Instant Impressions: 'Patient Number 9' by Ozzy Osbourne

It’s hard to write an introduction related to somebody who doesn’t need one, but Ozzy Osbourne, one of the founding fathers of metal music, has just released his thirteenth studio album, Patient Number 9, this past Friday, September 9. Coming just two years after the release of his previous album, Ordinary Man, it’s safe to say that Patient Number 9 came as a surprise to many people – Ordinary Man felt like a return-to-form of sorts in some respects, but it seemed to be accepted by fans as a bit of a farewell album. Considering the fact that Ozzy has publicly contemplated retirement on frequent occasions from 2014 to now between Black Sabbath and his own solo career, along with his current tour being billed as “No More Tours II” (the first “No More Tours” took place in 1991 in support of his album No More Tears, also intended as a farewell tour at the time), it made sense to think that Ordinary Man, his first album since 2010’s Scream, was meant to be “one last hurrah” and a final studio sendoff to his fans.

Additionally, the last few years have not been particularly kind to Ozzy – “No More Tours 2” has been going on since 2018 and several dates have been cancelled and/or rebooked as a result of Ozzy’s health, from COVID to neck surgeries to a diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, just to scratch the surface. Thankfully, he was able to persevere and recover step by step, and according to his wife, Sharon Osbourne, he was extremely busy writing Patient Number 9 in their home studio during that time. Flash forward to today, the album is out and it’s time to listen to it. Feel free to follow along with me as a list my track-by-track thoughts here, or just scroll down to the bottom for my general all-encompassing first impressions on the album as a whole:

1.     Patient Number 9 (7:21)

• Intro is classic Ozzy
• I’m impressed at how strong his voice sounds in the chorus
• Love the guitar work in the second half of the song, especially the multi-layered electric and acoustic tracks in the last minute

2.     Immortal (3:03)

• We love a bass intro
• The song comes alive around 22 seconds in and the energy’s great to hear
• I think there’s something to be said about straightforward, concise hard rock songs made by legends of the genre – as much as I can appreciate the musicianship of making an 8-minute song, it just isn’t necessary all the time, and classic rock and metal bands that continue to make music today should take notice of that. I’m glad Ozzy has, because this is a great example
• My first reaction when I saw the title was, “well, if anyone’s immortal, it’s Ozzy,” and that sentiment still stands

3.     Parasite (4:05)

• The intros just keep getting better and better, my God
• Zakk Wylde’s style is all over this track and I love it – I’m so glad he’s doing work with Ozzy again, they’re such a great duo
• Wasn’t prepared for the tempo and energy of the chorus, but it’s incredible and will easily stay stuck in my head for the rest of the week
• Zakk Wylde’s never had a weak solo in his career, and it’s evident he’s not about to start anytime soon

4.     No Escape From Now (6:46)

• The vocal melody in the beginning reminds me a lot of Black Sabbath’s ‘God Is Dead?’ from their last album 13
• Tony Iommi’s another guitarist with a one-of-a-kind sound, and his tone works so well for this song
• Love the bass in the chorus
• That bridge is CLASSIC Sabbath, everything about it just screams Black Sabbath

5.     One of Those Days (4:40)

• The opening guitars really took me into a time machine because I thought it sounded almost identical to the intro of ‘I Just Want You,’ from his 1995 album Ozzmosis, but tuned down half a step or something
• The drums perfectly bridge the gap from verse to chorus, and it makes for seamless transitions
• Ozzy and Eric Clapton is a combination I didn’t know I needed, but I’m so glad it came together because it made for an awesome song

6.     A Thousand Shades (4:26)

• Fantastic intro – we love guitar harmonies
• Love the lyrics in the chorus
• Feels like a modern-day ‘Goodbye to Romance,’ and that’s the best way I can describe this song – you just have to listen to it to understand

7.     Mr. Darkness (5:35)

• Okay, we’re halfway through the album now and I can’t stop talking about how great these dang intros are – there’s just something about the guitars on this album that I can’t get over
• I thought this was going to be another slower/dialed down song, but boy was I duped – I wasn’t ready for that chorus
• The guitar solos and bridge in the second half of the song match the style of the chorus, really making me look like a sucker for thinking it would be a soft song

8.     Nothing Feels Right (5:35)

• I’m starting to realize that there are two elements of this album that I can’t move on from – the intros, and the greatness that’s the team of Ozzy and Zakk Wylde
• The rhythm section is the unsung hero of this song – the drums and bass bring everything together while also bringing their own significant contributions here and there

9.     Evil Shuffle (4:10)

• Blues can really be a safe base for a good rock/metal song, and this is an example of how to do it well
• The bass from 2:20-3:10 *chef’s kiss*

10.  Degradation Rules (4:10)

• Wasn’t expecting to hear a harmonica, but Ozzy’s nothing if not unpredictable
• Again, to have one half of Black Sabbath performing on a song (or in this case, a couple songs) in 2022 is incredible to hear – it truly sounds like this could’ve fit on a Sabbath album

11.  Dead and Gone (4:32)

• The snare sounds a little too hollow at the beginning, but it’s not as noticeable when the rest of the instruments come in
• Love these lyrics
• Another super catchy chorus, surprise surprise

12.  God Only Knows (5:00)

• I don’t know why it never occurred to me that Dave Navarro, Jane’s Addiction and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, would be an interesting musician to work with Ozzy
• Aside from the lyrics, Navarro’s solo was my favorite part of the song

13.  DARKSIDE BLUES (1:47)

• As brief as it is, this is a fitting way to close out an Ozzy album – to the point and tongue-in-cheek enough to display Ozzy’s personality/sense of humor

I’ve been an Ozzy fan for most of my life – I’ve never seen him live, but I’ve heard all his albums and have followed his career with a close eye for a long time now. Every album of Ozzy’s has their highlights here and there, but as a whole, I feel pretty confident in saying that this is Ozzy’s finest collection of work since 1991’s No More Tears. His voice sounds better than it has in several years, and each song flows from one to the next very well, and there are sonic similarities between them while also avoiding the danger of sounding monotonous.

Ordinary Man contained a plethora of guest appearances, from Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns n’ Roses, to Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, to Elton John and even Post Malone (to name just the tip of the iceberg), and Ozzy decides to take a page from that book with Patient Number 9 as well – McKagan returns, and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and the late Taylor Hawkins make an appearance, along with others, some of which were previously mentioned in the individual song reactions.

The two features that stuck to me the most, however, were the contributions from Zakk Wylde and Tony Iommi, two guitarists that were such integral parts of Ozzy’s sound and career. Iommi created the genre of heavy metal with Ozzy in Black Sabbath, and Wylde was one of Ozzy’s best guitarists and Ozzy made some of his best songs while working with Wylde. Don’t get me wrong, I love Randy Rhoads as much as the next guy, but I’m just a little more partial to Ozzy’s albums with Wylde. Their features take me back to those previous albums they made together, such as Ozzmosis and Black Sabbath’s 13 – hearing them on Patient Number 9 remind listeners of familiar territory while simultaneously creating something independently new. I would’ve loved to have heard Jake E. Lee return to the fold for a song as well, but I’m not sure of the likelihood of that and I’m content enough with the contributions from Iommi and Wylde here.

Ozzy Osbourne has been through so much over the course of his life and career – he’s reached the tallest heights of musical success and crossover superstardom, but has also felt plummeting lows and dealt with a surplus of adversity. It can’t be overstated how much of an impact he has had on not just the rock genre, but music as a whole – every single hard rock and heavy metal fan owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Ozzy, because their favorite bands and artists simply wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for him and Black Sabbath. Regardless of album preferences, to have a legend of Ozzy’s stature continue to make music at the level and quality that he has deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated.

On the first listen, the top 3 standout tracks for me are:

-       Immortal

-       Parasite

-       One of Those Days

If you listened along and also enjoyed the album, you can buy/stream Patient Number 9 here.

For more info and all things Ozzy, click here.

Thanks for reading! If you liked this article and want to keep up with more from me, feel free to subscribe