Sobriety leads to mediocrity ...

"Black Rain" So is the new album of selbstbenannte "Madman" Ozzy Osbourne has at the start. According to rumors, the first CD since the beginning of his career, he has received in total sobriety. I will now not designate any addictive substance as positive but Osbournes Kreativiät they seem to have helped in previous years but, since "Black Rain" is nothing more than a better average.

The 10 songs rippling just so in mid-tempo and then sound damned similar to the long run. Of course the one or other melodic structure can convince again and the riffs that are thrown to us by Zakk Wylde contrary are not bad, but it sounds kind of like continuously heard before. Nevertheless, the instrumental side of the Osbourne-machinations turn brings good old heavy metal.

What we have now reached the main characteristic of an Ozzy-wheel: the vocals. The nasal vocals of aging reality TV stars can in my opinion anyway just like him, or simply hate. Osbournes voice certainly has its own charm, but what is offered here on "Black Rain", it makes a really not easy like this to drive!

The two ballads that contains the album, simply sung flat and the majority of the rest of the voice of the vocalist seems somehow changed electronically and a little distorted. This smells like trouble finishing in the studio! Clear his voice can not sound the way a few years ago with Black Sabbath, but these drastic changes in the voice recordings are really bothersome!

That is summarized: For me, it is a typical Osbourne album without highlights and a zero number of innovations. "Black Rain" While homogeneous sounds through the speakers, but can not be considered a jewel in the genre sure where especially the largely distorted vocals is to blame!

Unfortunately, only average !!!