OZZY OSBOURNE Says He Wants To 'Get Back Down To Basics' With Next Album

On Wednesday, February 23, DJ JC Green of Metal Messiah Radio's "Heavy Metal Thunder" show conducted an interview with legendary BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne ahead of Ozzy's first show in Puerto Rico since 1984, which will take place on Saturday, February 26 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On whether he's happy with how 2010's "Scream" album was received and the status of the songwritng sessions for its follow-up:

Ozzy: "I'm already thinking about the next album.

"When I make an album, I don't just make it one day and release it the next. I work on my own for quite some time.

"['Scream'] did what it was supposed to have done and what it was meant to do. I'm happy with the way it turned out, but I'm already moving on to the next one. I don't know when it's going to be finished, though.

"I wanna get more back down to basics with this next album.

"I haven't got a title. I've written a couple of ideas down. But I can't really give you much more information. It's not gonna take a long time, I don't think. All I can say to you is I've got a few ideas for songs, but I don't wanna say when it's going to be released because I don't know myself.

"'Scream' is 'Scream'. I try and do a different album every time I do an album.

"I don't stick to a formula. I just try and experiment a lot. 'Scream' was more like a an experimental album because I didn't have a band at the time. [Guitarist] Gus [G.] came along and the guys played on the album after I'd done a lot of the work myself and my producer, Kevin Churko, in my studio."

On his new guitarist Gus G. (also of FIREWIND) and the rest of his current band:

Ozzy: "Gus is another great find. I found himself through auditions. The band itself, my band, is one of the best bands I've had for a... I can't remember anybody better. We work as a team. I don't think we've done one bad show on this tour we've been on and we've done nearly a hundred shows.

"It's so much fun to work with people who wanna have fun. Nobody gets drunk, nobody abuses the audience or gets big-headed. It's a good vibe, you know."

On BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler's recent statement that there will not be an original SABBATH reunion:

Ozzy: "I never say never. I haven't hard anything more than we were talking a few weeks ago. Whether it comes up, I don't know. But I'm not gonna say anything about that, really, because I don't wanna put my foot in my mouth."

JC Green's interview with Ozzy Osbourne will air on the following dates:

* Friday, February 25 after 9:00 a.m. EST on Alfa Rock 105.7 FM (web site)
* Friday, February Feb 25 after 6:00 p.m. EST on "Heavy Metal Thunder" (web site)

Ozzy Osbourne's current touring drummer, Tommy Clufetos, told the "Talking Metal" podcast that early work is already underway for a follow-up to "Scream" and that he thinks Ozzy is "going to return to a classic rock band record." Clufetos added, "What he has expressed is that he wants to make it the band playing live in a room so wherever that takes us. Less technology and more amps and drums."

Ozzy recorded much of "Scream" in a studio at his home in Los Angeles with producer Kevin Churko, doing most of the writing and recording on computers. He told The Pulse Of Radio he liked working that way but wanted to do something different next time out. "At the end of the day, the end result was pretty cool, but I don't know whether I want to continue to do it that way," he said. "I like to — like the earlier albums, I'd go rehearse and jam out with the band, get some, like, vibe going, you know. I want to incorporate that and this new technology thing, next album."

Clufetos told "Talking Metal" that Ozzy and the touring band have already begun working on song ideas between shows on Ozzy's latest tour, saying, "We are already coming up with new ideas backstage, in the hotel rooms and at soundcheck and have a bunch of ideas recorded . . . time will tell what happens with them."

Ozzy concluded his recent North American outing on Tuesday (February 22) in Florida, although he is scheduled to continue touring behind "Scream" well into the summer.

There have been no plans announced yet for another Ozzfest this coming summer.