Customer Reviews

Sonic Brew

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Take about a keg of beer, a Gibson guitar, and a hick with the talent to play it, and you'll get something resembling SONIC BREW. This is a hefty slab of "suth'n frahd" heavy metal, very similar in style to some other bands as Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, Eyehategod, and some of Phil Anselmo's (Pantera singer, for the uneducated) various bands.

Zakk Wylde, long known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, formed his brief band Pride & Glory (another "redneck metal" band) back in 1994, but they broke up after their first and only album. Then in 1996 he released his solo album, BOOK OF SHADOWS, which was mostly acoustic folk and country music. Then, slightly overlapped by this boozy southern rock-influenced period, he released this album under the moniker Black Label Society in 1998.

This album is heavy as SIN. Just listen to...well, any song. Almost every song is so damn heavy, with overdubbed, chugging, no doubt downtuned guitars and endless levels of distortion. The bass rumbles with the sound of the breaks of an 18-wheeler, and the drums (kudos to Phil Ondich, formerly of another southern metal band, Raging Slab) pound away with talented power.

No two songs sound the same, yet at the same time, the whole album just trucks on by with it's uber-heavy southern-influenced metal. All of them, of course, except "T.A.Z.," which is a short acoustic instrumental. Always thought that acoustic guitar was not good for shredding? Just listen to this and prepare to poop your pants.

Zakk's solos dazzle, of course, and he is the king of riffs. He's a great acoustic guitarist also, as well as pianist, bassist, and of course...SINGER! So many people tend to neglect how talented he is as a singer. From deep, growled (but not death metal) snarls to clean, powerful singing, he can do it all. He has to be one of the most talented musicians out there to this day.

By the way, the lyrics are nothing masterful or heartfelt; most of the time, Zakk is singing about drinking, or...well, mostly drinking. He's a heavy drinker, but he works out a lot to keep his body in shape (hence his bulging muscle-look). So don't worry about this promoting drinking to kids, but don't expect ultra well-written lyrics, either.

The bass in most of the songs is splendidly performed by Zakk himself, and is also monstrously distorted. Just listen to the intro and verses to "Mother Mary" and see for yourself! When Zakk does heavy, he means HEAVY.

Phil Ondich's drumming is very good. He forms fairly complex patterns, is fast, and fits Black Label Society's style with perfection. I'm very curious to check out his work with Raging Slab now.

The songs are all great, but my favorites by far are "The Rose Petalled Garden," with it's overdubbed intro, very Alice in Chains-esque in its sludginess, "Hey You (Batch of Lies)" with its great, catchy chorus, and "Peddlers of Death" (a heavier cover of one of his own BOOK OF SHADOWS-era songs). This last one is rather eerie with its synthesizer/piano-peppered verses, and yet it's so heavy, with a wonderful guitar solo. n Also, his cover of "No More Tears" is phenomenally heavy, with ultra-chugging guitar riffs replacing the classic bass intro. Finally, I've recently become a fan of "World of Trouble." LISTEN to that riff in the verses and just try to tell me it isn't catchy and worth headbanging to. Unbelievable.

Finally, I'd just like to state that Amazon.com never seems to listen to me when I try to correct the information on this band. Yes, Zakk Wylde is involved, but the band really is called JUST "Black Label Society"; not "Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society." Also, the cover is DIFFERENT now, guys...Oh well.

Now pop out the beers and turn up the volume, because Black Label Society is here to rock your world with southern-fried heavy metal! YEE-HAW!

Zakk Wylde is a great songwriter, with a very broad range. First he gives us Pride & Glory, demonstrating clear mastery of Southern Rock and Country styles. Then he follows with Book of Shadows, a perfect singer songwriter outing from start to finish. Sonic Brew proves that Zakk is also the master of Hard Rock and Grunge. I mean, Alice in Chains were a good group, but their best effort (Dirt) is totally spanked by this inspired, bone crunching record. Every tune is a masterpiece, no joke. How did he do it?

The only drawback of this fine recording is a slightly overdriven sound - there's a little distortion on everything - even the drums. I grew to enjoy this facet of Sonic Brew, but it may be disconcerting to people expecting that slick hard rock polish.

What can be said about Zakk Wylde that hasn't already been said? The man is the guitar god of his time, and can shred like no other modern day guitarist out there today. "Sonic Brew", Zakk's first release under his Black Label Society title, is a full throttle smash some beer bottles against the wall hard rock that fans of old Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, or early Pantera will no doubt dig. Opening track "Bored to Tears" has become a live staple of Zakk's (one listen to it and you'll know why), while "Born to Lose", "Mother Mary", and "Lost My Better Half" are utterly amazing songs which shows Zakk pouring all his emotion into his guitar, and his soulful but borderline death metal growl of a voice is music to any metalhead's ears. My personal favorite song is "Hey You (Batch of Lies)" which is undeniably heavy and has quite a catchy chorus that will stick in your head for quite a while. Other songs like "Black Pearl" and "World of Trouble" sound a bit like filler material, but don't take away much of the greatness of "Sonic Brew". All in all, this is a great pick up for fans of Zakk or for those looking for something truly heavy and melodic with some major guitar talents. Pick up the BLS follow up to this, 2000's "Stronger Than Death", which I consider Zakk and co. at their apex.

Zakk Wylde, Ozzy's lead guitarist, put out a southern-rock record under the moniker Pride & Glory in the mid-'90s & then issued a solo album called "Book of Shadows." But it wasn't until he formed Black Label Society (BLS), that he really hit his stride.

This Japanese release by Mercury Records back in 1998 is truly the beginning of this mad-man's BLS project. It even features the original cover artwork. They had to change it soon after after receiving a legal cease & desist letter from Johnnie Walker, Inc. Cease & desist? How about an endorsement? The higher-ups at that company sure missed the boat considering how much Zakk & Co. drink on a daily basis!

BLS's sound is quite simple. It's equal parts Black Sabbath & Lynyrd Skynyrd. Heavy, heavy riffs with Wylde's swampy southernesque, Jersey-boy vocals. And there's usually at least one or two instrumentals and/or acoustic numbers tossed in among the heavy metal tracks. This import release has 13 tracks & the production/mix is over-the-top heavy. The bass is so distorted & up-front in the mix that you wonder if it was done on purpose or not. But BLS were out to take a stand & make a stand. They wanted to annihilate the No Doubt & Bush's of the world with their scorched earth assault. And they succeeded. The best songs are "Bored to Tears," "Born to Lose" & "Spoke in the Wheel." However, they're all good & Zakk shows of his musicianship with the speed-ball that is "T.A.Z." Fans of Ozzy will love this. Fans of Black Sabbath will love this. Fans of G N' R will love this. In fact, fans of all hard-rock/metal/southern-rock, etc. will be thrilled to have a new band to follow. Considering it's now 11 years later, Zakk shows absolutely no signs of slowing down & he's put out 10 discs under the BLS name. So get on this train & hold on tight. You know Zakk's got the energy to play straight through the night.

This is necessity if you are a music fan. One of the greatest albums ever. The guitar playing is insane! I love the vocals, and the drums...the drums absolutely are perfect. This Phil Ondich fella sure knows what he's doing. He doesn't overplay, or underplay...and it's all pure talent. I don't have to say much on Zakk, we all know and love his music. This cd is just Zakk and his drinking buddy Philth. They are great on this cd as well as Stronger Than Death, the followup. The live album that Zakk released is horrible. The new drummer is absolutely horrible, I don't know why he hired that guy...It ruins the whole live album. Get this one, it's the best! Don't forget to check out Zakk's acoustic solo album "Book Of Shadows" also for some superb music...could have been up there with one of the greats, but due to lack of promotion....ah we know the story. 10 Stars. Sonic Brew SLAMS!

This is one of the best heavy metal albums I've heard to date. The riffs are amazing, the leads are amazing, Zakk's voice is one of the best (alongside Phil Anselmo from Pantera and Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden). To one of the reviews below, if you have any doubts about Zakk's voice then listen to his acoustic album "Book Of Shadows". The guitar has a sludgy but cool sound, the bass is fat and the piano (here and there) sounds chilling.

Just think: Zakk Wylde sings, plays all the guitar parts and piano parts and writes all the songs - the guy's a genius! This is an essential purchase to anyone interested in some real traditional metal. If you're looking for nu-metal you won't find it here. If you're looking for some down to earth, non-repetitive, proper heavy-metal, thats what you'll find. This is my favourite of the two Black Label Society albums due to the amount of variation, although Stronger Than Death is amazing as well. I recommend both of them!

Right from the opener "Bored To Tears", the depressing "Peddlers Of Death", the riff-frenzied "Low Down", the cheeky acoustic solo "T.A.Z.", the comedy of "World Of Trouble" right to "The Beginning... At Last", this is one album that is as hard to put down as it is to forget. My version has a cover of Ozzy's "No More Tears" and I have to admit I do prefer the original (when Zakk was in the Ozzy solo band). Other than that, crank this up loud, annoy the neighbours and show all those Limp Bizkit fans some real metal!

Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde put together this fantastic collection of 14 woofer-thumping sonic blasts that are probably heavier (or at least as heavy) as anything Ozzy or Black Sabbath have ever done. Wylde himself describes "Sonic Brew" as "Alcohol fueled brewtality for the next millennium." Since we don't have a clue what that means, we'll describe it for you: It sounds a lot like old Black Sabbath with updated guitar sounds and 1990s style songwriting.

From its opening track (the "Apocalypse Now"-like "Bored to Tears") through a stunning military parade of guitar-crunching tunes (the best of which are "Hey, You (Batch of Lies)," "Low Down," "Lost My Better Half" and "World of Trouble") to the stunning acoustic jam "t.a.z." to the bluesy "Spoke In The Wheel," "Sonic Brew" just doesn't quit. This is a CD that doesn't have to be played loud to be loud (but don't cheat yourself - play it loud anyway). Wylde and his "drinking partner and drummer" Phil Ondich have put together a heavy metal record that remains true to its roots but takes a step toward the future as well. In a way, this album kind of reminds of us Clutch, which - of course - is a good thing.

Wylde's outstanding guitar work is a highlight throughout the CD, both with his driving rhythm and bass work and his brilliantly raging lead. If you liked Wylde's guitar on Ozzy's "No Rest for the Wicked," "Just Say Ozzy," "No More Tears" or "Ozzmosis," you'll really like the stuff on this CD.

I have been a fan of the Wylde man since his first album with Ozzy -No Rest for the Wicked- and he consistently delivers and his progression is evident throughout each album. He demonstrated his ability to rock on Live and Loud with Ozzy. He proved his acoustic mastery on Book of Shadows. He creates an unmistakeable sound with only a Les Paul, some EMGs a Marshall and his trademark lightning fast pentatonic licks. This album is the best work of an extremely underrated guitarist. I only hope he comes to Bermuda where I live so I can hear him live. For more good Zakk stuff check out Merry Axemas Vol.2 and hear Zakk do an acoustic White Christmas. Brilliant Stuff! Well Done Zakk. I raise my glass to you! - Greg in Bermuda

This is the best album i have ever heard period. Zakk Wylde just keeps on getting better and better. He kicks ass on guitar, vocals, and bass!! and he picked a kickass drummer for the job!! cant wait to see the tour! RECOMENDED!

SONIC BREW was my first ahhhhh ZAKK fix I had so of course this is the most special cd ever.

ALL the songs on this cd is awesome ZAKK WYLDE you are WILD! SPOKE IN THE WHEEL sends chills down my spine listening to Zakk sing like no other can...

You will love this cd you metalheads ...I am a big metal fan and love good music ...this group BLACK LABEL SOCIETY does it and does it just right. Not overdoing or underdoing it but perfectly talented, METAL GOD...

You want clear, crisp, and clean, sound? eh? oh! Well, this is the band that can give it to you HARD AND HEAVY LEAVING YOU BEGGING FOR MORE.

You have no idea what you will be in store for until you listen to them, just once is all it will take and then you will be hooked! I know ...when my best bud SS introduced me to this group I thought, uh huh "ain't nothin' special" then I got the cd and listened to it.

Well, it hasn't been out of cd player since I bought it...and my family is no where in sight cuz they are sick of it. ahhhhh the peace and freedom. gotta get it people you will be pleasantly pleased and if nothing else it is good at irritating the family with if you play it over and over again... I watched mine scatter fast.

But remember, ... if you are a heavy metal headbanger come on lets feel the noise...ZAKK RAAAAWWWWKS! get the cd and see if I am telling you the truth??? top notch music and ahhhhh that voice that melts to your metal soul. You gotta hear it to believe him!!!!!