Ozzy Osbourne – “Scream”

The Madman is back! I have been anticipating the release of Ozzy’s newest studio album, Scream, for some time now and after listening to it repeatedly for the past few days I can honestly say that it was well worth the wait.

As a fan of Ozzy since before he was a household name and pop-culture icon, it is great to see that he is still in top form and releasing music that is solid, relevant and true to his roots as the Master of Metal. The first single from this record “Let Me Hear You Scream” has been receiving a significant amount of airplay across the country and for good reason; it is a classic Ozzy arena anthem that immediately gets the blood flowing and is designed to get the crowd out of their seats and moving; something that Ozzy is a master at.

But just as with previous Ozzy releases, Scream is not a one trick pony, it is packed full of strong, absolutely killer metal tunes. Some of the other songs that really captured my attention straight away and are worth mentioning are the haunting opener, “Let It Die” and “I Want It More.” By far my favorite track on Scream is “Let It Die” mainly because it is a bit heavier than the rest of the disc and it works off of a really killer riff.

Each time I listen through Scream, I find different nuances and subtleties that just make this disc so incredible. All of the musicians have turned in astounding, top-notch performances. I am particularly impressed by the performance turned in by Ozzy himself; after all these years his voice still sounds incredible.

There is a magical moment for me when I kick in an Ozzy record. When his unmistakably familiar yet commanding voice takes control of the speakers, it becomes captivating, I can’t really define the feeling but it is something I find irresistible! Ozzy has been the soundtrack of my life, (he is the reason I became a metal head in the first place) the moment I put the needle onto my first copy of The Blizzard Of Oz I was sold hook, line and sinker.

Bottom line, this is an exceptional disc that carries on the long standing tradition of great metal. I realize that may sound jaded as I am a big fan of Ozzy, but quite honestly this disc kicks some serious tail. I can honestly say Scream is well worth picking up when it hits stores on June 22nd.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Let It Die
02. Let Me Hear You Scream
03. Soul Sucker
04. Life Won’t Wait
05. Diggin’ Me Down
06. Crucify
07. Fearless
08. Time
09. I Want It More
10. Latimer’s Mercy
11. I Love You All

Run Time: 49:07
Release Date: 06.21.2010