Madder Mortem - On Guard

Completely brilliant. Love the singer's voice, and the moody atmosphere hits home just perfectly.
EDIT: Ah yeah, it came to me, this one surprisingly and kinda reminds me of the somber, downtrodden moments of Amigo the Devil. Love that shit to bits.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Bark At The Moon".

Ozzy's time with Black Sabbath was filled with songs that are timeless classics. But I think it's his first five solo albums that see him at his peak. And while the music is far more metal/rock oriented than Sabbath's doom-laden start, the music and lyrics of those early albums really fit his voice like a tight glove.

His later albums start getting a little too 'polished' and it does kinda lose some of that late 70's early 80's charm that these early albums had. The 90's and 2000's had it's share of great songs, but it felt like we went from albums with a few weak tracks to albums that had a few great tracks but the remaining tracks felt like filler in comparison.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Bark At The Moon".

Ozzy's time with Black Sabbath was filled with songs that are timeless classics. But I think it's his first five solo albums that see him at his peak. And while the music is far more metal/rock oriented than Sabbath's doom-laden start, the music and lyrics of those early albums really fit his voice like a tight glove.

His later albums start getting a little too 'polished' and it does kinda lose some of that late 70's early 80's charm that these early albums had. The 90's and 2000's had it's share of great songs, but it felt like we went from albums with a few weak tracks to albums that had a few great tracks but the remaining tracks felt like filler in comparison.

The Meads Of Asphodel - Exhuming The Grave Of Yeshua

I'm not a big fan of this one. Without having listened to everything this band has done, so far this is the worst I've heard from them, all the eccentricities fall nowhere and it lacks cohesion and consistency.

Yeah, I was one of those people who only liked him in his Black Sabbath days but I do appreciate his solo stuff way more now. I think the Jake E Lee stuff may be my favorite. I have mixed feelings for No Rest for the Wicked.

Right now I am listening to The Ultimate Sin and I think I will give No Rest another try after that.

Ozzy brought a lot to Black Sabbath and vice versa. But not only were the two parts good together, but both halves of the band were good at their respective fields after they split up. It's just that combination of both that really brings out the best when they are together. Ozzy was the vocal/lyrics and Iommi/Geezer/Ward were the music.

Looking at their respective careers apart, you can see how each vocalist Black Sabbath worked with changed their sound but the music stayed consistently good. I think a lot of the non-Ozzy albums don't get the appreciation they deserve. Even the albums from 'Seventh Star' to 'Forbidden' deserved more acclaim than they got at the time of release.

And for Ozzy, it's practically irrefutable that the guitarists like Randy Rhodes were a significant part of what made Ozzy's solo albums so good. And when the guitarist isn't generating a good riff/song, then Ozzy really falters. And when you start relying on 'for hire' type songwriters it's hard to get a good metal/rock song which is why I think so much of late-era Ozzy suffers a lack of quality.

Some may call it a case of self plagiarism, but I really do love the final album "13" where Ozzy and Sabbath reunited. It had the right combination of early Black Sabbath and the best of their respective careers apart making for a very nostalgic sounding album. But one that felt natural and not a cash-in ripping themselves off.

For me though, the cruelest part of the split was the "Never Say Die!" album. I absolutely love this album and find it criminal the rating for it is so low. To me this is an album that I can listen to from start to finish and love every song. I can't say the same for "Technical Ecstacy" which gets a higher rating and often a bit more acclaim. To me the only good song on it is "Dirty Women" which manages to be an absolute beast of a song that practically carries the entire album. It's not so much a case of the best for last, but rather going out with a Swan Song.

I love Never Say Die! I am actually listening to Technical Ecstasy right now. I like it. I understand why people don't though. I have not listened to 13 yet.

Are you looking forward to the re-release of the Tony Martin stuff?

Morbid Angel - Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

I like "Domination". Sorry, guys!
It doesn't beat "Covenant" or "Altars of Madness" for me (though I do think I prefer it over "Blessed Are the Sick"... whoops) but it's very enjoyable nonetheless.

Morbid Angel - Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

I like "Domination". Sorry, guys!
It doesn't beat "Covenant" or "Altars of Madness" for me (though I do think I prefer it over "Blessed Are the Sick"... whoops) but it's very enjoyable nonetheless.

Paradise Lost - No Forgiveness

The dry production, barbaric drums, Sabbathian riffs and Holmes' gruff vocals... pure excellence.

Evilfeast - Immerse into Cold Mist

Great stuff, love the synth!