And I'll Be There for Your Final Ride: An Interview with Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)

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 their twelfth studio album titled Engines of Demolition on March 27^th, 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 ultimately become Ozzy's last performance before his passing.  Zakk laid his great friend, collaborator, and godfather to one of his children to rest two weeks after that performance, and upon returning home, put the finishing touches on the closing song of the new Black Label Society 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 for a bit, even though Zakk continued to write riffs and lyrics while in all of these various places.  The first single from the album, “The Gallows,” was released a year and a half ago, with subsequent singles “Lord Humungus” and “Broken and Blind” 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 new 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 and arrange the songs to his liking.  The results are classic Black Label Society that Berzerkers 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 Black Label Society record, his general songwriting process, the catharsis of turning events and emotions into songs, his inspiration for his lyrics, and where the lyrical inspiration for “Stillborn” came from.
• the reaction to the new singles live, the decision to put “No More Tears” back into the setlist, what its like opening for himself pulling double duty on the current tour, and a brewing feud between Zakk Sabbath and Black Label Society.
• how Zakk wrote “Ozzy’s Song” after returning home from Ozzy’s funeral, an old Ozzy story from the Ozzmosis days involving a poster Zakk redecorated the studio with after a trip to an occult book store, and a few suggestions for the Jones Beach Theater.
• memories of meeting, touring, and being involved in photoshoots with 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. 

You can watch the entire interview HERE:

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.”  Engines of Demolition continues to build upon the spectacular success that Zakk has enjoyed over his nearly four-decade career, but it won’t be long until he’s back in the studio trialing new material - because the preparation for next season, or album cycle, starts as soon as Engines of Demolition is released on Friday.  And the rent is due soon. 

The new Black Label Society record, Engines of Demolition, will be released worldwide this Friday, March 27th. You can find pre-order information at the link below with a number of bundle options.

"Ozzy's Song" will make its live debut during Black Label Society's March 27th show in Madison, Wisconsin. The performance is available free worldwide on Veeps. Follow the link below to claim your free ticket for this historic performance.

Black Label Society are currently on tour with Zakk Sabbath and Dark Chapel running through North America. Ticket information can be found on BLS' website below.