Zakk Wylde on Tuesday released his latest Black Label Society studio album, “Order of the Black.” This is the band’s first album in four years and it gives fans everything they expect from Zakk and BLS. In some ways “Order of the Black” is heavier than the last few albums from Wylde. The opening song of the album,”Crazy Horse” reminds me a lot of songs that were on “1919 Eternal” — heavy riffs with Zakk’s signature solo punching through the middle of the song.

As you’d expect from Wylde, he has some fun on the album too. At the end of the hard riffing “Overlord,” Zakk does a little 1920s sounding vocal of the chorus, which has to make you laugh.

As much as Zakk is known for his incredible guitar playing, he is also known for his heartfelt ballads, and he delivers on the newest album. “Darkest Days,” “Time Waits for No One” and “January” give you a look into the songwriting talent of Zakk.

The iTunes download also comes with a couple of videos. The first is the “BLS Bunker Studio Tour,” giving fans a look inside Zakk’s new studio that he built at home over the last year. The other video is Zakk sitting at a piano singing “The Last Goodbye,” a ballad from his 2006 “Shot to Hell” studio release.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet Zakk on several occasions and talk to him about music and guitars. Besides being a nice guy, Zakk shows a lot of respect for his fellow musicians and his fans.

In return, Zakk’s fans show him respect and helped him built a loyal following like very few bands have ever done. Going to a BLS concert is like meeting with thousands of your best friends. I attend every show I can, proudly wearing the BLS vest I got from Zakk a few years ago, showing my respect for what he does.

I remember talking to Les Paul a few years ago about some of the old blues guitars players and the conversation turned to more modern players, particularly Zakk. Les commented on how talented Zakk was and it made me realize how much of an impact Zakk has had on guitar players from all generations.

If you haven’t picked up “Order of the Black” yet, go get it now, you won’t be disappointed.