Artist: Black Label Society
Title: None More Black (Box Set)
Genre: Rock / Metal
Release Date: 21st April 2021
Label: eOne Music
Album Review
Black Label Society used the touring break to work on the release of a box set, that covers all their releases since the band was founded. Since Black Label Society released fresh music regularly ever since the band was founded, the box set features 12 full-length studio albums on coloured vinyl. Some of the material was remastered so you can enjoy the music even more.
The set comes with 32-page hardcover retrospective photo book that is really worth studying it, a bottle opener in case you want to enjoy a drink while listening to Black Label Society’s bonus material and reworked originals ‘Song Remains Not The Same Vol. 2’. In case you own a battle vest or want to get one Black Label Society supplies you with a ‘Odin’s Demolition Squad’ back patch. If you want to check out, how the bonus material sounds, you can check out the video for ‘Blind Man’, a track that was previously only available as a bonus track on ‘Catacombs of the Black Vatican’: https://youtu.be/ypgXFw5leoM
Zakk Wylde also recorded an infomercial, to make you long for the set, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/a0Ldg3KfK3s. Since Black Label Society’S previous albums really need no introduction, the focus in the review will be on the bonustracks on ‘Song Remains Not The Same II’.
I was quite curious when I started listening through the bonus track LP, for the band previously had leaked, that some old BLACK LABEL SOCIETY songs had been rerecorded for this LP, but don’t worry they won’t bore you with old material, there are also covers of legendary songs written by other artists. The album starts with ‘My Dying Time’ that was turned into an acoustic song with an enchanting orchestral arrangement. A very unexpected start for a BLACK LABEL SOCIETY album, but a very pleasant one.
How to turn a song, that is widely known amongst the fans, into a masterpiece that demands the listeners attention every second until the last tune is gone you can learn with ‘The Nomad’. I had to listen twice, before I was sure, that the song really was ‘The Nomad’. We are talking the band Zakk Wylde founded, with amazing solos and heavy riffing as their signature sound. But by rearranging and changing the instruments, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have proved they master the acoustic as well as the electric guitars. The songs start inconspicuously with an acoustic setting, then the tension will drive you deep into a song, until the intensity of the sound increases layer by layer, with strings, drums and of course brilliant guitarwork.
The Piano version of ‘Scars’ is really worth listening to, over and over again and the album title ‘Song Remains Not The Same II’ was the perfect choice. The longer you are listening to the newly released songs, the more it becomes clear that every song was closely paid attention to. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY really spared no effort to make the best of every song to make a fantastic more or less unplugged album. If you are not into piano, strings or orchestral arrangements, ‘House of Doom’ will comfort you with a relaxed version that can best be called Southern Rock. A nice song for a sun downer on an endless country road. There are some more interesting rearrangements for those in heavier solos and intense guitarwork but none that have a to brutal or heavy attitude.
A real highlight of acoustic guitar play is ‘Time Waits For No One’ as the solo parts come with plucked guitars and it once more shows that Zakk is not only an excellent shredder but knows how to convince the fans of acoustic instruments. Please do yourself a favour and skip ‘Heart of Gold’, it seems the sound engineer somehow the electric guitars are totally overmodulated and really don’t suit the songs mood. ‘Sonowblind’ is a song every BLACK SABBATH-Fan knows and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY turned it into an interesting version that might be best described as Southern Rock meets Psychedelic Rock. A brilliant way to turn a Metal song into something else, though true SABBATH fans might see it as sacrilege.
To make it short, those who liked the bands ballads on their previous releases or the album ‘Hangover Music Vol. VI’ for it’s rather melodic approach without lack of excellent guitarwork, will love ‘Song Remains Not The Same Vol. II’ for sure. The limited edition is a must for collectors and it can be ordered here: https://www.eoneheavy.eu/products/black-label-society-lp-boxset-none-more-black.
Tracklist
Vinyl Selections in Boxset
01. Grimmest Hits 2LP
02. Stronger Than Death 2LP
03. 1919 Eternal 2LP
04. The Blessed Hellride LP
05. Hangover Music Vol. VI 2LP
06. Mafia 2LP
07. Shot To Hell LP
08. Order Of The Black 2LP
09. Catacombs Of The Black Vatican 2LP
10. Nuns And Roaches LP
11. Sonic Brew 2LP
12. Song Remains Not The Same II 3LP
Bonustracks ‘Song Remains Not The Same Vol. II’
01. My Dying Time
02. Blind Man
03. Graveyard Disciples
04. The Nomad
05. Scars
06. House of Doom
07. A Love Unreal
08. We Live No More
09. Cry Me A River
10. The Chosen One
11. Empty Promises
12. Lead Me To Your Door
13. Boogie Man Funk
14. Hell And Fire
15. Swamp Song
16. Dark Side Of The Sun
17. Time Waits For No One
18. Heart Of Gold
19. Snowblind
20. Like A Bird
21. Blood In The Well
22. The Beginning... At Last
Line-up
Zakk Wylde – Vocals, Guitar
John DeServio – Bass
Dario Lorina – Guitar
Jeff Fabb – Drums
Website
http://blacklabelsociety.com / https://www.facebook.com/blacklabelsociety
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10
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