Nu-metal be damned; Zakk Wylde might say there's only one kind of metal, and that's "heavy." On THE BLESSED HELLRIDE, the ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist's Black Label Society attempts to create nothing less than the ultimate mullet-sporting high school headbanger's dream album. Fans of old school, "strap on Les Paul/insert into Marshall stack/rock like hell" thrash mayhem will find a lot to love here, from the raw, aggressive monster guitar and drum sounds to the Black Sabbath-via-Judas Priest gargantuan riffs. The lyrics pretty much stick to the metal essentials: drugs, evil, supernatural forces, death, and oh yeah, more drugs. For those who find nu-metal suspiciously lacking in heft, THE BLESSED HELLRIDE provides a welcome fix of the hard stuff.

Rovi