SHOT TO HELL - BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
Wylde and his Black Label Society brethren are still serving their house brand of brew-tality: gritty bar rock that squawls like a Harley on an open highway. Cuts like “Faith Is Blind” and “Concrete Jungle” attest to that. But Wylde must have known the flavor was getting a little weak, because he chases the dirty suds with shots of maudlin spirits. His softer, melodic side steers five tracks that are led by keyboards or piano instead of guitar. The Zeppelin-ish “Lead Me to Your Door,” “Sick of It All” and “Nothing’s the Same” raise the question of what (in addition to the loss of good friend “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott) has turned Wylde so introspective these days. Nevertheless, these tunes are a nice diversion from the usual hard-chugging fare. Billboard
