ZAKK WYLDE says BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will go back on tour in 2026
21-02-2025
In a new interview with Scott Davidson of Chicago’s Rebel Radio 92.5 FM, Zakk Wylde spoke about the possibility of more music from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY after the release of two singles, “The Gallows” in September 2024 and “Lord Humungus” this past February. He said: “Well, it’s a weird thing, because nowadays, just the way… ‘Cause back in the day, it would be, like, you’d make a record… I mean, even back with Ozzy (Osbourne), back in ’88 when I first started with the Boss, you would make the album, then you do some videos and then you release the album and then there’s this big tour campaign and the whole nine yards. And nowadays, we could just keep putting singles out and videos and then put the album out eventually. So we’re already two (singles) deep right now between ‘The Gallows’ and ‘Lord Humungus’. And then in between all the PANTERA celebration stuff, when I get back home, we’re in the Vatican (Zakk‘s home studio) and we’re tracking new songs. ‘Cause ‘Lord Humungus’ and ‘The Gallows’, those were all recent songs. So, yeah, we just track ’em and then we box ’em up and then ship ’em out and they’re good to go. So in between, by the time BLACK LABEL starts touring in 2026 sometime… ‘Cause, obviously, I’m committed to, with the fellas, (touring) with the PANTERA celebration. So we’re not gonna be doing anything (touring-wise with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) until 2026. So just keep writing away… And then, when we’re good and ready, we go out.”
Regarding how he goes about writing music for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, Zakk said: “For me, it always starts with the riff. And the riff just inspires you to sing something over it. Actually, most of the time, even when it’s the mellow stuff… I mean, whether I’m sitting at the piano, I pick up an acoustic, it’s the chord progressions and everything like that. But especially with the heavy stuff, for me it’s usually always the riff. And the riff will dictate where the song’s going.”
In February of this year. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY released a single, “Lord Humungus”. The song was a precursor of new album, due to be released on MNRK Heavy.
Stream “Lord Humungus”. below.
This past September, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY released a new single titled “The Gallows” via MNRK Heavy (formerly eOne Music).
Watch “The Gallows” below.
Wylde, renowned for his exceptional guitar prowess and commanding stage presence, continues to make a lasting impact with this latest release. “The Gallows” captures the dark, brooding essence of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY‘s catalog while infusing it with a renewed intensity that reflects the band’s evolution. “The Gallows” embodies the core of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY — raw power, emotional depth, and a commitment to pure, unfiltered hard rock and roll.
Wylde comments: “Berzerkers!!! Here’s a new BLACK LABEL song called ‘The Gallows’.
“What do you call a fake noodle??? An impasta!!!
“See You ALL at the Berzerkus on Saturday September 14th at Poconos Park, PA!!!”
“The Gallows” exemplifies what BLACK LABEL SOCIETY fans should expect, blistering guitar solos and lyrics that will spark the heart and soul of the heavy metal community.
This past April, Wylde confirmed to Scott Davidson of Chicago’s Rebel Radio 92.5 FM that he and his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmates were working on the group’s next album. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY‘s twelfth studio LP will be the follow-up to “Doom Crew Inc.”, which came out in November 2021 via MNRK Heavy.
Regarding where BLACK LABEL SOCIETY was in the recording process as of five months ago, Zakk said: “Actually, when I get done talking to you, I’m going to [my studio] Black Vatican. I’m tracking some more stuff today right now. So during the times I’m home, I’ll be doing some recording and stuff like that for the next album. I’ve gotta pick my spot for when I’m home. Then [I] can do some recording, and then, before you know it, we’re back out on the road again.”
In a separate chat with Metal Mayhem ROC, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY drummer Jeff Fabb stated about the band’s next album: “I don’t know exactly when it’s gonna be released, but I heard some time in the new year. So I would assume that we’re gonna tour it. So we’re working on it right now. Actually. I’m about to go to [Zakk‘s] house in the next few days and finish up a few more songs that he wrote. And then, yeah, that’s pretty much it. We’ve got that show in September and then I would assume that we’re gonna hit the road at some point.”
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will headline Zakk‘s inaugural music festival, Berzerkus, on September 14, 2024 at Poconos Park in Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Berzerkus will be co-headlined by outlaw country music’s Cody Jinks. Also scheduled to appear are CLUTCH, RIVAL SONS, BLACK STONE CHERRY, ZOSO (the ultimate LED ZEPPELIN experience),THE ATOMIC PUNKS (a tribute to early VAN HALEN) and THE IRON MAIDENS (the world’s only all-female tribute to IRON MAIDEN).
Three years ago, Wylde told the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA about the BLACK LABEL SOCIETY songwriting process: “The way it always goes, it’s always the music first and then a melody. And then I’ve gotta find out something I wanna sing about. So then I’ll write the lyrics. That’s usually always the way it goes. And then, when it’s all done, then the solos go on it. The painting’s all done, and the solo is the frame that goes on the thing. So you can sit back and look at the whole thing. That’s the way we pretty much always do it… I would just have a cup of coffee and just start writing riffs. You always get inspired by — for me, it’s always Mount Riffmore, which is CREAM, MOUNTAIN, [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE… If you’re not getting inspired by the riffs those guys have created, it’s just like… So I’ll just go fishing and just start writing till you get to something you like.”
Wylde formed BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in 1998 and has kept the band busy in between touring and recording with Ozzy Osbourne, whose backing group he first joined more than three and a half decades ago.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY‘s “Order Of The Black” (2010) and “Catacombs Of The Black Vatican” (2014) both broke into the top five on the hard rock album charts.
Since first joining Ozzy, Zakk has played on all of the BLACK SABBATH singer’s solo albums except for 2020’s “Ordinary Man”, including such classic efforts as “No More Tears” (1991),“Ozzmosis” (1995) and “Black Rain” (2007).
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:
Zakk Wylde – vocals, guitar, piano
John “JD” DeServio – bass
Jeff Fabb – drums
Dario Lorina – guitar
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