Black Label Society
Mafia

THE REVIEW

Zakk Wylde is not someone who likes to sit idly by. Throughout his career, he has contributed to about 30 publications (masterfully, it must be said), and the record average lies in the period from 1996-2006, with a solid 12 albums released thanks to Papa Zakk, including 'Shot To Hell'. Assuming that Zakk Wylde is probably one of the few consistent guitarists, despite some missteps in virtuosity, and that he is one of my personal idols, a drop in quality after so many masterpieces was understandable. This drop goes by the name of Mafia.

If it had been the debut, we would have hailed it as a masterpiece, but after twenty years, Zakk and company's trademarks become clichés, and it’s embarrassing how this album doesn’t even try to add anything to the band's musical journey. The style is the same, Pride & Glory are light-years away and the shadow of virtuosity assaults our bearded hero. It's true that it might be an extreme attempt to set things straight after 'Book of Shadows' and experiments more or less distant from the BLS concept, but this consistency, honestly, risks becoming counterproductive.

The warning signs are there, even though, in the end, the album is smooth and well listenable. The quality is there, the rawness too, the songs a bit less. Fire it Up makes things clear, a great opener, and the first peak is reached with the arrival of Suicide Messiah, one of the best tracks on the album. In This River is a passionately devoted tribute to the never-too-much-mourned Dimebag Darrel (R.I.P.), a beautiful song that slows down the pace a bit until Death March, another excellent track, despite the overproduced vocals. Too Tough To Die and Electric Hellfire are the other peak, decent the first and excellent the second, catchy and not at all stuffed. We arrive at Dirt on The Grave, another style-filled dip in tension that takes freely from 'Book of Shadows'. The songs I've omitted are just fillers that don't stand out from the crowd.

In essence, a good album, which would have been rated a 5 if it had been halved in length due to the numerous fillers and which adds absolutely nothing and gives the perfect image of a group that, after years of honorable career, begins to stagnate in their own ideas. Fans might be disappointed (although in 2006 it's hard to find a fan who hasn't listened to 'Mafia'), while first-time listeners might be pleasantly enthusiastic.