Grimmest Hits

Released in 2018, Grimmest Hits is the tenth studio album by Black Label Society and serves as a definitive statement of Zakk Wylde's late-career sonic identity. Despite the misleading title, it is a collection of entirely new material that leans heavily into the band's Sabbathian roots and Led Zeppelin-esque grooves. The album was a commercial powerhouse, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Music and Independent charts, famously outselling major pop acts during its release week. Sonically, the record is characterized by its 'sludgy' production and Wylde’s transition into a vocal style that increasingly mirrors his mentor, Ozzy Osbourne. While it doesn't reinvent the BLS formula, it refines it, offering a mix of high-energy anthems like 'Room of Nightmares' and melancholic, sprawling tracks like 'The Day That Heaven Had Gone Away'. It remains a cornerstone of modern Southern-influenced heavy metal.