Episode 29: Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne)

Call it cliché, but the namesake of the first record Zakk Wylde ever performed on back in 1988 with Ozzy Osbourne could very easily be used to define his illustrious career to this point.  When Black Label Society releases Engines of Demolition on March 27th, it will mark the longest gap between albums for the group since they formed.  In that time between records, Wylde has toured the world with the surviving members of Pantera filling in for long-time friend Dimebag Darrell, torn through several Zakk Sabbath shows across North America, and played at perhaps the biggest rock and metal concert of all time at Back to the Beginning which would be Ozzy's last performance before passing.  Zakk laid his friend, collaborator, and godfather to one of his kids to rest two weeks after that performance, and upon returning home put the finishing touches on the closing song of the new BLS album, which bears the name of the Prince of Darkness, before getting back on the road with Pantera.  No rest for the wicked, indeed.All of these events led to putting Black Label Society on the backburner, even though Zakk continued to write riffs and lyrics all the while.  The first single from the album, “The Gallows,” was released a year and a half ago, with subsequent singles following last year before “Name in Blood” in January 2026, the first new song to share a release year with the album. Despite this unconventional take on the album cycle, Wylde would argue that the additional time its taken to finish Engines of Demolition has let this new collection of songs marinate for longer than they typically would, allowing him more time to refine them.  The results are classic BLS that Berserkers worldwide have come to know and love since Sonic Brew. As the group prepares to finally release Engines of Demolition, I had a chance to catch up with Zakk on a rare off day for him to talk about the new record and a wide array of topics, including:how he found time to write the new BLS record, his general songwriting process, the catharsis of turning events and emotions into songs, and where the lyrical inspiration for “Stillborn” came from.the reaction to the new singles live, putting “No More Tears” back into the setlist, opening for himself pulling double duty, and a brewing feud between Zakk Sabbath and Black Label Society.writing “Ozzy’s Song” after returning home from Ozzy’s funeral, an old Ozzy story from the Ozzmosis days involving a poster Zakk bought, and a few suggestions for the Jones Beach Theater.memories of Alexi Laiho, the mythical power of his kilts, how he finds the energy to be seemingly everywhere, and reflections on his journey from practicing in his bedroom with posters of his idols to playing on the biggest stages in the world. This conversation was pure Zakk Wylde in every sense – rife with colorful analogies, Ozzy impressions, several sports references, and a description of how to make a ham sandwich correctly.   Once you get past all of that, though, at his core, Zakk is still the same incredibly driven guy who took the world by storm from the opening riff of “Miracle Man.”  In speaking with him, you can see that he takes none of this for granted and still bows down in worship to all his guitar idols who inspired him before anyone knew his name, even keeping those same posters in his home studio to remind him of where he started.  If I can make my own sports reference, Zakk’s attitude towards music, and life, reflects a quote that former NFL great J.J. Watt popularized during his playing days: “Success isn’t owned – it’s leased, and the rent is due every day.”