Stronger than Death

I remember a time when Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society was my favorite band. It was a simpler time. A friend of mine- who, looking back upon it, I should have never trusted, seeing as Korn is one of his favorite bands- informed me that I should "check out Black Label Society" because they were, apparently, "the most balla shit ever, woot". I have no idea what the words "balla" or "woot" even mean, though recently, I have come to determine, that they probably mean something like "repetitive" and "prepare to get fucked out of your money". Making my friend's sentence ("The most repetitive shit ever, prepare to get fucked out of your money") a matter of fact. I ignored his advice, but curiosity peaked, I checked the section at my local Wal-Mart (which should have been a clear indication of what I was about to buy but somehow did nothing to dissuade me). At the time I was a huge Ozzy Osbourne fan, especially of the album No Rest for the Wicked, so when I noticed a sticker on the album that read: "Featuring Zakk Wylde of Ozzy Osbourne". I promptly bought the album, which was not this album, but another from the band's catalogue: Mafia.

Later- during this simple age I had no MP3 player- I put the CD into my player and gave it a spin. My young, naive mind couldn't handle what was being conveyed to me. My mind, at the time, had dubbed Lamb of God as "the most brutal shit ever" and Ozzy Osbourne's solo career as "awesome". Black Label Society was catchy and heavy. It was like Metallica (what?) and Pantera (fuck me). In the coming months I was sure to purchase everything from the band. And I listened to those albums all the time. (As a point of reference, here are some of the other things I was listening to at the time: Marilyn Manson, Guns n Roses, Godsmack, Five for Fighting, Jack Johnson... Hold on, I'm going back in time to kick my own ass).

Alright, I'm back, unfortunately there were unforeseeable repercussions to the time travel. I have become terribly scarred due the self-inflicted beating. I can't see out of my left eye, my brain refuses to stay on one track too long and... shit what were we talking about again? thERE arE seCREt LineS wriTTEn in The BACoN faT! ShiT wenCH did YOU thiNk i WoulD be UNabLE to detACt THe fouL stench of YouR Flatulence! AIDS HERPeS ChoLERa and otheR dreAdeD diseASes FlOW from the PoinT wherRE the HEad wound was Inflicted!

Okay, I think I've reattained clarity, let us continue... Black Label Society is a band easily accessible to, and enjoyed primarily by, people who were listening to Metallica while everyone else was listening to glam rock. They were still listening to Metallica in the early ninties, joined by the emerging grunge scene. In other words, it's just rock enough to keep the people accustomed to radio rock at a safe distance, and just heavy enough to appease teenage angst (and those who've never grown out of it). The majority of the people who listen to the band will never grow past their disillusionment. Some will find themselves grow weary of the band and make the safe journey across the hall and back into the land of pop and radio rock. There is a group of people who will find themselves breaking the spell the band first puts on them, and wishing to dive deeper into the segments they still feel have some merit. These people will discover new bands in the metal section at their local CD store and realize that they've been missing out on the action. For me, the band that tore me away from BLS was Blind Guardian, from there Iced Earth, and into the whole damned power metal genre. (My affinity for doom, black and death metal came shortly thereafter).


BLS isn't terrible- okay, maybe their last two efforts were- and they have at least something to offer in the sludge/groove scene. Contrary to popular belief Zakk Wylde isn't a great guitarist. He can shred better than most though he can't structure a song and sure as hell can't write a riff to save his life. All of his riffs sound the same, to reduce it into onomatopeia: *chug chug chug SQUEEL chug chug SQUEEL*. The only thing that ever varies in this theme is the sequence of the chugs and squeels. His song structures are the boring verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus.

You may as well ignore the bass and the drums. Zakk Wylde is meant as the focal point of the band, so much so that the bass and drums might as well be reduced to a metronome sitting behind Zakk Wylde and his bulls-eye pattern guitar.

Wylde's vocals are bad. They're not just bad, they're really, really irritating. Why do guitarists think they can sing? (I'm looking at you Dave Mustaine). Hire a damned vocalists: now. No one wants to hear your goat like wails Zakk Wylde: no one. Sometimes he sounds like Ozzy- new, drug addled Ozzy- in an inferior form. These lyrics are also bland, they taste like instant potatoes without the salt and gravy. They're not only bland but hypocritical. Some of his songs have lyrics that would seem to indicate a stance of anti-religion yet Zakk himself writes in the booklet to one of his albums that all members of the society must "believe in God" or something to the effect.

As to the specifics of this album: it really is the greatest thing this band has produced. Their debut album- Sonic Brew- comes in a close second, but that was weighted down by unrefinement, a myriad of ideas with no synergy. This album finds the band's synergy, a style that Zakk later fine tunes and mass produces, creating artificial, plastic music. 13 Years of Grief and Counterfeit God are the best parts of the album, the latter of the two being the real gem. They both contain thick, relentless riffing and Wylde's annoying crooning is more complimentary to the music. Rust and Killin Time are the obligatory ballads, that aren't bad, but are hindered greatly by the afore mentioned fact that Zakk can't hold a solid note. The rest of the songs are the tasteless nougat in betwixt the chocolate coating of this incredibly mediocre candy bar.

For fans of: Ozzy Osbourne (later), Pantera, and Metallica.

Zakk and co (in this case, drummer Phil Ondich) returned to the studio a year after their debut album to record 2000's Stronger Than Death. This also marks the second and final appearance of Phil Ondich, who was sacked before the recording of their next album 1919 Eternal.

The result is typical Black Label Society. This album is chock full of tight straightforward riffing punctuated by the excellent leadwork from Zakk himself. This album doesn't let up from beginning to end, with the exceptions of Rust and Just Killing Time, which feature a softer side to Zakk not usually seen in this project.

The Cast

Zakk Wylde (vocals, guitars, bass, piano) - Zakk's rather large role in this project is evident here, with Zakk handling every instrument except drums. His rhythm guitaring is his trademark blend of straightforward riffing and other picking techniques such as double picking and his trademark pinch harmonics. His riffs also take on a Southern feel as well. His lead playing is vintage Zakk, perhaps even more aggressive and jaw-dropping than his work with Ozzy, filled with lightning-fast runs, two-hand tapping, chicken picking and other techniques Zakk's been known to use. His bass work serves only to lay down the low end for his guitar to go over, and is basic. He also plays piano on Just Killing Time, playing a rather basic melodic style (probably due to the nature of the track though). This is capped off with his aggressive liquor-ravaged drawl, used to good effect putting a fire behind his often profanity-laced lyrics (see 13 Years Of Grief).

Phil Ondich (drums) - Phil's style is more of keeping the beat, with the odd fill here and there. Think of AC/DC's Phil Rudd if he hit harder and played a few fills once in a while.

Production was handled entirely by Zakk Wylde (just like almost everything else on the album). The result is a rather heavy rhythm guitar sound, even considering the mostly single-note riffs Zakk favours due to his detuning style. The bass isn't very distinct, blending in with the guitars mostly (with the exception of Rust). The clean guitars sound crystal clear as well. The drums are nicely mixed, providing a powerful rhythmic feel to the album.

Choice Cuts

Phoney Smiles & Fake Hellos - This song starts off with a volume-pedal/toggle-switched riff, before turning into a low-pitched riff played tightly propelled by Phil's precise drumming. The half-time chorus makes a nice platform for Zakk to spew forth his rather hateful lyrics, finishing with the line "Go fuck yourself for all I fucking care!" A slow lead section shows some textbook Zakk Wylde soloing, including fast tapped arpeggios.

Rust - Tied with Just Killing Time as the softest song on the album, Rust is centered around a haunting clean guitar riff (vaguely reminiscent of The Years Of Decay by Overkill), with some truly melancholy vocals over the top. Zakk really nailed that sad quality of his vocals there. Eschewing the predictable soft-verse heavy-chorus dynamic so predictably used in most ballads, the song is based solely around his arpeggiated clean guitars. His lead here is surprisingly ripping, given the depressing nature of the song. The song ends with the repetition of a truly haunting clean riff with some delay-laden guitar
lines over the top. Quite possibly (and quite suprisingly so) the best song on the disc.

Superterrorizer - This cut is textbook Black Label. The more standard form of tuning on this song lends itself a meatiness to the riffs, as opposed to the single-note based riffing on most of the other cuts. This features a tight pulsating rhythm typical of most Black Label tunes, and a catchy single note half-time chorus laden with Zakk's trademark pinch harmonics. A rather slow lead section occurs, filled with Zakk's trademark shredding, before cutting loose over the top of the main riff.

Counterfeit God - New highs in lows here, as in this song Zakk has detuned his low E string all the way down to G, 4 1/2 steps below standard! The signature pulsating rhythm in this song is apparent, along with a catchy verse riff (replete with textbook pinch harmonics), and a ripping lead courtesy of Zakk.

Stronger Than Death - Signature Black Label here, but this time with plenty of leads within the song. This also features a pinch-laden chorus and some nice growls from guest vocalist Mike Piazza, catcher for the New York Mets.

Off Cuts

13 Years Of Grief - This one seems to plod along aimlessly, with no real riffs rearing their head. A nice funky lead section and some profanity-laden lyrics about JD's seem to help it out a bit.

Closing Comments

This is the perfect CD for any fans of straightforward metal, and fans of Zakk wylde's guitarwork. This one is truly deserving of its title.

Released only a year after Sonic Brew, Stronger Than Death is an appropriate follow up to what was an excellent debut. In some cases Stronger Than Death succeeds its predecessor but in other cases it doesn’t. This is one of those CDs that is a mixed bag of goodness and mediocrity and this shall all be discussed.

Obviously, when talking about anything Zakk Wylde related one cannot fail to mention the guitars. The riffs were a main draw on Sonic Brew and the leads were smoking, and for the most part this is true again on Stronger Than Death. Though perhaps a little more simplified than on previous work, the riffs are extremely heavy and a certain catchiness remains in most songs; a classic Sabbath influence even shows up in “Love Reign Down”. The leads, however, are a little disappointing. Song for song they are not as strong as what was heard on Sonic Brew, but with that being said “Superterrorizer” contains one of Zakk's finest solos, mostly thanks to the great build up from mid-paced to absolute shredding. It’s helped by the fact that it’s backed up by one of the better riffs on the CD. I’m grinning just thinking about it. With the exception of “Counterfeit God”, which easily could have fit on Sonic Brew, the riffs have a slightly different taste and feel. Everything is a lot more simplified but there seems to be more aggression this time around, with occasional faster chugging. Which style you prefer is up to you, but I preferred the slightly more unique style found on Sonic Brew.

Vocal wise is where the CD falters, and it’s not because of Wylde’s voice, but his delivery. I really liked the vocals on Sonic Brew and a lot of songs had some great choruses and melodic, appealing vocal lines. This time around the majority of the songs simply don’t have the same vocal catchiness. Most of the songs have only a small amount of lyrics and Wylde almost seems to be half speaking as opposed to singing. Naturally, this isn’t always the case as “Counterfeit God” is one of the best songs from a vocal stand point that Wylde has ever done; other notable exceptions are “13 Years Of Grief” and “Ain’t Life Grand”. Meanwhile, the drumming is a lot more dynamic. Quick bursts of double bass compliment the fast chugging on some riffs and there is just more going on in the drum department. Sure this isn’t Spastic Ink, but the drumming is less basic than on Sonic Brew. The production is another issue though. Gone is the full-bodied, very unique, thick, beer induced production on Sonic Brew. What we now have is still a quality production job with a heavy tone to the guitars and a decent mix, but it sounds like a lot of other CD’s out there, where as Sonic Brew was a one of a kind.

There are two ballads on Stronger Than Death: “Rust” and “Just Killin’ Time”. While Wylde has without a doubt stepped almost completely out of his Ozzy shadow, I would still like to point out that while these songs are not great or “classic”; they blow away anything Ozzy has done in the ballad department. Plus, they do contain some of the better lyrics, and emotion filled leads on the CD, but they won’t be for everyone. As a contrast to the ballads the songs, as mentioned, are a little more aggressive this time around. The mid-paced, southern heavy riffs are still there but there is a lot more head banging going on and it’s great driving music because while nothing gets skull crushingly fast, in general the riffs are up tempo and flow well with the rhythm section. Though a similar complaint from Sonic Brew remains: the song structures are very basic. Essentially it’s verse, chorus, verse, chorus, ripping solo, one more chorus in almost every song. There are few, if any, song writing surprises where Wylde just goes off and does something completely unexpected, and this hurts the overall effectiveness. With that being said, though, it does make the CD easily memorable because what’s there is mostly catchy (at least the riffs are) and there isn’t a whole lot of things to remember in each song.

Overall I did enjoy this CD. There are some really cool songs on here, but as mentioned there are quite a few low points as well, most notably when compared to Sonic Brew. By itself Stronger Than Death is a CD that delivers but mostly in a simplistic fashion. When it comes down to it and after Wylde has released many CDs (at the rate he’s going at he might release more than Ozzy) Stronger Than Death will be a welcome addition to the BLS catalogue.

Song Highlights: 13 Years Of Grief, Superterrorizer, Counterfiet God, Ain't Life Grand, Stronger Than Death

Wow! Zakk is definitely the king of getting drunk and playing his 6 string. It's amazing that he can even manage to string together anything with the amount he makes it seem like he loves his booze. Without being much more than a drunk guitar and singing album (well, there are drums and bass, but they aren't memorable) this album really does good for what it truly is.

13 Years of Grief is undoubtedly the best song on the album...Zakk is writing about some punk ass kids he saw on some talk show who think they're all tough and beat they're parents and teachers and whatnot. The song has some crazy typical riffs of Zakk's which are heavy as fuck and louder than hell. You can't beat him, he is the best guitarist in metal. He really shows off his skills playing piano as well, with Just Killin' Time, which is a very sorrow-filled ballad. His guitar solo in that one is hauntingly beautiful enough to send shivers down one's spine. Rust is also another ballad which has similar structure to the aforementioned, except it is driven mainly by guitar.

It's funny how Zakk's BLS albums all differ from each other in so many aspect and yet they remain true to his spirit of music. This album is not quite as well produced as 1919 eternal, but in all fairness, it is just as good. With this album, Zakk proved he could make his music heavy and grinding, and still maintain a sense of melody and rythym. It is (in my opinion) better than Sonic Brew, and it definitely beats out anything he's done with Ozzy (with No Rest being a possible exception) because Zakk CAN sing and he is so damned emotional when he does that you gotta sit up and pay some fucking attention.