Track Listing
1. Bored to Tears
2. Rose Petalled Garden, The
3. Hey You (Batch of Lies)
4. Born to Lose
5. Peddlers of Death
6. Mother Mary
7. Beneath the Tree
8. Low Down
9. T.A.Z.
10. Lost My Better Half
11. Black Pearl
12. World of Trouble
13. Spoke in the Wheel
14. Beginning... at Last, The
15. No More Tears
| Details | | Producer: | Howard Albert, Ron Albert, Zakk Wylde | | Distributor: | Fontana Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel: Zakk Wylde (vocals, guitar).
Audio Mixers: Howard Albert; Ron Albert; Zakk Wylde.
Around the late '90s/early 21st century, the traditional guitar solo in hard rock/heavy metal appeared to be a dying beast, as most bands were rejecting six-string leads in favor of focusing solely on detuned riffage (culminating a few years later with Metallica's sonic stinkbomb, St. Anger). But one early sign that the tide was changing was the arrival of the Zakk Wylde-led project Black Label Society, and their 1999 debut, Sonic Brew. Expectedly, the group is all about the almighty guitar -- loud 'n' proud riffs and solos abound -- while Wylde himself handles the vocal duties (and can alternate his voice between a more melodic Phil Anselmo on the heavier material, and a Southern rocker on the acoustic fare). The majority of the album's style is basically summed up with the opening track, "Bored to Tears," with a few detours along the way (such as acoustic guitar shredfest "T.A.Z.," and the Lynyrd Skynyrd-like ballad "Spoke in the Wheel"). With the arrival of Sonic Brew, a whole new era of guitarists practicing their speed and scales in their bedrooms would soon be ushered in. ~ Greg Prato
In the press material for Sonic Brew, Zakk Wylde calls his new project Black Label Society, a band featuring himself and drummer Phil Ondich, "Alcohol Fueled Brewtality for the Next Millennium." Translated, that means Sonic Brew is a boozy, balls-to-the-wall metallic hard rock album that is unashamed about being a hard rock album. To be blunt, nothing on the record sounds as if it's designed for the year 2000 -- it sounds like classic '80s metal. Wylde isn't a great singer or songwriter, but he can write a riff and drive it into the ground while spitting out furious solos. The thing is, he's so unabashed about his love for this music that it winds up being quite entertaining. Few other albums in 1999 sound like this, and that will be enough for fans of unpretentious, boozy, bloozy hard rock, since they aren't getting much of it at the close of the 20th century. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Editorial Reviews
3 stars (out of 5) - ...the liveliness of the guitars ensures that Black Label Society don't fit too snugly into the stereotypical stoner pigeonhole, while the diversity...prevents the album from being too homogenous. A move in the right direction.
Q (09/01/1999)
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