Genre: Southern/Groove Metal
Country: U.S.A.
Label: eOne
Year: 2021
Zakk Wylde with Black Label Society, has managed with hard work over the years, to build a relationship of trust with his fans. The “Crew”, as the album’s title suggests, could appeal to those who have followed him faithfully all these years, even since Ozzy’s era. They are all those who will listen to “Doom Crew Inc.” because there they know that in there will be the songs that will accompany them for the rest of their lives. The element of surprise for several years is definitely missing. On the other hand, quality is a given, as are all the features we have loved in both Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society.
These are the Sabbath-like but also the Southern riffs, the impeccably executed solos and the gunpowder-smoked tone of his voice. These are also his very characteristic ballads accompanied by the piano. It is the social and personal concerns through his lyrics. Beyond that, in other compositions he tries to be more direct and in others more labyrinthine. The truth is that some tracks stand higher in quality than others, without this meaning that “Doom Crew Inc.” is an unbalanced album.
I personally see every release from Black Label Society as a celebration of guitar and Southern sound. Zakk is a guitar hero of his generation, with his personal scheme, in which he can play exactly as he wants. “Doom Crew Inc.” is a release that comes to add a little more to Zakk’s legend and to satisfy his fans a bit more too.
