Black Label Society - Unblackened [3LP UK Import]

Unblackened strips Black Label Society back to acoustic guitars, piano and Zakk Wylde's weathered voice, capturing a 2013 Los Angeles show across three LPs on this UK import.

Wylde made his name as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and then as the bearded, biker-metal force behind Black Label Society, so an unplugged set might look like a curveball. It isn't really. Ballads and Southern rock had always been part of his songwriting, and this concert at Club Nokia puts them front and centre, with Derek Sherinian on piano and the band giving the heavier material a dusty, campfire glow.

"In This River", the song long tied to Wylde's late friend Dimebag Darrell, lands with real emotional weight. "Queen of Sorrow" sounds tailor-made for this setting, warm and melancholy, while "Won't Find It Here" stretches into a long, soulful highlight with plenty of room for Wylde's fluid lead playing. "Throwin' It All Away" runs past eleven minutes, the sound of musicians enjoying the space a live show gives them.

The quieter setting also shines a light on Wylde's voice, which carries more grit and tenderness than his reputation as a shredder might suggest.

For fans who know Zakk mostly for his pinch harmonics, this is a revealing and heartfelt side of the man.