After spending several years with
Ozzy Osbourne
and recording one album with the heavy
Southern rock
trio
Pride & Glory
, guitarist
Zakk Wylde
released his debut solo album,
Book of Shadows
, in June of 1996. Naturally, the album is a guitar showcase, with each song boasting a dazzling guitar solo or two. That much was expected. What is a surprise is the musical diversity apparent throughout the album.
Wylde
does kick out some heavy riff-driven rockers, but he also detours into
blues
,
country
, and
folk
on occasion. That diversity ensures that
is more listenable for the average listener than most guitarist-led albums. However,
's songwriting skills remain weak; although the playing is memorable, the melodies rarely are. Nevertheless, there's enough prime instrumental work here to make it a very worthwhile listen for guitar aficionados and a few of the tracks should satiate fans of straight-ahead heavy
boogie rock
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine