Zakk Wylde sure has a lot of attitude and has a positive mindset in what he does whether it’s playing guitar for Ozzy, doing columns for Guitar World, or recording tracks for his own band, Black Label Society. But whatever it is, he is always involved in something because he loves the music. The Blessed Hellride is a very inspired effort from Zakk and I personally think it’s one of his best releases with Black Label Society, considering the fact that he has released an album every year since he started Black Label.
Zakk Wylde displays a lot of emotion in this album with tracks like “Blackened Waters” and “We Live No More”. His solos have the right amount of emotion and shred, and are usually the highlight of a Black Label Society song. The simplicity of his riffs are signature Zakk Wylde along with his use of pinch harmonics. This is probably a big reason as to why a lot of people recognize his playing. Zakk’s vocals are unique and have a lot of passion, though he doesn’t get credited often on his singing. In “Stillborn”, he gets Ozzy to sing with him and they almost sound identical to each other. Stillborn is is one of the more simple songs although it is one of the best on this album.
The Blessed Hellride’s less standout moments are the drums which are average but this is because Zakk doesn’t want the drums to take away from his guitar playing. But then drummer, Craig Nunenmacher, says that his style is straightforward and he doesn’t like to throw in big fills and technical parts. The bass usually follows the guitar so it is simple and doesn’t really add anything to the music. All the songs in The Blessed Hellride are heavy songs except for two, “Dead Meadow” which feaures piano from Zakk, and the title track, which is acoustic guitar. The solo in the title track has two clean electric guitars reminiscent of Tony Iommi’s soloing style where the two guitars differ slighty from each other. "Stoned and Drunk" is a great opener and is a good song to play live due to its upbeat tempo and driving riffs. "Suffering Overdue" is also a fan favorite mainly for its slow but cool beat.
This is an album that you should not overlook if you are into his heavy songs. It has catchy riffs, the signature solos, and great vocals. This album is highly reccommended if you a fan of heavy metal in general or if you like his playing.
Recommended listening:
Stoned and Drunk
Stillborn
Blackened Waters
The Blessed Hellride
Final Rating:
4/5
