Former
Ozzy Osbourne axe-slinger
Zakk Wylde rose to international guitar acclaim for the better part of the 1990s after helping co-author
Ozzy's
No Rest for the Wicked,
No More Tears, and
Ozzmosis. From there,
Wylde formed
Pride and Glory, a Southern-fried combo that released a disc and then yielded the hammer and thunder of
Black Label Society, whose incorrigible, heavyweight riffs and rhythms are showcased here on the band's completely live, un-overdubbed Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live!! Most of the material resides somewhere between the chugging, lugubrious redneck metal of
Pantera and labelmates
Crowbar, and the more Southern approach of latter-day
Corrosion of Conformity -- in other words, super-heavy, down-tuned riffage. What obviously sets this apart is
Wylde's lightning-fast leads and sheer six-string ability. The songs may be little more than basic collections of riffs, and
Wylde far too often entreats the crowd to "make some f*cking noise!" but this is a testosterone-fueled sound often rejected by the mainstream press and heartily embraced by an aggressive listenership.
Black Label Society does this as well as anyone out there, and it's heartening to see four guys on a stage hammering it out, riff by riff, beat by beat. Add
Wylde's raw, bluesy baritone -- at times reminiscent of
Jerry Cantrell or
Layne Staley -- on top of that, and you've got a hearty meal. The second disc treats the listener to five slightly quieter, somewhat acoustic tunes, including a cover of
Neil Young's "Heart of Gold." ~ Patrick Kennedy