Zakk.... he needs two 'K's because it makes the name heavier

 

The man in the photo holding four guitars (the fourth is hard to see but its there!) is Zakk Wylde.  Hey Nick, who TF is Zakk Wylde?  Well, Nick, I'm surprised you don't know but I will be happy to brief you.

Zakk Wylde is a world-class guitarist.  At least that is what he is best known for.  He is also a great vocalist/songwriter/human being. At least that is my impression of him.  I have yet to meet him ;0)

Mr. Wylde is possibly my favorite musical artist.  I have been putting off writing about him as I knew it would be a large undertaking and I really wanted to avoid just doing bits and pieces of his work.  I wanted to talk about the whole enchilada, but it seemed too big.  I have been thinking a lot about Zakk and Ozzy lately with the passing of my childhood friend (more like a cousin, really).  Ben was a big Ozzy and Zakk Wylde fan.  He was one of the few people I know that listened to all of Black Label Society's music like I do.  

Zakk started his career as guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, replacing Jake E Lee (who is also awesome by the way).  He was only 20 or 21 when joining Ozzy's band.  Per Wikipedia "In 1987, Wylde auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne after listening to The Howard Stern Show and learning that Osbourne was looking for a new lead guitarist"

Ozzy and Zakk sometime in the late 80's.

His first album with Ozzy is 1988's No Rest For The Wicked.  This may be Ozzy's least known album, at least from the first half of his career.  

Song: Miracle Man
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne (Zakk Wylde guitarist)
Album: No Rest For The Wicked
Year: 1988

It does not take a poet to decipher what Miracle Man is about.  Specifically it is about Jimmy Swaggart as he had come after Ozzy for his 'devil music', but it is also about the larger stupidity of tv evangelists.

I wasn't aware that Zakk had his 'bulls-eye' guitar body right out of the gate!  I thought that came later. That concentric circle design became his signature for decades.

1:58 - Zakk's first recorded guitar solo!  At least that I am aware of.  It's a good one.  Sticks in your head.

Song: Crazy Babies
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne (Zakk Wylde guitarist)
Album: No Rest For The Wicked
Year: 1988

I love listening to Zakk's beginnngs and how his style developed over the years.  Even at 21 years old much of his style and sound was already cemented.  What am I talking about in particular?  Glad you asked, Nick!  In Crazy Babies I am talking about pinch harmonics.

From Wikipedia (yes, I use Wikipedia all the time!  I am one of those people that donates money.... it must stay alive!):  

Pinch harmonics:

A pinch harmonic (also known as squelch picking, pick harmonic or squealy) is a guitar technique to achieve artificial harmonics in which the player's thumb or index finger on the picking hand slightly catches the string after it is picked,[10] canceling (silencing) the fundamental frequency of the string, and letting one of the overtones dominate. This results in a high-pitched sound which is particularly discernible on an electrically amplified guitar as a "squeal".

That squeal you hear in the intro riff at 8 seconds / 12 seconds / 16 seconds is a pinch harmonic and Zakk is the king of that particular technique.  I had always watched his left hand trying to figure out how he was making that sound.  It wasn't until a couple years ago that I learned what it was called and that it is done with your picking hand, not your fret hand.  It blows my mind that he can do it at will because you need to barely touch the string to deaden the main frequency and allow the high pitched 'overtone' to remain.  

Ozzy's next album was No More Tears.  This was considered a big 'comeback' album for Ozzy who saw steadily declining sales after his first two solo releases, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman.  This was also the first Ozzy album I ever owned, in cassette tape form.  It's a great album, even though some of the songs are a bit to 'pop' for me.  My favorite track is the title track, but we covered that already so......

Song: A.V.H.
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne (Zakk Wylde guitarist)
Album: No More Tears
Year: 1991

 I couldn't find a reliable answer as to what AVH stands for.  It doesnt seem to have anything to do with the lyrics, unless you believe the urban legend that it stands for Alcohol Valium Heroin.  Ozzy once said it stands for Aston Villa Highway.  Aston Villa being a football (soccer) club that he and Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler used to follow.  If that's true then the lyrics make even less sense!  My gut says they couldn't think of a good name for the song and chose AVH because it's random.

AVH starts with a little slide guitar intro, which is interesting.   It's a pretty upbeat, uptempo song with a great chorus.  I chose it for this article mainly because of Zakk's solo which starts at 2:31.  

Song: Losin' Your Mind
Artist: Pride and Glory
Album: Pride and Glory
Year: 1994

Zakk's first project away from Ozzy was a band called Pride and Glory.  Because of the sound of this single I thought he was from the south for many years.  Nope... look up any interview and it will take you ten seconds to know he is from the Northeast, for sure!

Machine Gun Man acoustic
Artist: Pride and Glory
Album: Pride and Glory
Year: 1994

I remember the first time I saw this live performance of Machine Gun Man.  I was a little blown away at what a great vocalist Zakk was/is.  Frickin nailed it.

Song: Bored To Tears
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Sonic Brew
Year: 1998

Sonic Brew was the first album Zakk put out as Black Label Society.  Still some of that twang left over from Pride and Glory, but the next album, Stronger Than Death, saw him go all the way into the darkness and sludge.

Song: 13 Years of Grief
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Stronger Than Death
Year: 2000

Quote from Zakk:

13 Years is a lot of fun to play because it’s just so stupid heavy.

I wrote about these kids that were on, it must have been Sally Jesse Raphael or one of those talk shows. There was one kid on there who was beating his mother up repeatedly and they were all going to go to a maximum state prison and they’re all like “bring it on man, I ain’t afraid! I’ll go to jail, don’t mean nothing to me.” Give me a break man. They were all badasses and were all like 13 years old. That’s where I got the title from.

Song: No Easy Way Out
Artist: Ozzy (Zakk Wylde guitarist)
Album: Down To Earth
Year: 2001

Down to Earth is maybe the last Ozzy album where Zakk wrote or helped write almost all the songs.  This is a good one.  Groovy and crunchy.

Song: Lords Of Destruction
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: 1919 Eternal
Year: 2002

This song has one of my favorite drum/guitar combo riffs of all time.  Gets me every time!

Song: Bridge To Cross
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: 1919 Eternal
Year: 2002

I've read that 1919 is the year that Zakk's father was born and is a tribute of sorts to his grandfather that served in WWI.  

Song: We Live No More
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Blessed Hellride
Year: 2003

For a long time The Blessed Hellride was my favorite BLS album.  I have some difficulty enjoying it now as it is tied so strongly to that time in my life in 2003-2005.  Its like I can't separate the music from the time period to enjoy it for what it is.  Maybe someday that will change :0).  I picked We Live No More as it is is sort of unique for Zakk and BLS.  Possibly a major key?  Not many of those in his catalog! I love the drum intro also.  Simple but catchy!

Song: Say What You Will
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Mafia
Year: 2005

One of the catchiest BLS songs ever.

Song: Black Mass Reverends
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Shot To Hell
Year: 2006

Four albums in five years, you're a busy guy, Zakky! This song is under three minutes.  Hard, fast, and over in less than three minutes....  insert questionable joke here.

Song: Southern Dissolution
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Order of the Black
Year: 2010

The production on every BLS album is similar but varies just a bit each time.  The production on Order of the Black is one of the best.

Song: I've Gone Away
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Catacombs of the Black Vatican
Year: 2014

"This burden upon my shoulders, which I don't wish to carry anymore."  Starting with this album, I have really started to appreciate Zakk's lyrics.  Found this cool lyric video so we can read AND listen! ;0)

Song: Disbelief
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Grimmest Hits
Year: 2018

Great groove on this one.  Very Sabbath-y.

Song: Shelter Me
Artist: Black Label Society
Album: Doom Crew Inc
Year: 2022

Doom Crew Inc is the most recent album from BLS.  It was the first brand new vinyl record I bought when I got my turntable back in 2022.  Zakk added a second guitarist to the band on this album, Dario Lorina, and they trade solos in many of the songs.  Adds a little flavor to the recipe.  

If I were to list every song that I love from BLS, I would never finish this article.  I already struggled to get this one posted... it took a month!  lol.   I hope to put more stuff out soon, tho.  Gotta keep talkin music!

✌❤🤘