Mafia

Ever since Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society became household names in the world of alcohol influenced traditional metal, they've been pumping out a new album every year. It began with "1919 Eternal" in 2002 and the consistently toured and recorded with "The Blessed Hellride" in 2003 and "Hangover Music" in 2004. Never once did it really become a concern that this was a really bad idea, for this band to take on so much responsibility each and every year. Normally, bands wait two or three years to release something that is at least decent, few ever became concerned with releasing a new album every single year.

This is exactly what Zakk and crew decided to do, and it backfired on them in 2005. The problem with "Mafia" is not that it doesn't deliver some healthy riffs and soloing, which Zakk pretty much delivers here. The problem is that very few, if any of these songs can be considered completed. Sure, the riffs are catchy and reliable, but that's about all we have going. Maybe its because BLS was dropping the same kind of material year in and year out, or maybe its because by the time this was recorded Zakk had run out of steam. Its most likely a combination of both that has a good number of BLS fans, including myself, a tad disappointment over all this.

Keep in mind that Black Label Society's key attribute is the ability to put forth a good riff than grind into the ground. This otherwise negative concept is salvaged by the band's ability to keep it short or at least introduce some redeeming ideas into the songs and Zakk's ability to throw in some respectable soloing. Being the gifted axeman that he is, Wylde's soloing is usually one of the biggest highlights of any BLS album, the same way that Dimebag Darrell's soloing helped give some life to Pantera's worst moments. Still, just like with Pantera, even the commendable guitar work isn't enough to make this album worth the $14 price tag that is usually displayed on the cover.

To spend my time dissecting the fifteen songs mentioned is a waste of both your time and mine. Naturally, there are some that beg to be noted for positive or negative reasons. "Fire It Up" is one of these, and despite being
b-side material, its actually a highlight here. A decent riff with some wacky gimmicks going on, but in the end its worth a good listen or two. "Suicide Messiah" is slightly better, though it drags on a bit too much and Zakk's way of singing the title lyric is downright comical, which I'm sure is not the way he intended it to be. "In This River" is also a noteworthy ballad, if nothing else for its dedication to fallen friend and guitarist Dimebag Darrell. I also took a liking to "Been a Long Time" if nothing else because its shorter and catchy. BLS can usually rip out a good tune of this caliber and its fairly enjoyable given the heaps of lackluster material here. The Skynyrd cover in "I Never Dreamed" is decent, though obviously worlds away from the original found on the "Street Survivors" album.

The rest of this material isn't so much unbearable as it is either disappointing or funny, and funny is not something I expect out of BLS. "Say What You Will" is an example of both, its under-developed and once again, Zakk takes on this nonsensical vocal style for the chorus. It gets worse on "You Must Be Blind," which otherwise is a reliable rocker were it not for the annoying ass vocals on the chorus. It seems like every time he goes to speak the title lyric in the chorus of these songs, Zakk picks a funky way of saying them. The end result is no longer serious or even enjoyable, it becomes a joke to withstand. Even the more respectable rockers in "Forever Down" and "Spread Your Wings" are just disappointing, sounding like something you'd hear on a b-side compilation for this band. Were this album labeled as such instead of a proper recording release, I'd be more forgiving.

Though I can see some BLS fans taking a liking to this, I can't really recommend it to anyone. As I've mentioned before, it plays like a b-side collection album and if thats what you want, then be ready to shell out an outrageous price for a new one. I actually paid money to hear this, and not being a fan of b-side material in general, the joke is entirely on me. I got maybe four songs out of fifteen worth a second listen and even those can hardly stand up to the better material this band has put forth. Even for fans of BLS, tread carefully.

If this album is an accurate depiction of Black Label Society's body of work, Zakk Wylde is by far the most overblown guitarist to ever escape a human placenta. Mafia is fourteen similar sounding tracks of ridiculously simplistic and neuron degenerative metallic southern rock with an few cheesy ballads thrown in for good measure. I suppose I should have known better considering Ozzy's Down To Earth pushed the boundaries of rectal elasticity into frightening extremes, but apparently, Zakk Wylde is no one trick pony, and proves here he makes an even more hilarious frontman than guitarist. Imagine that!

As soon as Fire It Up strutted into it's kentucky fried ass into my ear canal with it's rudimentary wawa pedal riff accompanied by Wylde's behemoth duck vocals, I burst out laughing. Not chuckling, but a full throttle interpretation of the LOL acronym. Holy shit, are you kidding me? It's like what Alice In Chains' Man In The Box would sound like with some deaf kid filling in for Stanley. The next two tracks are of similar, peg-legged descent, but then - Forever Down kicks this bitch the fuck open: ever dream of a track so loaded with pinch harmonics that you may as well be listening to a cartoon laser gun firing for 3 minutes and 41 seconds? Prepare to cum buckets. Even Malignancy doesn't fight as many martian invaders as BLS.

Following that is the tender In This River; a corny piano ballad dedicated to Dimebag Darrel with an equally cheesy video in which Wylde nods soulfully to the heavens a few more times than necessary to get the point across. The chorus goes on and on like a fucking mantra until Zakk feels confident he's "done Darrel a solid". I can only assume this song was written to be played for Nathan Gale; it would certainly make me regret slaying Dimebag if I was responsible for this song's conception. The next nine tracks are even less memorable than the first handful, and honestly, I don't have it in me to give descriptions of each.

If you like powerchord-happy southern rock with totally incogruous soloing and vocals that are comparable to a mallard on steroids, Zakk Wylde and The Ego Extensions are your boys. Otherwise, enjoy being a contributive member of society.

Before I start this review I just want to say something. Zakk Wylde single handedly got me off Mall-Core with his pure style of heavy metal he is putting out there. This album quite possibly inspired me so much towards heavy metal that it made me pick up a guitar and start playing it. I just quickly would like to say thankyou Zakk and I shall be seeing you on tour very soon. But enough of these thankyou's that you probably view as full of bullshit, let's get onto reviewing this album.

As of today (April 17, 2006) this is BLS' latest album and no doubt one of their best, well it ranks in 3rd when looking back on BLS' albums with 1919 Eternal and The Blessed Hellride coming out in front. Anyway, this album is a strong effort none the less but I must confess something, this album has quite a lot of fillers. I mean, they aren't the easily forgetable fillers(well, some are) but others are quite good. But enough about that.

Zakk's guitar playing on this album is once again Godly, it completely domminates the album as his powerfull riffs just make you want to headbang along to such classics on this album such as "Suicide Messiah" which, well let's not beat around the bush is the best album on the track. I feel that Wylde's voice is also improving which is a good thing as on his past albums he sounded a little too much like his former boss and friend Ozzy Osbourne. Zakk tries to make his own sound on this album which is a great thing by the way. I will now talk about the good songs on the album as I feel it is a waste if I go through all of the fillers.

"Fire It Up"-What a fucking excellent introduction to a song. It had me headbanging as soon as Zakk picks up that guitar and starts to give out the riffage. God this song makes me want to kick ass so much. Excellent guitar solo's on this track as well as the great bass lines which are probably the best on the whole album. Instrumentally this whole song is pretty strong as well as vocally(well BLS standard vocally). Overall this one gets a 9/10

"What's In You"-Coming from the first song this song "What's In You" rips you right into it with Zakk's heavy screams and riffs. Very cool lyrics like "Step inside this nightmare where I live, the madman roams inside my head"(Or at least something like that). Again excellent guitar work but what can you expect? This is Zakk Fucking Wylde on the lead here. A pretty solid effort from this track 8.5/10

"Suicide Messiah"- This song made me an instant Black Label Society fan, one of the best guitar intro's I have heard in a while. God, I just can't get over the fact of how great Zakk is on the guitar. This also was one of the many single's on the album and it did actually quite well in that department. Again, great song writing abilities are shown in this song. This one gets a 9.5/10

"In This River"- This is the ballad of the album. As far as ballad's go this one ain't so bad. Zakk shows off his piano playing ability on this track and he even busts out a cool guitar solo, a little out of place it may be but it still kicks ass. This song is also a tribute to the late great(and sometimes overrated) "Dimebag" Darrell Abbot, former guitar player of Pantera and Damageplan. Zakk and Dime were real close, they even traded guitars some point in there career. Well, R.I.P. Dime, we will miss you.

Well, that's about it. Overall it was good but nothing really stands out apart from those few tracks. Well, I hope you had fun reading my review as I know I had some fun writing it. Until next time...

"Mafia" can be awesome in places and just downright lame in others. For example, "Fire It Up" is one of the greatest intros I've ever heard but then "I Never Dreamed", the bonus track, is one of the absolute cheesiest. Also, there are
times in which this album seems a little "choppy". I say this for songs like "In This River" since it's a slow song, yet it is preceded by a medium-paced one that ends quickly -- it's like BLS had no place else to put this song so they put it here. Despite this, the music is by no means bad and the vocals aren't either. Sometimes the choruses get annoying though, like on "Say What You Will" and "You Must Be Blind" but the good outweighs the bad on this album.

Stand-out tracks: "Fire It Up", "Suicide Messiah", "In This River", and "Dirt on the Grave". "Fire It Up", as I previously mentioned, is one of the greatest intros I've ever heard. It's pretty slow for an intro but that's what gives it its anthemic sound. The riffage is nice and controlled, yet bad-ass. "Suicide Messiah" has probably the catchiest non-annoying chorus on "Mafia". Once again, Zakk puts down some great riffs. "In This River" is probably my favorite song off this album. It shows that BLS don't have to play heavy metal to make great songs. "Dirt on the Grave" is a perfect closer. The transition between this song and "Been a Long Time" is quite "choppy", but that hardly takes away from its greatness. It's a slow track, like "River", but it shines because of its well-sung chorus.

Duds: "Dr. Octavia" and "I Never Dreamed". All "Dr. Octavia" is is Zakk making noise with his guitar. Pretty damn pointless if you ask me. "Mafia" would have definitely been less inconsistent if this "song" wasn't on the final tracklisting. "I Never Dreamed" has great music but incredibly lame lyrics. The song is basically a love letter from Zakk to his "woman", telling her how bad he wants her -- something one wouldn't expect from a metal band.

In conclusion, "Mafia" has some minor flaws but it is definitely a worthwhile listen.

This 7th offering from Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society is a crusher of an album, and thats including ballads. From the get go they kick it into high gear with "Fire it up" a simple riff machine of a song that just wants you to bang your head. The good times roll all through the first 4 songs, which are an absolute joy to listen to, plenty of solos and pinch harmonics, and of course, what would a Black Label CD be without them.

After the first 4 songs, the ballad "In This River" begins. Zakk seems to have a certain way with ballads and he can make them not too sappy, and just as enjoyable to listen to as anything else. This one is no exception, there is plenty of soul in his voice, and it includes a very well played piano piece. This song even includes a nice little solo for everyone, it seems like an old timey classic rock tune, and in this case that is a good thing. I actually can't say how much I enjoyed Zakk's vocal work on this song, it just seems very nicely delivered. And with that, it's back to ass kicking riffage and pinch harmonics. "You Must Be Blind" is fairly simple but it gets the job done, and calls for some headbanging, there are plenty of squeals present here too, so that is always nice to hear in a Black Label song. After this is "Death March" another fun simple song, and it features a short solo which is pretty cool and to the point.

"Dr Octavia" is up next and this is just some messing around on the guitar from Zakk, and he can do it better than a lot of guitarists out there, so this is always fun to hear. After this "Say What You Will" continues where Death March left off, it gives you some more balls out metal action from Zakk with some crunching riffs and cool vocals, he is really showing that you don't have to be technical to be good at this point. Continuing on with "Too Tough To Die", this opens up with some good bass, and then just kind of rolls along, it's a little weaker than everything else has been, but still good!

All right, "Electric Hellfire", this opens with a weird voice thing, and then just kicks in to an absolutely headbang worthy riff, this could be destined to be amongst their best material, it's really a fun song to listen to and doesn't let up on ya, and another good solo is included in this one. It may seem that it ends abruptly though, as it is a short song. "Spread Your Wings" and "Been A Long Time" are two more fun songs to listen to, simple riffs keep coming at you, but still charge along so that is still awesome. The Later song seems to have sort of an Alice In Chains vibe to it which is cool, so look for that.

"Dirt On The Grave" closes the album, it is a bluesy type ballad, which isn't as good as "In This River" but it has some nice piano work and another good vocal performance from Zakk. Hang on.. whats this, we have a bonus song too, it's another Bluesy piece, it's nicely sung and has even more good Piano, there is some great flow to this one, so be sure to give it a listen.

I was a sort of fan of Black Label Society before I heard this CD, but after this it has converted me, and I can say I am a Fan. Fans of the band would do themselves well to pick this release up, it will have probably everything they like. Casual listeners wouldn't do bad to give it a shot either. Others will want to preview it first to see if this has what you are looking for in your metal. So Congratulations to Black Label Society on a great release.