Band: Black Label Society
Album title: Order Of The Black
Label: Roadrunner Records
Distributor: Concreteweb Promotion Office - CNR
Release date: 23/08/2010
Release: CD

You would wonder if Zakk Wylde can still come up with new and creative riffs. In the shadow of Ozzy Osbourne, you would almost forget his own band, Black Label Society. After four years, they are back with a new studio album, called Order Of The Black.

The album kicks off with the songs "Crazy Horse" and "Overlord", which provide us with the typical Black Label Society sound: heavy rock, a slice of thrash and a lot of riffs. This pattern is continued in the next song, called "Parade Of The Dead". Every time you almost get into the album, a ballad kicks away the excitement. Songs as "Darkest Days", "Time Waits For No One" and "Shallow Grave" are the guilty ones. A metal album with three ballads and two intermezzos is way too much. Black Label Society could at least have dropped five ‘songs’. Luckily, "Godspeed Hellbound", "Riders Of The Damned" (and perhaps even "Black Sunday") save the day. While listening to these songs, you want to rock out with your cock out and that’s the feeling you want to get from a Black Label Society album.

All together, this is a typical Black Label Society album: great riffs, but nothing new I’m afraid. Order Of The Black could have been an epic album, if it wasn’t for the poor production.

68/100

Nick Tronckoe.