A couple of heavy rock and roll hitters are coming through town this week, and both have new albums in tow.

Black Label Society

The last year has been a wild one for Black Label Society's famed frontman.

In the past 12 months guitar legend Zakk Wylde has sobered up, survived deadly blood clots, and severed ties with longtime mentor/calloborator Ozzy Ozbourne, all punctuated by a new record for BLS, released last month.

Wylde has had a rough run of health issues, starting a couple of years ago when he was forced to cancel a series of shows to have throat surgery to removed a polyp on his vocal chords. Shortly after recovering, he suffered an umbilical hernia from too much heavy lifting. Wylde ended it 20-year drinking binge last year when doctors warned him of severe liver and pancreas damage.

His most recent health scare involved nearly lethal blood clots. Black Label Society had to cancel dates on last summer's Pedal to the Metal Tour while Wylde was hospitalized to treat the blood clots in hopes of preventing an embolism.

Wylde closed out 2009 with the unceremonious split with Ozbourne -- who was Wylde's musical inspiration since his teens -- ending their two decades of making music together after Ozbourne suddenly fired him.

Wylde weathered the turbulence by channeling his energy into his band's latest album, "Order of the Black," released last month on former Koch Records' imprint, E1 Music.

The new record is filled with classic metal riffage framed against funky grooves and elements of southern rock.

Among the album's highlights are a couple of stand out ballads and lighter jams., including moments when Wylde switches out his trademark guitar to lead on piano.

The acoustic-based "January" recalls Lynryd Skynryd, and "Shallow Grave" contains subtle indie and pop dynamics.

But Wylde ultimately stays true to his roots on "Order of the Black," with plenty of rockers that are as big and burly as his beard.

The Cult

After parting ways in 2008 with metal mainstay label Roadrunner Records, The Cult is striking back with a multimedia assault.

The band is planning a series of "Capsule" EPs in four-song blasts, starting with "Capsule One," released Tuesday.

Coming out on The Cult's own Wilderness Records label, the "Capsule" series is the result of a partnership between The Cult and pioneering music technology company Aderra Media Technologies, which specializes in recording live events directly to USB flash drives.

"Capsule One" comes on the heels of the British quintet's long awaited and internationally sold-out Love Live Tour coinciding with the remastered classic "Love Album" last year.

Aderra recorded several of the live shows, including a sold-out appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The band sold exclusive recordings of the shows on USB flash drives strung on dog tag necklaces.

The "Capsule One" package includes two new songs, live recordings from the Love Live Tour as well as a short film "Prelude to Ruins," co-directed by The Cult's star Ian Astbury. The album is available in several formats, including mp3, dual disc CD/DVD and limited edition 12-inch vinyl.

In an interview with UK rock radio station Planet Rock, Cult guitarist Billy Duffy said the band is using technology to find a more fluid alternative to releasing music in the traditional way. The fact that there aren't many record shops anymore is indicative of changing listening habits, he said.

"I think people's attention spans are shortening... (We) just wanted to capture the music quickly and get it our there," Duffy said. "The people who are buying tangible, what you'd call hard products, like vinyl, they're collectors and they want stuff that has a little bit more depth and content, and that's why it'll be a multimedia package."

This story appeared in The Spokesman-Review Newspaper.