Last month, Ozzy Osbourne whetted the appetite of just about every electric guitar fan by announcing his upcoming solo album would feature a dream six-string lineup of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde.
And, from previous tidbits we’ve been drip-fed thus far, it would have been safe to assume that all the guitarists listed above would be featuring in strictly guest spot capacities, offering their musical services in the form of solos and supporting vocals.
However, during an online exchange with The Diary of the Madmen – The Ultimate Ozzy podcast, the Black Sabbath vocalist revealed that Wylde’s own contribution would be far more extensive than a mere cameo, and confirmed his longtime collaborator would in fact play on the entire album.
It’s an expansion of the role he was initially speculated to play on the upcoming project, having already hinted that he would play second fiddle on the tracks that contain Clapton, Iommi and Beck features.
In response to The Diary of the Madmen – who asked, “Does Zakk play all of the rhythm guitars on the new album?” – Osbourne’s official social media account replied, “Yes Zakk plays on the entire new record. He was home from tour this time unlike when I did Ordinary Man.”
Wylde had previously teased his own involvement in the project earlier this month when he briefly discussed his experiences of recording with his “heroes”.
“It definitely sounds slamming,” Wylde said of the as-yet-unnamed album. “The same goes for all the guys – what Tony Iommi played, and then Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, it’s all killer for sure.”
At the time, Wylde also went on to say, “On those tracks I’m playing rhythm guitar for my heroes… it’s crazy! It sounds awesome and I’m beyond honored to be doing it.”
Now, not only will we get to hear Wylde supply the supporting six-string lines for Clapton, Beck and Iommi, we can also look forward to hearing even more of his rhythmic prowess on the rest of the album.
As such, it will be the first time Wylde has featured in full on an Ozzy Osbourne album since 2007’s Black Rain, having been absent from 2010’s Scream and 2020’s Ordinary Man.
