Black Label Society - Engines Of Demolition - review
Black Label Society - Engines Of Demolition - review
Tracklist
01. Name In Blood02. Gatherer Of Souls
03. The Hand Of Tomorrows Grave
04. Better Days & Wiser Times
05. Broken And Blind
06. The Gallows
07. Above & Below
08. Back To Me
09. Lord Humungus
10. Pedal To The Floor
11. Broken Pieces
12. The Stranger
13. Ozzy's Song
14. Name In Blood (Unblackened)
15. Lord Humungus (Unblackened)
A review by
omne metallum April 03, 2026
The saying that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes doesn't apply to metal, for any metalhead knows there are plenty of certainties on which you can rely on. From Buckethead releasing a new album in the time it takes most people to make a sandwich, Scott Ian appearing in a metal documentary, an interview with Dave Mustaine referencing Metallica (fun fact: he used to be in that band, didn't you know?) to Zakk Wylde going on random and overly long guitar solos at any and all opportunities: these are just some things that are guaranteed to happen. With no documentary in sight, Wylde is free to solo aimlessly on Black Label Society's latest effort Engines Of Demolition, and wouldn't you believe it? He does solo aimlessly.
In a similar vein, while not a certainty, one thing Black Label Society can be counted on more often than not is to make a good, not great record; Engines Of Demolition lives up to expectations, another enjoyable album for fans of Black Label Society, but not one that you'll be putting on constant rotation.
The usual blend of stoner metal and southern rock power these Engines Of Demolition, something that has become formulaic to a fault for Wylde and Co at times. Still, when inspiration strikes, the band do rev hard and produce a powerful track or two. The opening "Name In Blood" accelerates from a standing start and gets the album up to speed in short order. "The Gallows" has an old school Pentagram vibe that will hook you in, while "The Stranger" is a driving anthem that tips its hat to psychedelic rock.
As aforementioned, the usual overdriven guitar work is often pushed front and centre next to the main riff as to what will sell you on a song. Wylde and Lorina deliver once again, if to a fault on tracks like "Broken And Blind" that seem to hang their hat solely on their guitar work to sell themselves to you. This leads to the biggest issue with Engines Of Demolition, namely that many of the songs are merely vehicles for Wylde to put out a solo, leading to otherwise passable if uninspired songs filling up the (nearly hour-long) runtime, as songcraft takes a backseat to the widdly widdly.
As you can imagine, all eyes are on "Ozzy's Song" given Wylde's relationship with the deceased prince of darkness and... it's alright. For a song you would assume would be packing huge emotional heft as Wylde honours the man who basically gave him a career, it's a rather bland track beyond the title, an OK listen but nothing you'll be desperately pressing the skip button to reach.
So there you have it, another record and another certainty in life. Engines Of Demolition can be counted on for giving you something enjoyable to listen to, but don't expect many highlights amongst its nigh-hour runtime: enjoyable but rarely great.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 7 |
Written on 03.04.2026 by
Written on 03.04.2026 by
Just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening. Comments
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He should focus on Zakk Sabbath because I enjoy it better as latest 2 to 3 Black Label Society albums. He should form new band Zozzy and play Ozzy Osbourne covers
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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