Andrew Danso

Scream is meant to be blasted through a Sabbath veterans dying ear lobes, and MTV simultaneously, and then also be approved by both audiences. On reflection that’s no easy feat. As sober as Ozzy may be, wondering if the magic has somehow dried up is usually on top of the public's agenda when mulling over another addition. The previous “Black Rain” was a cynical move in the Osbourne franchise, picking your cash strapped pocket for something branded with “The Prince of Darkness”, delivering on not much you’d associate him with, and more importantly nothing we want to associate him with. Each release probes an even bigger response though; how can this man end his career so cynically? Maybe we’re the naysayers for waiting on his eventual downfall, but then again he did define heavy metal in more ways than one. Why are the expectations never met?

Scream itself is another sober check-up on the Osbourne franchise. It rocks as hard as it wants too, but only when it wants. The ingredients are there for a metal magnum opus, but often Ozzy tailors everything to be somewhat radio friendly, with some sort of bang in between the commercial stuff. The content has no more Zakk Wylde on second fiddle, and you’ll be glad to know that that means no more maligned comparisons to BLS. Osbourne’s sound has been freshened up because of this but not to any huge distinction. Ozzy has paid the price for removing Wylde’s class of southern American rock to something extremely generic, and whilst it’s certainly a welcome change (if anyone apart from Ozzy released his previous work they would be regarded as certain “BLS” rip-offs), you can’t possibly recognise Scream from anything else played in a high street store. That’s unless you slap his vocal on top.

His performance on Scream is memorable, and should be lauded whilst everything previously mentioned has cut below the belt. With that said, this is another shallow addition to his discography. Scream rocks when it needs too, pops when it needs too, and that’s about it. Am I the fool to be left expecting more? Definitely.

2/5 Sputnik Music