On Black Label Society's Ninth Studio Release
The album came out in late October 2014, recorded at Zakk's own Planet Z Studios, and mixed by Josh Abraham. It's the band's ninth studio record, and honestly it sounds like what you'd expect from a group that stopped trying to prove anything five albums ago. Zakk is playing guitar, singing when he feels like it, and the rhythm section is solid enough to carry the weight without overdoing it. There isn't a single track here that tries to be a radio hit. The closest thing to one is "Burning Bridges," which has a chorus you might actually hear at a bar without people turning around. "The Road to Hell" opens the album with about forty-five seconds of instrumental buildup before Zakk starts talking-singing over it, which worked fine on paper but ended up feeling a little padded in practice. I'd cut the intro by fifteen seconds if I were editing it. "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is probably the strongest song on there. Straightforward structure, decent riff, no gimmicks. "A Song for J.B." was written for their bassist John Burch and it shows — the bass is front and center in the mix more than usual, which is a nice change of pace. "In Memory of Lee" is a tribute to Lee Ving and it's the kind of track that exists because Zakk wanted to do it, not because the album needed it. That's not a criticism, just an observation.
What most people don't realize about this record is that it was recorded during a period where the band had just lost their touring guitarist and were essentially rebuilding from scratch. The energy on the faster tracks sounds like people who were tired of talking and just wanted to play. That's why it works better live than it does on first listen. The studio version of "Black Jesus" is fine, but hearing it with the crowd singing along completely changes how it lands. If you're looking to download it, the album is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. Physical copies — vinyl and CD — can be found on the band's official website and through usual music retail outlets. I wouldn't recommend searching for unofficial rips when these are widely available through legitimate channels. The album runs about forty-eight minutes. No bonus tracks on the standard edition. The vinyl pressing is worth getting if you're a collector because the low end comes through better, which matters more than you'd think on a record like this where the bass is mixed unusually hot.
