CD REVIEWS
By Michael Swanger scenescribe@mchsi.com
Black Label Society
“Order of the Black”
Black Label Recordings
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. So after having survived deadly blood clots, parting ways with his longtime boss, Ozzy Osbourne, and giving up alcohol after decades of well-documented abuse, perhaps no one should be surprised that Zakk Wylde would rebound from a tumultuous year to deliver Black Label Society’s ferocious new album, “Order of the Black.” From the muscular opening riffs of “Crazy Horse,” to closing acoustic ballad, “January,” this album is classic metal bravado and an in-your-face reminder that Wylde remains a powerful force on the metal scene. “Parade of the Dead” and “Black Sunday” highlight Wylde’s wild vocals and wilder guitar, while power ballads like “Darkest Days” and the surprising, acoustic Latin instrumental “Chupacabra” demonstrate Wylde’s more sensitive side. CV
(Black Label Society plays Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at 7 Flags Event Center in Clive. $25.)
Anders Osborne
“American Patchwork”
Alligator Records
Sweden-born, New Orleans roots-rocker Anders Osborne’s new album “American Patchwork” couldn’t be more appropriately titled. It’s a rousing, yet thoughtful collection of soul-baring rock, classic R&B and pop that only a versatile, Big Easy musician can deliver. At the heart of it all is Osborne’s songwriting, which demonstrates lyrical depth on songs like “Killing Each Other,” which opens with the lines: “The right to be praying has lost all its meaning/We’ve turned our opinion into religion, we’re killing each other.” Add to that a patchwork of groove-oriented instrumentation fueled by Osborne’s gritty guitar and Stanton Moore’s drumming, as well as Osborne’s soaring vocals on R&B songs like “On the Road to Charlie Parker,” and “Darkness At the Bottom,” and you have a stirring musical gumbo that feeds the soul. CV
(The Stanton Moore Trio plus Anders Osborne plays Thursday, Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. at the Vaudeville Mews. $15.)
