Black Label Society

Zakk Wylde Pays Tribute To Dimebag Darrell In Black Label Society Clip

26 Aug 2005 12:48:00 EDT

'In This River' depicts Wylde and Dime as kids.
By Jon Wiederhorn

Zakk Wylde
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

In the coming months, numerous artists, including Nickelback and Brides of Destruction, will release songs about or dedicated to late Damageplan/Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. One of the most heartfelt tributes comes from his close friend Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society, who conceived a music video for the ballad "In This River" that's an allegory of his relationship with Darrell.

In the clip, the guitarists are depicted as children who ride their bikes to the edge of a river, then dive in and attempt to swim across. The young Wylde makes it to the other side; Darrell doesn't.

"The river is a metaphor for life in general," Wylde said, "all the bullsh-- that you deal with from being a kid growing up. The whole thing's just about life and death."

Other scenes include Wylde singing and playing piano in the middle of a (shallow) river, then smashing the instrument to pieces with an axe before setting it on fire and rocking out on a double-necked guitar. The video also incorporates black-and-white footage of Darrell onstage, which was supplied by his widow, Rita.

Wylde came up with the concept for the clip, which was directed by Eric Zimmerman (Megadeth, Napalm Death) and shot in March in Southern California, and worked closely on the project with Rita, who cast the two children. "When she chose them, I said to her, 'I think we might have to cast some other kids — I don't remember me and Dime ever looking this good," Wylde joked. "One kid's got the Kiss shirt on with the Dime razorblade necklace, and the other's got the Sabbath stuff on. We were all laughing seeing the little dudes dressed up. It was funny because they don't know who I am or who Dime was because they're just little guys."

Although the tone of "In This River" is somber, Wylde had a good time during the shoot. "Everything was a celebration of Dime's life, which was really important for me," he said. "But it was also really fun smashing the piano. No one's gonna turn down the chance to smash sh--."

Wylde wrote "In This River" for Black Label Society's 2005 album Mafia, several months before Darrell was killed. It wasn't until after his death that the track was turned into a Dimebag tribute. "I was looking at the lyrics, and I just said, 'Man, this has gotta be Dime's tune,' so we just made it Dime's song and that's how the video came about," he said. "I think it's really emotional and it came out great. Everyone loves it: [Dimebag's brother] Vinnie, Rita. It's all about Dime's memory and there ain't a dry eye in the house every time you see it."

Click here for more on the tragic death of Dimebag Darrell and the Ohio club shooting.

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Metal File: Zakk Wylde, Voivod, Mastodon, Madball, Genghis Tron, Pig Destroyer & More In This Week's Hard News

4 Aug 2005 09:21:00 EDT

'Will Smith's been on the Ozzfest? What the hell?' the guitarist wonders.
By Chris Harris and Jon Wiederhorn

Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde (file)
Photo: Getty Images/Jo Hale

New Jersey's own Zakk Wylde generally just doesn't give a damn about much. For example, beyond Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying, he doesn't know who's playing Ozzfest's second stage this year. But really, you can't exactly blame the dude. He usually doesn't get up until after noon, and even then, he's often nursing a hangover.

So when asked what he thinks of Wicked Wisdom, it's not too surprising when Wylde replies, "What's that?" After being told that it's the Jada Pinkett Smith-fronted group that takes the stage long before he rolls out of bed, he asks, "What does Jada Pinkett Smith do?" When he finds out she's the Hollywood actress married to Will Smith, who's also been attending all of the Ozzfest dates, he perks up. "F---ing Will Smith's been on the Ozzfest? What the hell? I need to get an autograph, dude. 'I loved you in "Ali," bro.' "

Wylde says he just doesn't care about "any of that [second stage] sh--. It cuts into time at the Irish tavern, you know what I mean, dude? Why? Is everyone pissing and moaning? What, because they're a new band? Dude, I don't get up that early. Have people been bottling them?"

Bottling?

"Heaving sh-- at them? Bottles? Dude, I remember when we did a show up in Toronto back in 2001, and ... it's too bad, because they were really nice dudes, too. But what were they? Crazytown? You know how you look at a light at night, and there's nothing but f---ing moths around it? Well, there's nothing but these f---ing bottles, these little Evian and Poland Spring bottles, and they're throwing them up there in f---ing droves. Poor bastards. But hey, it's a metal bill and you're doing hip-hop. Get this sh-- the f--- out of here."

For Wylde, who's been a part of Ozzfest for the last seven years, this summer's edition has been like all the rest. "Just a f---ing ass-kicking time, dude. It's like going to Great Adventure."

Once the tour's over, Wylde said he's got two projects in the works he needs to finish. The first is a DVD with live footage from several recent shows his Black Label Society played over in Paris and London; that, he said, could see release early next year. There's also a compilation CD that should be out around the same time, featuring all of the earliest BLS material as well as some bonus tracks, to be called Kings of Damnation.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Bränn Dailor, drummer for Atlanta grindcore masters Mastodon, told Metal File the band's been "collecting riffs and accepting ideas as they come" while on the road during this summer's Ozzfest. He said Mastodon plan to take a few weeks off this September before hitting the studio, where they'll "dump those ideas out and start putting it all together. We've got a lot of good ideas." Dailor said the band hopes to release its Warner Bros. debut next summer. ... Trivium will hit the road in November with Children of Bodom for a full U.S. tour; there are no definitive dates yet. ... Explosive D.C. grind act Pig Destroyer have lined up three West Coast dates with Uphill Battle, Phobia and Triac: August 5 at the Showcase Theater in Corona, California; August 6 at Los Angeles' Hanging Jury; and August 7 at the Voodoo House in Tijuana, Mexico. ... Roadrunner United— The All-Star Sessions, a disc slapped together for the label's 25th anniversary, is set to hit stores on October 11. The album features collaborations involving past and current heavyweights from Roadrunner's roster, including Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt, Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo, Slipknot's Jim Root, Max Cavalera, King Diamond, Type O Negative's Peter Steele, Vision of Disorder's Tim Williams and others. Tracks include "Roads," "Constitution Down," "Annihilation by the Hand of God" and "The Dawn of a Golden Age." ...

Killswitch Engage guitarist and funnyman Adam Dutkiewicz was asked recently whether he'd be interested in touring with new Roadrunner labelmates Opeth: "I would love to. We can discuss math problems and castles. It would be awesome. I think they'll be into it. They just seem like they'd be down with both of those things." ... Sacramento's With Passion have lost two and gained another. The band's original drummer, Jacob Peete, is back in the mix, while keyboardist Brandon Guadagnolo and guitarist Andy Burt have departed to pursue other musical interests, according to the band's Web site. ... New York extreme metallers Genghis Tron were almost killed by a bunny last week. The band was driving to a gig in New Mexico at 70 mph when it struck a jack rabbit and lost control of its van and trailer. The vehicle rolled off the highway and the trailer was thrown 30 feet into the desert, but no one was injured. The accident forced Genghis to cancel the rest of their U.S. tour, which they hopes to make up at the end of the year. ... Irreverent hard-rock band My Ruin will release their new studio album, The Brutal Language, September 27. The band added bassist Chris Lisee and drummer Jason Brunk to its lineup after completing the disc. ...

Los Angeles stoner-metal band Fireball Ministry will release their third album, Their Rock Is Not Our Rock, October 18. The disc was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Velvet Revolver, Foo Fighters) and recorded at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 West and the late Elliott Smith's New Monkey Studios. The album will be the first to feature ex-Systematic bassist Johnny Chow, who replaced original bassist Janis Tanaka. Fireball Ministry will open for CKY from August 8 in San Diego through September 11 in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Doom/punk powerhouse Debris, Inc., which includes Trouble bassist Ron Holzner and Saint Vitus guitarist Dave Chandler, will play a string of East Coast dates to support their self-titled debut, which came out in April. The 10-date tour will launch August 4 in Chicago and end August 13 in Dayton, Ohio. ... Canadian experimental thrash-metal vets Voivod have signed a deal with the End Records and will enter the studio in the fall to record their 11th album, which is due in early 2006. The band's last, self-titled album, its first to feature ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, came out in March 2003. ...

Thine Eyes Bleed have been added to this fall's International Extreme Music Festival, which also features God Dethroned, Byzantine, Nightrage, Hell Within, Epoch of Unlight and Lilitu. Thine Eyes Bleed's debut album, In the Wake of Separation, came out June 21. ... Sunset Strip rockers Beautiful Creatures will release their second album, on August 23. The disc will be the band's first since its 2001 self-titled debut. Beautiful Creatures are fronted by Bang Tango singer Joe Leste, previously played Ozzfest and opened up for Kiss before being dropped by Warner Bros. ... New York hardcore legends Madball will hit the road on September 7 in Revere, Massachusetts, for a 21-date U.S. headlining tour, with support acts Walls of Jericho, Misery Signals and Full Blown Chaos. ... God Forbid's IV: Constitution of Treason will be in stores on September 20 and features "The End of the World," "Crucify Your Beliefs" and "To the Fallen Hero." ... Guitarist Kevin Rampelberg has left the Red Chord; they are performing as a four-piece for the time being, as they search for a replacement. ... Converge have started working on the follow-up to 2004's You Fail Me. They'll preview some of their new material on an upcoming Canadian tour and at this year's Hellfest in late August.

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Ozzfest's Mainstage Mystery Band Finally Named

4 Apr 2005 12:01:00 EDT

Mudvayne nab coveted spot.
By Chris Harris

Mudvayne (file)
Photo: Sony Music

After weeks of speculation about who will be sharing the Ozzfest stage this summer with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Shadows Fall and Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, the big secret's finally out: Heavy metal quartet Mudvayne have been named the final mainstage act.

A photo of the band was posted Monday morning (April 4) on the Ozzfest 2005 Web site, replacing the ominous band silhouette and large white question mark that appeared in that mystery spot ever since the roster was announced just a few weeks ago (see "Ozzfest Lineup, Itinerary Announced").

There had been much speculation since the initial Ozzfest 2005 announcement concerning who the surprise headliner might be. Anthrax, Disturbed, Slayer, the surviving members of Alice in Chains (with Zakk Wylde handling vocals), System of a Down, Megadeth, Rammstein, Velvet Revolver and Damageplan (with Wylde on guitar, filling in for the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott), were all rumored to be that band.

Mudvayne, whose new album, Lost and Found, hits stores April 12 (see "Mudvayne Lose The Makeup, Find Inspiration In Isolation"), are currently on tour with Life of Agony and Bloodsimple. A spokesperson for the band could not be reached for comment.

Ozzfest, which also features Killswitch Engage, the Black Dahlia Murder, Rob Zombie, As I Lay Dying, Mastodon, the Haunted, In Flames, Arch Enemy, Soilwork and Trivium, kicks off July 15 at Mansfield, Massachusetts' Tweeter Center, and wraps up September 4 in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre.

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New Releases: Gratitude, Black Label Society, The Kills, John Digweed & More

7 Mar 2005 09:19:00 EST

Also due Tuesday are albums from Guapo, Kasabian and Sam Prekop.
By Alyssa Rashbaum

Gratitude's Gratitude
Photo: Atlantic

Rock is ruling the new releases list this week, with albums by emo-rockers Gratitude, metal's Black Label Society and London indie-rockers the Kills.

Gratitude, featuring ex-Far frontman Jonah Matranga on lead vocals, release their debut, self-titled album, a raw, bare-bones rock effort led by the single "Drive Away."

Zakk Wylde gets back to his hard-rock soul with the new Black Label Society album, Mafia. The follow-up to 2004's Hangover Music, which was mostly acoustic, takes the sound back to BLS' thumping metal roots while also featuring two piano-driven ballads.

Gritty punk-infused duo the Kills release their sophomore album, No Wow. A stripped-down, aggressive rock effort, No Wow follows 2003's debut, Keep on Your Mean Side.

England's Kasabian release their energetic, pop-infused self-titled debut in the U.S. this week, led by the single "Club Foot," while Toronto's indie-pop outfit the Stars release their third album, Set Yourself on Fire.

Also out this week are albums by the Bravery's tour partners, Ash (Meltdown), DJ John Digweed (Fabric 20), and Sam Prekop (Who's Your New Professor).

Out Tuesday, March 8:

50 Foot Wave - Golden Ocean (ThrowingMusic/BMG)
Above This Fire - In Perspective (Life Sentence)
AK-Momo - Return to N.Y. (Parasol)
Alove for Enemies - The Harvest (Facedown)
Alston - Voodoo for Fun and Profit (Repossession)
Alter Boys - The Exotic Sounds of the Alter Boys (Lumberjack)
Amazing Pilots - Hello, My Captor (Undertow)
Nic Armstrong & the Thieves - The Greatest White Liar (New West)
Ash - Meltdown (Record Collection)
Asphalt Jungle - Enjoy This Trip (Hypnotic)
Black Label Society - Mafia (Artemis)
Read: "Zakk Wylde Rips Blind Followers On 'Just Another Black Label Society Record'"
Boom Bip - Blue Eyed in the Red Room (Warp)
Lynn Bryant - Woman Enough (Infinity Music)
Eddie Bush - Eddie Bush (Infinity Music)
Brad Byrd - The Ever Changing Picture (Free Agency)
Deanna Carter - The Story of My Life (Vanguard)
Combichrist - Everybody Hates You (Metropolis)
Chris Cotton - I Watched the Devil Die (Yellow Dog)
Des_Ark - Loose Lips Sink Ships (Lumberjack)
Devil in a Woodpile - In Your Lonesome Town (Bloodshot)
John Digweed - Fabric 20 (Studio Distribution)
The Disease - Dyslexic Experts in Reverse Psychology (Alone)
DJ Revolution - The ABC's of High Fidelity (Studio Distribution)
Elanors - A Year to Demonstrate (Parasol)
Tommy Emmanuel - Endless Road (Favored Nations)
Evens - The Evens (Dischord)
Forever Changed - Need to Feel Alive (Floodgate)
French Toast - In a Cave (Dischord)
Full Scale - Full Scale (Columbia)
Reeves Gabrels - Rockonica (Favored Nations)
Jay Geils - Jay Geils Plays Jazz (Stony Plain)
Gratitude - Gratitude (Atlantic)
Buy Now: Gratitude (Atlantic)
Guapo - Black Oni (Ipecac)
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion - Exploration (New West)
Hot Club of San Francisco - Postcards from Gypsyland (Lost Wax Music)
Icarus Witch - Roses on White Lace (Cleopatra)
Into the Moat - The Design (Metal Blade)
Kaddisfly - Buy Our Intention; We'll Buy You a Unicorn (Hopeless)
Kaos - Hello Stranger (Studio Distribution)
Kasabian - Kasabian (RCA)
Kills - No Wow (RCA)
Kings of Tomorrow - Trouble (Studio Distribution)
Jimmy LaFave - Blue Nightfall (Red House)
Living Legends - Classic (Basement/Legendary Music)
Luciano & Sizzla - Jah Warrior III (Penitentiary)
Mando Diao - Hurricane Bar (Mute)
Milton Mapes - Blacklight Trap (Undertow)
Amy Miles - Noble Hatch (Redeye Distribution)
Thee Missouri - In Voodoorama (Blue Disguise)
Monade - A Few Steps More (Beggars Banquet)
Craig Morgan - My Kind of Livin' (BBR)
Our Turn - Catch Your Breath (Youngblood)
Over It - Silverstrand (Lobster)
Paint It Black - Paradise (Jade Tree)
Julius Papp - Heartbeat 2 (Studio Distribution)
Pigeon John - Sings the Blues! (Basement)
Pit er Pat - Shakey (Thrill Jockey)
Pitch Black - This Is Modern Sound (Revelation)
Sam Prekop - Who's Your New Professor (Thrill Jockey)
Nelson Rangell - My American Songbook Vol. 1 (Koch)
Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl - The Duke Meets the Earl (Stony Plain)
Secret Garden - Earthsongs (Universal Classics)
Sarah Sharp - Fourth Person (Redeye Distribution)
Soilwork - Stabbing the Drama (Nuclear Blast)
Stars - Set Yourself on Fire (Arts & Crafts)
Rhonda Vincent & the Rage - Ragin' Live (Rounder)
Winter Solstice - The Fall of Rome (Metal Blade)
Various artists - Acoustic Tribute to Tim McGraw (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - Fastlife Music Presents Code of the Streets (Fastlife)
Various artists - The Guitar Tribute to Boston (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - Hip-Hop Tribute to Metallica (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - Hitmakers: The String Quartet Tribute to the Matrix
(Vitamin)
Various artists - The Kings of Funk, Compiled by RZA and Keb Darge (Studio Distribution)
Various artists - Latin Empire (Independent Music)
Various artists - Louie Vega Presents Dance Ritual (Studio Distribution)
Various artists - Love Song: The Piano Tribute to the Cure (Vitamin)
Various artists - Pickin' on Tracy Byrd (CMH)
Various artists - Return to Glory 1 (True Life Jazz)
Various artists - Revive the Soul (Revive the Soul)
Various artists - Smooth Sax Tribute to Alicia Keys (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - Smooth Sax Tribute to Shania Twain (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - Soul Piano Tribute to Anita Baker (Tribute Sounds)
Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Rush's 2112 (Vitamin)
Various artists - The String Quartet Tribute to Switchfoot (Vitamin)
Various artists - Violently: The String Quartet Tribute to Björk
(Vitamin)
DVD: Bob Dylan - "Bob Dylan World Tours 1966-1974: Through the Camera of Barry Feinstein" (Music Video Distributors)
DVD: Beth Hart - "Live at Paradiso" (Koch)
DVD: Jin - "The Making of a Rap Star" (Image Entertainment)
DVD: Leatherface - "Boat in the Smoke" (Music Video Distributors)
DVD: Mike + the Mechanics & Paul Carrack - "Live at Shepherd's Bush London"
(Eagle Rock)
DVD: Pepper - "Live" (Volcom Entertainment)
DVD: Usher - "The Glamorous Life" (Chrome Dreams)