Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde Reveals New Album's Unifying Theme

Engines of Demolition may elicit a darker image, but Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde reveals that several songs on the album come from a specific place of love. In particular, he reveals that his own marriage to his childhood sweetheart Barbaranne served as a muse for several tracks on the new album.

Of the recently released "Name in Blood," he tells Full Metal Jackie for her weekend radio show, "It's about my relationship with Barbaranne. From sixth grade, you're all in, so I gave her my name in blood. I said, "What about you?" She goes, "Well, we'll see how it pans out and I'll let you know later." So I'm still asking and I still haven't gotten an answer. She's just like... "So, basically, I'm still in the audition phase." So that's where we're at there."

He also revealed that "Broken and Blind" and "Hand of Tomorrow's Grave" come from the same well, before noting, "This whole album is basically about marriage and love and relationship therapy ...  we have the coffee, we have the Odin Force blend, we have Wylde Audio guitars. Next up is Engines of Demolition Marital Aids. So it's just always onward and the Black Label way."

Wylde also speaks with Jackie about his ongoing learning curve across many projects with each experience bringing something new. He opens up about writing the personal track "Ozzy's Song" about his longtime friend and mentor, the late Ozzy Osbourne. And he humorously shares his biggest goal tied to his upcoming tour with Zakk Sabbath and Dark Chapel.

Check out more of the chat below.

It's Full Metal Jackie, and I am welcoming back to the show our spiritual leader, the one and only Father Zakk Wylde. How you doing, Zakk?

Oh, my jeepers, gee willikers. I'm just chilling out. Rolling with Full Metal Jackie. Not half not quarter tank, full tank.

Full tank. That's what I'm talking about. Zakk is back in black with the new Black Label Society album, Engines of Demolition and it is a welcome and overdue return after so many things on your plate the last few years. Zakk, life is such a wealth of inspiration and this record was written over a period that you've noted as experiencing the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Of the highest of highs and the lowest of I'm kind of in the middle there somewhere like lukewarm water. That's what I am. Just like Nigel Tufnel.

How have these extremes of the last few years impacted your appreciation for having this platform to work through it all?

It's just like everybody else's life. You have ups, you have downs and you have everything in between. But this is the first album I've ever done where it's been on then off, on then off. Usually it's one implosion of ideas and writing and then when the smoke clears, it's all done.

This was a bunch of writing, then we were done. Then we went out with Pantera Celebration for a year, then did some more writing, did some more recording with the fellas at the back and then went out for another year. Then we were home, then went out for another year and a half, then recorded some other songs. Some of these songs are from 2022 and some of them are new. I never demo. It's just usually like Stillborn or something. It's just done then and it's finished. I don't sit around and just demo it and change it and mix it around, we never do that. This is the only time that's ever happened.

Like "Name In Blood," it was pretty much done. Then I added the intro to it and then changed it around and cut some of the parts out and just trimmed it down to where it's at. So some of the songs wouldn't have happened if it didn't take from 2022 to now.

The four years or five years that's in there and then us dropping singles and putting videos out, I kinda like the whole process in that people get a chance to digest the record before the record comes out. Usually it's you put two singles out and then the record comes out and then the record is done.

Right. No, it's good to give people a little taste and then they're familiar with a couple of the songs already when it comes out.

Exactly.

Black Label Society, "Name In Blood"

It's a song that evokes strong feelings of devotion and determination, yet is broad enough that listeners can attach their own meaning. What or who in your life evokes the type of spirit that would lead you to give my name in blood, and how did that song come about?

It's about my relationship with Barbaranne. From sixth grade, you're all in, so I gave her my name in blood. I said, "What about you?" She goes, "Well, we'll see how it pans out and I'll let you know later." So I'm still asking and I still haven't gotten an answer. She's just like... "So, basically, I'm still in the audition phase." So that's where we're at there.

But some of these songs are about marriage. "Broken and Blind," now you're broke. you had money, now you're broke and everything looked cheerful and sunny and now you're completely blind with rage and you're broke. And you can't even afford a slice of pizza anymore, but it was a good time regardless.

Then you have "The Hand of Tomorrow's Grave." That could be another love song as well. This whole album is basically about marriage and love and relationship therapy. And I'm starting the Engines of Demolition, we have the coffee, we have the Odin Force blend, we have Wylde Audio guitars. Next up is Engines of Demolition Marital Aids. So it's just always onward and the Black Label way.

Zakk, I've read that writing for this album started while you were taking part in the touring for the Pantera celebration. Obviously, you've spent time with Zakk Sabbath in recent years, too. Does one thing ever bleed into another when you've got so much you're involved with? And also, is there anything on this record that came out of playing Pantera on a nightly basis or pull from your Sabbath love revisiting their material live?

Yeah. As far as the Pantera stuff, Dimebag's spirit is so infectious. It's in everything. So whenever you're playing riffs, Dime's energy is in there. He'll always be all over everything. But obviously my love of Sabbath, you know what I mean? Every time we go out and do these Zakk Sabbath crusades, I'm just always in awe of the simplicity.  It'd be like a great meal where I'm like, "Jackie, what did you, what did you put on this?" And you're like, "Zakk, all I put was a little bit of salt, some butter on the steak," and then I put a little bit of cilantro in this or that, and I'm like, "Man, this is, like, ins-ane delicious." You know what I mean?

That's it with Sabbath. The amazing riffs, the simplicity of it, Ozzy with these amazing melodies, Geezer [Butler] with these awesome lyrics and then Bill [Ward] with the great drumming. It's not a lot going on, but the simplicity is what makes it great. 'Cause everything's so strong, It's just amazing.

Zakk, your friendship and closeness with Ozzy Osbourne, on a personal and professional level, is obviously well known. I can only see this going down one of two ways, overthinking it, trying to get it right. Or the opposite of there just being so much inspiration, it all flows out. How difficult or easy was it to put together "Ozzy's Song" on this album?

You know how things in your life where, you know, obviously lyrically, unless you're there or something happens to you, you're never gonna write those lyrics. I had the music sitting around, and I was like I'm gonna, I gotta finish this eventually. Aways lyrics are always last. It's like the music, whether it's a cool riff or it's a piano thing or acoustic guitar, then once you get the music done, they usually inspire you to sing a melody over it. You just start singing something over it. For me, lyrics are always last. Once I figure out what I wanna sing it about, then the lyrics just start happening.

But with "Ozzy's Song," after we laid Ozzy to rest, I came back on the road. We did Jones Beach in New York, where I remember playing there with Oz. It was just like the No More Tours 2 tour, it was raining that night and the people were just all in the front for, like, the first 40 rows. Everybody was knees deep in water. It was insane. Everybody with the raincoats on and the whole nine yards. So, I always remembered that show for that. But then we were the first show back from laying Ozzy to rest with Philip, Rex and Charlie and our Pantera Celebration family over there.

READ MORE: Black Label Society Release Tribute Ballad, 'Ozzy's Song'

So, that was pretty monumental. And then after we got done doing the Pantera Celebration run, I came home and I just sat in the library in our house. And I was looking at a book of Ozzy, just looking at them and I wrote the lyrics probably around midnight or one o'clock in the morning. I was just listening to it and then I just wrote those lyrics.

Zakk, whether it be the Pantera Celebration, Zack Sabbath, Black Label Society, playing with Ozzy, being a solo artist, doing the Experience Hendrix and Generation Axe tours, it's all scratching an itch for you.

You forgot dishes and laundry.

And dishes and laundry. My bad, my bad. There's a love for the music and a love for the guitar in all of it. Was there one of these experiences above all others where you felt you grew the most as a guitar player?

I think just every day that you're playing. Every new experience and stuff like that. I play every day. But obviously, the Generation Axe, being around the fellas, that's infectious right there.

Then, obviously, learning Dime's stuff or learning Tony Iommi stuff or learning Jimi Hendrix's stuff, all it is, is just more knowledge and it's only gonna help your playing. So, no. I think all of it [is impactful]. And every day you play cause you might learn a new thing.

Of if you're writing. you write all the time. When you learn other people's stuff, whether you're learning a Led Zeppelin song, or you're learning Jimi Hendrix, or you're learning a Dimebag thing, I always find it interesting, the writing. Because it's like, "Oh, wow, that's a cool chord choice, that they went there for the pre-chorus." And that's how you learn. I always tell kids when you're listening to music, you're digesting that music in many ways. So it's in your DNA, so you end up writing it. So if you're listening to the Stones all the time, a certain pre-chorus thing might be from a certain Stones song or whatever and you, subconsciously you don't even know it. You just go there because you enjoy that sound.

I think all of it, you're just constantly learning. All those years just sitting in the front of the tour bus, the sub watching the world go by after a show and solving the problems of the world, drinking beer and just listening, whether I'm listening to Eagles, Neil Young or listening to Crowded House. I could be listening to Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, whatever we're listening to, you're digesting it. Elton John, whatever, the production, the songwriting, the performances from all the guys and it just, it can't help but inspire your influence because it's in your DNA.

Zakk Wylde is my guest on the show, and gotta remind you that Black Label Society is gonna be out on tour into May with what feels like a family affair — Zakk Sabbath and Dark Chapel will open dates for Black Label Society. You're either a little crazy or supremely passionate to pull double duty. How enjoyable is it to have a hand as both the headliner and the band who sets the getting the audience hyped up?

You know obviously my love of soft shoe and tap dancery. I get to dance and my love of dance, I get to do it twice. And costume changes, the kiltageddon fest, they're gonna have multiple kilts going on all over the place.

The fact is I'm in Zakk Sabbath and those Black Label guys, we can't stand them and we know they don't like us either. And I know they're gonna try and cut out the PA on us. They're gonna try and cut out the lights on us, 'cause we're gonna steal the show. And then somewhere in this tour, I'm gonna sleep with Zakk Wylde's wife. I'm gonna do it.

That's a great goal.

Yes. Without a doubt. That's what I'm looking forward to most on this tour, whether Barbaranne Wylde knows it or not, she'll be cheating on her husband with me.

Zakk, we have seen you as guitarist in a variety of setups. You've also gotten involved in things like putting on your own festival a couple years back. Granted, you've always got something going on, but is there anything you'd like to try that you haven't done if the time ever clears up where you can give it a go?

Uh yes. I plan on getting to second base with Barbaranne Wylde on this tour.

I'm seeing a recurring theme here.

I haven't gotten there. But persistence is key.

I believe in you, Zakk.

So I plan getting to second base with Barbaranne Wylde. that is my goal. But people are like, "Zakk, you got any advice for my son or my daughter," you know, "As a musician?" And I'm just like, "Yeah, make your band ... like Jimmy Page, make it your life." Make it your everything.

It started off as your mom and pop shop, that's what you wanna do, you wanna play music the rest of your life, so make the band you're all and everything. Don't make that your job, you'll love going to work every day. But make it your whole [life] Commit your life to it, just like Jimmy Page. It's his whole life revolves around Zeppelin. He does other things and he could write, he could do other things, but make sure that he's committed his life to that, which is an awesome thing.

You'll always be in a good mood, you know? Put it that way. So you could be miserable or you could be happy. Be like Dimebag and  just be happy. Fire up the barbecue, watch football, have a good time.

That is the best advice. Zakk Wylde with us, Black Label Society Engines of Demolition, huge tour. Zakk, I cannot thank you enough for the many years of friendship and for you just being you. I love catching up with you. Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing you real soon.

Well, I look forward to giving you a report on this whole Zakk Wylde's wife situation.

Second base for sure. I'm, I'm rooting for you. I'm rooting for you.

Thank you very much.

Thanks to Zakk Wilde for the interview. Black Label Society's Engines of Demolition is available now. Check out the band's website, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie's weekend radio show here.

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