48. Black Label Society / Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live + 5. 2002. 4.5/5.

With the conclusion of his album “Ozzmosis” which was released in late 1995, Ozzy Osbourne had moved away from any further discussion about recording albums under his own name. The much heralded talk of a reunion of the original Black Sabbath line up took on greater importance, along with the formation of the Ozzfest, at which both Black Sabbath and Ozzy would appear annually. Osbourne admitted he had decided that he wanted to keep his band and music alive purely in the live environment, rather than feeling as though he had to produce studio albums on a regular basis.
This had, in turn, freed up guitarist Zakk Wylde, who had formed his band Black Label Society, and released two studio albums of his own, “Sonic Brew” and “Stronger Than Death” – with “Stronger Than Death” being reviewed on episode 49 of this podcast if you are interested. These albums had been composed and also exclusively played by himself, with only drummer Phil Ondich providing help on both albums. However, if Black Label Society was going to do live shows, he indeed had to have a live band, which meant drawing in players to be involved.
On October 28, 2000, Black Label Society played at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, and the set was recorded with a view to releasing a live album by the band. With only two albums released at that time, it meant that it would contain what was truly a best of the best of the band to that point in time. However, this was apparently not seen to be enough, and so the album contained a second disc with five new studio tracks as well. For fans, it was a double dip. For the uninitiated, it was a perfect place to start to hear what all of the fuss was about. And if that wasn’t enough, the title of the live album helped explain everything – Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live!! + 5.

What a fantastically brilliant journey through the material of the Black Label Society catalogue this album produces. And perhaps the key part of the album is this – that although to this point in time Black Label Society had been basically a one man show, with Zakk writing and recording practically everything himself, it is this album in the live environment that truly brings those songs to life, and shows why BLS is a band and not a project.
From the opening burst of “Lowdown”, where Zakk’s vocals duel with his outrageous guitaring for the most dominating experience of the album, the band is totally on song. The drum sound of touring drummer Craig Nunenmacher, newly instituted into the band after Phil Ondich had left mid-tour, is magnificent, backed alongside the dual guitars of Zakk and Nick Catanese which really bring these songs to life off the vinyl and the studio versions, and the guttural bass lines provided by Steve Gibb accentuate all the best parts of the songs. And here in this live environment, the Doom Squad leaves no time for breath as each song segues perfectly into the next, seamlessly entwining each song into one long march across the battlefield. “Lowdown” into “13 Years of Grief” into “Stronger Than Death” create that dream start to the live album.
Zakk was always going to dominate this album, and that certainly is true of both his guitaring and vocals. Both hold the strength of songs such as “All For You” and “Superterrorizer”, with his iconic declaration that “Limp Bizkit Sucks Dick” being greeted by the cheers from the crowd that the statement deserves. That, and the riff of “Superterrorizer” is just a magic moment on the album.
It is an easy thing to say that everything on this album sounds better than the studio versions. My contention continues to be that live albums should always be this good because they showcase the artists best material in their best environment, and that is without doubt the case here. Every time Zakk plays a solo with those trademark squeals, such as in songs like “Phoney Smiles & Fake Hellos”, before segueing straight into “Lost My Better Half”, this statement becomes more accurate on each occasion. It is also especially true of the slower tempo songs here. All of the tracks here are played a little faster than their studio versions, but it is the originally composed slower doomier tracks that get a second wind on this album. “Bored to Tears” fits into this category, the greater energy of the live environment brings to the surface all of the great things about the track while being able to cover a few of the noticeable deficiencies it may contain as a result.
The middle of the album offers us the lead guitar solo instrumental of "A.N.D.R.O.T.A.Z.", an acronym that the band has, apparently, never explained its meaning. Certainly, it has ties to the instrumental track from the first Black Label Society album, where that song was titled "T.A.Z.". In essence it allows Zakk the opportunity to give his bandmates a rest as he goes through his repertoire of guitar tricks and sounds, before segueing back into “Born to Booze”, a deliberately retitling of the track “Born to Lose” from that first album as well. This is a rollicking heavy version of that song, the best kind of live adaptation you can take for a song. This is also true of the song it segues into, “World of Trouble”, which again transforms a good song from the opening album into a hard core fast paced live track that now sounds like it is where it truly means to be.
And then, from out of nowhere, comes Black Label Society’s amazing reinvention of the Ozzy Osbourne track, “No More Tears”. This is, to put it mildly, incredible. The whole change of tempo, the distortion level of Zakk’s guitar and his dominating gruff vocal line turn this track, which is one of the most iconic tracks from one of the most iconic artists of all time, into another insane parallel dimension, alternate universe reworking that is just superb. A sludgy, doomy ant-crawling-paced track that is so surprising that on first listen it takes you until almost halfway through the song before you know what it actually is. Not everyone will be able to appreciate it, but to me it is enthrallingly good.
The live section of the album concludes with the terrific “The Beginning… At Last”, blasting out of the remains of the previous track and chugging back to third gear, bringing the live section of this album to a brilliant finish.
The second disc also holds its surprises. Here we return to Zakk performing all of the instruments apart from the drums, and all five songs were recorded in the studio. Zakk also goes into acoustic mode, something that he would do so with increased regularity as Black label Society moved through its album discography. It opens with a startlingly excellent cover of the Neil Young song “Heart of Gold”. Zakk had shown on his debut solo album “Book of Shadows that he was highly adept at acoustic songs, and he proves it once again here. His vocals in particular are superb, and showcases his undoubted talent – in case you weren’t already convinced. This is followed by the other big, massive surprise of the album following the cover of “No More Tears”. Here, Zakk just casually covers Black Sabbath’s amazing song “Snowblind” in a semi-acoustic setting, slowing the pace down to almost zero, and a most amazingly beautiful bass line throughout that perfectly settles with the guitar and piano accompaniment – and Zakk again brings an outstanding vocal. It is impossible to explain just how amazing this version of the song is. Of all of the cover songs ever recorded in the history of music, this for me is in the top five of greatest cover versions. Everything about this track – the conversion to the acoustic almost-ballad-like status, the incorporation of bass and guitar and piano and Zakk’s amazingly toned vocals – is superb. One of the greatest gems ever produced.
The three remaining songs are equally well performed. “Like a Bird” and “Blood in the Well” are both of the same ilk, the acoustic guitar with drum backing and muted bass and piano while Zakk croons over the top. The final song is an acoustic version of “The Beginning… At Last” which is as impressive as the other four tracks on this second disc… though for me not anywhere near the standard as the original electric live version that finished off the first CD of this collection.

It was hard NOT to be a fan of Zakk Wylde after listening to his work with Ozzy Osbourne from the time he joined his band. Everything he brought to the music, not only with his guitar but his song writing, was an enormous part of that band over those years. In 2002 I came across his solo album “Book of Shadows”, something that was completely different from what I expected, but still mostly enjoyable. Not long after this, I had my first experience with Black Label Society, the band’s third studio album “1919 Eternal” and I thought “what the bloody hell is this?!” It was again different from what I expected, but it was something that still grabbed my attention. From there it was a short trip back to also discover that there were two earlier albums in the band’s catalogue, and so I had to experience those as well. And then on top of that, I found this live album. Actually, the first two songs I came across in my hunting down of material was the live version here of ‘No More Tears’, and the studio version of ‘Snowblind’. And they both blew me away, as you will now be aware. And from that point I had to get this album.
When I first got and heard this album, it complemented and enhanced everything that I had heard of Black Label Society to that point in time. My only gripe was that it could not contain liv version of the tracks from “1919 Eternal”. I loved it. I loved the live version of all of these songs, and that just sent me back to those first two albums again to continue to listen and enjoy them as well. And for me, it was a major tipping point. At that time, I felt that, no matter what Ozzy did going forward at that moment in time, and whether or not it involved Zakk as his guitar player, at least we would have Black Label Society.
Flash forward to the modern day, and my love of this album has not diminished. Perhaps the band itself didn’t quite go on and achieve or compose the kind of musical success that I hoped they would. The albums post 2003 have had their peaks and troughs. But listening to this again over the past couple of days has been a pleasure. Indeed, it has made me wonder why it has taken so long for me to return to it. It hasn’t been from not loving it in the past. In the main, the wavering of the love for the albums over the last decade may perhaps have influenced that. But that should not have meant I couldn’t go back to this live album at least, and I know that I won’t be making that mistake as we move forward from this point. The two sides of Black Label Society – the blistering live performances and Zakk’s almost solo compositions in the acoustic realm combine here to create a joyous listening experience. It’s one that everyone should take the time to listen to at least once. You may be surprised at what you find.