Most of us know New Jersey native Zakk Wylde as Ozzy Osbourne’s former axeman, then as the force of nature behind badass heavy metallers Black Label Society, but his impressive and deceptively broad catalogue is one that demands proper examination.
Born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt in January 1967, Wylde’s music career skyrocketed following a successful audition to replace lead guitarist Jake E Lee in Ozzy’s band. The story goes that a friend of a friend of Wylde, who at the time was playing on the local circuit with a Bon Jovi-aping band called Zyris, managed to deliver his demo tape to Ozzy’s people. When Sharon Osbourne called to arrange a meeting, Wylde assumed it was one of his buddies taking the piss.
While No Rest For The Wicked – Wylde’s first album with Ozzy – introduced the guitarist to the world, it was 1991’s blockbuster No More Tears that cemented his status as one of the most influential and exhilarating players in rock.
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As well as playing on further albums with Ozzy, Wylde released a record with the southern rock trio Pride & Glory, and the Book Of Shadows duology under his own name, but his bread is buttered elsewhere. That’s Black Label Society.
Wylde’s band is one of the most uncompromising and consistently great metal bands of the century. He’s a self-professed Black Sabbath mega-fan, and you’ll find plenty of that here. BLS have released 11 albums to date, and as says himself he’s playing the music he loves.
Add one of Wylde’s signature bullseye guitars, along with his unmistakable kilt and leather battle jacket combo, and you have a Viking-looking guitar god ready to bring the noise. Yet looks can deceive.
Wylde is a prodigiously talented musician, whether he’s delivering hammerhead riffs, blinding solos, or perched behind a piano making us misty-eyed with his tender, plinking ballads about life and death.
On that note, not many will have been hit harder by Ozzy’s passing. His first guitarist Randy Rhoads has legendary status, but Wylde was Ozzy’s mainstay and fellow hellraiser until the very end.
At 58, Wylde is still willing to challenge himself. He’s been involved with the reactivated Pantera since 2022, taking up the formidable mantle of his late friend Dimebag Darrell. And, as with Wylde’s stellar Sabbath cover band, Zakk Sabbath, if anyone can pull it off with aplomb, it’s him.
