Official Black Label Society Thread

[Rob]

Yeah, fuck Ozzy.  Ozzy wants to be a sell-out prick and put out shitty albums.  Zakk deserves better.  He's an extremely talented guy and should not be held back by Ozzy and Co.

[Malcolm]

 According to ZakkWylde.com, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman and OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Zakk Wylde has issued the following statement regarding the recent war of words between IRON MAIDEN and Sharon Osbourne:

"Although I'm a huge fan of the IRON MAIDEN band and their music, I have a problem with Bruce Dickinson talking shit about America and more personally, about the Godfather of my first-born son."

[mrlee]

Has he addmitted to the egg throwing though?

[Malcolm]

 Former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul recently commented on BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "In This River" video. The moving tribute to the guitar legend "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who would have celebrated his 39th birthday on Saturday, August 20, was directed by Eric Zimmerman and is the new single from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's Artemis Records debut, "Mafia". Frontman Zakk Wylde, primarily known for his stunning guitar prowess, is featured in a rare appearance at the piano.

Commented Vinnie Paul in an Artemis press release: "I'm really glad Zakk dedicated his latest video to the memory of Dime. I remember the night Zakk played it for me on his bus. It's very hard when you lose a best friend, mentor, idol, companion or brother like Dime, and this video captures the emotion and pain that we all feel. As Dime always said, 'It's the highs and lows of rock and roll and you gotta keep on keepin' on.' Great job, Zakk!"

[Rob]

When has Bruce talked shit about America?  All he said was American audiences aren't quite as good as audiences in other countries.  He's 100% right about that.  South and Central American crowds, and many European crowds put many US crowds to shame when it comes to enthusiasm and the sheer number of people who show up at shows.  Its fact, Bruce was just stating facts.

[Malcolm]

[Malcolm]

On Track Magizine recently conducted an exclusive interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On Track Magazine: In light of your success with BLACK LABEL, recently there was an announcement made that Ozzy is seeking a new guitar player to work on his next solo effort. He also stated that he knows you would be on board for anything that he does but he didn't want to pull you away from BLACK LABEL. What are your feelings on this?

Zakk: "Ozzy knows I'll always be there for him. What comes around goes around, 'cause I remember Ozzy, awhile ago when he was lookin' for a guitar player, he goes, 'Zakk, it's a nightmare.' When I first arrived on the scene I was comin' in at the end of the '80s and guitar players were a lot better, then the solos kinda went, but what's old is new again and what's new is old. I've just always figured that you just gotta know how to play your goddamned instrument, you know what I mean? As far as today goes there's a lot of potential within the rest of the BLACK LABEL chapters. There's a whole bunch of kids, and they're all like seventeen years old, eighteen years old, and they all play, like, ten hours a day and you love jammin' again, you know what I mean? When I got the job with Ozzy, there were actually some decent guitar players around, I just happened to fall through the cracks."

On Track Magazine: So are you gonna pursue writing with him and recording with him again?

Zakk: "Um, yeah, I mean the bottom line is, with Oz, he makes the calls, he's the boss, you know what I mean? Whenever he tells me to jump, I ask, 'How high?' With us it's real easy, Sharon [Osbourne] calls Barbara Ann, my wife, and goes, 'Tell the idiot to be down at rehearsals on Wednesday.' 'What time?' 'Tell him to be there at 1 o'clock.'"

On Track Magazine: I know that [Dimebag's] death has had a massive impact on anyone and everyone who knew who he was, but when I first heard the news of what happened, I was beyond shock. I immediately thought of you because that night in L.A. was the last memory I'd had of him there with you. Man, I just kinda stood back and I saw the love between you guys and it was something really heartfelt and it really did a number on me.

Zakk: "Without a doubt, man. It's like, 'In This River' video just came out the other night and every night when I play the song on stage, I gotta try not to cry every time I do it. No, it's crazy, the cop that actually ended up takin' that guy out came on the bus, really super cool guy, young kid too, man. He was the first one on the call to get there, they said there was a shooting goin' on in the club and he was the first one closest to it so he pulled in, just grabbed his 12-gauge and came into the club. He went behind the amps and he saw that dude shootin' and wavin' the gun at the crowd, re-loadin' his gun and then he was gonna shoot?., he had Kat [PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drum tech John 'Kat' Brooks] around the neck and he put the gun up near Kat's head and it was like one of those, 'Well you're either shootin' or you ain't,' and that's why he shot him. And then he went over to see if the dude was still down, he was done, and Kat climbed back up on the stage and took off, 'cause they both fell off the stage. But he just said, 'Yeah, it was f*cked up.' 'Cause he ran into the guy's mother ? the guy who murdered Dime ? he ran into the mother and the mother apologized and said, 'I don't know what happened. We didn't raise our son to be like that.' 'Cause its f*cked up for every family involved, you know what I mean? It'd be like you tellin' me, 'I can't believe my son murdered two people. Where did I go wrong?' As a parent, that's something you don't get over and then you gotta feel bad for the other family 'cause they lost one of their children. So it's just bad news all around."

[Malcolm]

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have parted ways with bassist James Lomenzo (ex-WHITE LION, DAVID LEE ROTH, PRIDE & GLORY), informed sources have told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. A replacement bassist has yet to be announced.

[Malcolm]

 As BLABBERMOUTH.NET exclusively reported on Sept. 17, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have now officially confirmed the departure of bassist James Lomenzo. "The decision to part ways with James Lomenzo was a mutual one between James and [BLACK LABEL SOCETY mainman] Zakk [Wylde]," the band write in a press release.

"John 'JD' DeServio will be playing bass on the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY 'Mafia' post-Ozzfest tour. Most of you will remember J.D. from the early BLACK LABEL SOCIETY days, and we're excited to have him back rockin the low end once again.

"Zakk has always said that the bass position is like 'Mount Bassmore' and Zakk enjoys playing with many different bassists."

[F*ck Fear]

Thanks for posting Malcolm

[Malcolm]

OZZY OSBOURNE/BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Zakk Wylde will be performing a guitar version of the National Anthem tonight (Oct. 6) at the Los Angeles Staples center prior to the Los Angeles Kings' home opener against the Phoenix Coyotes. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

[mrlee]

will this be streamed like slashs was? Zakk rocks *moshes*

[Malcolm]

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde recently spoke to Ron Wynn of the Nashville City Paper about the group's benefit show tonight (October 11) at the recently opened City Hall venue in Nashville, TN. All profits will be donated to the American Red Cross to benefit the victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Alternative rock station WBUZ/Nashville is a partner in the event and is offering tickets on air. Tickets are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster locations and online at Ticketmaster.com.

"We know so many people and have extensive connections to families and friends in Louisiana and Mississippi, so this is the least we can do," Wylde said. "People should also know that absolutely every penny that we raise at this event is going directly to the people and families that have been so greatly affected."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's latest CD, "Mafia", has already gotten substantial exposure and attention, with the third single, "In This River", recently being shipped to rock radio. It?s a dashing, though also poignant, tribute to Wylde's departed friend, PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.

"One thing that we?re really trying to do now, whether in the studio or in concert, is keep things as fresh and spontaneous as possible," Wylde said. "We really didn?t do a lot of rehearsal prior to recording 'Mafia', because I didn?t want to drain all the life out of them. That's one complaint I've had periodically with Ozzy. I like to get out there and see what's going to happen with the music, let it develop and not just be out there doing it the same way all the time.

"With BLACK LABEL SOCIETY we're going to have fun, and we're going to try and make our shows as fresh and spontaneous as possible."

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY recently parted ways with bassist James Lomenzo. Replacing him on the group's upcoming dates will be John "JD" DeServio, who had previously played with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY during the band's early days.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will be embarking on a U.S. tour with BRAND NEW SIN beginning on October 14 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The band's latest album, "Mafia", has sold 175,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

[Rob]

I'm hopefully going to see them October 23rd in NJ.  I saw them at Ozzfest, but a small venue show should blow that out of the water.  That and it won't be 138 degrees.

[Malcolm]

Deb Rao of Glam-Metal.com recently conducted an interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Glam-Metal.com: Last time we spoke, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY were ripping the roof off arenas at Ozzfest this summer. Tell me how is the fall "Mafia" touring going so far?

Zakk Wylde: "We are having an ass-kicking good time! It's BLACK LABEL, ya know?! The gayness never never stops. KISS puts the 'X' in sex, BLACK LABEL puts gay into gayness. We have been raising hell, boozing it up and just having a a great time seeing all of our family members. We were just in North Carolina, South Carolina, Philly the other day. Now we are hanging out with the Boston chapter. This show is gonna rule!

Glam-Metal.com: Now the tour kicked off in Nashville, with a benefit concert for the Hurricane Katrina victims, right?

Zakk Wylde: "Yeah, ya know, a lot of guys in the band, Craig, our drummer, is from Louisiana. He's got lots of family down in Louisiana. Dewey, who takes care of him, is from Mississippi. He's got family out there. We got family out in Alabama. BLACK LABEL is worldwide. Everybody is scattered all over the country. You just do the right thing. Bottom line. We did the show in Tennessee, and all of the money went to the Red Cross."

Glam-Metal.com: Zakk, let's talk about the writing process for "Mafia". Do you write the lyrics first or the guitar riffs?

Zakk Wylde: "It is always the riff. That is the way I always love doing it best. I go into the stuio with nothing. When we did 'Mafia', I went into the studio with nothing, and eight days later, I had 23 songs. Bottom line is, this kinda sounds like ZEPPELIN, this kinda sounds like SABBATH, ELTON JOHN. It is just like there is no shortage of grat songs. With ZEPPELIN or SABBATH it is safe to say, it ain't gonna suck. We just have a good time when we go into the studio. We get loaded and tanked. We start jamming and having fun. This song came out really cool, and sometimes you say, this song really sucked. It is just like you can take a million different pictures. Like the famous picture of Jim Morrison. They probaly took a million pictures that day to get that one picture. It was a classic shot. For me, I don't understand how one band can be in the studio for six months working on one record. After a while, it is like Axl Rose and what he is doing with GUNS N' ROSES. It is like, just put the record out. If it bombs, it bombs. With VELVET REVOLVER, the guys go in, knock the thing out, if it succeeds, great, if it doesn't, what are you gonna do? Sit on it for ten years?! Everything I did with Ozzy, you are looking at 1991, when the record came out. If I didnt have an album come out since 1991 and now it is 2005, like 'Mama I'm Coming Home'. It is awesome songs, To me it is old, 'cause you always want to put out the new thing."

Glam-Metal.com: You really outdid yourself on "Mafia". The writing is simply brillant. The guitar work is amazing, let me tell ya.

Zakk Wylde: "Thank you, Deb. Even Ozzy said, 'Zakk, we just went into the studio and did eight or ten songs. We didn't have time to sit around. We went into the studio, knock out the record, and went back on the road.' Otherwise you are just gonna look at what you wrote. You can always second-guess the thing. One day I was sitting at a bar in Los Angeles with my wife and a buddy. I was reading for 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. And this gay guy comes up to me, I kid you not, and says, 'Ya know, you are gorgeous!' I thought he was talking to my wife, and he said, 'No, you, man.' I said, 'I appreciate it it, man,' and my buddy goes, 'That is his wife over there,' and he said, 'I don't care.' KISS puts the 'X' in sex, BLACK LABEL puts the gay in gay."

Glam-Metal.com: What a great story! Now BLACK LABEL SOCIETY just put out "Kings of Damnation". How has BLACK LABEL SOCIETY changed since the early PRIDE & GLORY days?

Zakk Wylde: "Our last record company, Spitfire, contractually we had to put out another record. To me, it is not a greatest-hits album. We don't have a greatest-hits album. Bottom line is, it is a complilation. We put out seven records since 1998. After we get done with the tour, we will go home for the holidays so we can be with our families. It is all about the bambinos. Then we might go into the studio and lay down another album, so we have it in the can or just keep touring. I think BLACK LABEL SOCIETY should stay on the road, and keep touring while the album is hot."

Glam-Metal.com: What about the DVD?

Zakk Wylde: "Yeah, we ended up doing the one in Europe ? the BLACK LABEL European invasion. There is some funny crap on this one. That tour almost damn near killed everybody. Between the tour, the tour bus smelled like crap and piss 24/7. It is like the gayness of comedy. We got it all on film. Some of the shows are slammin', some of the shows we didn't have any electricity. Unbelievable. The gayness and the comedy, we got that all on film. We got to rummage through that now, put it together, it will probaly be out in a couple of months."

Deb Rao's entire interview with Zakk Wylde will be posted at Glam-Metal.com soon.

[Malcolm]

Black Label Society
Avalon -Boston MA
Oct 25, 2005
BY Deb Rao

Black Label Society, who have just wrapped up a three month summer tour playing on the main stage at Ozzfest this year, are currently hitting the road again for a 27 city tour in support of their current release, "MAFIA." The trek will take the band from Boston to California.
 
Black Label Society continues on their path of destruction, bringing their full metal assault to venues across the country.  I caught up with them as they performed to a sold out crowd of ?Boston Chapter BLS Berserkers? at Avalon in the historic Fenway Park area. While in New England, the band will play three very special Halloween shows that include stops at Hampton Beach Casino October 29, Lupos in Providence October 30, and spend Halloween at The Hipprodrome in Springfield, MA. Trick or Treat Indeed!
 
Also on the bill is Brand New Sin, who hail from Syracuse, NY. I spoke with Zakk Wylde early Tuesday, and he told me to check these guys out, cuz they really rock. Well, Zakk was right. Brand New Sin features Joel Altier on vocals, Ken Dunham on guitar, Kris Wiechmann on guitar, bass player Chuck Kahl and drummer Mike Rafferty.
The band performed alot of new songs from their latest album, "Recipe For Disaster." I talked to lead singer Joel Altier after the show and this is what he had to say, "Brand New Sin are rock and roll.  We don't want to sound like anybody else. The tour has been going great for us."  I think the best way to describe the band is Motorhead meets Judas Priest with a very modern sound. Highlights of the set included the bands new single, "Days Are Numbered", and "Freight Train."
 
Next up, the moment we were all waiting for, Black Label Society invades Boston! As Patsy Cline?s "Crazy? blared through the speakers, followed by show tunes, "Speak Softly To Me" from the Godfather, and the theme from ?Rocky,? BLS hit the stage with a vengeance. As they cranked out "Fire It Up", fans chanted their name so loud, I think you could hear them all the way down on Landsdown St. in Boston. The male dominated crowd was pumped up and ready to rock with their pied piper, Zakk Wylde, as he lead the crowd into a frenzy with his mind-boggling, powerful guitar onslaught.
 
Zakk was in great spirits, often joking with the audience, and telling funny stories about the songs. An unscripted moment occurred when Zakk's guitar strap suddenly broke. Zakk yells, "Shit happens motherfuckers!" That was too funny. Needless to say, Dimebag's ex-guitar tech Moby was on hand to put Zakk back together, and the band continued to rock.
 
One of the most memorable moments was the 20-minute tribute that Zakk and the boys paid to Dimebag Darrell Abbott. The fans chanted ?Dimebag? as Zakk took to the piano for very moving version of "In This River? against a sea of bic lighters. Zakk performed the song with so much emotion; you could feel Dime's presence in the room. Zakk yelled to the crowd, "Well Dime is up in God's tavern right now. Ya know that there is not going to be any Crown Royal left for us when we get there cuz Dime will drink all the God Damn Crown Royal for us!"
                                                                                                                                                                                       Earlier that day, Zakk told me, "Dime was the brother I never had.? The moment was simply PRICELESS! Next up, the sing-a-long with the audience, as Zakk also performed "Spoke In The Wheel" on piano, and invited members of the audience up on stage to participate, which was really cool. The man has so much talent, and it was great to see him perform acoustically.

BLS is known for their skull-crushing guitar solos. Nick Catanese, who hails from Pittsburgh, is the 2nd guitar virtuoso in the band. Nick has a guitar style that totally compliments Wylde and it?s amazing to watch the two trade off solos during the set. The guitar combo surely turned up the heat, as their sizzling guitar riffs turned Avalon into a frenzied mosh pit. The BLS rhythm section consisting of drummer Craig Nunemacher, and the return of bass player John "JD" Deservio, who recently replaced James Lomenzo, held down the heavy BLS beat, cranking out some heavy bass lines, and pounding drum rhythms.

The show was full of diversity.  Including an extended guitar jam and tribute to Led Zeppelin, and fan favorites ?Stillborn? and ?Suicide Messiah.?

"BOW DOWN YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAKER. HE NEVER GIVES, HE IS ALWAYS A TAKER. THE ELECTRIC BURNS THAT FUEL THE FIRE. IT'S JUST YOUR SUICIDE MESSIAH.?
 
For BLS Tour Dates check out: WWW.BLACKLABELSOCIETY.NET
 
Set List
 Fire It up
Suffering overdrive
Funeral bell
In this River on piano
Spoke in The wheel on Piano
Bleed For Me
Spread Your Wings
Forever Down
led Zeppelin tribute Jam
Suicide Messiah
Stillborn   
Blessed Hellride 

[Rob]

I saw BLS about a week ago.  It was a good show, but not great.  Too much jamming for me.  They didn't really play that many songs.  Zakk goes off on these really long, drawn out solos.  It really kills the momentum.  I wouldn't mind 1 or 2 jams, but they did like 5 or 6 of them.  It started to bore me after a while.

[Malcolm]

GlamMetal.com writer Deb Rao recently conducted an interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Nick Catanese. A couple of excerpts from the question-and-answer session follow:

Glam-Metal.com: How does it feel to be playing with [bassist] JD [John 'JD' DeServio] again? BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have worked with so many great bass guitarists in the past. He is very energetic performer, and fits in well with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY.

Nick Catanese: "It's awesome having JD back. It's like we did a 360 and he is back again. He is a wonderful person and a great bass player. I have been honored to have played with the best bassist on the planet."

Glam-Metal.com: What was it like working with VELVET REVOLVER on the Ozzfest Tour this year? Any funny Ozzfest stories?

Nick Catanese: "I love VELVET REVOLVER. They are great guys and truly a great rock band. It's so refreshing to see that."

Glam-Metal.com: This was my first year attending Ozzfest this summer? What was the highlight of playing Ozzfest this year?

Nick Catanese: "Probably getting to play Ozzfest as many times as we have. As a musician, I have gotten to play on tour with basically every band I have looked up to when I was a kid ? JUDAS PRIEST, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, PANTERA and even the newer bands, GODSMACK, SHADOWS FALL? It's been a great ride."

Glam-Metal.com: Nick, I know that "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was your best friend and one of your main guitar influences. What was one of the most amazing guitar advice that Dimebag taught you as a performer that you will always remember and practice onstage every night at your show?

Nick Catanese: "He taught me to always appreciate what you got. That's why he always would sign autographs and meet fans after or before the show. He would never say no, because without your fans you are nothing. And what he taught me as a player? The most memorable moment for me was when Dime and [longtime girlfriend] Rita came to see us play with PRIEST in Texas, Dime was watching us play and afterwards he grabs me around the shoulders and says, 'Hey, Twin. How old are you?' I said '33.' He said, 'Man, watching you up there jammin' with Zakk, you got fire and don't ever stop.' And those words meant the world to me."

Glam-Metal.com: Nick, how did you get started in music? Did you start playing guitar at a early age? Were your parents supportive, and do they come see you perform with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY?

Nick Catanese: "I started playing when i was 13. My folks always supported me ? to this day they do. My dad helps out all the time. My mom does all of my financial work. It's amazing to have that. You gotta have that ? support is everything. When they come and see a show, they love it. They love walking around meeting people. I got a great picture of Rob Zombie and my dad. That's priceless to me."

[Malcolm]

Aaron Beck of The Columbus Dispatch recently conducted an interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On his children:

"My daughter, Ray Ray (Hayle Ray), is 13. (My) drinkin' problem is definitely escalating.

"There's Jesse. Ozzy's the godfather of him. That was a good day in Church.

"And (New York Mets catcher) Mike Piazza is godfather of Hendrix Halen Michael Rhoads Wylde. With a name like that, it has to work out, right?

"But I know he?s going to be into basket-weaving and crochet or ballet, or he's going to be a Chippendale's dancer. I can see it comin'.

"The only thing I can do as a father is facilitate."

On his first guitar:

"I was 8, but I wanted to play football and hang out? My guitar teacher said: 'Let him be a kid right now. If he wants to play, he'll play.? It's the same thing with my kids. Just 'cause I play, I can't force them."

On his serious turn toward the guitar:

"I was at my football coach?s house, saying 'I don?t know if I want to play ball right now,' and they were trying to talk me into it. There was a Les Paul in the room. The coach, he could play some country, but in walks his kid. He was the first dude I ever saw with long hair, and he's got on a Harley hat and has a beer in his hand. He starts whipping out 'Eruption' and 'Crazy Train'. I just go, 'This is what I wanted to do with my life.' I took lessons from the kid, Leroy, for two years."

On guitar solos:

"I always loved Randy [Rhoads] and Eddie [Van Halen]. You always want to stick some shredding solos in there. But I love songs. I love ELTON JOHN. I love the new COLDPLAY record. The song is the cake. The solos are the icing."

On his first concert:

" SABBATH 'Mob Rules' tour in the Philadelphia Spectrum. First arena I ever played was the Spectrum, and, I'm 19, like, 'Holy shit, I'm onstage with the old man, the boss (Osbourne)."

On BLACK LABEL SOCIETY:

"You know, after World War II, fighter pilots formed the Hell's Angels. It's just keeping in touch with the guys, your true friends, your brothers. It's weekend-warrior type stuff."

On "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:

"He was proof that God exists. All he did was want to make people feel great. He really had a presence. With Dime, you were either laughing or crying. It's time to start laughing again."

[Malcolm]

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have have teamed up with Instant Live to offer high-quality CDs of three Californian dates (San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) on their current tour. Instant Live will be recording the band's set at each of these dates, and the completed CDs will be available for pickup just minutes after the show ends. For fans that won't be able to make it to any of the Californian shows, copies are available for purchase at www.instantlive.com. All Instant Live albums are limited edition, so make sure you order yours today! The dates that are being recorded are as follows:

Nov. 17 - San Diego, CA - The House Of Blues
Nov. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre
Nov. 20 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore