Zakk Wylde is pretty consistent when it comes to producing music and Black Label Society’s 10th album “Grimmest Hits” continues that tradition. It’s nothing short of what’s expected but not blazing any massive new paths either. It’s BLS doing what they do best which is rock out and hit you with some kick ass guitar work.
With Zakk reuniting with Ozzy Osbourne recently after being seperated for over 8 years (Has it really been that long?), it seems Zakk’s riffs have been largely inspired by the Ozzman and Sabbath in particular on this album. But anyone who know’s BLS by now will have picked up that major influence on pretty much all their albums to date, “Grimmest Hits” being no different. “Disbelief” certainly has those Sabbath hooks as does “A Love Unreal” which starts off grooving and swinging but ends up being a real scorcher, lifting Iommi oozed riffs right into the ending passages.
But there’s more to this album than just Black Sabbath inspired riffs and things do mellow out here and there too. “The Only Words” brings things down a notch real early on here but “The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away” wins the ballad award for it’s cool and collective vibe, hitting melodic notes gently and on point with a vibe that’s not so far removed from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone” kind of feel.
Where the real money as always is though is the hard hitting rockers. “Room Of Nightmares” has a driving hook riff with huge chorus lines, “Illusions Of Peace” is high energy groove central while “Bury Your Sorrow” is simply toe tapping, fist pumping stuff. The album doesn’t go out with a bang though and Zakk and the boys decide to play it out with a more mellower affair in “Nothing Left To Say” which may or may not encapsulate a lot of what this album has to say musically.
“Grimmest Hits” is not the heaviest release that Black Label Society have put out but it’s still signature stuff with all the trimmings of what you would expect from the guitar hero himself along with the rest of the gang in BLS. They rarely ever go wrong in their consistency so this should give you something to kick your year off for good old rock n’ roll.
TRACKLIST
Trampled Down Below
Seasons Of Falter
The Betrayal
All That Once Shined
The Only Words
Room Of Nightmares
A Love Unreal digital version
Disbelief digital version
The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away
Illusions Of Peace
Bury Your Sorrow
Nothing Left To Say
