Ozzy Osbourne--Down to Earth

Ozzy Osbourne--Down to Earth (2001/CBS) Rating--8.5

It has been six years since Ozzy's last studio album ('Ozzmosis'), and the man returns with a bit of a vengeance here--and with a recommitment to metal, as well. Whereas the crunching tunes on 'Ozzmosis' may have been few and far between, there's plenty of distorted nastiness in 2001, with Zakk Wylde providing the backbone to a host of deep and nasty cuts.
The Ozman himself sounds as cryptic and mewling as ever. The heavier tracks come across as a mix between Ozzy's 'No Rest'/'No More Tears' work and Wylde's own Black Label Society. The slower tracks and ballads have an '80s, Randy Rhoads feel, and the entire disc quickly evolves into undeniable Osbourne, through-and-through.
The simply nasty-ass crawl of "Gets Me Through" turns the crank first, and is followed by the slide-riffing groove of "Facing Hell," with a stop-and-go mainframe providing the neck movements. Both "No Easy Way Out" and "Alive" are good, with "That I Never Had" featuring some swaying guitar work.
"Black Illusion" is a slow burner, "Can You Hear Them" is churning with a snaking chorus, and "Dreamer" is one of those aforementioned, Rhoads-era ballads.
A nice metallic return for the godfather.
TRACK LIST: Gets Me Through/Facing Hell/Dreamer/No Easy Way Out/That I Never Had/You Know/Junkie/Running Out of Time/Black Illusion/Alive/Can You Hear Them

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