Black Label Society – Engines of Demolition
Release Date: 27th March 2026
Label: Spinefarm Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Southern Metal, Groove Metal.
FFO: Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, Down.
Review By: Paul Cairney
It has been a long 5 years since the release of ‘Doom Crew Inc.’, but Zakk Wylde’s Southern Groove outfit, Black Label Society, are back with album number 12, Engines of Demolition.
It may be 5 years, but Zakk has been writing the album since 2022, but to be fair to him, he has been relentlessly busy over that time-frame, not least helping thousands of Pantera fans hear the band’s music in a live setting again. Thankfully, Engines of Demolition is a return to form, following a few albums that sit lower in the BLS back catalogue.
The album opens with a bang. ‘Name in Blood’ is a typical BLS track, with its chunky, chugging riff, deliberate solo’s and Zakk’s distinctive vocal drawl letting everybody know the score. It is a statement of intent, but other tracks on the album better it.
‘Gatherer of Souls’, with its heavy riff, tips the brim of its hat to Black Sabbath, hardly surprising given Zakk’s history. ‘The Hand of Tomorrows Grave’ is a masterclass in groove coupled with trademark solos – does anybody know how to place a solo perfectly within a track as well as Zakk? I don’t think so.
BLS don’t merely bring the heavy, a trio of ballads decorate Engines of Demolition. ‘Better Days &Wiser Times’, ‘Back to Me’ and the album closer, ‘Ozzy’s Song’, demonstrate the bands softer, tenderer side. In particular, the albums closing track is as personal a song as Zakk has written since ‘In this River’, his tribute to his friend Dimebag Darrell.
There are some who don’t get BLS, they don’t like the pinch harmonics that often sit in the riffs. But that is Zakk’s style, and he is one of the best metal guitarists on the planet. Engines of Demolition are a perfect vehicle for his guitar mastery, with the rest of the band settled in a perfect groove with him. BLS is one big family, and the cohesion is evident throughout the album.
So, if you’re wanting riffs, solo’s, emotion and a well-constructed and delivered album, Engines of Demolition is the perfect choice.
(4 / 5)
