Black Label Society - "Engines of Demolition", 2026

Zakk Wylde's involvement with the Pantera celebration certainly distracted both him and the audience from Black Label Society, as the guitarist has been touring extensively around the world since 2022. Always the workaholic, the hulking guitarist still found time to contribute guitars to Ozzy Osbourne's "Patient Number 9" record, release a double album with his Black Sabbath cover band Zakk Sabbath ("Doomed Forever, Forever Doomed") in 2024, and put together new material for BLS during his downtime, which led to the release of several new singles over the past two years. These songs ended up on this newly released record, titled "Engines of Demolition," the first since 2021's "Doom Crew Inc."

Stylistically, it's a varied album that encapsulates the band's experience over the years, occasionally reflecting on the early part of its career. It ranges from hard rock tracks to the typical Black Sabbath-worship, and includes a few ballads, as expected. When it's heavy, it almost recalls the original BLS sound, especially "1919 Eternal," while the more stomping, Sabbath-influenced songs and the mid-tempo rockers could have easily fit onto "The Blessed Hellride," sounding like something the band could have released as a follow-up to that record instead of the lackluster "Mafia."

The opener, "Name in Blood," is a pure hard rock track featuring a fingerpicking intro (which also reappears in the middle break) lifted off Angus Young's songbook, leading into a palm-muted, straight 4/4 mid-tempo rhythm in the verses, rounded out by a more melodic chorus reminiscent of The Cult. It's not surprising that it was chosen as a lead single, as it's a catchy, uplifting song that starts the album energetically. The rock vibe continues in tracks such as the road-rage anthem "Pedal to the Floor" and the more nuanced "Broken Pieces," the latter alternating softer verses with a heavier chorus, although neither is as convincing as the opener.

Things improve when Zakk settles into his Sabbath-worship routine on tracks like "Gatherer of Souls," "The Hand of Tomorrows Grave," and "The Stranger," all built on bouncy, uptempo stoner single-string riffs, 70s rock influences (occasionally with harmonized guitars), and the classic Tony Iommi stomp paired with Ozzy-style vocal lines. Regarding vocals, Zakk's performance is consistently solid, still honoring his mentor but avoiding the excessively nasal snarl that marked much of his earlier BLS work; he sounds more natural and less forced than before, even reviving his Pride & Glory cleaner tone for ballads like the wonderful "Better Days & Wiser Times." This southern-fried, deeply heartfelt song features acoustic and slide guitars, piano, and a more restrained, beautiful solo that perfectly complements the melancholic mood, making it one of the best ballads Zakk has ever written. The album becomes even more moving with "Ozzy's Song," an emotional tribute to the recently deceased singer; it's a poignant, poetic homage that could bring even the toughest metalheads to tears.

The album truly takes off when the band decides to hit hard, though, with a bunch of tracks that would have fit comfortably on "1919 Eternal" or "The Blessed Hellride," particularly "Broken and Blind" and "The Gallows." The former features a groovy hard rock riff that transitions into chugging, palm-muted verses, with Ozzyfied vocals alternating with powerful high-register ones, creating an instant BLS classic that will work great in live shows. "The Gallows" is built around a Iommi-inspired riff that closely resembles "Suicide Messiah" (from "Mafia"), complemented by a heavy single-string chorus riff and a cowbell-driven drum section leading to an outstanding guitar solo. I'm not completely convinced by the vocal lines yet—they sound a bit strained and are sung in a key that feels somewhat odd—but it's still a great song overall. The menacing "Lord Humungus," inspired by a villain from the Mad Max movie franchise, is not far behind, mixing chugging mid-tempo riffs with a raucous hard rock chorus. It's definitely refreshing to hear Zakk finally return, at least in part, to the style of some of the band's earlier work.

The album presents a revitalized band compared to the fairly uninspired previous record. The production is the best in quite some time, featuring a chunkier-than-usual guitar sound and punchy, powerful drums that do not sound overly processed. Zakk's and Dario Lorina's solos are well-crafted, continuing the positive trend of recent years, and the songwriting—while adding nothing new to the band's formula—is consistently strong throughout the tracklist. There are a few lesser songs that could be considered filler—though still enjoyable—but overall, it's one of the most convincing records the band has released in the last 15 years, ranking not far from 2018's excellent "Grimmest Hits." It should be noted that, once again, Zakk has chosen to forgo his signature pinch harmonics entirely, as he did on the last two records. This decision is increasingly puzzling, especially on the more old-school BLS songs featured here, where they would have certainly added that familiar touch. I often find them sorely missed, although it seems most of the BLS fanbase either didn't notice or didn't care. That said, "Engines of Demolition" is a solid record that is sure to please most BLS fans with its mix of old-fashioned bangers, classic rock songs, and soulful ballads. While probably less focused than "Grimmest Hits" and not as doomy, it's a much more convincing record than "Doom Crew Inc.," "Catacombs of the Black Vatican," and even "Order of the Black."

The only real negative is that the album could have used a better cover, as it looks like a rather tasteless Photoshop job featuring a skull-shaped chrome engine placed over an atrocious gray and black swirl background, with the album title and band name written in a plain, unimaginative orange font. By now, we are certainly used to bad album covers from Zakk & Co., and this one is no exception, simply recycling the same basic concept as "The Blessed Hellride" album artwork.

LISTEN: Spotify