10 Things Only Old School Heavy Metal Fans Will Understand

To the average person, Ozzy Osbourne must seem like something of a joke - these days, he's largely known for his execrable reality show, one which portrayed him as a doddering fool following years of drug abuse. While the drug abuse stuff is all true, Ozzy has been one of the greatest minds in Heavy Metal music for almost half a century. His lyrics are sharp, timely, and tackle important issues (everything from war to the environment), and he draws from his own experiences to tell important stories, often about the diseases of alcoholism and addiction.

Ozzy has made some questionable choices in recent years (the aforementioned show, attending a dinner with head War Pig George W. Bush), but his music is as cutting as ever. The first single from Black Sabbath's latest album, 13, is entitled "God Is Dead?" and questions a world that doesn't display the ideals it claims to espouse. This is far from the first time Ozzy's tackled religious hypocrisy - see 1988's solo track "Miracle Man" - and it's particularly insightful coming from a man who's been condemned as evil by preachers and politicians who have legitimately taken advantage of and hurt people.

Ozzy's brilliance has been at the centre of Heavy Metal for a long, long time, and hopefully it will continue to guide us for decades to come.