During my first semester of college, I remember students on the University of Delaware campus blasting the lyrics of the Blizzard of Ozz album. This was Ozzy Osbourne’s first album after his departure from Black Sabbath. Despite being nearly a decade old, there was something about the sound of this album that connected with students. A few years later, I stumbled upon the Last Train album by Holy Soldier. While no artist will ever duplicate Ozzy, Holy Soldier provides a spiritual alternative for Ozzy Osbourne fans.
For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or [c]the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. 10 And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]. 11 Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] [d]expose and reprove and convict them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that [such people] practice in secret, Ephesians 5:9-12.
The one Holy Soldier song that comes close to the Blizzard of Ozz sound is Hallow’s Eve. Anyone who is a fan of heavy metal and hard rock will appreciate this tune. While there are other YouTube collections of greatest hits by Holy Soldier, I believe Last Train is by far their best collection of hits with Virtue or Vice, Crazy, Gimme Shelter and Hallow’s Eve. If the weather is bad this coming week, hopefully Ozzy fans will have time to listen to the attached You Tube to get a feel for Holy Soldier.
by Jay Mankus