Review Summary: A triumphant late-era release and a perfect encapsulation or classic Ozzy.
On the surface, 1991’s No More Tears initially feels like an extension of the party metal sound last seen on 1988’s No Rest for the Wicked. The production reflects holdovers of that eighties polish, the musicianship is as over the top as ever, and the songwriting is still largely driven by quick pacing, streamlined structures, and loud accessible choruses. However, these elements are paired with some extra substance as the songs feel more dynamic and the lyrics mark the start of Ozzy’s more introspective themes. After a string of strong but frankly shallow albums, this was his most purposeful work since Diary of a Madman.
The opening “Mr. Tinkertrain” immediately demonstrates this shifted outlook. Ozzy was certainly no stranger to dark topics before but a song about a child predator feels more *real* than anything he’d done before and the opening samples do well to establish a sinister mood. Perhaps it’s uncanny for a song of this nature to feature such a rousing riff set and catchy vocal lines, but this doesn’t have the camp of a “Bloodbath in Paradise” or “Bark at the Moon.”
This presentation gets pushed to even further extents on the grandiose title track. Its legendary bass line and gothic overcast provide a straightforward yet elaborate foundation that allows for supplementary guitar chugs, drawn out vocal lines, an extended break devoted to symphonic extravagance, and perhaps one of Zakk Wylde’s most elegant solos ever. It’s easily one of Ozzy’s strongest tracks of any era but much like the underrated as hell “Zombie Stomp,” it’s a hell of a showcase for the talents of the musicians behind him.
Even the shorter, simpler songs that fill out the rest of the album have some extra weight to them than usual. “S.I.N.” and “A.V.H.” play out like mini-epics as their softer beginnings are soon met with snappy riff sets and explosive choruses while “Desire” and “Hellraiser” are strong arena metal blasts with Lemmy-penned celebratory lyrics. The ballads also manage to be among Ozzy’s most sincere with Wylde sprinkling in some southern rock flair on “Mama I’m Coming Home” and “Road to Nowhere” winding things down without feeling anticlimactic.
Overall, No More Tears is a triumphant late-era release that works as the perfect encapsulation of Ozzy’s solo classics. It hearkens back to the splendor of the Blizzard era while building on the rowdy momentum of the more commercial eighties albums, making for an accessible but well-developed listening experience. It’s also the sort of album that wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did without the musicians’ blazing chemistry. Ozzy likely had other reasons for wanting to retire in the mid-nineties but there’s no denying that it’d be damn near impossible to approach this level of quality again.
