Ozzy Osbourne
Diary of a Madman
ALBUM REVIEW
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DIARY OF A MADMAN, the 2nd album from OZZY OSBOURNE (and his band, BLIZZARD OF OZZ) is a perfect example of how an artist’s follow-up album often eclipses their debut outing. With a heftier mix and heavier riffs, darker lyrical themes & eerie gothic metal elements, and of course the disturbingly graphic album artwork, DIARY represents a quantum leap forward for “The Prince Of Darkness”, combining each of the aforementioned components into one of the darkest and heaviest metal albums ever to have emerged from 1981.
Released Oct of 1981
Label Jet
Producers:
Max Norman, Ozzy Osbourne
Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley
Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals
Randy Rhoads – Guitars
Bob Daisley – Bass
Lee Kerslake – Drums
Additional Personnel
Rudy Sarzo: Guitars Original Release
Tommy Aldridge: Drums Original Release
Johnny Cook: Keyboards
Louis Clark: Strings on "Diary of a Madman"
TRACKS
Side 1
1 Over the Mountain
2 Flying High Again
3 You Can't Kill Rock and Roll
4 Believer
Side 2
1 Little Dolls
2 Tonight
3 S.A.T.O.
4 Diary of a Madman
Get ready to “call the lawyers” and prepare to be bathed “in a huge spray…of light” from those who may engage in “different tax practices” than you’re accustomed to.
Prepare to bear witness to the quintessential heavy metal album that would leave an indelible mark on all metal subgenres that would follow it, grab your favorite “juice box”, and JOIN US as we flip through the pages of macabre madness and metal mayhem that dwell within the DIARY OF A MADMAN.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN
That opening drum fill, that guitar riff…THAT is heavy metal!
That’s next level for 1981 and is definitely heavier than anything else from that time (except for maybe Iron Maiden). The main riff borders on thrash and the guitar solo is extremely shreddy. (Hell, the solo actually starts with the same ominous tritone found on Black Sabbath).
“I see…”
Oh yeah, the guitar solos are perfectly double tracked. Well played, Randy (literally).
“I heard them tell me that this land of dreams was now,
I told them I had ridden shooting stars
And said I’d show them how…”
FLYING HIGH AGAIN
Again, that guitar sound is THE SOUND of heavy metal!
This was a staple on 96 Rock back in the day (during the daytime AND the nighttime). As a child, I’d heard this long before realizing that Ozzy had actually been the frontman for (and co-founding member of) Black Sabbath, even though the Paranoid album was all over the radio.
This album compared to Blizzard of Ozz is like comparing Ride The Lightning to Kill ‘Em All: totally next level.
“I can see through mountains, watch me disappear,
I can even touch the sky,
Swallowing colors of the sound I hear,
Am I just a crazy guy? (You bet)…”
YOU CAN’T KILL ROCK AND ROLL
The clean guitar parts are beautifully done (and a bit deceptive, relative to the riff work that follows). The vocal harmonies in the 2nd verse convey a growing sophistication in Ozzy’s singing style.
The part after the 2nd chorus sounds like it could fit on Ride The Lightning. That riff is very, VERY heavy for ’81 (coincidentally, the year that Metallica formed…and also Slayer, for that matter).
The guitar work was groundbreaking for metal as a genre, representing a huge departure from the blues based, pentatonic scales, solos, and riffs of Sabbath and 70’s rock.
A minute long fade out…really? It starts around 5:55…
“And they don’t really know even what they’re talkin’ about,
And I can’t imagine what empty heads can achieve…”
BELIEVER
Very heavy and extremely dissonant sounding, basically Slayer before Slayer was Slayer. Very evil and dark sounding…and that bass tone is absolutely metal as FUCK!!!
“I know…”
The riff is eerie and unsettling, yet beautiful. Randy’s musical influence and guitar wizardry completely altered the sound of heavy metal music forever. Also note that he’s double tracking the solos almost perfectly, note for note. As the British would say: “BRILLIANT!”
“I’m a believer, I ain’t no deceiver,
Mountains move before my eyes,
Destiny planned out, I don’t need no handout,
Speculation of the wise…”
LITTLE DOLLS
That’s a VERY BIG drum sound!
Absolutely YUGE!!
Unbelievably BIGLY!!!
Just taking a “shot in the dark” here, but this was probably written about voodoo dolls, which is extremely creepy subject matter (but then, what else would one expect from The Prince Of Darkness?).
The change around 2:11 has a late 70’s Sabbath feel. The melodies and progressions are very Beatles-esque, with perhaps the most simplistic solo that Randy has ever committed to tape: no flash whatsoever.
It sounds like they quadruple tracked the drums, which would explain why they sound so brutally heavy. So instead of getting hit by only one Mike Tyson, it’s like getting hit by four Mike Tysons all at the same time.
“Writhing and screaming the pain just won’t go,
He’ll show you no mercy,
Your image in his hands it’s useless to try,
Escaping his curses…”
TONIGHT
This is the “Goodbye To Romance”, symphonic sounding Ozzy power ballad of this album.
That’s a very happy sounding solo…triumphant…powerful…the bridge around 2:40 is a bit of a change that really fills things out.
“I hear the questions surface in my mind,
Of my mistakes that I have made,
Times and places I have left behind,
And am I ever gonna make the grade…”
S.A.T.O.
Sailing Across The Ocean…or the initials of Ozzy’s wives/loves.
Anytime acronyms are used in metal song titles, it always conjures a degree of mystery and intrigue and sends the mind reeling down a rabbit hole of interpretation and speculation.
This almost has Iron Maiden vibes on some level.
1:47…very majestic, Maiden vibes. That whole section sounds like it could on Powerslave. WAY ahead of his time, Randy was.
The finish at the end is nice…creepy, mystical, and dark (in a way). The outro echo has a strange and unusual vibe to it on some level, which makes for a perfect segue into the next track.
“Dare to look face the test,
On the eve when you set sailing,
What you’ve learned, what you’ve earned,
Ship of joy will stop you failing…”
DIARY OF A MADMAN
That guitar intro can only be referred to as ‘beautifully creepy’ as it is beautiful, articulate, and very dark. This song has a very uneasy vibe to it, but then, madness tends to leave one feeling uneasy.
Very progressive for sure, early prog metal without a doubt.
Read those lyrics. This is DARK! That main riff/theme is very dark and definitely metal, nothing like this existed in ’81. Early symphonic metal with neoclassical weedly woos and acoustic work, creepy choral singers in the background, and an overall very dark and very gothic tone. (There’s a Knights In White Satin kind of theme in that section right before the guitar solo). Of all the songs on this album, this one has an exceptional level of creepiness.
“Voices in the darkness,
Scream away my mental health,
Can I ask a question,
To help me save me from myself…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): “I’m ready…I’m so ready…”/ #HappyNewYear #2025 / “I notice you’re keeping a ‘high and tight’…”/ “I like to have stripes…”/ “I’m gonna shave my shit…”/ “The last time mine was colored…brown…”/ “Like to have a matching set…I like to have a little brown…”/ “I still use my #manscaped products…”/ #markthetime / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST IN 2025!!!*** / #superduper / “Did you guys see the shirt?” / ***GO TO METALNERDERY.COM/MERCH AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW METAL NERDERY SHIRT!!!*** / “How long is that sale going on?” / #teepublic / “We should give Norvyn thanks…”/ #blackdog / “Is it weird or does it seem like people have had…”/ #longcovid / #longcold #rinovirus / “That’s what those drones are droppin’…”
(06:27): “This is not a ‘new’ beer of the episode…”/ #twelve5s #coffeebasedgoodness / “I go Irish every Christmas…”/ “They go excellent with the #MrBlack …”/ #hyperbole / NOTE: It was an 8 pack, NOT a 12 pack…but all thanks go to Russell…”/ ***IF YOU WANT TO SKIP THE NONSENSE, GO TO #THEDOCKET *** / “You wanna hear some heartbreaking shit?” / “Which is fine…which is right…”/ “Do they always poke the bear?” / “How did you vote?” / #letsnotdopolitics / #youpeople / “I don’t wish ill will…”/ “Y’all won, STFU! Y’all WON!” / #taxpractices / “If you can’t talk about it rationally…”/ #sociallyliberal #fiscallyconservative #libertarian / “Would you call them liberal or would you call them leftist?” / #classicalliberal / NOTE: It was Argentina…/ #SouthAmerica / “Was it a #fleshlight?”/ “You’re the one with the hand gestures, bro…”/ #markthetime / “Knock it down to a beam…but if you push it all the way back…”/ “Oh the seizure lights…the ones that distract you while you’re driving…?”/ “…and alcohol…that’s what made the day special.”/ #RussellsReflectionsMovieEdition / #BadSanta / “The little fella…”/ #onmicburp / “Make that a button…”/ #ElCaminoChristmas / “How weird would an El Camino look if it came out now?”/ “It was the mullet of cars…”
(18:02): “Shall we pay heed to our special people?” / ***JOIN OUR PATREON AT PATREON.COM/METALNERDERYPODCAST *** / #MetalNerderyPodcastCalendar / #PatreonShoutout / #ThankYou / “2025 is gonna be a different year…”/ “He said ‘seen’…”/ “It’s like a #deathmetal #Superbad in a way…”/ “Have you ever had an orgasm that you came so hard that you literally thought you had died?” / “What if you have a #deathgasm when you die?”/ #TrumpCompilationASMR / “I’m gonna start doing that…”/ ***EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com *** / #TrademarkInfringement / #HeavyMetalNerdery / “I’m gonna Sharon Osbourne the fuck out of them…”/ “Call the lawyers, ASAP…”/ #whatsitcalled? / “Junior Slayer in the best ways…” / #Annihilated BLOOD OF THE MARTYR (Scorched Earth Policy – 2010) / #bluejeansex / “It’s high blood pressure in your balls…”/ “And we’re back…”/ #NWOOSTM / “I heard the R roll…”/ “They sound a little bit like #Evile too…”/ BURNING OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS / “It sounds like Tom’s oldest son has a band…”
(29:37): “C’mon…it’s been a while…”/ ***IF YOU WANNA GIVE US A CALL AND LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL AND LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** / #whoareyou? / #ThePost #HairMetalASMR / “That really resonated with me…”/ “We’ve got another…”/ #ChildrenOfBodom and #BritneySpears #tangentionalality
(31:54): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: OZZY OSBOURNE – DIARY OF A MADMAN / ***Check out our #OzzyOsbourne 80’s episode*** / The drama behind the recording of the album and royalties and such / #OldeFaece / “They came in for ‘tur…”/ #outofcontrol / “It’s a different level of songwriting…”/ “His solos are awesome but his riffs are killer too…”/ #castle / “We’re gonna nick that…”/ “What did y’all think of the #albumcover when you saw it?” / #talesfromthedarkside / #backalbumcover / “I bet…seriously, literally, totally…”/ “It looks like he’s reading a book of spells…”/ #PetrineCross / #notworthy / #96RockInTheDaytime #shootinghoops / Popular songs back in 1981 relative to #DiaryOfAMadman / “Whatever happened to #JuiceNewton?” / “It makes you wonder…where did the juice come from?” / #juicebox
(42:28): #killeropener OVER THE MOUNTAIN (“We’ve gotta play the solo…”) / THAT is metal!!! / “Don’t need no astrology…it’s inside of you and me…”/ “I see…”/ #guitarsoloASMR / “It’s a double tracked solo…”/ “I don’t think it was a #FloydRose with a #lockingnut …”/ #ThankYe / “I thought he was talking about airplanes…is that #Delta9 airlines?” / FLYING HIGH AGAIN (“It sounds loud…”) / #usethoseheadphones / “Maybe another solo? It IS #RandyRhoads…”/ “Neoclassical weedly woos…”/ “That just sounds creepy af…it’s almost like #OzzyCartman…”/ “That is metal…that’s the next wave…”/ “He wasn’t a Sabbath fan…at all.” / “It was less bluesy and had more #neoclassical modes and minor stuff…faster and darker…”
(50:47): YOU CAN’T KILL ROCK AND ROLL / “Not for 7 minutes though…”/ “There’s hints of later Sabbath in that…”/ BELIEVER #creepyscary / “That’s like #Slayer before Slayer was Slayer…”/ “Those weird noises back there are just creepy…”/ “It’s got an evil solo…”/ “So it was Sharon that did that and not Ozzy that did that…”/ #reissue #lawsuits #contracts #royalties #studiomusicians / “Is that what their contract said?”/ “We want everything that #Spotify doesn’t get (which is nothing)…”/ “Think about the parallels…#DefJam…#JetRecords…” / “That WAS the #killercloser…”
(58:58): “I kinda think it’s sweet and beautiful, but at the same time…”/ #unbelievablesex / #balldraining / “Yeah she did…”/ #IAmOzzy / “I’m sensing probrem…”/ #bloodyhell / “They had chickens…”/ “Don’t you think everybody at some point has a melt down moment?” #timetodestroy #scorchedearth / Side Two #killeropener LITTLE DOLLS #bigdrums / “It’s like #Exodus kinda…”/ “I can hear #TheBeatles influence…it’s unmistakable…”/ “The killer who remains a mystery…”/ “That’s like someone who’s a surgeon with seizure shakes all the time, and then you give them a scalpel…”/ “New Wave is kinda like metal…”/ TONIGHT / #longdistancededication #onwiththecountdown / “I will use lube…”/ “He sounds drunk…”
(1:09:12): “It’s somebody’s initials or something…”/ “Sailing Across The Ocean…”/ #SATOASMR / “It’s pretty close…”/ #SexualAnalTotallyObvious / “If we write a song like this, we can prove that we can be taken seriously…”/ S.A.T.O. #notontheboat / “Fast and creepy…”/ “This is almost Sabbath…”/ “Pound the best?”/ “It’s kinda Maidenish…”/ “Something else I forgot about Randy’s sound…”/ #CBLE / “This one could very easily fit on Sabotage…”/ #YodaASMR / DIARY OF A MADMAN / #creepyASMR / “I hear an electric and an acoustic…”/ “This is the part that kinda reminds me of Sabotage…”/ #emotionalweirdness / “The solo’s kinda creepy too…”/ #creepyoutro / “Oh that’s scary…”/ “I had to back track to get to #BlackSabbath …”/ “We indulged each other…”/ “Almost halfway done with this decade…the twenties…”/ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / “That’s gonna be a super special…to celebrate his volume of work…”/ #untilthenext #andyou #outroreel