in 1994. We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n' Roll offers performances by Ozzy and Black Sabbath, as well as fellow Ozzfest performers Rob Zombie, Slipknot, Slayer, Primus, System of a Down, Godsmack, and Fear Factory. Spheeris talks to the performers and behind-the-scenes figures who travel with the festival (including Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager), as well as the fans who come to drink, mosh, and raise havoc. Spheeris also briefly allows a group of born-again Christians protesting the show a chance to air their views on the spectacle.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide