This 1988 album saw the debut of young Zakk Wylde, who would go on to play with Ozzy off and on for the next 40 years. Still sitting solidly in mainstream metal, as thrash bands had begun to break really big, in fact, Anthrax opened for him when I saw Ozzy on this tour. Many of the '80s trappings still adorn this album, making it a more varied affair than "Ultimate Sin". The opening track, "Miracle Man," found Ozzy at war with teleevangelists, which was on brand for him and the kind of energy we needed from him at the time.
"Devil's Daughter" found him continuing to flirt with the kind of imagery that would earn him the reputation as the Prince of Darkness. I like the creepy feel of the vocals on this one. "Crazy Babies" is the first song that feels a little like filler and is bogged down in some 80s tropes. Mainly production-wise in how the vocals are layered. "Breakin' All the Rules" might work off a riff that sounds like Dokken, but Ozzy's vocals work well, and it's not the 80s party vibe; it sounds like it could have been left over from "Ultimate Sin."
"Bloodbath in Paradise' is one of the album's heaviest songs and my favorite as it is about Charles Manson. Might even be in my top 10 Ozzy songs."Fire in the Sky' might be the best power ballad from him that is not the title track to 'Diary of a Madman." "Tattooed Dancer" would be more expected from Motley Crue than Ozzy, but Zakk shines on the song. "Demon Alcohol" is only made heavier by the lyrics."Hero" is pretty powerful in its hopeful self-deprecating. This album gets a 10.
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