Ozzy Osbourne Scream

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by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

There seems to be a new market Hard Rock/Heavy Metal musicians are catering to, one that is atypically outside the regular music buying audience. Instead of creating music that will do well on global radio and perhaps MTV, they are writing music that will appeal to one specific media outlet: WWE Raw and Smackdown. One of the worst recent cases of this pandering was when Sick Puppies released “You’re Going Down,” which was “touted” as a feature on the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 soundtrack. (Remember, Sick Puppies was the same band renowned for their part in the “Free Hugs Campaign.”) It looks like Ozzy Osbourne has decided that catering to the lowest common denominator is both the path of least resistance and the appropriate way to extend his legacy on his new studio effort, Scream.

This isn’t anywhere near Classic Metal; Scream is more of a venture into simplistic rhyme schemes along with faux-macho lyrics. Take the opening track, “Let It Die.” It aligns itself with a more robotic and Industrial sound than anything venturing close to “Bark at the Moon.” Is it bad? No, it’s full of Red Bull and machismo and will probably crank up your testosterone a few levels the first couple times you hear it. But it grows weary, quickly …

“Let Me Hear You Scream” is the first single, and by now, you’ve heard it hundreds of times. Vocally, at least during the verses, it’s the Ozzy of old, the man with one of the most unique voices ever to reign in the Halls of Metal. But during the chorus, he adds a gritty “everyman” edge to his voice that ensures those sitting in the stands watching John Cena wipe his pit-sweat across the maw of someone he is grappling with can sing tunelessly along with the track. It’s so antiseptic and purposefully corporate it borders on the insulting.

While the heavier, inane songs leave you wanting, songs like “Life Won’t Wait,” at least in sections, remind you why Ozzy’s vocal prowess has been unparalleled for decades. Should he follow up “Let Me Hear You Scream” with any song on the release, if he doesn’t want to lose any more diehard fans, this would be the way to go. While it is a completely Modern Rock composition, it’s still really damn good.

“Time” is another one of the highlights on Scream, sort of a moody rocker, with a mid-tempo groove and a true hippy vibe. It flows, it’s enviously melodic and Ozzy is at the top of his game again. In case you didn’t know, Gus G. is the new guitarist with Zakk Wylde pushed aside in a friendly manner, and Gus is one of the few talented shredders who can actually fill the shoes of the legends before him. The problem is, on the memorable songs like “Time,” you don’t need someone with his talent. It’s obvious Gus G. was brought in to recreate the past when they play live, not forge Ozzy’s sound into the future.

The bottom end of the entire CD is impressive. Drums and bass are pushed to the forefront on all of the heavier songs, like on “I Want It More.” This adds to the entire non-musical, Industrial Metal tenor of the CD, though. Driving riffs and thumping passages are great for some genres, but besides Gus G.’s best solo on the CD, “I Want It More” will leave you wanting more as well.

Finally, the last track “I Love You All” is just a one-minute homage to the fans who have been with Ozzy through the decades. He ends the song by singing, “God bless; I love you all.” This is the Prince of Darkness, the bat de-header—shouldn’t it have ended “God damn you all!”

In the end, you have to praise Ozzy for making new music while many bands and musicians are living off their past. That’s not enough to save Scream, though. How many fans at a WWE “show” can even sing the words to “Mr. Crowley” anyway? Right around zero? Ozzy needs to save himself from the venal corporate machine around him who is obviously influencing his creativity (or lack thereof), and start writing for himself — and therefore his true fans — again. Scream isn’t awful, but it doesn’t live up to the expectations from one of Heavy Metal’s greatest living legends.

Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

Band:
Ozzy – vocals
Gus G. – guitars Rob “Blasko” Nicholson – bass
Adam Wakeman – keyboards
Tommy Clufetos – drums, percussion

Track listing:
1. Let It Die
2. Let Me Hear You Scream
3. Soul Sucker
4. Life Won’t Wait
5. Diggin’ Me Down
6. Crucify
7. Fearless
8. Time
9. I Want It More
10. Latimer’s Mercy
11. I Love You All

Label: Epic Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 5/10