Customer Reviews

Shot to Hell

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This album finally brings together both sides of Zakk Wylde,Book of Shadows/Pride and Glory and The headsplitting music of what we came to know and love as Black Label Society. Concrete Jungle gives this album a brain smashing start (although i think its a bit short), then on to my favorite Black Mass Reverends. Sad to say although i enjoyed all the songs i think those two will be the only tracks that will get any attention. The last good bye is the best ballad since Another Spoke in the Wheel. Wonerful mix on this album, cant wait to see them live on the shot to hell tour.

"Shot to Hell" is BLS's 7th studio record & 9th overall release. Add to that "Pride & Glory" and "Book of Shadows," and you can tell that Mr. Wylde has been one busy man. He seems to put out an album every single year and tours non-stop. Sometimes doing double-duty for the boss-man, Mr. Ozzy Osbourne.

"Shot to Hell" was issued on yet another label. This time it was Roadrunner Records, who had begun to sign some bigger & more commercial acts. Such as The Cult & Megadeth. "Shot to Hell" doesn't disappoint. And neither does Zakk. Another 13 solid songs with "Concrete Jungle" getting things started & "Black Mass Reverends" being the best of the lot. This record seems very similar in tone & approach to "Mafia." Some slower tunes & more of a mid-tempo vibe on some of the tracks. Unfortunately, this leads to his songs sounding a bit generic & running into one another. Which is almost impossible to avoid since he releases records so often. But listen to "Shot to Hell" for it's own worth & it's own songs, and BLS fans will once again realize that Zakk has delivered to society-dwelling fans everywhere.

I got this cd for my dad for his birthday and he really liked it, but so did I. It's a very good album.

Zakk Wylde has been churning out releases under his Black Label Society banner every year or so now for a while, and "Shot to Hell" marks the frequent Ozzy Osbourne member's debut on Roadrunner Records. Sadly though, "Shot to Hell" is a disappointing venture for Zakk, as a majority of songs sound, dare I say it, generic. And as much as I hate to say it, some of the material found here just sounds plain old uninspired. Now don't get me wrong, I love Zakk and BLS and just about everything the guy has released since Pride & Glory; but "Shot to Hell" marks a big step down in quality. Songs like "Concrete Jungle", "Last Goodbye", and "Blood is Thicker Than Water" are so familiar sounding that you'll swear you heard them on any of Zakk's Spitfire releases. Now that I've gotten all that out of the way, while the album itself is a disappointment, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. "Nothing's the Same" and "Lead Me to Your Door" are solid, and there is some nice shredding and hammering chords that Zakk and BLS are known for, but one can't help feeling that they've heard all this before. It's a shame that "Shot to Hell" is a disappointment; but maybe it's a clue that it's time for Zakk to take some time off before recording again instead of pumping out release after release year after year. Worth checking out for BLS and metal fans, but don't expect anything great like we've gotten before.

I just got to listen to this album all the way through and I'm really not impressed. It just isn't good. Music is not inspired, and his playing isn't nearly as tight as it once was. One or two of the tracks are OK, but there are too many slow rocker-ballads and not enough good rock. Has BLS become a side project for Zakk? I know he is recording an album with Ozzy, and I would have thought an album like this was below his normal standards. Sadly, it isn't, and us fans will suffer.

This CD is by far the worst effort from Zakk Wylde to date. The songs sound very rushed through and poorly written. And his overuse of the talk boxes is quite annoying. It sounds like he is in a huge rut. Time to take a break and focus a little more on your music instead of "pounding out another album" every year Zakk.

I am a huge Zakk Wylde fan and I have bought anything and everything thru out his career from the begin. I was very dispappionted in the writing,the production,the mixing and at last THE MASTERING! Come on Zakk! you can do better than just putting out something that we all know that is not up to what " Zakk Wylde " can do. What the hell was the Exective producer:(Michael Beinhorn) a big name in this business doing? I rather wait 2 years where you can get recharge and have a better batch of songs....

I bought a ticket for his upcoming date in New York before the album was released (this will be my third BLS show). I guess that is a good thing because after hearing this album, I am not sure if I would have done this. The album isn't bad, its just not what I expected. The other albums had more heavier and darker tracks. They had that bluesy/southern rock/heavy metal kinda thing. I heard someone describe this sound as "scumbag rock." This album tones down the bluesy/southern rock stuff and throws in an Alice in Chains "thing." At least it sounds that way to me.

This album reminds me of that scene in "Rockstar" when Donnie Wahlberg's character goes to one of his bandmates and tells him he has been working on something "new." His bandmate esssentially smacks him down and essentially says that they are not changing their sound because that is what their fans expect. After hearing this album I know understand what that means.

Zakk has a right to explore different sounds and approaches. He should do that. I guess my problem is that I want to hear the same type of stuff. I'm still a fan of BLS and I'll be in the pit at Nokia theater on Oct. 20. The songs from this CD however, won't have me in the pit as often as the songs from the other CD's.

Zakk won me over on one CD. He pretty much lost me on this one!Anybody interested in two tickets for the Chicago show at the Congress Theater?

As a guitar player , I truly respect Zakk. But I have to say that I hear way too many same old , same old on many of the heavy cuts. In fact I think Zakk shines best stepping back and doing the softer side , which gives him room to soar on the guitar solos.
Plus perhaps its time to get a outside producer that could inject some new push because the sound is sounding pretty stale to these ears. Perhaps I expected too much but I didn't care for Mafia much either , I think he has lot a bit of his mojo.