Catacombs of the Black Vatican

Catacombs of the Black Vatican is a work on which BLACK LABEL SOCIETY combined heavy riffs with a blues-derived melodic sense to draw deep shadow. The guitar rings roughly, yet the edges of the phrases hold melancholy, so it never ends as mere heaviness. Even after a long career, Zakk Wylde’s guitar and singing radiate a strong personality. On “Fields of Unforgiveness,” “My Dying Time” and “Damn the Flood,” forceful riffs and heavy groove come to the front. Meanwhile, songs like “Angel of Mercy,” “Scars” and “Shades of Gray” breathe a lyrical melody. The contrast between forceful numbers and passages that let the melody unfold at leisure gives the album depth. It is a sturdy, BLS-style record that lets you taste earthy rock ’n’ roll and metal weight at once.