BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - Mafia

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
Mafia
Artemis Records
8/10




There can be no dispute that Zakk Wylde has finally shed the aura of being Ozzy Osbourne’s sidekick. Wylde has developed into a highly talented songwriter, having cut his teeth as a young buck with Osbourne, then maturing into a skilled crafter of songs with his own outfit Black Label Society.

With “Mafia”, BLS has come into their own as one of metal’s powerhouse acts. They seem more like a band now than a side project and Wylde has near perfected an overall sound that is undoubtedly original. Many critics have balked at the tone of Wylde’s vocals, but the frontman has developed a style that is instantly recognizable and non-imitating, his range being deceptively large as he moves between low ominous bellows and suitably powerful screams. In many ways, the band’s sound is an extension of the guitarist’s personality, gritty and rough, even as the band settles into a lurching groove on the record’s opening cut “Fire It Up.”

A memorable hook lays deep within the chorus of “What’s In You”, a dark track that summons a purely insidious vibe. The band shows their ability to crossover between audiences with the pounding single, “Suicide Messiah”, straddling the line between traditional metal and beefed-up hard rock. Wylde’s vocals have been further honed, bearing the edge of a deadly weapon and his solid performance on this track stands as evidence of this fact.

Although Wylde is an amazing lead player, he is tasteful in placing shredding barrages, wisely allowing the muscular riffing to define the band’s songs. The seasoned axe slinger does manage to throw in his share of deadly, blistering leads however, most notably the duo of scorchers that grace “Suicide Messiah” and the surreal shredding which is incorporated into “You Must Be Blind.” The grizzly star gives attention to the album’s dynamics with the inclusion of the somber “In This River”, a track that could garner the band their largest commercial success.

Meanwhile, “Dr. Octavia” breaks up the album with a fluently ripping guitar interlude before launching back into the alcohol-fueled brewtality of “Say What You Will” a song that is reminiscent of a cross between Alice In Chains and Sabbath that hits hard and takes no prisoners. Embraced by legions of SDMF’s worldwide, Black Label Society stands as a group that is capable of appealing to many different types of music fans, from 40 year old bikers to 14 year old metal upstarts.

“Mafia” is further proof that BLS has no intention of resting on their laurels, a thick-as-concrete effort that is the band’s finest effort on the whole to date.


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