Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society return and bring their second greatest hits collection in the last five years with Skullage. This is a more elaborate package than 2005's Kings of Damnation: Era 1998-2004 CD, with a DVD included as well. The CD itself is a nice collection of BLS material spanning their whole career and of course includes tracks from the two releases after Kings of Damnation, Mafia and Shot to Hell. What's nice is of the 12 tunes on the CD, only two are repeated from the KOD collection. This is really unavoidable as the tracks are two of BLS' more popular numbers, "Stillborn" and "Bleed for Me". Of course with any greatest hits collection there are people who will not be happy with the entire choice of songs. Skullage is no different, as the only track from the Sonic Brew album is "Spoke in The Wheel", which is an acoustic version live from Lehigh Valley. This was a small promotional tour Zakk had done in support of the Blessed Hellride album that was titled "Slightly Amped". The live acoustic tracks included on the CD are "The Blessed Hellride", "Spoke in The Wheel", and "Stillborn".
Also included in the Skullage package is a DVD. The best part of the DVD is the included live footage of the aforementioned "Slightly Amped" acoustic performance. The problem is the rest of the DVD is all previously released BLS footage; but this is a greatest hits compilation so that makes it ok, right? There are live performances taken from the previously releases BLS DVD's Doom Troopin': European Invasion and Boozed, Broozed, and Broken Boned. All the bands videos that have been produced for MTV, etc. are also here. There is also a segment titled "Welcome to the Compound", which is basically interviews with Zakk at home and whatnot. This is more footage that most BLS fans have seen already. While most of this footage is supposed to be taken tongue in cheek, it's really rather embarrassing for Zakk to be honest. And it is understandable that Zakk has a sense of humor, Zakk is being Zakk, not taking himself too seriously, blah, blah, blah; that's what the BLS fans will say. But the guy has lifted himself up to "Guitar god" status and all this does is make him look like an idiot really.
Overall this is a good package for someone who is a fringe BLS fan, or someone who wants to just get one thing from BLS and get the most bang for their buck. Diehard fans have most of the material already but may want this for their collection, especially the Lehigh Valley footage.
CD Track Listing:
01.Machine Gun Man
02. Dead As Yesterday
03. All For You
04. 13 Years of Grief
05. Bleed for Me
06. Doomsday Jesus
07. Stillborn
08. Won't Find It Here
09. Suicide Messiah
10. In This River
11. Fire It Up
12. New Religion
13. Instrumental Intro (acoustic)
14. The Blessed Hellride (acoustic)
15. Spoke in the Wheel (acoustic)
16. Stillborn (acoustic)
DVD Listing:
1. All For You (from "Boozed Broozed & Broken-Boned")
2. 13 Years of Grief (from "Boozed Broozed & Broken-Boned")
3. Bleed For Me (from "Boozed Broozed & Broken-Boned")
4. Stillborn (Video)
5. Suicide Messiah (Video)
6. In This River (Video)
7. Fire It Up (Video)
8. Acoustic (Live)
9. Instrumental Intro (Live in Lehigh Valley) (4:59)
10. The Blessed Hellride (Live in Lehigh Valley) (5:47)
11. Spoke In The Wheel (Live in Lehigh Valley) (5:32)
12. We Live No More (Live in Lehigh Valley) (10:29)
13. Stillborn (Live in Lehigh Valley) (6:12)
14. New Religion (New Footage) (4:04)
15. Welcome to The Compound (New Footage) (29:50)
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