BLACK LABEL SOCIETY 'Grimmest Hits' Album Review
Black Label Society bandleader Zakk Wylde wields his guitar like a Viking weapon, bashing out thick riffage and squeezing out expressive squeals as if the glory of his Berserker brotherhood depends upon every single note, which of course, it does. Charismatic beast and consummate showman, Wylde puts his massive heart and earnest soul on display with unbridled, unchained, animalistic passion in Black Label Society, whether it's a crushingly heavy blues-rock barnstormer or a piano-driven ode to a fallen brother.
Killer riffs and thunderous grooves guaranteed to get heads banging. Just like every BLS album, but there’s a little more to it this time around, Wylde is playing out of his mind, often slowed down just a little more than expected to achieve a dark, doomy chug. It’s most pronounced on “All That Once Shined” and the bluesy “Bury Your Sorrow,” but serves as the backbone for most of the record. A few of the albums stand out tracks include “Room of Nightmares” leading into the back-to-back ass-kickers “A Love Unreal,” which lulls the listener into thinking it’s going to be ballad before exploding, and “Disbelief.” The ballads: "The Only Words" and "The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away" grab you by the soul, highlighting the softer side of Wylde's crazy Berzerker persona.
Possibly Zakk's best material to date!
