Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9

 

 

Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9
Epic – 2022
Rock, Hard, Metal
Rated:

Two years ago, when Ozzy Osbourne released an album called Ordinary Man, we sort of assumed it would be the curtain call. We got the Stoner HiVe gang that help out now and again to say a few words about the record and then we basket weaved it all together. We refused to give any stars to the album, simply because it is our Lord Ozzy, and also because the album, well, had some pretty good stuff on it. It had its merits. As we concluded… This time around, we do it slightly different and have both Madman Tony Maim and Shastabeast aka Kyle SB say a few words about it… And of course I will spew my nonsense as well…

But surely, we had not expected to be back again, to write about another new Ozzy album only two years later. The man is in his seventies, had his greatest moments back in the seventies and now gives us a new thirteen track album that has stuff on it that is just simply put: pretty good! Its sometimes seems to ooze class and that’s not really strange when you consider the fact that it’s Ozzy Osbourne and he has managed to get a whole truckload of amazing artists to help out on the album. In the title track alone, we get Jeff Beck and Zakk Wylde on guitar, Robert Trujillo on bass and Chad Smith on drums. On other tracks Mike McCready and Josh Homme help out, but also Chris Chaney and the late Taylor Hawkins. Most important guests perhaps are Eric Clapton and Black Sabbath’s very own Tony Iommi. The Sabbath axe slinger can be heard on No Escape From Now and on Degradation Rules, both perhaps together with Evil Shuffle the best tracks on the album. Although that highly different from the rest song One Of Those Days with Clapton performing his magic, can also be viewed as one of the most interesting and worthwhile tracks. God Only Knows is the one that features Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Homme, where he and Zakk Wylde solo around and chasing after each other so it seems. Bluesy outro Darkside Blues, even though, the vocals are drenched in effects, shows what Ozzy might have sounded like if he had been an old blues legend from the past, strolling along side Robert Johnson onto the crossroads. Not sure if the devil would have wanted his soul though? Overall, the album has way more class and outright good rock on it, but there are surely some tracks that sound just a bit too easy. Like he is just doing it all again; without giving it that much of his attention. On the other hand, it’s our Lord Ozzy, with Iommi and featuring one of the final recordings of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Perhaps, it’s just an album we all should have…

Shastabeast aka Kyle SB:

"The latest from the Prince of Darkness, Patient Number 9, follows in the steps of his Ordinary Man release in many ways. Despite a plethora of big-name guests from Jeff Beck to Zakk Wyld, the Oz Man offers up mostly uninspiring, heard-this-before rock ballads peppered with a few fun riffs. Highlights do include "Immortal" with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, which delivers some classic Ozzy energy with a high-octane riff and a dose of arena rock largesse, and Zakk Wylde's hard-hitting "Parasite" that showcases Ozzy's masterfully dark lyricism. Naturally, the two tracks with Tony Iommi are stronger than most, including a truly doomy "No Escape From Now", complete with extra crunchy riffs and a classic Sabbath midtempo run in the second half. Outside of a few memorable tunes, however, Patient Number 9 won't satisfy Ozzy fans looking for a return to his glory days, but rather find an abundance of pop-adjacent, manufactured sounding tracks that lack any real "oomph" from The Dark Lord, with the title track being one of the worst offenders."

Madman Tony Maim:

"The arrival of a new Ozzy album does not feature highly on my "things to get excited about"! Apart from the odd article about him he had pretty much fallen off my radar... until Joop asked if I would like to do a small review of Patient Number 9.  The album has a slew of guest guitarists - Jeff Beck, Clapton and for the first time on an Ozzy album two tracks with Tony Iommi. And... it all sounds really good. No more radio-friendly unit shifters, this album has Ozzy sounding heavier, darker and dare I say it - more metal than he has for a long time. Obviously the Iommi tracks are the highlights, but the album as a whole should please both new and old Ozzy fans plus classic, heavy rock head bangers in general. Lyrically there is a lot of musing on life and mortality but it all sounds like genuine heartfelt feelings In short, a great return to form."

So, I guess if we combine these three opinions to voice one uniform little thought about Patient Number 9, we perhaps should state that the album has no shock value, no awe inspiring moments... Or as Doktor420 said: "It doesn't inspire me at all - not for good, nor bad words..." Well, nothing good, nothing bad, except for the fact that it’s good enough to enjoy, cause it’s good enough for Ozzy and that means it’s good enough for you…  And hey, it might once again be his final album…  

(Written by JK)

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