Metal Overview: Ozzy Osbourne (Part 3)

Happy Halloween fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We did it! We made it to the end of October! We’ve examined Ozzy’s time in the 1980s, and made a pitstop & took a look at his brief time in the 1990s. Now, it’s the new millennium, and with it comes a new Ozzy Osbourne. Did he get back onto his feet, completely refreshed, and crank out some beastly albums? Well, let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look. Here is part 3 & my final look at Ozzy Osbourne. Let’s begin!

Down To Earth (2001)

The 90s was definitely interesting for Ozzy. He got out a great album with No More Tears, and another great record financially with Ozzmosis, but it would be more divided among music critics and some fans. However, the business venture that would perhaps be the most successful thing would be the iconic Heavy Metal festival known as Ozzfest. Created by and managed by Sharon, and assisted by his son Jack, Ozzfest was an immediate hit. It not only was awesome among fans, but it also helped many up & coming metal bands with exposure. Not only that, but in the inagural show they got to play alongside a newly reformed Black Sabbath. It is through Ozzfest that the Blizzard of Ozz would get the energy to get out an album of completely new material in the 6 years since the last time.

Released on the 16th of October in 2001, Osbourne explained in an interview with Classic Rock Magazine that “The Ozzfest was doing well. I just wanted to be like the Grateful Dead and keep it going by touring, but the record company said they'd like a new Ozzy album”. Down To Earth is interesting in the fact that it is the only time that future Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo would ever perform on an Ozzy release, the first time that former Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, and it would be the last time that we would hear Zakk Wylde until 2007, but that’s for a little later.

Down To Earth would chart pretty high across the world. For example, in the UK it would chart at no. 19 on the UK Albums Chart, no. 4 on the Billboard 200 here in the United States, and weirdly enough no. 1 on the Sverigetopplistan over in Sweden. It would also be certified Silver & Platinum in the UK & U.S. respectively. On top of that, the album’s 2 singles (Gets Me Through & Dreamer) would reach the top 10 of the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart here in America, and at no. 18 on the UK Singles Chart. Not bad if you ask me!

Best Track? Gets Me Through you was the song that finally got me to appreciate the Blizzard Of Ozz, and I felt that it was only right to pick it for Down To Earth’s best song. It’s a pretty heartfelt track, as you can feel the emotion pouring from Ozzy’s voice as he sings. The rest of the band contribute to this emotional heaviness as well, but it oddly enough picks you up off your feet in a moment or two. It’s a weird feeling to describe, and coming off of 20+ years of nostalgia from the song, I’m not sure I can properly describe it either. Give it a listen to, and hear for yourself!

Gets Me Through

Worst Track? While an undeniably awesome album for some (Myself included), I suspect that some of you won’t like it for one reason, and said reason is it’s clarity. Now, I must state that there still some of that rawness that came from older productions methods on prior releases, and when you hear/feel it (Take your pick), you will! That being said, Down To Earth marks the first time that an Ozzy album sounds the crispest & cleanest, with it’s production being the most efficient it’s ever been at the time.

Down To Earth. The launching pad of the modern era of Ozzy Osbourne, and the catalyst for my introduction into his musical library. It may sound a little too clean at times, but there’s still some of that old-school crunch lying around for anyone who wants it. If you’ve loved Ozzy but wanted his music a little more on the cleaner side in terms of sound & production, then you’ll definitely like this. Next album!

Under Cover (2005)

And here we come to the most baffling release in all of Ozzy Osbourne’s career. In March of 2005, Ozzy released a box set of music called Prince Of Darkness. On the first 2 CDs were collections of live performances, B-sides, demos and singles, then the 3rd CD contained duets with other artists (One of which was a cover of “Born To Be Wild” with Miss Piggy of all things), but it’s the 4th CD that is particularly intriguing. On that 4th one, the Blizzard Of Ozz covered a variety of songs from artists that he happened to like (Beatles, John Lennon, David Bowie, etc), but in November of 2005 that part of the collection would be released as it’s own album. Titled Under Cover, it would feature these original covers, but in addition it would have 3 other cover songs placed on it (A DualDisc edition would also have a cover of Changes from Black Sabbath, with Ozzy & his daughter singing together). This would ultimately be Ozzy’s worst performing release in the United States, as it only charted at no. 134 on the Billboard 200. Ouch!

Best Track? Even before I got into Ozzy as heavily as I did, his take on the iconic Mississippi Queen from the band Mountain hooked me almost immediately. At first, the song is an absolutely weird mix: in one corner you have Mountain’s patented brand of Southern Rock, and in the other is Ozzy with his Hard Rock/Heavy Metal mentality. Much like the entirety of E Nomine’s career however, both sides come together to make something awesome. I must admit that this mix is a little more natural than Techno mixed with Gregorian Chanting, and that’s mainly due to Ozzy’s time in Black Sabbath, & the fact that he was more of a Blues Rock singer in those times. That Blues background is what makes this cover work so well, and it might for you as well!

Mississippi Queen

Worst Track? I’ll be mentioned this again in a moment, but Under Cover’s only fault is that it’s all covers. Now, I got nothing wrong with a good cover album, as it shows off how a respective artist would work with older music, and Ozzy does a great job here! That being said, I find doing a cover album something of a lazy move sometimes, regardless of whether you’re a metal band or not. Not writing your own material & instead relying on another musician’s work is just lazy, and the Blizzard of Ozz is not a lazy guy!

Under Cover. Not an abysmal record by any means, as the music on here is solid. However, it’s also the laziest release from Ozzy in all of his career, as none of the music on here was his originally. Again, Under Cover isn’t bad, but to me it’s an Ozzy release in name only. Despite that, I’d still say pick it up. If nothing else, it’s definitely a curiosity. Next album! 

Black Rain (2007)

And he we come to a someone personal album for me. Released on the 22nd of May in the year 2007, Ozzy’s first new studio in six years at the time was the very first record of his I ever bought with my own money. I was with my now ex-girlfriend back then, and we were wandering through the now defunct Berkshire Mall in Lanesburo, Mass. It was either in the mall’s FYE or Best Buy that I spotted this album. Without skipping a single beat, I snagged a copy to buy, and I fell in love with every single note of the record. However, I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

The time since Down To Earth was definitely a chaotic time for Ozzy. In June of 2002 he was invited to Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II to play Paranoid for the Party at the Palace concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Once 2003 came around, Osbourne recruited former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, though he would not be in the band for very long. On the 8th of December in that same year, he would be rushed to the Slough's Wexham Park Hospital following a pretty brutal quad bike accident at his house, which resulted in many broken bones, and required some heavy surgery. Ironically, he would achieve his first every no. 1 single in the UK, which was a cover of Black Sabbath’s classic song Changes with his daughter Kelly Osbourne. Apart from some short-term memory issues from the accident, he fully recovered and was able to headline the 2004 Ozzfest, in the reunited Black Sabbath.  

After that, Ozzy & Sharon would go on to be judges on the 2005 UK series of the X-Factor, and it was in March of 2006 that Osbourne began talking about wanting to release a new album with his longtime on/off again guitarist Zakk Wylde (Who was waist deep in his own band, Black Label Society). After acquiring the services of Rob "Blasko" Nicholson, and with Mike Bordin still on the drums, they set out to the recording studio to begin their work, and on the 22nd of May in 2007, Black Rain would be released.

The album would have mixed reviews from critics. Rolling Stone Magazine referred to Black Rain as “highly skippable”, and Sputnikmusic called it "quite embarrassing". AllMusic was a little more merciful in it’s assessment, giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars while noting that “Nothing on Black Rain could really qualify as an Osbourne classic”. What irony then, that the record would debut at no. 3 on the Billboard 200, sold about 152,000 copies in it’s first week (Making it Ozzy’s highest selling debut at the time), and it would eventually go Gold in the United States.

Best Track? The title track definitely gets this spot. Given we were still in Iraq at the time of this album’s release, it stand to reason that Ozzy would directly/indirectly (Take your pick) make a song about that war. There’s a bleak oppressive military-like atmosphere across the entire song, complete with a section of marching towards the end. The instrumentation reflects this also, with softer portions given the feel of actual rain, while the heavier parts further add to the militaristic atmosphere of the whole package. I’m not always a fan of darker songs, but this one happens to be among the bunch that I do like.

Black Rain

If you by any chance had the good fortune to acquire the Japanese edition of Black Rain (And possibly the Tour Edition when it was available), then the two bonus tracks are definitely ones you’ll want to press the repeat button on! Both tunes are exceptionally energetic, and while not the most optimistic songs on the album, they none the less get the blood pumping pretty quickly!

I Can’t Save You

Nightmare

Worst Track? This whole album rocks. Maybe it’s because of my connection with it, but I genuinely can’t think of a single bad song on Black Rain. About the only negative aspect it does have is that there is more of a commercial edge to it. Down To Earth & Under Cover still came across as rough & tumble Ozzy, but Black Rain seems to have it’s edge mildly dulled to be easier for casual metal fans to listen to. Things are still nice & heavy along the album’s run time, but you get the suspicion that maybe things were softened ever so slightly.

Black Rain. Like I said above, it was the first Ozzy Osbourne I bought with my own money, and thus I have a special connection with it. It may have a mildly more commercial vibe when compared to the prior 2 releases before it, but it still manages to deliver a late 2000s Heavy Metal treat that only the Prince of Darkness could provide. Next album!

Scream (2010)

2009 was a pretty eventful year for Ozzy. In July of 09, he revealed that his band was looking for a new guitarist, and while he said that he never had a falling out with Zakk Wylde, he did say that hi songs were beginning to sound a little too much like Black Label Society. Zakk’s replacement would come in the form of Gus G., who first showed off his skills when Osbourne played at Blizzcon 2009. After that, Ozzy would lend his voice to the metallic game Brutal Legend, and in November of 2009 would not only lend guest vocals for Slash’s solo song “Crucify The Dead”, but also host WWE Raw alongside his wife Sharon. Finally, in December of 2009, Osbourne announced that a new album titled Soul Sucka in 2010, but would change the name of the release to Scream after taking into consideration the negative feedback the original record name got from fans. Then, on the 11th of June, 2010, Scream was released.

Unfortunately for Scream, it was considered commercially disappointing when compared to Ozzy’s earlier releases, but it moderate success in the United States & the UK, reaching no. 4 and no. 12 on the Billboard 200 & UK Albums Charts respectfully.

Best Track? Let Me Hear You Scream is definitely the king of this album! It hits you right away with the guitar & drums, and not long after that initial punch Ozzy comes right in with the singing, & it’s just as hard as the instrumentation! What I especially love about Scream is it’s pacing: it’s not too fast, but it’s not too slow either. It runs along a mid-pace, being intense & heavy, yet not riding off the rails either. Definitely one of my favorites!

Let Me Hear You Scream

Worst Track? Scream’s only fault, at least in my mind, is that this album is incredibly commercial. What See You On The Other Side was to Korn, this record is to Ozzy. That’s not to say that Scream isn’t heavy, because it most definitely is! Osbourne & the gang never let up across the entire length of this album, but this is the easiest record he’s ever done in terms of commercial appeal. Non-metal fans will easily be able to pick this up and listen to it without trouble, & casual metalheads will also be able to listen to Scream easily. Now, I have nothing against metal albums that are easier to get into. It’s a great way for people to be put into the metallic fold! However, it can be said if the music is made too easy to get into, and I think Ozzy might have been guilty of that with Scream.

Scream. Not the most commercial record from this period of his career, it none the less still manages to be exceptionally nice & heavy at times. If you are someone new to Heavy Metal, and are looking for an easy release from the Prince of Darkness to listen to, then this will be for you. Next album!
 
Ordinary Man (2020)

The time since Scream was certainly varied for Ozzy. From reuniting with Black Sabbath for one final album & embarking one a tour with them, to releasing Memoirs Of A Madman, to reuniting with Zakk Wylde at the Rock USA Festival in July of 2017, to collaborating with rapper and MTG fanatic Post Malone & discovering he had mild Parkinson’s disease as recently as 2019, the Blizzard of Ozz was a busy prince of darkness. However, despite not putting out his own material for an incredibly long time, he was itching to get something into the public’s hands. In fact, as far back as August of 2015 it was confirmed that Osbourne was working on something new, and it was actually finished four weeks after his colab with Post Malone. Then, on the 21st of February in 2020 (Just weeks before the COVID lockdown, btw), Ordinary Man was released.

The reception for Ordinary Man was pretty high upon it’s release. It would debut at no. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 77,000 units (includes 65,000 pure record sales), and it would debut in the U.K. also at no. 3 on the UK Album Charts, which was the highest charting release in his home country ever. Reviewers were pretty generous with their ratings as well, with AllMusic critic Fred Thomas giving Ordinary Man a mostly positive review, writing that while it had a few weaker songs, it was Ozzy's best album in a while. He wrote: “The production is huge but the energy is spontaneous, sounding like it was as fun to make as it is to listen to. 71 years old at the time Ordinary Man was released, Osbourne's voice is in great shape, sounding more or less like he always has. How he's making music this strong after riding the crazy train for more than half-a-century is anyone's guess, but the better songs here rank among his best.”, and Josh Gray of Clash wrote that “Ordinary Man is far from perfect, but all Ozzy Osbourne's solo releases tend to reflect their creator's flaws to one degree or another. It does, however, absolutely succeed on its own terms, serving its purpose by reminding the world just what we'll miss when this titan among titans finally departs us for good.”

Best Track? Like I said in my review from last November, I’m a big sucker for the title track & the collab with Post Malone. Ordinary Man the song is a melancholic tune that has a wonderful piano back and vocal work from the legendary Elton John, and acts as a portrait into how these two were feeling in their lives at that point (And maybe even now still). Meanwhile, Ozzy’s work on It’s A Raid with Post Malone is definitely the more fun of these two tracks. It’s energetic, upbeat, and over the top without crashing into a wall. If the song after it wasn’t included on the base CD version (Which is a great tune in it’s own right), then it would have been an appropriate way to end this record.

Ordinary Man

It’s A Raid

Worst Track? Also like I said in my review, there’s nothing wrong with the songs necessarily, but it does have problems. Ozzy’s voice may have been tinkered with too much in some songs, the overabundance of musicians brought on to work on Ordinary Man (Even if some of them were good, like Post), as well as the overabundance of people brought on to help record & produce this release. All of this results in a record that is definitely good, but too many cooks were working on the broth, and the flaws can definitely be obvious to someone with a good ear.

Ordinary Man. As Rocked Reviews said the pros outweigh the cons.....but the cons are definitely noticeable. The record may be flawed, but there’s definitely something awesome underneath all of the issues, and I cautiously recommend it. Next album!

Patient Number 9 (2022)

And here we come to the catalyst of this year’s band look. The album that convinced me to devote October to the Blizzard Of Ozz, and to pay tribute to a legend that’s been around for almost 75 years & has gone through some hardship in recent years. Released on the 9th of September in 2022, the announcement for it came just 4 days after the release of Ordinary Man, as Ozzy stated in a iHeartRadio interview that he wanted to do a follow-up album with Andrew Watt. Come November of 2021, and Sony announced that the record would come in 6 months, and Zakk Wylde would return to be fully involved since he wasn’t on Ordinary Man. Then finally on the 24th of June in 2022, Osbourne announced the album’s name, as well as release the single of the same name (More on that in a bit).

Patient Number 9 had some pretty great reception upon it’s release. AllMusic critic Fred Thomas gave it a mostly positive review, writing: “Even with that fatalistic perspective sometimes peeking through, Ozzy sounds hypercharged throughout Patient Number 9, continuing the unlikely late-in-the-game comeback he began on Ordinary Man, and besting that album by taking more chances”, Metal Hammer gave it positive praise and said: “Despite everything you may have heard about Ozzy being on his last legs, Patient Number 9 unequivocally does not sound like the work of a man living on borrowed time. Instead, it sounds like the Prince of fucking Darkness having an absolutely smashing time, with a bunch of his mates and, weirdly, a newfound sense of artistic ambition”, & NME writer Rhian Daly gave Patient Number 9 an almost perfect score and stated: “At 73 years old and battling with his health, you might not expect Osbourne to keep that bar particularly high. But, for the most part, Patient Number 9 does just that – it's a fizzing piece of hard-rock magic. The superstitious metal frontman might have revealed in a recent Independent interview that he tries to "avoid looking at" the number 13, but we're lucky to have his magnificent 13th solo album”. Patient Number 9 would also get to no. 3 on the Billboard 200 & no. 2 on the UK albums chart respectively, so that’s impressive!

Best Track? Hands down it’s the title track! Where as the first single for Ordinary Man was the wrong choice to start previewing it, Patient Number 9 the song was the right choice. An incredibly haunting peace, you get the feel of being trapped within the recesses of a creepy asylum.....or perhaps being trapped within your own mind. The opening 40-something seconds is just chilling with it’s creepy guitar notes & lines from Ozzy, but after that it tears into some badass guitar & bass work, and drumming that loud and rhythmic yet not over the top. It’s actually hear the Blizzard Of Ozz sing his head off, and to feel a surprising amount of clarity come from that voice as well. As a way to not only preview the album but be the opening song.....I couldn’t ask for anything else!

Patient Number 9

Worst Track? Patient Number 9's bizarrely enough has the same issues as Ordinary Man did. Ozzy’s voice was tinkered with again, an overabundance of guest musicians again (Even if many of them were great, like Tommy Iommi), and an overabundance of people that helped record & produce the album. That being said, it’s not as much of a problem this time around! Ozzy’s voice might have been altered here and there, but it matches more with the music. There’s definitely a bunch of guest musicians, but it’s from a core of other iconic musical talent that Osbourne knows. Finally, there’s a lot of people around to help record & produce the release, but not so many it feels like an army of cooks just dumping ingredients into the stew pot. The end result is an album that’s much more refined & focused than the one before it, and actually regained some of that old-school vibe that has been missing since 2001.

Patient Number 9 is faaaaar better than Ordinary Man. Better production, better vocal work & instrumentation, and a more concentrated selection of guest musicians resulted in an album that more focused than the one that came before it. Though the problems on this release are similar to those on the previous outing, they aren’t as much of an issue, nor are they as easy to hear. If you were disappointed by the flaws of Ordinary Man, then Patient Number 9 might help with the recovery. Most definitely recommended!

And that was part 3 of my overview on the career of Ozzy Osbourne. The most modern of Ozzy’s output, it remains the cleanest & crispest that the Blizzard Of Ozz has done. For some it’s fantastic, but for others it’s the low end of his career (Especially when some refer to Ordinary Man). So with that, November is upon us, and so it’s time to take a look back and the music from the year before. So join me in a week or two, when we’ll look at an honorable mention of a band that has so much potential to be a legend down the line.

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If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:

Down To Earth

Under Cover

Black Rain

Scream

Ordinary Man

Patient Number 9

Also, if you didn’t read parts 1 & 2 of this overview, then check out the links below:

Metal Overview: Ozzy Osbourne (Part 1)

Metal Overview: Ozzy Osbourne (Part 2)