MAFIA
2005 marks a brand new deal and a brand new CD from the workaholic Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY.
Mafia, which is being released on March 8th via Artemis Records, which recently signed BLS to a worldwide, multi-album deal, is the SIXTH Black Label Society disc since the band's 1999 debut. Considering the fact that Zakk has also been actively touring with OZZY OSBOURNE simultaneously for most of that time, that's an impressive amount of releases.
The first track, "Fire It Up" trudges along with Wylde's signature Ozzy-inspired growl showcases just how well his songwriting has progressed over the years. "Suicide Messiah" is the first single from the disc, is all over Mainstream and Active Rock radio, and sounds like something that might have ended up on an Ozzy CD if Zakk didn't have BLS to offer up his material. "Forever Down" is another howler, and just when you think Zakk is going to scream his guts out for an entire disc, he offers up "In This River", which proves that Zakk can write one hell of a ballad as well. The screaming guitar solo in the middle of the song seems almost out of place though; I think he should have gone acoustic. However, to be fair, Zakk just released an entire disc of slower songs with
Hangover Music Vol. 6
It goes without saying that the guitar playing on
Mafia is amazing... Hell, the fret work on EVERY Black Label Society disc is nothing short of spectacular. Zakk has been shredding with and writing some amazing music for Ozzy fucking Osbourne since the late 1980s (with the exception of a hiatus here and there, of course). Just check out the fifty second-long "Dr. Octavia" if you want to hear what Zakk can do by himself...and with a harmonizer/octave pedal...
Mafia is a great way to honor his debut with Artemis, and hopefully we will see many more like it in the coming years from the grizzled, chain-wearing, long-bearded, beer-swilling Zakk.
