Zakk Wylde is… erm… was Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde is for sure BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, and… to be honest, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY are the better Osbournes ;) Mr. Wylde had a huge impact on Ozzy Osbourne’s music of over the last 20 years, and so had Ozzy on Zack Wylde. That’s a menage à trois that can’t be annihilated by anything and anyone anymore.
Though, there is not that much of animosity, no drama, no retreat, just the return to own strengths. To make that clear the band’s eighth album entitled Order Of The Black kicks of with a nonchalant brutality displayed in the opening trilogy Crazy Horse, Overlord and Parade Of The Dead, where especially the first and last ones are like a punch in the face. Other extraordinarily great highlights have to be Southern Dissolution and Godspeed Hellbound. Of course there is also the usual balladry to find on Order Of The Black Wylde cannot do without since he loves to switch over to his piano for the more heartfelt, mellow compositions (Darkest Days, Time Waits For No One, Shallow Grave, January). They are nice, yes, but not essential. Much more interesting on them is the fact that Wylde especially here sounds the way Ozzy would like to do these days and methinks that is exactly what BLS is aiming at ;) As for me also a certain Mr. Axl Rose comes to mind regarding Zakk Wylde’s singing.
However, all these 13 songs shine with heavy riff work, some breaks and some surprising twists and turns. Too bad that they follow the same pattern and make the second half of Order Of The Black a bit predictable. And of course the master shows some of his skills and talents, for fans and guitar freaks a must-be, for all the others a little bit of self-expression granted to him ;)
Generally I’d say BLACK LABEL SOCIETY don’t have to offer anything new in music, but that’s nothing that would belittle anything. Order Of The Black is such great and asskicking record, promising you pure listening pleasure and overwhelming joy. It rocks, it grooves and it owns this irresistible Southern Rock charm you cannot elude. This album rotates and rotates but never fizzles out and makes us wanting to get BLACK LABEL SOCIETY back on stage!