Review of Black Label Society - Mafia

Perennial Ozzfest-er and guitar mag God Zakk Wylde has released the seventh Black Label Society album in as many years, and this year’s offering of fourteen hard rocking anthems of brew and bravado is entitled Mafia. The bearded guitar abuser is something of a known quantity these days, and the short version of the review is that if you dig the band’s prior work, you’re likely to enjoy this as well. Although admittedly a casual fan, over the years I’ve heard nearly all of the band’s work, and was interested to hear the direction of this album. 2003 found BLS in top form on the successful The Blessed Hellride, an album that blended the band’s usual heavy grooving beer drinking metal with more supercharged, aggressive songs like “Doomsday Jesus” and “Stoned and Drunk”. BLS followed up with the scenic back roads of last year’s Hangover Music Vol. VI, an album consisting of slower tracks that were mostly rootsy Americana with a few attempts of Beatle-like harmonies. It was an album that felt like a byway, and although it seemed clear it wasn’t a permanent direction for the band, it was less clear how the songwriting experience would bleed over into Wylde’s typical writing style. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the air has been let out of the momentum toward the heavy, driving tracks, but there is plenty of grooving, vintage BLS on display, and Mafia is an album that fits in well with the band's discography and should be well received by fans.

As you’d expect, it’s still all about the riff, and the songs are all built squarely around Wylde’s monstrous and distinctive guitar work. “Fire It Up” is a fuzzy, foot stomping opener that gets your attention but never seems to actually get where it’s going. The album picks up a bit of speed, and hits its stride on track three, the punchy, groove laden first single, “Suicide Messiah”. “Forever Down” offers a cool bait and switch, opening with a mellow piano intro before Zakk tears into a mean riff and drags the song into an upbeat signature BLS throw down. The actual ballad does come next, the spiritual and introspective “In This River”. Wylde has always had a thing for ballads, and I’m often lukewarm about his. This one is decent, but can’t touch the amazing closer, “Dirt On the Grave”, with its soulful vibe and screaming wah-wah leads. Zakk gets a lot of mileage out of his voice, seeming to know his limitations and working within them to vary his delivery sufficiently. “Electric Hellfire” is one of the heavier songs on the album and surely a future live crowd pleaser, with its choppy aggressiveness and lyrics to match, filled with typical testosterone boasting like “Have you ever met Jesus? Soon you will see--you’re gonna meet Jesus if you’re messing with me”. Probably the least effective song is “Say What You Will”, which has a hard rock chorus that is a little too reminiscent of Guns n’ Roses for my liking. But overall, the songwriting is of fairly consistent quality throughout the album, although the end of the album seems to run slightly long.

You pretty well know what you’re buying with Black Label Society, for better or worse. There isn’t really anything objectionable on Mafia, but it doesn’t always inspire, either. It’s a solid listen, and if you’re a fan, this is a sure bet and guaranteed to scratch your itch for screaming guitars and rowdy, beer guzzling metal.

Release Details

Black Label Society

Mafia

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