Stronger Than Death

Stronger Than Death is the second album on which BLACK LABEL SOCIETY gave the songs a raw drive through thick guitar tone and low-slung rhythm. Pushing the direction of the debut to something even heavier, Zakk Wylde’s hoarse singing and surging riffs create overwhelming force. The melody slipped between the bold riffs keeps it from ending as mere brute force. On “Superterrorizer,” “Counterfeit God,” “13 Years of Grief” and “Just Killing Time,” heavy groove and aggression come to the front. Meanwhile, songs like “Ain't Life Grand” and “Love Reign Down” hold lyrical melody and melancholy. Keeping the look of the solo-name period while making the band’s outline clearer, it is a record that is heavy and rough yet also holds firm melodic sense, with Zakk Wylde’s personality as a guitarist fully displayed throughout.