The Prince of Darkness has unleashed a new single on the masses. It’s one of the strongest in a long line of excellent material. ‘Patient #9’ is a timeless classic of melodic hard rock glory. A groove oriented track that features guitar legend Jeff Beck. A match made in heaven. The last time Ozzy released material of this strength was in 1995 with the ‘Ozzmosis’ record.
While Beck doesn’t dabble too much into metal, he certainly has an affinity for it. As evidenced through his music over decades. Prolific guitar playing is the order of the day for Beck and it shines through on the new track. The riff, the vibe, the killer guitar solo. It’s all there. Which only sets up a great teaser for what the new Ozzy album is going to be like.
There’s a line-up of featured guests on the upcoming record of the same title. Zakk Wylde, Mike McCready and Tony Iommi fill in the rest of the guitar slots. Which is sure to turn out a banger of an album. But for now, ‘Patient #9’ is going to have to hold fans over.
The track opens with a timeless, more Ozzy than Ozzy sample of a mental patient in a ward. Classic Prince of Darkness vibes. Before dropping into a killer chromatic groove riff. Ozzy’s voice sounds as fresh as ever. An incredible feat considering the health issues he’s faced. And his sheer age (73). He soars vocally during the chorus. Providing that typical Ozzy vibe that we all know and love. It’s been pretty clear over the years that Ozzy has a certain style of writing songs. And ‘Patient #9’ fits perfectly with everything else he’s done.
And finally, Jeff Beck’s guitar solo is just as nasty as it gets. Pure hard rock/metal sickness. The mellow moment of the track that follows appropriately before finishing off with the chorus and epic ass guitar jam. Overall, one hell of a way to open an album. Can’t wait for the rest.
