Ozzy Osbourne

The new year finds undisputed Prince of Fucking Darkness Ozzy Osbourne touring his new album, Scream. It's Osbourne's first disc since 1986's The Ultimate Sin without former axeman/collaborator Zakk Wylde, whose trademark riffs were thought to be overtaking the Ozzman's iconic sound by making Osbourne's solo work come off more like Wylde's Black Label Society. Both sides insist there is no bad blood, and that making great music was and has been the only goal. Osbourne has enlisted Greek metal guitarist Gus G. to follow in the footsteps of Wylde, Jake E. Lee and the late, influential Randy Rhoads. It's not easy backing a man whose live sets include bedrock proto-metal slabs from Black Sabbath and early solo albums Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, both headbanger watersheds in their own right. Scream is Osbourne's hardest album since at least 1995's Ozzmosis, though, with lead-off single "Let Me Hear You Scream" standing as the best example.
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Craig Hlavaty
Contact: Craig Hlavaty