Another new single from the latest, upcoming Ozzy solo venture has been released. And it’s, well, it’s alright. Nothing crazy, nothing spectacular. Honestly, mediocre at best.
Like I said before, there’s something missing without Zakk Wylde in the mix. And you can tell that the producers and Sharon are trying to make the album sound more like Black Sabbath’s ’13’ than an Ozzy solo outing. Which I think is a mistake. Plus, the song kind of delves into self parody at times. Opening with a strong riff before moving into Ozzy’s signature ‘Alright now.’ I think he says it like, four times in the into. It’s just so stereotypical and bland. And it hurts the riff because now you’re paying attention to Ozzy’s ridiculous ‘alright now’s. That along with the absolutely hilarious line, ‘you make me bleed, I’ll make you defecate,’ is just set up for a parody.
The other element that brings the song down is it’s lack of being streamlined. Instead of keeping a strong, 4/4 beat between the bass and snare drum, the track opts to use the ever exhausting ‘chant’ bass drum hit. Which is always a weak choice in my opinion. However, Ozzy’s voice sounds pretty damn good. I’m sure there’s some studio tricks involved, but they’re probably minimal. Ozzy live is hit or miss these days, so I was surprised to hear how youthful his voice sounds. The other highlight of course, is Slash’s outro solo. Which is naturally killer. And his contribution to the riff is also appreciated.
Overall, it’s a track that is pretty hit or miss. Some parts hit, some miss. But that doesn’t mean the new record will be that way. The first single released, ‘Under The Graveyard,’ was pretty strong. So hopefully the album as a whole will live up to the Ozzy standard.
