"The Ultimate Sin" Album Review
Alpha101 While I can agree that albums such as "Blizzard of Ozz," "Diary of a Madman," and "No More Tears" are much better than this, "The Ultimate Sin" has always been my favorite album by Osbourne. So, while I might review his more well known albums in the future, I wanted to start off with my favorite."The Ultimate Sin" has an opening that really drew me in the moment that i heard it. Soon as I heard it, I knew that Ozzy meant business. The chorus is simple, but enjoyable. Lee really shined in this track, and had a great solo.
"Secret Loser" showed that Osbourne can sing very meaningful songs. Sure, he has done so before, with songs like "Mr. Crowley," "Dreamer," and "Diary of a Madman," the majority of his songs are just typical rock and roll content, which does not really cover intriguing topics. The lyrics were very well written, the chorus was outstanding, and Osbourne did great singing it..
"Never Know Why" is another classic. The chorus is extremely catchy, and Lee did a fantastic job with his solo. It's one of the strongest on the album, and one of Osbourne's most impressive even today.
"Thank God for the Bomb" had a likable chorus, and the lyrics were great, but, overall, the song just sounded off to me. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought that I would.
"Never" was another unlikable song. The only thing that I could say that was wrong with it is that, like the song above, is that it just never really hooked me. I always have to force myself to listen to it to the very end, because I'm tempted just to skip it and listen to a better song. I did like Ozzy's vocals in the song, though, especially when he moans, "Oh God." It sounds creepy and unnerving. If I had to grab one pro out of the song, then it should be that. The rest was not enjoyable.
"Lightning Strikes" had a killer opening riff, and had impressive vocals from Osbourne. The chorus immediately got stuck in my head whenever I first heard it. Besides these three things, it's an average song.
"Killer of Giants" is the second best, in my opinion. The opening automatically grabbed my attention, the lyrics were wonderfully written, and the chorus is among one of the best in Osbourne's career.
"Fool Like You" had another great opening, which really pulled me in at first hearing. I swear, when I first heard it, I thought that I was listening to Van Halen. Then I heard Ozzy's voice, and I realized that I was in for a treat! This is one of Osbourne's best performances ever, and will always be one of my favorite songs by him.
"Shot in the Dark" is my favorite on the album. I mean, come on, how could you not like this song? It has a good riff, very impressive lyrics, and one of the best choruses in the history of rock! I mention a lot that most bands have no idea how to properly close an album. It seems like Osbourne read my mind. The song will forever remain with me, no mater how old I am, what troubles me, or who I'm with. I'll never forget this beautiful song.
Overall, yes, this is not his best album. I think that we can all agree on that. But you surely must agree that this is one of the most criminally underrated albums in history. Almost every single song surpassed my expectations, and it's has Osbourne in his prime.
9.2/10 - Great Album