Online only: Ozzy Osbourne Black Rain : C-

Ozzy Osbourne kicked off his 2001 release Down to Earth singing "I'm not the anti-Christ or the Iron Man", a suprising proclamation from the Prince of Darkness himself. And although Down to Earth was an album many skeptical metalheads chose to ignore, it nonetheless was a solid effort from the aging heavy metal icon.\n Which is kind of what Ozzy's latest offering Black Rain is. Sort of. On the surface, Black Rain isn't a bad metal album. It's heavy, it's theatrical. It has killer guitar solos and that distinguishable voice of the Godfather of heavy metal. Once the vocals hit on the opener "Not Going Away", the listener is reminded of how timeless Ozzy's voice has become. He still sounds the same as he did on his 80s hits "Crazy Train" and "Bark at the Moon". And with a backing band consisting of guitar hero Zakk Wylde and former Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, the formula for a good music project is set.\n And yet, somewhere within the murky guitar effects and the cheesy keyboard lines, Black Rain falls short. Short of even, dare I say it, Down to Earth.\n Which is not to say this latest offering from The Oz Man is all for naught. This is the work of a metal band about to go on the road, and they definitely have the proper material for the jaunt. Many times throughout the album, Ozzy's band makes its presence known with their skilled musicianship and knack for producing riffs that move as if they're on 18 wheels. Wylde delivers solid axe-work for Ozzy yet again with blistering lead licks and scale runs, as well as providing an album full of heavy riffs that kick start with full force. Songs like album opener "Not Going Away", "I Don't Wanna Stop", and "Countdown's Begun" clearly were written to be performed. The title track "Black Rain" begins with a harmonica line straight out of the ol' west, which oddly makes sense considering Wylde and his ever-growing depth as a songwriter. And of course, Ozzy gets in his soft ballads with the super-cheesy "Lay Your World On Me" and "Here For You", the latter featuring piano and string accompaniment.\n Which to the typical Ozzy fan is usually all well and good. The difference with this album is that none of the songs are stand-out tunes. At least Down to Earth offered songs like "Gets Me Through", "No Easy Way Out", and the cheesy-but-Beatles-y "Dreamer" that showed progression in Ozzy as a performing artist. Sure, he was an aging rock star in 2001, but he was an aging rock star emerging from his Behind-the-Music image and letting his fans know he still had a few aces up his sleeve. \n Now? Well, Ozzy proves he can still rock, but he leaves the listener with a kind-of-alright record, as well as to wonder if this is the best metal fans can expect from a 58 year-old Godfather of metal.