10 Most Underrated Metal Albums
8. Bark at the Moon - Ozzy Osbourne
Whenever talking about the solo career of Ozzy Osbourne, it normally comes down to the other musicians he has around him. Despite the Prince of Darkness having the capacity to carry an entire band with his own cult of personality, the real power behind the music always came from guys like Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, and...to a much lesser extent...Post Malone. Though there were some true legends behind the fretboard, let's not forget about the impression Jake E. Lee made on Bark at the Moon.
Across this album, this is virtually one of the most fun sounding Ozzy records he ever made during his '80s run. Though the sound of Ozzy and fun don't really belong in the same sentence, these kind of tracks show at least a little bit of influence from the hair metal scene coming up, putting Osbourne in the same category as acts like Motley Crue and Quiet Riot.
That's before you even hear Lee play, where he teaches a masterclass of shred on songs like the title track. Compared to the more hard-edged sound coming from Zakk Wylde, this was what really bridged the gap between Osbourne's darker sound and the lighter flourishes you got from the best of the Randy Rhoads era. This is still demented and twisted for sure, but it's the kind of Halloween scary as opposed to Hellscape scary.