IN REVIEW: Black Label Society - "Catacombs of the Black Vatican"

There's nothing wrong with sticking by a signature sound; if you think there are no dividends to be paid from stubbornly staying in place to avoid fan backlash, just ask AC/DC and Slayer what their take is on the subject. That said, Zakk Wylde's long standing main gig doesn't simply crank out carbon copies of the same album; Wylde's tastes are varied enough that Black Label Society has been able to offer up consistently entertaining studio efforts with minimal slippage save for, arguably, 2006's sort of weak Shot To Hell.

Perhaps a result of endless touring and releasing seven studio albums during a stretch of seven years, Shot To Hell sounded subdued and tired, and fans responded to it lukewarmly. Wisely, Wylde let his next album gestate, resulting in 2010's Order Of The Black; the four year wait seemed to do the trick, and the album was a thorough return to form.

Another four years have passed between that album and Catacombs Of The Black Vatican (not counting a couple of stopgap, mostly acoustic releases), and it's clear upon first listen that Wylde ddn't just throw a bunch of tunes together. However, what is noticeable is the lack of high tempos; this is as obvious a Black Sabbath nod as BLS has ever produced, and it's easily their most sluggish album to date. The album kicks off with three straight mid-tempo riff machines that aren't really much different from each other. Then, to shake things up, we get a well-done ballad (future single Angel Of Mercy) before the album finally picks up speed with Heart of Darkness. Sadly, this Stillborn-paced foot tapper and Children Of The Grave-paced Damn The Flood are the only two songs approaching speed on the album, the majority of the remainder alternating between medium paced dirge and lighters-up balladry (although, admittedly, closing track Shades of Grey just might be the best ballad ~~Nazareth~~ Black Label Society has ever done).

Catacombs Of The Black Vatican suffers from much of the same problem that last year's Alice In Chains release did; with the balance wrestled away from the rockers and tilting the album's favour toward the low-to-mid tempos, it can be a bit of a chore to listen to. And that's a shame, because Zakk Wylde's playing is in fine form on this album; of course you're getting a heaping helping of pinch harmonics, but I'm thoroughly impressed by his solo work this time out. His fingers can still navigate the fret board with blistering speed as he shows time and time again on this record's solos, which makes the hesitance to speed the actual songs up more often that much more puzzling.

In the end, you can't be angry about the album because it really isn't bad by any stretch, nor can you fault Wylde for playing to his strengths. Still, I can't help but be a little bit let down and a little tentative about BLS' future; after cranking out seven studio albums in the group's first seven years, there have only been two in the last eight, and I have to wonder if the desire is still there, especially if it takes four years to get a pretty good Black Label record when the last time it took four years we got a great one.

April 8, 2014 • Entertainment One

Highlights My Dying Time • Angel of Mercy • Damn the Flood

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