Kingcrimsonprog Black Label Society’s sixth full-length studio album, Mafia, was released on Artemis records in 2005. It is one of the band’s most popular records to date.

The album contains the famous tracks “Fire It Up” (featured in Guitar Hero), Suicide Messiah (About Scott Weiland’s addiction problems) and the ballad “In This River” (Retroactively made into a tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell afterwards).

It is one of the band’s most straight-forward and easily digestible records, with a very clean production job, mostly shorter track durations, and the emphasis shifted slightly from big dirty riffs and meaty grooves to more of a focus on the cleaner vocals and the guitar tricks. If you have lots of Black Label Society albums already, or really prefer the rawer and heavier sound of their debut then you may want to give this one a miss, but otherwise this is a solid, streamlined, fan-pleasing record which delivers exactly what you would expect from the band and from Zakk.

“Forever Down” is the perfect example of the album’s style. It’s a three-minute track that begins with a piano intro to showcase the band’s cleaner side. A simple stompy beat in an upper-mid-tempo pervades throughout, topped off with a main riff with lots of pinches and vibratos, and is augmented towards the end with nice flashy solo. If you wonder whether or not this album is for you, try out that track.

Highlights include the quicker “Say What You Will,” the moody “Too Tough To Die” and the groovy “Been A Long Time.”

Overall; Black Label Society have heavier albums, lighter albums and more varied albums than this. However, if you want the archetypal Black Label Society sound and the hit singles then this is the obvious place to go. Its slick, comfortable, and a good starting place for new fans. If you can, try and pick up a version with the Lynyrd Skynyrd cover “I Never Dreamed” as a bonus track.

FusionKing You may have at some point in life wondered...'what would it sound like if there were to be a ferocious battle between a gang of 1920's Sicillian crooks and a crowd of rowdy Hell's Angels, a case of Harley's and rifles hidden in instrument cases?' well, the answer is Black Label Society's 'Mafia'. This is hefty, grimey doom laden metal. The guitar work is bone crunchingly deep and heavy, the bass is very noticeable and the drums thud away with passion- all of which are a result of the loud and full production which this album has recieved. Zakk's whiskey fuelled vocals are most enjoyable indeed, the manner in which he writes the lyrics is not all too different to how he does so with Ozzy Osbourne. 'Mafia' has a very distinctive firey, Southern feel to it, of which the only negative thing that can be said about it, is that it lacks the youthful electricity when it comes to guitar work that Zakk Wylde brought to our attention on albums such as 'No Rest For The Wicked' and 'No More Tears' back when he started out with Ozzy. This is the case with much of the album. Look out for...'Fire It Up', 'Suicide Messiah', 'Forever Down' and 'Spread Your Wings', my personal favourites. Thus said, it is not a disappointment and nor is it a masterpiece, but if you like Zakk and a bit of good, grinding Southern Metal, then this is the one for you.