Black Label Society – Mafia

artist website

impulse buy

Artemis Records
Produced by Eddie Mapp & Barry Conley

It’s that time again. Something that comes around with the same regularity as a Motorhead tour or a Status Quo riff. Something that happens every time, no matter what. A new BLS album. It’s a regular pattern we’re used to now. March/April: new album, Summer: Lame 30 minute slot on Ozzfest. That’s the sum total of BLS activity in any given year. And this year seems to be no different. Well, actually, the band are doing their own tour either side of the Ozzfest this year, for the first time since 2000 (apart from a handful of East Coast shows in 2003), but still, the pattern remains unchanged.

Now, although the usual pattern of BLS activity does mean there’s a new album every year, Zakk hasn’t always seemed to spend very long working on the albums, bashing them out in a matter of weeks and not really focusing on getting the quality of the songs as good as he perhaps could (or indeed, used to). Many have complained of stagnation, with huge similarities in guitar solos from album to album, unimaginative titles etc etc. Examples: Suicide Messiah on Mafia and Doomsday Jesus on The Blessed Hellride, Destruction Overdrive on The Blessed Hellride and Genocide Junkies and Lords of Destruction on 1919 Eternal.

For my money, the only thing letting 1919 Eternal down as an album was the production. Zakk’s tone was wafer thin and much of the drumming was so low (and simplistic – who the hell is Christian Werr?!) that the songs just didn’t stand as strong as they should have. The Blessed Hellride was just another BLS album. A collection of songs that sounded like they were leftovers from previous albums. The sound was better, and the presence of Ozzy Osbourne on first single Stillborn was a bonus from a commercial point of view, but this leads to another complaint of Zakk in recent years. He seems to be trying too hard to sound like Ozzy. Zakk’s voice is naturally low and gruff. But on the last four albums he’s been pushing his voice higher and taking on some of Ozzy’s vocal mannerisms.

All that said, Zakk seems to be moving in the right direction now. Mafia is (mostly) an excellent album. There are some new things on there (a Mini Moog, for instance), some classic BLS riffs and some better solos than we’ve been given on the last three albums. Mafia is possibly the best BLS album since the amazing Stronger Than Death (BLS’ second record). A key factor here could be that Zakk actually recorded the album with the rest of the band (except guitarist Nick Catanese). On the first five albums Zakk has played everything except drums. On Hangover Music Volume VI, three bass players shared the duties (James Lomenzo, Mike Inez and John Deservio). This time, BLS bassist James Lomenzo plays the bass all the way through, meaning there is some coherence to the record. And a better album it is for this. Producers/Engineers Eddie Mapp and Barry Conley also handle most of the Mini Moog playing and a bit of piano etc.