Black Label Society- Skullage

My first proper introduction to Black Label Society was Fire It Up on the first Guitar Hero. I say proper, because it was the first time I knew for a fact that it was Zakk Wylde (If you didn't know, it's his solo band.) I mean everyone that listened to Hard Rock radio in 2003 knew Stillborn, but like me thought it was Ozzy. I eventually came to learn that it was BLS with Ozzy.

One of my best friends, Drew, has been into Black Label for what has easily been a decade or more. Although I looked at the albums, and was interested in hearing the contents it was a band that we never really shared. I never thought to ask to borrow the CDs and Drew never thought to throw them at me and say "Here, listen to these." After playing Fire It Up on Guitar Hero I was finally interested, well that's a slight understatement. I was ravenous for a real taste of BLS, and was finally hooked up with some heavy ass rock.

Drew had purchased the Skullage CD when it first came out, but the few previously unreleased tracks, or alternate versions weren't enough for him to keep the album. Now I have it, and am mighty happy I do.

This is a retrospective disc. A Best Of... or Greatest Hits, if you prefer those labels. It's also a fantastic introduction to Black Label Society, if you have yet to discover it. Although one album, Sonic Brew, is not officially represented.

The CD opens with Machine Gun Man, originally from the Pride & Glory album. You wouldn't think of opening a Hard Rock album, which is what Skullage is, with a Rockabilly-esque song, but Zakk is all about channeling some deep south Lynard Skynard on this one. Other musicians on this song are James Lomenzo playing bass and doing background vocals, and Brian Tichy playing drums.

Dead As Yesterday, from Book of Shadows, is nice but not my thing. The bassist is the same as the first song, but the drummer is now Joe Vitale. It's a beautiful song, with great instrumentation. However, I can't get over Zakk's vocals, or how the song sounds a little like Burt Bacharach.

The next track picks the pace right up, and smacks you in the face with it. All For You, from Stronger Than Death, is heavy. I swear that Rob Zombie and Zakk Wylde made a deal around the turn of the millenium to become the heaviest sounding rock bands ever, that still have sexy groove. I'm not saying you can dance verticly to this song, but this can fuel horizontal dancing no problem.

The distortion and heavy can be felt on 13 Years of Grief, which comes from the same album as the last song. It also has many of the same traits, including the fact that Zakk played all the instruments and there's a drummer by the name of Philth.

Bleed For Me is wicked cool. From 1919 Eternal, this track has some wicked Rob Zombie-like groove, mixed with deep Type O Negative mourning and good old fashion fast chunky riffing. The only person to play on this track aside from Zakk is drummer Christian Werr.

If you want brutal, and I don't mean bad brutal, I mean Metal brutal, Doomsday Jesus, from Blessed Hellride, is just that. It's heavy, scarey, hulked out, and punches holes in your ear drums, without all the stupid stuff associated with Metal. This time the drums are supplied by Craig Nunenmacher.

Which brings us to the song everyone knows from Black Label Society. Stillborn, also off Blessed Hellride, has the same drummer as the last track, but also features the Godfather of Metal, Ozzy Osbourne on backing vocals. You can't tell where one starts and the other stops, unless you know for a fact. This song is Hard Rock, not Metal, and it doesn't make a lick of difference, because it's all Hellz Yeah!

Won't Find It Here is just too damn mellow for Zakk's own good, because this song is just too damn good for it being so mellow. From Hangover Music, Vol. 6, this song features the same drummer as the last two songs and James Lomenzo doing additional bass. I love Zakk's use of echo, and this songs uses it wisely to break into a solo that sounds like Pink Floyd jamming with Skynard.

The only album to get more than two songs on the compilation is Mafia. Suicide Messiah, In This River and Fire It Up are all from there and have the same line up as the last song, Nunenmacher on drums, Lomenzo on Bass, and Zakk doing vocals, guitars and bass.

The first track is kind of standard Zakk. It's full of attitute, comes across real heavy, and is allowed to breath. It's a bit stock sounding, if your stock is kickass Hard Rock. This is BLS filler, which is a lot better than BS filler, because this isn't shit. In fact the last minute of the song is like Led Zeppelin is being channelled.

In This River is very piano heavy, and we can only assume it's Zakk playing, because it's not listed in the liner notes. That big, badass, long haired, Billy Gibbon's bearded, guitar god, not only plays the piano, but he plays it well. That's where my praise for this song ends. I'm not a fan. It's a nice song, but it does nothing for me. Even the ripping solo seems off and out of place to me.

Which brings me to my first love from Zakk. I totally love Fire It up. First, it has a Talkbox. Second, it's got great drive. Third, it's real fucking heavy. I mean Kashmir heavy. Finally, you can just feel the fire burning. It's like he's walking, with each footfall lighting a new bon fire at his heels.

New Religion finishes off the previously released material, by starting with a very intense piano/string combo. From there it just goes fully dark and gloomy. This is a very Black Sabbath-like tune.

It's originally from the Shot To Hell album, and is one of the few tracks to not list Zakk as a bassist, aside from the first two. That position is filled by John DeServio, Nunenmacher is still on drums and Nick Catanese is also on guitar. Over all it's a good solid song.

Three of the last four songs are accoustic versions of previously released material. The Blessed Hellride, Spoke In The Wheel, and Stillborn, were recorded 2/13/04 for WZZO Radio. Zakk Wylde and Nick Catanese are the only two musicians, both playing guitar.

The fourth track is listed as Instrumental intro, also recorded at the same time as the other three. This is basically Zakk going to town on an accoustic. It's awesome on one hand, a little long and drawn out on the other. I feel the same way about Blessed Hellride.

Spoke In The Wheel is once again Black Label Society channeling Lynard Skynard. It's very clear at this point that Zakk is just very much a southern boy at the core of his music. This song is the only song representing the Sonic Brew album, even though this is not that version.

The album then finishes with the only song doubled on this album. Stillborn, done accoustic is very unique and different from it's plugged in version. It's still the same song, but not at the same time. I like it, but not as much as the original. This version I find a little too haunting, and ominus.

At the end of this collection I'm left feeling totally fulfilled musically. From Classical sounding pianos to screaming Metal solos this is the album you want as an introduction to Black Label Society. If you already have everything from the group, than you may not really need this. The accoustic stuff is cool, but not really needed.

8/10 - content

9/10 - production

8/10 - personal bias