Volume CXXXIII, Number 8 November 2, 2001 f

Ozzy lightens up
BEN KREIDER
STAFF WRITER

For a man who is perhaps best known for biting the head off a live bat on stage, Ozzy Osbourne has had quite a successful career. In addition to being the front man for Black Sabbath, one of the most influential heavy metal and rock bands in history, he has had a long and fruitful solo career. Down to Earth is the Prince of Darkness's 13th solo album, and many of the tracks are reminiscent of Sabbath's masterpieces of the 1970s.

Ozzy Osbourne, here performing in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Courtesy of rollingstone.com)

The album contains 11 tracks of pure rock adrenaline. Ozzy's powerful and eerily dark voice is complemented by one of the most talented group of musicians he has ever had behind him on a solo record. Mike Bordin, the talented former member of the groundbreaking band Faith No More, sets the pace on drums. Guitar player Zakk Wylde, Ozzy's most legendary axe man since the virtuoso Randy Rhoads, belts out powerful solos that remind one of Tony Iommi, Sabbath's famous guitarist.

The current album, his first solo effort in six years, is surprisingly accessible. While it is still a hard-rock album, the production is remarkably clean. The riffs are nowhere near as sludgy as those of old-school Sabbath, and many of the tracks deal with surprisingly upbeat themes for a man often associated with the Devil.

Indeed, on the brilliant single "Gets Me Through," Ozzy makes a clear effort to distance himself from Satan. He also throws in a reference to one of Sabbath's hits: "I'm not the kind of person you think I am/ I'm not the Antichrist or the Iron Man." Furthermore, the album has several slow ballads, such as the standout track "Dreamer," which seem remarkably upbeat. "Running Out Of Time" is also an excellent slow song. Those who are not familiar with Ozzy will be pleasantly surprised by these tracks.

But the beauty of this record is that it will both satisfy the die-hards and attract new fans. Old-school fans will not be disappointed by more traditional fare such as "That I Never Had," "Junkie," and "Black Illusion." The rough edge and heavy riffs of these songs will surely delight the hardcore fans.

In support of his new album, Ozzy will launch a nationwide arena tour beginning on Halloween. Fellow metal icon Rob Zombie will co-headline the solo tour, his first in seven years. Called "The Merry Mayhem Tour," proceeds from apparel sales will go to the victims of the September 11th tragedy. In addition, all revenue from ticket sales and merchandise at the New York show will go to the families of the relief workers who died in New York.

In a world dominated by dry, formulaic pop played by artists such as Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, hard rock albums like this are a breath of fresh air. The recent revitalization of metal by such bands as Tool and System of a Down has put Ozzy even more squarely in the spotlight.

The new metal movement would never have occurred if the godfather of metal had not joined a blues-influenced band known today simply as Sabbath. Fans of rock everywhere would do themselves a favor by picking up this record and paying homage to one of rock's true greats.