THE ALBUM OF THE DAY IS… OZZY OSBOURNE, NO MORE TEARS
And why wouldn’t it be the album of the day? On a day where Ozzy releases a new album, it’s only fitting to look back at what remains and always will remain Ozzy’s best work, the infallibly perfect No More Tears which captures Ozzy in his prime as a solo artist. A pre-bearded Zakk Wylde (arguably in his prime as well), all-star drummer Randy Castillo and future Alice in Chains bassman Mike Inez round out what many consider to be the “classic” Ozzy band lineup.
This album just has song, after song, after song, after song; there isn’t a single dud here. The opening glockenspiel intro and massive slide guitar riff of “Mr. Tinkertrain” are the perfect way to start a creepy song written from the perspective of a child molester, which leads right into to “I Don’t Want to Change the World,” a staple of Ozzy’s live set to this day. Zakk Wylde squeals, bends, scrapes and lightning-bolt blues-shreds his way through the guitar solo, inducing pure eargasm with every note that eminates from his bullseye Les Paul. The Prince of Darkness shows his usual eerie side with the gloomy “Hellraiser” (co-written by Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister!) and the can-he-really-be-serious shout along anthem “Zombie Stomp.” Ozzy shows his soft side too, with the hit singles “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (his first ever to crack the Top 40 in the US) and “Time After Time,” the video for which featured uber-creepy looking elderly babies. “Road to Nowhere” is another epic masterpiece with a brilliant Zakk Wylde guitar solo almost as good as what is possibly the best guitar solo ever put on record — the guitar solo from the indubitable, infallible, perfect-in-every-way “No More Tears.” The deep Zakk Wyle chugging and harmonic squeals, classic scary Ozzy vocals, the piano and gradual build into the solo… for the love of god, I’m just going to say it: this really IS the best guitar solo ever put to record. FUCK this record is awesome! 110% metal. 6 horns out of 5!
-VN
If you don’t already own this album you will be banned from MetalSucks.net unless you go buy it now. Yes, we’re talking about you, IP 215.64.138.26! Buy No More Tears
