Stronger Than Death

For Black Label Society's sophomore effort, 2000s Stronger Than Death, Zakk Wylde and company (actually, only one other full member at the time, drummer Phil Ondich) offered another slab of guitar-heavy, headbanging metal. With many rock bands expanding their approach -- for better or for worse -- on subsequent albums, Stronger Than Death shed the few remaining Southern rock elements that were heard on Sonic Brew (undoubtedly left over from Wylde's Pride & Glory days). The riffs are meaty and the solos are furious, as heard on such tracks as the album-opening "All for You," "Counterfeit God" (which is a song about a subject that seemingly every single metal band has penned a song about -- televangelists), and the title track, the latter of which includes a vocal cameo from New York Mets slugger Mike Piazza. Stronger Than Death provided a firm confirmation that Black Label Society would be sticking closely to the guitar-heavy game plan from here on out. ~ Greg Prato