The Batlord

Well with TH gone I guess it falls to me to put this site back on track. Imma just do a non-journal about metal cause I don't feel like coming up with a good idea right now. I'll stick to metal of some notoriety at least half the time just so people will care.

First up will be a bunch of trad metal because I'm in the mood after Blizzard of Ozz. Get ready to eat dat ****, mudda****as and I don't know what I'm talking about.

Stay tuned...

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grindy

Take recs or GTFO.

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

The Batlord

Perhaps. Hit me.

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The Batlord

This album is pretty durn close to Blizzard of Ozz in both quality and content, but there are some actual differences. Blizzard didn't contain much variety beyond a couple ****ty ballads and "Mr. Crowley", whereas this album actually shows more maturity from Randy Rhoads (do the rest of the band matter?), and he branches out into territory beyond anthemic/awesome cheese. His riffs are still a ball of fun, but they allow for moods beyond just "fun".

"Over the Mountain", easily the standout, has a touch of the epic about it, and is even a tad, dare I say it, threatening? Ozzy even steps up to the plate and sounds just a bit more like Sabbath-Ozzy. I guess all he needs are killer riffs with atmosphere to step back and not try to dominate the track with his cornball persona. An Ozzy track I would say deserves legit respect and not just mindless enjoyment, and I suspect it all begins with Randy Rhoads learning to branch out.

"Believer" is another cool track that showcases Randy's ability to marry anthemic riffs with atmosphere. Ozzy is a bit more on point than usual but still kinda holds the song back with his one-dimensional approach. The title track is another that steps beyond the pale and switches between tepid balladry that is surprisingly justified by a bit of hardhitting yet stately metal that seems to presage Iron Maiden's "Hallowed By Thy Name" (though the Ozzy track is definitely made obsolete by the latter).

The drawback of the relative pullback in big dumb fun is that when Ozzy does go more for Blizzard-style schlock it is at times somewhat more restrained as well, so that the highs on Diary can be pretty high, and even one of the two goofy ballads is kind of nice ("You Can't Kill Rock and Roll"), the filler just isn't as fun and makes the album not pop in the same way. I'm honestly not sure which album I'd choose over the other, but I suppose they both have their strengths and weaknesses and I'll just skip the dross on either.

Honestly I'd be curious just what Randy Rhoads could have accomplished had he A.) not died, and B.) not been saddled with a jaded rock star just out to jump on the next musical zeitgeist. I don't think he'd have been suitable with a truly out-there-for-the-time band like Slayer or Candlemass or Bathory, but I think 70s Judas Priest or 70s Scorpions might have been an interesting fit. Hell, maybe if he'd lived he might have been able to put a fire under Ozzy's ass to be something other than a caricature of himself and release something with the aim to equal his output with Sabbath. Nah though he probably still would have released The Ultimate Sin. But I'll still give this album a solid...

7/10

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Frownland

Pretty sure that you dug this once in plug but I'm not sure if you've listened to the whole thing or not.


Endon - Through the Mirror

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

The Batlord

I have not. Will give it a listen.

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Chula Vista

At the time of his death Randy was already planning on leaving Ozzy and diving full on into classical guitar bender. It really was a passion for him. Dee is an amazing piece and really a blast to play.

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“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

The Batlord

Oh great, he would have been a more tolerable Yngwie. Forget what I said.

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Chula Vista

No numb nuts. Traditional stuff.

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“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Cuthbert

Over The Mountain is >>>

It might be my entrance music if I was an MMA Fighter or Boxer.

Hype ting.