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Ozzy Osborne: Black Rain

“I won’t go away, after all I’m still crazy,” he claims on “Not Going Away.” So the Ozzman once cometh…the Ozzman then lefteth for a while…now…wait for it…This is reportedly the first album Ozzy has recorded 100 percent sober, and there is no doubt that this is his best since No More Tears. (Makes me think my work results may be better if I stop drinking too…but I quickly dismiss that as crazy-talk.) Gone are the plodding, boring—with one or two exceptions—songs of the past couple albums and back are the rockin’, high-energy, guitar-driven songs we love to hear from the Ozzman, thanks primarily to the return of writing credits and a more prominent role for Zakk Wylde. As much as the musical style reminds me of No More Tears, the message is entirely different. Then, Ozzy seemed resigned to hanging up the bat wings and riding off into the moonlight, even going so far as to call his tour that year “’No More Tours Tour.” Black Rain is different, revealing a newly energized demon ready to show the world that, as the critics and nay-sayers fall by the wayside, he is ready to further cement his status in rock history. Black Rain is full of highlights. The lead single, “I Don’t Wanna Stop,” showcases Wylde’s signature guitar squeal. “11 Silver” comes complete with a blistering guitar solo the likes of which is rarely seen in today’s world of nu-metal. “Here for You” is a ballad reminiscent of “Old L.A. Tonight” and would’ve certainly been a hit in the 1980s. “Countdown’s Begun” is a happy little ditty about Armageddon, while “Trap Door”—with a strong bass line holding it together—may be the hardest rocking tune of all. Overall, the Prince of Darkness is definitely backeth (that was worth the wait, right?) with a classic metal album that will not disappoint fans of his pre-Ozzmosis days.