Ozzmosis

Ozzmosis is the seventh album, made after Ozzy Osbourne — who had once announced his retirement following No More Tears — returned to the scene. With Zakk Wylde on guitar, the lineup was lavish: former Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Deen Castronovo, and Rick Wakeman on keyboards. Under Michael Beinhorn’s production, a heavy, meticulous 1990s sound joins richly shaded melodies, deeply drawing out Ozzy’s introspective side. The single “Perry Mason” opens the album as a signature song with its mysterious riff and grand development. From the lyricism of “See You on the Other Side,” co-written by Lemmy Kilmister, to the catchiness of “I Just Want You” and the weight of “Thunder Underground,” the songs show varied faces. The thick low end from old ally Butler and Wylde’s dense guitar powerfully support the singing of a matured Ozzy. Weighting depth and texture over flash, it is a fine record that quietly captures Ozzy’s fullness in the mid-1990s.