Zakk Wylde is the same kick ass person since 35-40 years ago: the same attitude, the same awesomeness, the same dedication to what he believes in. ‘Engines of Demolition’ does not re-invent the wheel. If you are considering that this album will make you wiser in regard to your music choices, orientation or classification of artists and their work, probably you are looking towards the right direction.
On the contrary, ‘Engines of Demolition’ contains all the DNA of Zakk, everything he has showcased throughout those many years he has been active. It doesn’t have the rawness and the toughness of ‘Sonic Brew’, but it still throws some ‘good’ punches. It doesn’t match ‘The Blesses Hellride’ but it still has some very good picks you can focus on listening (e.g.: The Hand of Tomorrows Grave’), even though as a whole, the album lacks the level of creativity which would elevate it. Even the fans of BLS would like a differentiation on the approach, the pattern or the ideas, and the devil’s advocate could argue that it uses a repeating motive, to some boring. It kinda resembles ‘Hangover Music Vol.4’ with Zakk’s mellow side, which we all love (at least his loyal fans) with for example ‘Better Days & Wiser Times’, a beautiful power ballad, but still someone would expect a bit better from Zakk.
This album is a kind of ‘tribute’ from Zakk to Ozzy and his loss in the summer of 2025, which has severely affected the BLS frontman, however it is far about only Ozzy. There is a variety of themes and lyrics and moods presented here, for example the Mad Max character is mirrored in ‘Lord Humungus’, however, as it was mentioned before, the inspiration is there, always present but to put it in music does not always seem to be an easy task.
‘Engines of Demolition’ is groovy, is fun, is ‘pentantonically cool’, but it still misses this touch, this spark, this catalyst to make stand out from the rest of the BLS catalogue.
Last but not least, ‘Ozzy’s song’ is the ultimate goodbye from Zakk to Ozzy, a fantastic piano and acoustic guitar oriented ballad, dedicated to the Prince of Darkness, a music piece laid out in a humble tone, coming from the heart and with heartbreaking lyrics, a farewell to the one to whom Zakk owes almost everything and whose loss changed everything in his world.
7/10
text by Antonis Mantzavinos
Track list:
01. Name In Blood
02. Gatherer Of Souls
03. The Hand of Tomorrows Grave
04. Better Days & Wiser Times
05. Broken and Blind
06. The Gallows
07. Above & Below
08. Back To Me
09. Lord Humungus
10. Pedal To The Floor
11. Broken Pieces
12. The Stranger
13. Ozzy’s Song
