Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears - 1991
Xylophones and toys are scary. Let's face it. Ever since Poltergeist we've known that. That's how No More Tears starts out. The hyper-demonic "Mr. Tinkertrain" sets the table with a song from the perspective of a child abuser and the album never relents from there.
This is Ozzy's comeback. He's finally over Randy Rhodes's death and he's reinventing himself as the heir apparent to all things metal.
He succeeds spectacularly.
No More Tears is a big record. It requires that you play it loud.
Not only is Zakk Wylde a major contributor to the songwriting but his playing is inspired. And Ozzy's no dummy. He's brought in Lemmy Kilmeister as a lyricist on a bunch of tracks.
And it all works. The massive soundtrack to MTV montage lifestyle amid images of returning soldiers from the first Iraq war, "Mama I'm Coming Home" just plain wins. There's more radio friendly metal-ness on the title track and S.I.N. but I think my favorite track is the cheeky, percussive "Zombie Stomp". Sure, it's dumb, but they know it's dumb and there's a weird Michael Jackson quality to it.
I know. Go figure.
Ozzy's comeback is great. A worthy addition to any metal collection.
Grade: A
ASide: Mr. Tinkertrain, Mama I'm Coming Home
BlindSide: I Don't Want to Change the World, Zombie Stomp, A.V.H., Road to Nowhere
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