Gothic Theatre

Black Label Society

Artist Website

Black Label Society is the brain child of guitar great Zakk Wylde. Hard and heavy, big on riffs and even bigger on the solos, BLS is the bastard child of Black Sabbath only pumped up on steroids. Having graced the world’s stages for the last 18 years, both as Ozzy Osbourne’s right hand man as well as fronting BLS, Zakk Wylde has established himself as one of the few remaining guitar heroes. “European Invasion” captures BLS live on their sold out European tour last year – one of the most anticipated tours of the year and they didn’t disappoint. Witness the full Paris show as well as 4 tracks from the Astoria in London. Bonus footage includes a 1 hour long On The Road documentary, 3 promo videos taken from the Billboard top 20 album “Mafia” and the making of documentary for the promo video “Suicide Messiah”.

“Black Label Society are disciples of Black Sabbath,” Zakk smiles. "They’re my favorite band, and those records will still be around when the planet is done. Whether or not we’ve progressed, that’s for the critics to decide. Okay, there’s a ballad in the BLS music occasionally, but you can’t be pissed off all the friggin’ time. "

Continues Wylde, with a grin: “Listen, my ideal bio would say, I started when I was 19 years old with Ozzy, and I’ve made a few stupid albums of my own. I play guitar and clean up Rottweiler dog shit. Then I go home. Anybody who knows me will tell you, that’s me.”

Zakk Wylde made the musical world sit up and take notice when in 1988 he was plucked from New Jersey for Ozzy’s group. Having co-written and played on that year’s million-selling No Rest For The Wicked album and the Just Say Ozzy EP (1989), the pairing really took off with multi-platinum No More Tears (1991), 1993’s Live And Loud (which won a Grammy for the track “I Don’t Want To Change The World”) and the platinum-selling Ozzmosis (1995) and Down To Earth (2001).

Since 1994, Zakk has forged Black Label Society as a vehicle for his true vision: uncompromising, unfiltered, no-bullshit rock n’ roll. Inspired by guitarists like Frank Marino, Robin Trower and Al DiMeola and the vocal styles of Elton John, Gregg Allman, Ozzy, the late Ray Charles and late Lynyrd Skynyrd front man Ronnie VanZant, Zakk and Black Label Society have issued the critically acclaimed albums Sonic Brew (1998) Stronger Than Death (1999), Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live (2001), 1919 Eternal (2002), The Blessed Hellride (2003) and Hangover Music Vol. VI (2004).

All these discs proved that Wylde was a master of the incendiary blues riff, as well as darker, more malevolent grooves. Besides releasing the live set Alcohol Fueled Brewtality Live + 5, in 2001, both Zakk and fellow BLS guitarist Nick Catanese appeared in the Warner Brothers film Rock Star. The movie starred Planet Of The Apes heartthrob Mark Wahlberg, and Jennifer Aniston of Friends fame. The project was loosely based on the true saga of Tim “Ripper” Owens and Judas Priest.

Black Label Society completed by Catanese, ex-White Lion/Pride And Glory bassist James Lomenzo, and ex-Crowbar drummer Craig Nunenmacher just wrapped up Ozzfest. Wylde enjoyed a busy 2004 with his new Hangover Music Vol. IV disc. Although Zakk is still the right-hand man of the Godfather of Metal Ozzy Osbourne, he plans on keeping his two separate careers running for the foreseeable future.

“It just means I’ve gotta work harder,” he shrugs. “I’ve got a family to support, so I know I’ve gotta work hard. I love being in Black Label, but I’ll always be around for Ozzy, too. Just because you move out of the house, doesn’t mean you don’t love your dad anymore. Ozzy knows all he has to do is call and I’ll be there.”