BLACK LABEL SOCIETY-Grimmest Hits

Universal Music

Despite the rather misleading album title, ‘Grimmest Hits’ is NOT a compilation album, better so, it is Black Label Society’s 10^th studio album featuring 12 brand new heavy, bluesy, swampy, doomy hard rock/metal tracks. ‘Grimmest Hits’ is the follow up to the very successful ‘Catacombs Of The Black Vatican’, which was released almost four years ago. Black Label Society’s debut album ‘Sonic Brew’ (1993) and their 7^th studio album ‘Shot To Hell’ are still my favorite ones, however I can now add ‘Grimmest Hits’ to that, as the new album is their best effort so far. Tracks like ,,Illusions Of Peace”, ,,The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away”, ,,A Love Unreal” and ,,Disbelief” belong to the best stuff that Zakk Wylde has ever composed and played. Especially Zakk’s guitar work, listen to his solos in the earlier mentioned songs, is more than outstanding, check out the “sensitive” melodic solos in ,,Nothing Left To Say” and ,,The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away” and you will be amazed. Zakk’s excellent vocals tend to sound like Ozzy more and more, and certain guitar riffs and hooks, for example in songs like ,,All That Once Shined” , ,,Seasons Of Falter” and ,,The Betrayal” , sound very much like Tony Iommi playing….. ‘Grimmest Hits’ has no fillers; every song is truly defined by Zakk’s very recognizable voice and signature guitar riffs, hooks and solos. Also there is more than enough musical variety on this album, seeing the fact that you can enjoy a country-like track (,,The Only Words”), a bluesy song (,,Seasons Of Falter’’), a ballad-like song (,,Nothing Left To Say”), a southern rock track (,,The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away”) and of course a lot of heavy doomy metal tracks like ,,Trampled Down Below”,  ,,Bury Your Sorrow” or ,,Disbelief”. From two great tracks, being ,,Room Of Nightmares” and ,,All That Once Shined” BLS has released a video, so you can check those out and be marveled….  Let me end this review by saying that ‘Grimmest Hits’ is Black Label Society’s best album, so buy or die my true metal fans!!