Oh, it’s so easy to be cynical about Ozzy these days. He’s an old man trading off fame that has long since ceased to relate to anything musical, his voice is shot to bits, his live performances are woefully predictable and routinely shoddy, his last great album was released over 15 years ago… blah blah blah. The thing is, every legendary rock act has to endure the sneers of aging fans every time they peep over the battlements, but just because the faithful have lost interest, it doesn’t necessarily follow that Black Rain deserves that same ignominious critical pounding. In fact, even though it’s been plain for a long time that a new Blizzard Of Ozz or No More Tears is simply not within the old fella’s reach, Black Rain is still a sound and sturdy piece of work. There’s no doubt that these songs could easily have ended up on the next Black Label Society album, but far from being a disadvantage, Zakk Wylde’s trademark churning riffs and downbeat ballads have given Ozzy something to sing over that is neither a pale imitation of past glories nor a hapless attempt to be ‘current’ (whatever that means in these retro-loving times). Instead, the likes of ‘I Don’t Wanna Stop’ and ‘Countdown’s Begun’ thump and grind at a bullish mid-pace, enabling Ozzy to do what he always does - bemoan the state of the world, thank his fans for giving him something meaningful to do and pay tribute to his loved ones – without ever descending into self-parody or mawkish drool. And hell, that voice is still utterly unique and this, cynics be damned, is a great Ozzy album.