Ozzy Osbourne may be a mumbling, addled mess of a human being these days, but the man still has enough sense in his head to listen to the fan backlash against calling his next album Soul Sucka. The decrepit Prince of Darkness has announced that he'll come up with another name for his first release with new guitarist Gus G.
Ozzy tells Rolling Stone: "When we put Soul Sucka on the internet none of my fanbase liked the title. They were like, 'I can't imagine walking round the house with the words 'Soul Sucka' on my t-shirt.' So I was like, fuck it – I've got to come up with something else."
He's got some time yet, with the album due out in July. The release is set to coincide with the return of Ozzfest, where Ozzy's band will play with Gus G, replacing Zakk Wylde, who'd been with him since 1988.
The lineup change caused a drama explosion and avalanche of public statements during the middle of last year, with Wylde saying he was still in the band, then saying he was out but had never been told, and Ozzy stating he always treated band members well.
Everybody seems to be getting on fine now, however, with both guitarists expressing admiration for one another and Ozzy talking up his former axeman.
"I haven't fallen out with Zakk," Ozzy said, "He just doesn't need me any more. I knew I had to get another guitar player for a while – I just kept putting it off and putting it off."
A live DVD is planned for this year as well, including footage of Ozzy with guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1981. The 25-year-old guitar prodigy died in 1982 after a drug-fueled plane stunt went wrong, and Ozzy says he'd never seen the recordings until last week. "I'm speechless," he comments. "I'll share the footage later."
As for the future of Black Sabbath, with the band on hold amid failed attempts to write a new album and legal action between Ozzy and Tony Iommi over ownership of the band name, things aren't looking very rosy in the short term.
"I tried to write with them but I couldn't do it," said Osbourne. "When we were kids we used to smoke dope, get drunk, do cocaine and any other pill. It would stall our inhibitions.
"I've changed – I've been away from Sabbath for thirty-odd years. I had girlfriends when I was younger and I'd go, 'I would really like to go back with Shirley,' then you do and you go, 'What was I thinking?' You're never the same.
"I'm not going to say I've written a reunion out for ever, but right now I don't think there's any chance. Who knows what the future holds? If it's my destiny, fine."
Sabbath replaced Ozzy with Ronnie James Dio in 1981. Dio revealed last month that he was fighting stomach cancer.
"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be really scary for the poor boy," said Ozzy.
