Ozzy Osbourne-Down To Earth (2001)

Shortly after his sixth album, "No More Tears" (1991), singer Ozzy Osbourne expressed his intention to retire from the recording studio, but not from the stage, forming the successful Ozzfest festival with his wife, Sharon. However, his restless spirit wouldn't allow him to remain idle for long, and he ended up recording another album four years later, the celebrated "Ozzmosis" (1995), with which he was once again acclaimed as a metal god by his millions of fans around the world. Due to media pressure and pressure from his own record label, in 2001 Ozzy returned to writing material for a new album titled "Down to Earth". For its recording, the legendary singer enlisted his main collaborator, Zakk Wylde (guitars), as well as Mike Bordin (drums), Robert Trujillo (bass), Tim Palmer (keyboards and guitars), Michael Railo (keyboards), and Danny Saber (guitars). "Down To Earth" is undoubtedly his most relaxed work, where his characteristically poetic lyrics address everything from his personal experiences with drugs to the difficult times we are living through. Musically, the tone is quite melodic, with a solid, addictive, and infectious heavy metal sound, encompassing sophisticated ballads like "Dreamer" and "Running Out Of Time", as well as harmonic heavy metal numbers such as "Back Illusion", "Junkie", "Gets Me Through", "Can You Hear Them?", "Facing Hell", and "Alive". With this album, Ozzy adapted to the changing landscape of 21st-century heavy metal while always maintaining his timeless and distinctive style.