Artist: Black Label Society
Label: Spitfire Records
Release Date: 3/5/02
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Title: 1919 Eternal Artist: Black Label Society Label: Spitfire Records Release Date: 3/5/02 |
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Abyss's Review:
Whether you're ready or not, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society is back with their liquor and death breed of Southern metal. Stronger Than Death, in my humble opinion, was a nice break from the grind, death, and black that takes up a good amount of my time. And while this album will do nothing to curtail the Pantera comparisons that I'm sure this band hates, 1919 Eternal sees the band further defining their sound, even if the album is generally hit or miss.
"1919 Eternal sees the band further defining their sound, even if the album is generally hit or miss." It starts out pretty fucking strong though. Lead track "Bleed For Me" rips right out of the gate with an infectious riff that eventually gives way to an anthemic chorus. And the rest of the album pretty much continues in that vein, the only differences being that some songs are just better than others. Each and every song has at least something to offer, but it only a handful that strike me as truly above par.
The album has all you would expect from a Mr. Wylde project. "Bridge To Cross" is a ballad that, unfortunately, isn't as successful as the last album's "Rust." "Speedball" is thrown in so that all the guitar prodigies out there can drool over Zakk's finger dexterity, and there are enough artificial harmonics all over place that you wonder if this guy understands that sometimes you're allowed to pick cleanly. But just about the time you start thinking that this album isn't all that good, another cool riff comes up and makes you reevaluate your opinion. "Graveyard Disciples," "Mass Murder Machine" and "Life, Birth, Blood, Doom" and the lead track make this album successful, but there is a good amount of filler as well.
"Less avid fans might want to listen to this one first before spending some hard earned cash." So if the idea of Pantera playing Monster Magnet songs after listening to some Alice in Chains sounds good to you, this is your record. Less avid fans might want to listen to this one first before spending some hard earned cash. One word review: Good.
Death's Review:
Zack Wylde has to be one of my top ten or twenty all-time favorite guitarists. Great licks, nice down-tuned tone with plenty of cool notes and bends, and a killer, no bullshit attitude have always made Zakk A-OK in my book.
I liked Stronger than Death. I wanted to like 1919 more than I did. This is a good record, in many ways more of the same as Stronger than Death, which I gave 5 skulls to. Here, the sound is similar-- think Monster Magnet meets Pantera meets C.O.C. meets Down meets elements of the pound-your-chest-and-scream-from-down-deep-in-your-heart aspects of early Life of Agony. This is mildly commercial and bluesy, Southern stoner doomcore. Make that chicken-fried. But definitely make that metal. Zakk maintains the over-distorted and relatively modern guitar sound (as heard on the Ozzy track, "No More Tears") that we all have come to expect from him. And that is a good thing, 'cause it works and sounds cool.
"I wanted to like 1919 more than I did."
But for some reason I just don't care as much about the songs on this one. As a preliminary matter, the best track is track two-- "Lords of Destruction"-- and this should have opened the record. More importantly, the songs (even the ballads, which never seem to strike the right balance between chilling out and ass-kicking) for the most part do not stick in my head and get under my skin like the best tracks from the last album did. Perhaps it is just a time and place thing, a function of what my ears were looking for back then versus what I'm craving today. But I must admit I'm just not feeling this record as much as I want to after four or five listens, and I'm not expecting to suddenly generate the listening stamina to get me much further before Zakk's 2002 release winds up on the permanent shelf. It feels like Ozzfest could scare up a watchable lineup this summer, and if so and Zakk is playing on it (whether with Ozzy or BLS) I'll be into it and head-banging up a storm. Until then, I'll probably spin this one once more (skipping the clean guitar version of "America the Beautiful" which closes the record) and move on.
"I must admit I'm just not feeling this record as much as I want to after four or five listens."
Hel's Review:
Oh goody, a new Black Label Society album. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. You all know how I love and adore Zakk. You know, I don't think I've ever loved and adored anyone named Zakk. Nor can I imagine it being any other way. I've been being sarcastic up until a moment ago, if you didn't catch on.
I disliked the last record, and frankly, I expected to dislike this one. Overall, it actually wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared. There are some parts that are actually pretty good. If you were listening along, I'd point out a particularly good riff or two that I liked. And best of all, his voice seems to have improved a bit, with nary a sign of the country western twang that I dislike so much and recall from previous experiences with Zakk.
"Oh goody, a new Black Label Society album. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm." That is not to say, however, that I particularly liked the record. It is more of a case of I didn't hate it as I expected to. It is still really not my thing, with many of the songs containing trite lyrics and too-catchy choruses. I'm just not a proponent of the getting wasted and angry = fun platform, so I don't really buy into that kind of propaganda, and well, that's kinda part of the whole Black Label Society deal. Not to mention the slow songs. Ugh. And I really didn't need to endure the Christmas-esque version of "America the Beautiful" that closes the record. Say it with me: what-ever.
But as far as Black Label Society albums go (and by the way, I'm thrilled that they seem to have finally dropped the ridiculous "Zakk Wylde's" part of the tag), this may just be the best one I have ever heard. Fans are likely to be ecstatic. Non-fans like me will be able to tolerate listening to it at their friend's house more easily than before.
"That is not to say that I particularly liked the record. It is more of a case of I didn't hate it as I expected to."
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