Zakk Wylde is back, after a huge gap between his last studio album “The Order Of The Black” and another line up shake up he’s returned and ready to conquer the world again.
Stating in all media releases that his main goal with this album is to take the Pop Crown back from One Direction and with this album its pretty apparent Zakk’s ready to take the whole world by the balls. Also with the most recent line up changes featuring new additions of guitarist Dario Lorina and Drummer Chad Szeliga now along side with long time bassist John “JD” DeServio and Zakk himself this band of berserker are all loaded up and ready to unleash the fury from deep inside Zakk’s home recording studio “The Black Vatican” upon the world.
This album is a perfect blend of straight up hard hitting heavy metal with more laid back acoustic styled ballads. This is a formular that Zakk has been able to perfect on his last few albums and its a credit to Zakk’s musical talent that this shows he can do it all without ever missing a step.
Stand out tracks include the lead single “My Dying Time” featuring that signature Black Label heaviness and groove combined to really kick things off. “Angel of Mercy” which is another amazing soulful ballad and the important thing about the Black Label ballads is they some how manage to avoid ever heading into cheesy territory and always have that Led Zeppelin blues tinge with a heavy layering of southern rock over the top of it. The heavy Hammering “Damn The Flood” which of course has that patented Zakk Wylde pinch harmonics sound all over it. And the final track “Shades of Gray” which is another beautiful acoustic track to close the album out in a very mellow laid back way.
Some people may kind of look down on this album and say that if follows the Black Label albums formula very closely and there isnt’ much growth musically between albums but this is Zakk at his best. This is what he does and this is how he does it. He’s not out to reinvent the wheel and if its not broken don’t fix it.
This album will satisfy the hordes of SDMF’s who Bleed Black Label everywhere as well as impress the casual fans too.
“Catacombs of The Black Vatican” is available now
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