Slipdisc's Legend of a Madman: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne gathers some of the label's heaviest bands, death metal and otherwise, to pay tribute to one of metal's most influential figures. Most of the material comes from Osbourne's first two solo albums, when Randy Rhoads was his lead guitarist, which makes for an inherent flaw right off the bat; the songs on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman are melodic and often intricate, and they were arranged with a sense of detail and dynamics -- an approach that runs counter to the bludgeoning power of many of the bands presented here. So, the bands who fare best tend to be the ones who retain the melodicism of the originals (Solitude Aeturnus' "No More Tears"), or who add non-standard elements to their arrangements (Soulstorm's "Mr. Crowley"). Like most tribute albums, it's a very mixed bag in terms of quality. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide