Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Zakk Wylde (guitar); Rick Wakeman, Michael Beinhorn (keyboards); Geezer Butler (bass); Deen Castronovo (drums).
Producer: Michael Beinhorn.
Reissue producer: Bruce Dickinson.
Recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios, Paris, France, Right Track Recording and Electric Lady Studios, New York, Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York. Includes liner notes by Phil Alexander.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Zakk Wylde (guitar); Michael Beinhorn, Rick Wakeman (keyboards); Deen Castronovo (drums).
Audio Mixer: David Bianco.
Liner Note Author: Phil Alexander.
Recording information: Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, NY; Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY; Guillaume Tell Studios, Paris France; Right Track Recording, New York, NY.
Photographer: Rocky Schenck.
Let us all be thankful that Ozzy's retirement didn't stick. It supposedly lasted for three days, after which he got bored and started working on this project. Heavy, riff-intensive tunes, progressive song structures and a little psychedelia give OZZMOSIS a definite Sabbath flavor. Ozzy must have been in touch with whatever inspired early classics like PARANOID and MASTERS OF REALITY. Witness the extremely chunky "Thunder Underground," which can stand up next to "Sweet Leaf" and "Symptom Of The Universe" as an archetype of hard rock. The trippy guitar in "Ghost Behind My Eyes" and "Denial" are not some young Ozzy-wannabe going for a retro sound--this man was there, "Planet Caravan"ing.
Still, this heavy metal daddy in touch with his roots is also hip to the genre's latest sound. OZZMOSIS has a live, up-front feeling, thanks to producer Michael Beinhorn (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden). Zakk Wylde's huge, raw guitar also plays a major role. He provides scorching solos, lush textures and juicy fills with a muscular tone and minimal effects--the perfect complements to Osbourne's songwriting.
But more important than the raging guitars and the big sound is attitude. Ozzy's spunk has indeed rejected retirement. His songs still spew biting commentary at whoever will listen. "Your bulls**t culture licking can't stop the deathwatch ticking/You're only mortal after all," he warns on "Thunder Underground." Ozzy himself may not be immortal, but OZZMOSIS sounds like it is.
Professional Reviews
Q (10/02, p.132) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Carefully written and better produced [than previous few releases]..."
NME (Magazine) (11/25/95, p.47) - 7 (out of 10) - "...Ozzy's career is undergoing something of an Indian summer....OZZMOSIS continues the trend for killer, hard edged commercial delivery and that trademark strained falsetto from hell....this album is as close to the spirit of classic Sabbath as you can get..."
