Catacombs of the Black Vatican [CD], Black Label Society, CD

Catacombs of the Black Vatican will stand as an enduring testament to Black Label Society s sheer force of will and mastery of each and every musical neighborhood the hard rock titans choose to stomp through. The aggressive bite of the barnstorming BLS banger Damn the Flood sits comfortably right alongside the stripped down, emotionally searing Angel of Mercy, Scars and Shades of Gray. The album s opening tracks, Fields of Unforgiveness and lead single My Dying Time, drop the throttle into swampy, down-tempo menace that wouldn t sound out of place in a Classic Rock band s catalog nor at the creative height of the grunge era.