Ozzy Osbourne — Ordinary Man — Album Review
Classic Metal | Doom Metal | Hard Rock
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The genius behind and frontman for metal pioneers Black Sabbath really needs no introduction whatsoever. While it has been made clear that the Sabbath is no more, after they disbanded in 2017, Ozzy’s solo career is still flying high.
Having said that however, Ozzy Osbourne’s latest studio album, Ordinary Man, is the first to be added to the discography in an entire decade, after his last album Scream was released back in 2010.
I have always found myself being more of a Sabbath fan than of Ozzy’s solo music, however, there is a selection of tracks that are incredibly enjoyable. Most notably, his second solo album, 1981’s Diary of a Madman, is positively my favourite of the Ozzy albums, as well as my favourite album released that year.
In this case, Ordinary Man is the first time I had fully delved into an Ozzy solo project since then. And right off the bat, I could notice just how snug the album fits into the rest of his discography stylistically. It absolutely oozes that classic dark heavy metal aesthetic that earns Ozzy the title of being “the godfather of heavy metal”.
While this may sound like a good thing, I do still feel a little bit torn about the predictable route that Ozzy has taken with this newest project, especially after a ten year hiatus from adding anything to his solo material. In other words, Ordinary Man was everything that I was expecting it to be, but it does still partially feel like the bare minimum of what it could’ve been.
Of course, there are moments like the title track, that give listeners something refreshing and surprising. Given that this track has an interesting feature, being Elton John, I feel that this track caters well to both artists, and somehow allows both of the artist’s signature styles to blend well together.
Despite the fact that the majority of this album doesn’t really sound like anything incredibly new, it should come as no surprise that Ozzy absolutely excels at giving fans that hellish atmosphere, and there are indeed, a large handful of headbang-ready anthems to pick from.
Another positive thing to rave about, in regards to Ordinary Man, is that it feels like a very reflective album, and one that provides a deep insight into the mind of Ozzy. From dying with regret, to the end of the world, to even aliens, this albums almost serves as a catalogue of Ozzy’s fears and anxieties.
Perhaps, the sense of vulnerability the Sabbath frontman portrays in this recent project, connects with the title; he is an ordinary man, and is just as mortal as the rest of us.
This only boosts my belief that this album is the closest we’ve gotten to Diary of a Madman since Diary of a Madman itself; that album too, put Ozzy in a vulnerable and mortal light; but this also detracts even further from the albums uniqueness.
I would actually say that the most unique thing about this album is in-fact the strong sense of collaboration with Post Malone of all artists. After Ozzy made an appearance on Malone’s 2019 album Hollywood’s Bleeding, in the track “Take What You Want”, the very same track makes a second appearance on this album, alongside a brand new Ozzy/Posty collaboration; “It’s A Raid”.
But while I would normally welcome this sort of collaboration, I fell that “It’s A Raid” is a bit too attitude-heavy for its own good, and it does come off as borderline cringey.
But when all is said and done, Ordinary Man is a very solid addition to the Ozzy Osbourne discography, and while the prince of darkness may have played it safe in terms of style, he shows little sign of retreating to the shadows.
Favourite Tracks: All My Life | Ordinary Man | Under The Graveyard
Least Favourite Track: It’s A Raid
Epic Records | Sony Music
