Black Rain

Black Rain is the tenth album on which Ozzy Osbourne, with Zakk Wylde on guitar, pursued a modern heaviness. It is known as the first studio album he wrote while sober over his long career, strongly reflecting his own will to renewal. Wylde’s heavyweight riffs join Ozzy’s uneasy voice in a forceful, modern sound that runs throughout, in line with the heavy-rock currents of the 2000s. The opener “Not Going Away” is a powerful number that reads like a declaration to keep going, with Wylde’s thick guitar generating strong momentum. The catchy “I Don’t Wanna Stop” is widely known as a single, and from the grand “Lay Your World On Me” to the socially tinged “The Almighty Dollar,” the songs balance weight and melody. Rather than reaching for flashy experiments, the writing pushes through with heavy riffs and vocal pull, conveying a veteran’s confidence. Debuting at No. 3 on the US album chart — his highest debut at the time — it is a solid, forceful record on which a matured Ozzy asserted his presence in the contemporary scene.