10/10/05

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY / KINGS OF DAMNATION

Christmas must be round the corner because all the best of compilations are coming out, this one from Zakk Wylde rather than just BLS as it say’s on the cover is as good as most and better than some and does chart their career so far up to but not including Mafia, in other words the Spitfire years.A

As with all compilations their will always be omissions, for instance, why no "Black Pearl"? but it does show Zakk’s work off very nicely starting with 3 tracks from Pride & Glory, 2 from Book Of Shadows another 2 from Sonic Brew, "Bored To Tears" and "Taz". There is "Counterfeit God" and the title track from Stronger Than Death and 3 fArom A1919 Eternal and 3 from The Blessed Hellride and Hangover Music, the last one I would question but there it is. The best bit is the last 2 tracks that are previously unreleased "Doomsday Inc" and "SDMF" that are both very good and typical Zakk and no idea why they weren’t released.

The best and by far the most interesting is the bonus 2^nd disc that has 7 cover versions including his piano rendition of "Whiter Shade Of Pale" and his own take on Ozzy’s "No More Tears" which is actually heavier and better than the original and the inspired, blues soaked version of the Led Zep classic "In My Time Of Dyin’. The disc also includes the videos for "Counterfeit God", "Stillborn" and ""Bleed For Me" why only these 3 I don’t know because there are at least another 3 that could have been here but minor gripes for what is a pretty good compilation.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME, DISC 1 = 72 mins + 19 TRACKS, DISC 2 = 39 mins + 7 TRACKS + 3 CD ROM’S