Words by Justin Donnelly
Trends might come and go, much like many an act throughout a whole years time, but if there’s one thing you can count on with any reliability and certainty and within the metal scene these days is that Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society are sure to release another new album with every passing year, and that it’s sure to remain true to its original ideals.
Since launching the band with their Sonic Brew release back in 1999, guitarist Zakk Wylde and his S.D.M.F.’s (Society Dwelling Mother Fucker’s) have managed to release no less than five full-length albums (1999’s Stronger Than Death, 2002’s 1919 Eternal, 2003’s The Blessed Hellride, 2004’s Hangover Music Vol. VI and 2005’s Mafia), a half live/studio release (2001’s Alcohol Fueled Brewtality - Live!! + 5), a compilation (2005’s Kings Of Damnation - Era ’98 - ‘04) and a live D.V.D. (2003’s Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned).
Adhering closely to the unrelenting work ethic that has served him well in the past, Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society (Who currently comprise of bassist John ‘J.D.’ DeServio and drummer Craig Nunenmacher) have returned with not one, but two new releases for 2006, with the first being their recently released second live D.V.D. The European Invasion - Doom Troopin’ Live, which will be followed closely by album number eight in Shot To Hell.
After completing another round of Ozzfest dates (Which ran from the end of June right through to midway through August) as the second stage headliners, I caught up with Wylde at home (Who was about to duck out from some lobster, scallops and steak to plough through, along with some cold ones with Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson) to talk about the two new Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society releases, how Wylde’s work with Ozzy Osbourne’s new album was progressing, his band’s upcoming tour of Australia and how their recent Ozzfest stint went down.
“Ozzfest was ass kicking man. We had a good time. After a year of going out there and doing other things, it was cool to catch up with old friends and just hang out. It was great. So it was pretty much the same old crap. Everybody was drinking, hanging out and having a blast.”
Those who weren’t lucky enough to catch Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society on the recent Ozzfest jaunt will rest a little easier with the release of the band’s second D.V.D. The European Invasion - Doom Troopin’ Live.
“My record label (Eagle Vision) asked me if I wanted to put another one out, and I thought it was a cool idea. So we recorded the shows we played to the Paris Chapter (Which makes up the bulk of the D.V.D.) and the London Chapter (Four songs). I think Eric Zimmerman (Who has filmed three Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society videos, and who previously worked with Soundgarden, Ministry, Megadeth and Nine Inch Nails) and Nik Jamgocyan (Co-Director, Editor, and
Cinematographer of the DVD and Zimmerman's partner in U.S. based production and post-production company Master Cylinder Media) did a great job. They’re both super talented guys, and we had a fucking blast while we were doing it. I don’t know how we managed to complete that European tour, because the tour bus we were using was hell the whole fucking time. Do you know what the difference was between that bus and a Port-A-John? Nothing! There was no fucking difference! (Laughs) How we managed to make it across the U.S. and through Europe on that fucking piece of shit is beyond me. It was unbelievable. There was nothing but a cloud of flies flying around that thing the whole time. It was hideous. Put it this way, if you didn’t have a drinking problem before you jumped on the bus, you had one by the time you got off. That’s how pathetic it was. But there ain’t any pussy ass whining bullshit here. We still managed to complete the tour, and get the D.V.D. knocked it out. We get the fucking job done.”
Even more surprising is that Wylde, his band and his crew allowed the camera men live long enough to compile a one-hour on the road documentary.
“Again, the label suggested that we have someone with a video camera to cruise around with us and film everything. We didn’t give a fuck. Who gives a shit? They follow us around, and it is what it is! (Laughs)”
Moving onto Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society’s upcoming release Shot To Hell, Wylde is once again less than serious when it comes to comparing it to the band’s previous releases.
“People have been asking me that a lot lately, and all I have to say is that I think this album actually sucks more dick than anything we’ve ever come out with before! (Laughs) It’s more pathetic than all of my previous albums combined! (Laughs) That’s just the way you have to look at it. I love it when the record companies tell me that I have to say the album is our best yet. I’ll say whatever the fuck I like. I mean, I wrote this shit! (Laughs)”
As the laughter subsides, Wylde does manage to put Shot To Hell in a little more perspective, if a little cryptically.
“As always, there’s going to be some mellow stuff on it, along with the heavy stuff. My whole thing is like this – You could ask me which album is my favourite Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath album, and the only way I can answer that is to say that I love them all. It just depends on what mood I’m in. If we’re on a road trip, and we don’t want to hear Led Zeppelin IV any more, we’ll put on Physical Graffiti, Presence or something that we haven’t heard in a while. If we don’t want to hear Iron Man or Paranoid any more, we’ll put on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or Sabotage. It’s like the Rolling Stones, who are on the radio right now. Whatever comes out from the Stones these days, I’ll buy it. Obviously you have the classic Stones, and then you have the new Stones. But it’s always the Stones. It’s all good in my mind. The way I always look at it, if you say your latest album is the best thing you have ever done, then you’re only discrediting all the other albums that you’ve recorded in the past. I think (Zakk Wylde and) Black Label Society albums work in much the same way. They’re all different in some way, but you also know what you’re getting yourself in for.”
Much like previous ventures into the studio, the recording of Shot To Hell didn’t stand out as any real change from the usual, apart from the occasional appearance from producer Michael Beinhorn and his Mellotron.
“Nothing too much changed. It was still the same amount of dicking around. We did have Beinhorn come down from time to time, and he brought his Mellotron down to the studio to add to our jam sessions. Jamming in this group is like a band jamming in the ‘70’s. If there’s a new piece of gear, we actually try it out and see what we could do with it, as opposed to sticking to a formula. Our whole mentality is, ‘Ah fuck it. Let’s try this out’. I’m sure the drugs probably helped out with the experimentation in the ‘70’s, but they still made great records back then. So we had the Mellotron down there, and it helped us out in a few parts. But the bottom line is that I’ll plug my guitar straight into my Marshall stack and then put a little distortion on it. When you do that, you can’t help but write riffs. With the distortion it sounds as heavy as hell. And then when we get tired of doing that, I’ll sit behind a piano and start jamming with that a bit. And then when I’m done with that, I’ll sit down with an acoustic guitar. When you start doing the mellow stuff on the piano and the acoustic guitar, it tends to be the more melancholy and reflective stuff, rather than the pedal to the metal fucking riffs, which helps even things out.”
Aside from adding Mellotron, Beinhorn also helped out on production duties with Wylde on Shot To Hell.
“The last time I worked with Beinhorn was when I working with Ozzy Osbourne on the Ozzmosis album back in 1996. That was years ago man. And before that, the last time I saw Beinhorn was on my thirtieth birthday, which was nine years ago. But working with Beinhorn was great. He’s a (Zakk Wylde and) Black Label (Society) brother, and I love him to death. Beinhorn would just come down and ask me if I needed him on the day. More often than not, I said no. When you know where the fuck you’re going, you don’t need to ask for directions right? Trust me, its like telling Jimmy Page to get a producer. If I want a producer, I’ll get Beinhorn down here. I don’t need to be babysat by a show off! (Laughs) Making this album was exactly the same as when we were making Ozzmosis. We had a great time. His job was more about helping me get the tones on the guitar. Beinhorn’s not going to tell me how to write the songs. You don’t tell anybody how to write songs. It’s the same as if I was producing something for a band. I might be there for advice, or for my experience, but I certainly wouldn’t be there to tell them how to write a fucking song! (Laughs)”
One topic that Wylde isn’t all that knowledgeable about is his recent move from Artemis Records (Who managed to hold onto Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society long enough to release 2005’s Mafia) to Roadrunner Records (Who announced their signing of the band in March).
“I have to be honest with you here and tell you that I have no fucking idea what that was all about. That’s why I have managers and lawyers. I still have a good relationship with all those guys at all those other record labels, and they’re all good people. Just because I’m no longer signed on with their label doesn’t mean I’m no longer friend’s with them. It doesn’t mean shit. On the business side of things, I don’t give a fuck. While we’re still able to record, I don’t give a fuck what label we’re on. All I want to know is when I’m going into the studio next. As long as we can drink beer and make music, we’re always good to go.”
Of course, no conversation with Wylde these days could pass up the opportunity to find out just what the current status is of the in-the-works Ozzy Osbourne album, especially given that most of the material has supposedly already been written and recorded (With drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson) as far back as May.
“We have like twenty songs completed man, and I had everything to do with this album, including all the riffs and the mellow shit. I mean everything. That’s the way it should be done. Not like last time around! (2001’s Down To Earth, where Wylde was simply a session guitarist, with no song writing contributions towards the album) My track record speaks for itself. Between No Rest For The Wicked (1988) and No More Tears’ (1992), I think it’s fucking safe to say at this point that I know what the fuck I’m doing. I care about Osbourne. I mean, he’s the godfather of my son. I just didn’t want to see another situation like last time around where there were all these cock sucking clowns, who haven’t written a fucking song for anybody, coming around to the studio passing Ozzy songs. They’re just a bunch of fucking bullshit artists, and it really pissed me the fuck off. They just want to get their head inside Ozzy’s ass. I saw that coming, and I ain’t got time for that bullshit this time. I see it all the time. They don’t bleed this shit, and that’s the reason why I care. Once you get the money involved, all they want is to get their grubby fucking paws all over it all. The bottom line is my job is to protect him. So while I have a bit of time up my sleeves before these upcoming rehearsals, I’m going to be working with Osbourne. I’ll be there just to help him out on the melodies and all that stuff. Osbourne has got to get this album done. The music is done right now, it’s just a matter of the boss singing his balls off, and then its all good to go. The plan is to have the album released in February next year. By that time, (Zakk Wylde and) Black Label Society will already be touring with the Shot To Hell album. So Ozzy will be headlining, with (Zakk Wylde and) Black Label (Society) supporting, with an opening act supporting the two of us.”
As the conversation draws to a close, I eventually get to one of the more important reasons for our get together in the first place, and that’s the announcement of Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society’s first tour of Australia (Which covers five cities in late September, with Vanishing Point in support).
“We’re finally hooking up with the Australian Chapter. We can’t wait until we fucking get down there man. We’re going to have a blast. I’m so glad its finally happening. The last time I was done there was with Osbourne, Mike Inez and Randy Castillo back in 1998. We had a fucking ass kicking time down there last, without a doubt! (Laughs) So I’m looking forward to playing some shows, and hanging out. I think we start rehearsals next week, and then we have five days of rehearsals so we can knock this shit out. We’re already working on it right now by trying to figure out a set list. We’re going through that list right now. Because we now have fucking eight records, we have to figure out all the pieces. We have to make way for the piano set, the heavy stuff and the stuff that’s somewhere in-between the two. It ain’t just going to be the balls to the wall stuff, we’ll have the mellow stuff in there too.”
With relatively few members of Australian Chapter having seen a Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society show before, Wylde was quick to offer one last piece of advice for newcomers.
“Make sure you get a designated driver and start drinking heavily! (Laughs) The best way to go to a (Zakk Wylde and) Black Label (Society) show is get a limo and get your friends all piled up in there. Start cooking in the parking lot, drink and come into the show to have an ass kicking time. After you’re done having an ass kicking time, just keep pounding them down. That’s a (Zakk Wylde and) Black Label (Society) evening right there. Hopefully, by the time you get home you’ll be greeted by your old lady, who’ll then give you a blowjob or get you laid. Of course, you could end up sleeping on the front lawn, but we don’t want to see it end like that! (Laughs)”
