Order of the Black

Black Label Society
Industry	Music
Founder	Zakk Wylde
Products	Heavy metal music, albums

Order of the Black represents the eighth full-length release by the American heavy metal group Black Label Society. It was made available in North America on August 10, 2010, through E1 Music. In New Zealand and Australia, distribution was managed by Riot Entertainment with unique cover artwork, while Roadrunner Records handled the European market.

Release

The album’s first single, "Parade of the Dead," was launched on June 16, followed by the release of "Crazy Horse" on iTunes the very next day.

On August 9, 2010, Order of the Black debuted on Rockline Radio with host Bob Coburn and was simultaneously accessible via streaming on AOL Music, excluding regional bonus tracks. These bonus tracks differed by territory and were drawn from the band’s later acoustic project, The Song Remains Not the Same (2011).

Despite the cancellation of a planned performance at the Orange County Choppers event on August 23, Black Label Society embraced digital promotion by releasing ringtones from Order of the Black on August 29.

A special limited edition available exclusively through Target Corporation featured a 50-minute bonus DVD containing Zakk Wylde’s detailed commentary on each track, a solo piece from their preceding album Shot to Hell, and an inside look at the BLS Bunker. This album is notable for being the sole studio recording to include drummer Will Hunt.

From a commercial standpoint, Order of the Black moved roughly 33,000 copies during its initial week in the United States, securing a debut position at number four on the Billboard 200. In Canada, it also entered the charts within the Top 10, reaching number nine.

Personnel

Black Label Society

Zakk Wylde – guitars, lead vocals, piano; also served as producer and mixer
John DeServio – bass guitar, backing vocals; contributed as associate producer and mixer
Will Hunt – drums

Production

Engineering by Adam Klumpp; mixing handled by Wylde, DeServio, and Klumpp
Mastering completed by George Marino
Management overseen by Bob Ringe (Survival Management)
Public relations managed by Carise Yatter (Hired Gun Media) and Darren Edwards
Marketing and online presence coordinated by Jim Baltutis (Concepts in Concert), Denner Vieira, and Angela McGill
Artwork and design created by John Irwin (John Irwin Design) alongside Zakk Wylde

Charts

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Chart rankings for *Order of the Black*
Chart (2010)	Highest position

References