Review by SilentScream213 for Black Label Society - Sonic Brew (1999)

Southern Metal is one of those Metal genres that just doesn’t have much appeal to me. The strong Blues influence ensures the riffs are simple and boring, and ditto for the rhythm section. Vocals are usually yarled, twang-tinged tough guy grunts, and the lyrics are typically about simple pleasures like alcohol, sex, and other drugs (or oddly enough, Christianity). It’s basically Stoner Metal, except replace the weed with alcohol. Alcoholic Metal.

Sonic Brew is not Black Label Society’s most iconic album, but it’s a great overall display of the genre. One of the reasons is that across its hour-long, 14 track runtime, the band explore every nook and cranny of the genre (that had been established by the turn of the century). It has a decent amount of variety for almost always sticking to the core sound of Southern Metal. Most of it is lead by Grungy vocals and Bluesy, Sludgy riffs. But there are acoustic passages, Southern Rock-esque guitar solos, some anthemic choruses in places, and odd moments of experimentation in sound effects.

And after my trip around the Southern Metal tour multiple times, it’s difficult to remember much of anything because the genre is just pretty… boring. And in fact, the most memorable (and my favorite) tracks are the ones that stray furthest from the style. Spoke in Wheel is a standout… as a Contemporary Country ballad.

It’s the kind of music that can be fun and groovy, but offers almost nothing in the way of depth, emotion, etc. Not quite “Bored to Tears,” but certainly nothing I’d ever come back to.