Review Summary: Despite its excessive length, Sonic Brew is a strong blend of monstrous riffs and southern sensibility.
During a hiatus in his collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne and following the failure of his previous band Pride and Glory, Zakk Wylde returned with a new lineup under the name Black Label Society. And Sonic Brew served as his calling card!
Recorded in Miami and written and produced by Wylde himself, the album delivers a powerful blend of southern rock and heavy metal, enriched by a nearly hypnotic riff sensibility that at times drifts into stoner territory.
The record opens with Bored to Tears, a hard hitting track driven by a crushing riff, where Wylde makes it clear that he will not hold back when it comes to showcasing his virtuosity in the solos. The Rose Petalled Garden follows with a darker tone, occasionally recalling early 90s grunge, and provides a welcome contrast to the opener. Hey You and Born to Lose once again raise the question of whether Wylde’s soul belongs to desert rock, with the latter standing out thanks to its playful bass line, strong verses, and an especially inspired instrumental bridge.
Peddlers of Death revisits the grunge leaning style hinted at earlier, but ultimately feels somewhat heavy due to piano interludes that fail to fully convince. Mother Mary shines with its excellent distorted bass and another strong guitar performance, whereas Beneath the Tree emerges as one of the weaker cuts, partly preventing the album from reaching an excellent rating.
Low Down regains momentum with a savage riff that sounds like a rusty engine, like a dirty pickup truck rolling down a desert highway. After T.A.Z., which mainly highlights Wylde’s acoustic skills, Lost My Better Half delivers another mammoth riff. A less inspired pseudo grunge effort titled Black Pearl follows, before World of Trouble thankfully restores the album to solid ground. By this point, a pattern becomes evident, confirming that Sonic Brew is ultimately an uneven record.
As the album approaches its end, Spoke in the Wheel stands out as an acoustic piece where Wylde’s vocal performance deserves praise. The band closes with The Beginning... At Last, an energetic hard rock track that, while not exceptional, leaves a positive impression thanks to its infectious riffs and clear desert rock influence, inevitably echoing Black Sabbath.
Conclusion: it is clear that Wylde had a wealth of material when shaping Sonic Brew. However, sometimes I think it is wiser to refine and leave certain ideas aside, since an excess of filler can weaken an album’s overall impact. Sonic Brew is not a bad record. In fact, it is quite good. Yet the full listening experience can feel exhausting and excessive, even for devoted fans of the American guitar hero. Sometimes less truly is more, and this album illustrates that point.
Still, listeners will enjoy its blistering rhythms, southern accents, stoner textures, virtuosic solos, and the promise of a long and successful career that continues to this day.
Best songs: Bored to Tears, Born to Lose, Low Down, World of Trouble, The Beginning... At Last.
