Article: Black Label Society – Unblackened 4/3/15

Black Label Society made a damn good impression on me last year at their Best Buy Theater show with Down, Butcher Babies and Devil You Know. Stacked tour bill, amazing show and a rare musical number with Black Label Society and Down/Pantera vocalist Philip Anselmo grabbing the reigns to sing Pantera classic “I’m Broken”. Black Label returned to New York, just in Long Island. Without a doubt in my mind I applied for the event and made it through with no issues. Until I found out it was an acoustic tour. B.L.S considers their Unblackened events to be acoustic. Which it really is not acoustic if you think about it. The whole show is played and performed no problem, except that everyone is sitting down. I found this perplexing at first to play nothing but heavy hits while sitting down, but its B.L.S. You just can’t say no to that. The amount of energy and madness those men throw onto the stage is exhilarating enough. I just wish the audience was compelled to keep the peace instead of fighting eachother during the set. This was NOT the comeback I anticipated, But I still hold a candle to the talents of those outstanding performers. But I don’t run the show. Regardless of my gripes, I enjoyed the event. From a journalists perspective, The engagement and exhilaration just isn’t there, it really just becomes ordinary coverage. Check out the photos below and the bands setlist but be warned, EVERYONE WAS SITTING DOWN.

Black Label Society Photo Gallery:

Black Label Society Setlist:

• 1. The Battle of Evermore
     (Led Zeppelin song)
  1. Losin’ Your Mind
     (Pride & Glory cover)
  2. Suicide Messiah
  3. Road Back Home
     (Zakk Wylde song)
  4. Spoke in the Wheel
  5. House of Doom
  6. Machine Gun Man
     (Pride & Glory cover)
  7. Sold My Soul
     (Zakk Wylde song)
  8. Angel of Mercy
  9. In This River
  10. Scars
      (Live Premiere)
  11. Empty Promises
      (Live Premiere)
  12. Throwin’ It All Away
      (Zakk Wylde song)
  13. The Blessed Hellride
  14. My Dying Time
  15. Overlord
  16. Stillborn
  17. No Excuses
      (Alice in Chains song)

I will catch all you rockers on the flip side, just on my own two legs.

–Derek Soto–