Album Review: Ozzy Osbourne's Down To Earth

It’s a little nippy out there fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

As Autumn continues onward, the air is getting colder, and the leaves are getting brighter before they fall. As we get closer & closer to Halloween itself, it seems that spirits from the distant past & most recent of times come back to either haunt the living, or remind them of special times now past. Last month, the spirit of Ozzy was hanging around, and I took at look at Blizzard Of Ozz & Ozzmosis. Two very different albums in many ways, and this month will be no different. To start October off, we reach the year 2001, and a seemingly invigorated Prince Of Darkness. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at Down To Earth. BOO!

Background
Taken from part 3 of my overview: 

“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!”

Basic Description
Ozzy in the modern era.

The Blizzard Of Ozz’s reign will always be withing the 1970s & 80s, with a brief stop in the last great decade in the 1990s. That being said, his first release of the 2000s was a damn good spearhead into the new millennium. You had (at the time) newer recording & production technology which resulted in a fresher sound and feeling album, but the heart & soul of it was still very much old school Ozzy. A lot of the beats, rhythms, and vibes were distinctly the Prince Of Darkness, but with (again, at the time) more modern resources. The end result is a record that’s quite modern (For the very early 2000s), but still has some roots in the past, and it’s damn good because of that.

Best Track
Long before I ever listened to this album, Gets Me Through was the song that finally made things click for me when it came to Ozzy. Like I said when I talked about this album back in 2022, the track is incredibly emotional. This is one of those songs of his where Ozzy is singing about despite all the fame & infamy he has, he’s kind of an average joe & is broken on the inside, and while he would do this kind of song before & after, something about it feels more genuine in this tune than others. It really tugs at the heartstrings quite a bit, what with the sorrowful piano playing at the beginning, followed by intense guitar & bass and drums. As I said in the overview, it’s kinda weird to describe it, so give it a listen to see what you think!

Gets Me Through

However, we got a little bit of a bonus in 2021, as not only did it get re-released for it’s 20th birthday, but it also included not just an acoustic version of Dreamer & the single version of Gets Me Through, but the Japanese bonus track No Place for Angels. This definitely feels like the most modern song on the entire record: the instrumentation feels very contemporary for the very early 2000s, Ozzy is singing like his usual self but is altered in certain places, and the recording & production feels the most modern when compared to other songs. It’s definitely not as good as the tune mentioned above (Almost comes across like a demo to be honest), but it’s still something nice to hear, and it’s welcome to have a bonus track from Japan on a western release when such a thing is rare.

No Place for Angels

Worst Track
I kinda said this when I first look at the album, but some people might not like the more modern feel Down To Earth has when compared to prior releases. When I first listened to it, that feel was more obvious to me. Almost 3 years later, and I don’t think it’s as strong or obvious, but it is definitely there if your ears are observant enough. It doesn’t ruin the music for me, but it may for others that are picky with their vibes.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below: 

Down To Earth

Overall Impression & Rating
Down To Earth was a breath of fresh air for anyone that wasn’t a fan of Ozzy’s 90s output. While the modern(ish) vibes may have been a roadblock for some listeners, it was a sign that the Prince Of Darkness was adapting to the times in the music industry, and the end result was early 2000s magic. With the album being celebrated a few shorts years back on it’s 20th anniversary, it’s legacy is still apparent for all to listen to, and with it being 25 years old next year, said legacy is etched in stone. Down To Earth is essential Ozzy Osbourne. Plain & Simple.

Down To Earth gets an 8.5 out of 10.

And that was my review for Ozzy’s first album of the new Millennium. Down To Earth, though ages after it was released, was the album that finally got me to become a fan of the Blizzard of Ozz, and I will stay one until the day I die. With the 20 year re-release back in 2021, fans who didn’t get to experience it the first time get to do so now. So, join me next week for an annual tradition of mine that’s getting close to a decade old, then after that I’m taking a break until the 31st. See you all on Monday! 

Anime Review: Monster Girl Doctor (Revised)

Happy 1st of October fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

The month of tricks & treats is finally upon us. The leaves are a little crunchier, the air is a little cooler, and you can’t go into any supermarket without seeing at least half an isle stocked with candy. This year though.....is a little scarier than most. I don’t think I need to repeat what’s been going on in the United States since the beginning of this year, not to mention how seemingly so many other places in world in 2025 are just going to hell in a handbasket. None the less, I hope to leave you all this month with some nice treats, and to start things off is a revised review of an anime I covered just about 5 years ago. A series that’s it’s own thing, yet was inspired by a monstrous juggernaut that still has a foothold in the otaku/weeb mindset. So, I won’t waste anymore time, so here’s my revised review of Monster Girl Doctor. Let’s begin!

Story/Setup
Taken from Crunchyroll:

“Welcome to the town of Lindworm, where humans and monsters coexist and rookie doctor Glenn carries out some…risqué medical examinations! Whether probing deep into the gills of a mermaid, suturing the thigh of a flesh golem, helping a harpy lay an egg, or palpating each and every scale of a dragon… No matter how different their looks, bodies, and properties, Glenn devotes his all to saving them—and, in the process, winds up in some pretty dangerous liaisons…? But don’t worry—it’s all just a part of his medical exams!”

For anyone that wasn’t in the know, Monster Girl Doctor was based off of a manga, which in turn was based off of a novel series. Only a chunk of the manga was ever fan translated, but that was never finished, and it was never published. Meanwhile, the novel series was fully translated, and it did get fully released in the states. I’ve read the chunk of the fan-translated manga, but I’ve never read the novel series, yet I know that the anime doesn’t delve deep into the novel & manga series’s story. It’s not dumbed down or watered down by any means, but it is simplified. If you were a fan of both the manga & novels, then this might be a turn off. But for people like me that haven’t had that much exposure to either, then it’s not an issue.

Animation
The animation for Monster Girl Doctor still looks lovely in the almost 5 years I last reviewed this. Outside of an odd hiccup in the 1st episode, everything looks great. Background, characters, character movement, colors, and shading all make this series look & feel believable. Even stuff that happens in the background of a scene was animated nicely, but that isn’t the focus sometimes in certain moments.

Voice Acting
When I originally reviewed this back in 2020, there was only the original Japanese dub, with only a scant trace of the dub on Youtube (I could be wrong about that). When I found out that Sentai Filmworks was going to release it, I was skeptical at first, since many of their dubs are mediocre at best. Color me surprise when I got a hold of dub a few short years later, and found out that it’s pretty damn good! There are some voices that don’t have quite as much steam as a few others, but the overall English dub really surprised me with how wonderful it is. Again, some voices aren’t as strong as others, but I was never irritated by it at all.

Characters
Monster Girl Doctor has to have one of the most charming cast of characters ever in a harem series. Unlike some series where some of the girls (Or guys if it’s a reverse-harem) aren’t in the spotlight as much as others, virtually everyone in the main cast all have equal time. There are certainly a host of side characters as well, and many of them do fade into the background, but even plenty of them have some time to shine. Perhaps what is most surprising about this anime is that, outside of Nurse Sapphe (The Lamia girl, who is best btw), nobody really wants to have sex with the MC. Again, outside of Sapphe (And maybe 2 other Centaur retainers of the main horse princess), nobody is trying to jump on Doctor Glenn’s family jewels. The whole vibe of him & the others is more like a group of friends than a harem: sure, there’s a few harem moments, but everybody feels more like friends than anything else. The interact with each other differently than they would if they were a harem, and bond more different than they would if they were a harem as well. Again, I love Monster Musume & all of his cheesy harem tropes, but every once in a while I love the other side of the coin, and Monster Girl Doctor is most definitely the other side in this regard.

Availability & Pricing
I bought my copy at a convention about 2 or 3 years ago, and I believe it was 30 to 60-something dollars at the time. To play, the series only came out on Blu-Ray, which definitely made it more expensive. As I’m typing this, there are still plenty of copies over on Amazon with a 53% off sale. By the time I post this I’m not sure if the sale is still going, but if it is I suggest you get it!  

Overall Impression & Rating
Monster Girl Doctor is a nice contrast to the colossus that is Monster Musume. I love that series, and by extension the franchise as a whole to death, but it’s nice to know that there’s a show that’s on the other side of the spectrum. A show that still has all of the monster girl & harem tropes, but reigns them in for more of a grounded experience. Sure, the story isn’t as deep as the source material, and there’s a small animation flub, and maybe some of the voicework lacks just a little bit, yet this show is such a charmfest that they don’t really drag it down. If you are or were a fan of MM, but want something that’s not as over-the-top, then give Monster Girl Doctor a try. 

Monster Girl Doctor gets an 8 out of 10.

And that was my revised review for Monster Girl Doctor. A fun & oddly fresh take on the monster girl harem troupe, it manages to use familiar aspects in a way that’s somewhat different from the norm. Even if you don’t like monster girls or harems, the story is still fun enough that it’s worth watching at least once. Join me next week, as we see what the Prince Of Darkness was like at the dawn of the new millennium. Until then, take care!




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If you’d like to look at my original review, click on the link below: 

Anime Review: Monster Girl Doctor (Original)