The Ozzman Cometh

As with many '70s and '80s metal acts, the '90s were not a very productive period for Ozzy Osbourne. Aside from two studio albums (1991's No More Tears and 1995's Ozzmosis) and the creation of the Ozzfest summer tour package, the middle-aged Osbourne had all but withdrawn from the industry and, despite his incredible delivery on No More Tears, was slowly becoming an aging novelty act as opposed to the feared metal madman who once had a strong hold on his genre. And of course, what better way to prove this than releasing the greatest-hits album The Ozzman Cometh. Yes, compilations often serve as fine packages for casual fans, but all too often in the case of heavy metal acts, they are rushed and fail to give the album's buyers the true listening experience they deserve. Instead, they leave the impression that the record was released for the sole purpose of releasing a record. This is arguably the case with The Ozzman Cometh, which contains a handful of Osbourne's heavy metal staples: "Crazy Train," "Shot in the Dark," "Bark at the Moon," "No More Tears," and "Mr. Crowley," but overlooks some of his best album tracks such as "Flying High Again," "I Don't Know," "Diary of a Madman," "Suicide Solution," and "Miracle Man." Instead of including more album singles, Osbourne throws in a few unreleased tracks for diehards, most notably Black Sabbath demos of "Black Sabbath" and "War Pigs." There is no question that most of Osbourne's best work was with Black Sabbath, and these demos are certainly worth hearing in such raw form. However, greatest-hits albums aren't meant for diehards; they are meant for casual fans, and in the end the tracks only add to the horribly uneven experience listeners will receive on The Ozzman Cometh. True, there are far worse compilations out there, and many listeners will probably be pleased with what this collection has to offer. But those who have truly watched Osbourne's career know just how important his music was to the evolution of heavy metal, and they will be the first to say that The Ozzman Cometh was hardly the compilation it could have and should have been. Sadly, such a disappointing release only serves as a dark reminder that Osbourne, despite continued success, has all but lost his place in the modern industry of metal. And, seeing as how it's a genre he helped create, that's a damn shame.