Black Label Society - 'Mafia'
                                                                                                      Released through Artemis Records in 2005

THE BAND:
Zakk Wylde - vocals, guitar, bass, and piano
Nick (ET) Catanese - guitars
James LoMenzo - bass
Craig Nunenmacher - drums


TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "Fire It Up" - The bass line James wrote for this opening intro section has a very early eighties Pink Floyd feel to it.  Zakk kicks the second half of the intro section in with a very cool simple talk box guitar effect.  This talk box effect will become the main guitar rhythm for the song.  Over the top of the talk box effect of the intro Zakk overdubbed little electric lead guitar effects.  This little lead riffs have a whale sound to them.  At the tail end of the intro section there is a huge lead guitar scale that bridges the intro to the verse.  One of the many things I like about Zakk, is he is able to keep the guitar riffs of the verses very simple sounding.  But also being able to punch you in teeth at the same time.  There is no other guitarist out there who could pull this off.  Zakk drills the vibrato with the talk box!!!  The guitar solo was pure genius!  And I would not have expected any thing less than perfection.
2.) "What's In You" -This track opens with a very simple Black Label Society intro section.  The vocal lines of the verse are very similar in sound to the stuff Zakk was doing on '1919 Eternal'.  Craig's bass drum pattern just blew me away!  To connect the verse with the chorus Zakk plays a very simple electric pick slide.  Through the choruses Zakk more or less just chords the guitar rhythm.  It is amazing how Zakk can write a very laid back melodic guitar solo and make it work with such powerful rhythm guitar arrangement.  
3.) "Suicide Messiah" -This track opens with a huge Zakk Wylde lead guitar riff.  Vocally Zakk sounds like early Ozzy with Sabbath.  At the end of the last vocal of the verse they added a vocal echo to the vocal line.  The band change the rhythm for the chorus.  The vocal control Zakk has through this arrangement is just amazing.  The drastic musical changes this song has really shows how tight the members of BLS are.  I really liked how Zakk chose to arranged the guitar solo. 
4.) "Forever Down" -Zakk really shines on the piano and on this track he really gets a chance to express this.  The placement of the mini moog arrangements fill in several of the empty spaces left by the piano and the two really accent each other.  I was expecting this track to be a ballad.  But with Zakk you never can really tell and after the very cool piano arrangement the band really kick in with one of the coolest Zakk vibrato rhythms I believe I've ever heard him do.  Through the chorus arrangement Zakk added these very cool pick slides that run from one speaker to the next.  Craig changes the feel of the song several times by changing up the main drum rhythm.  In the fashion Zakk arranged the solo section of the song causes the musical arrangement to build with intensity. 
5.) "In The River" -This track opens with a piano arrangement.  Over the top of the piano arrangement Zakk overdubbed several small sustainer guitar lead scales.  Vocally in my opinion no one sings ballads like Zakk!!!  The bass line for this song is one of the best written bass lines I've heard in a very long time.  The guitar solo for this song was a lot more intense than I expected, but then again you never know what to expect with Zakk. 
6.) "You Must Be Blind" - This track opens with a very intense musical arrangement.  At the beginning of the vocal lines of the verse Zakk added a small vocal effect to the vocal track.  The chorus in comparison to the verse arrangement, musically as a very abstract feel to it.  The guitar solo Zakk wrote for this song has to be one of the strangest I believe I've ever heard. 
7.) "Death March" -This track opens with a very laid back heavy guitar arrangement.  The vocal lines of the verse have an echo effect attached too them.  Though the song is very heavy Zakk was able to give the chorus a very melodic feel.  The band incorporates a mimi mood to fill in several of the empty spaces left by the guitar rhythms.  For Zakk he keep the guitar solo fairly simple.    
8.) "Dr. Octavia" -Instrumental
9.) "Say What You Will" -This track opens with a very heavy musical arrangement.  In the fashion Zakk wrote and performed the vocals of the verse blew me away!!!  Zakk's overdubbed vocal effects of the chorus have a echo effect.  Scattered throughout  the arrangement are several little Zakk signature vibrato licks. During the breakdown there is a small James vocal section. 
10.) "Too Tough To Die" -James opens this track with a very cool bass line.  The bass line arrangement is the main instrument through the verses.  Zakk really pulled back just playing little lead fills.  The choruses of the song are very laid back.  The vocal arrangements causes the song to have an abstract feel at times.  This is just a very simple yet cool BLS song.
11.) "Electric Hellfire" -This track opens with a thunder effect and spoken vocal piece.  The musical intro opens with a bass line.  I really liked the way Zakk wrote the arrangements for the verses.  The choruses are pulled way back in comparison to the verses.  I thought the guitar solo was short by Zakk's usual songwriting.
12.) "Spread Your Wings" -This track opens with a percussion shaker.  The main guitar riffs of the intro section gives the song a very abstract feel.  After hearing the verse there is no doubt who is playing guitar.  The song has several real strange musical effect that makes the song very cool sounding.  The guitar solo is pure Zakk at his finest!!!
13.) "Been A Long Time" -This song is arranged where the vocal lines of the verse are done without music.  The only music you hear is in between the vocal lines.  This is a very strange musical writing technique that gives the song a Sabbath feel.  at times Zakk overdubbed the vocal lines of the verse and causes the vocals to sound real heavy.  Vocally the vocal accents have a Alice In Chains feel.  The band changes the musical arrangement through the solo section.  There also is a huge bass line underneath the guitar solo.
14.) "Dirt On The Grave" -This track opens with piano and acoustic guitar arrangement.  I really liked how Zakk wrote the vocal lines of the verse sections.  Zakk plays all instruments on this track and after hearing it one can see why.  The vocal overdubs where set up and performed with perfection.  This is one of the greatest Zakk songs I've heard.  The song has a small acoustic guitar solo.  Scattered through out the song are little electric talk box guitar effects that where used to fill in the empty spaces of the acoustic.
15.) "I Never Dreamed"  -This song as a whole is just pure amazing.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.


    There is not much you can say about Zakk except, he is a living legend!!!  'Mafia' is Zakk's ninth solo release and the six release under the title of Black Label Society.  It seems with every BLS release Zakk pushes the envelope of intensity and sound.  This CD is well worth $18.50 and in fact could be considered the best BLS release to date.