Black label Society - Show they could headline this festival in a few years time!

****

BLS produce their finest performance yet!

Bloodstock Festival

Black label Society **** is a band driven by guitar legend Zakk Wylde (Black label Society / Ozzy Osbourne / Pride and Glory), but for me his work with them never lived up to the standard of the work he did with Ozzy Osbounre. But today is totally different for them, I think that the fact that they have moved up the bill to one off headliners have meant the feel of the band has changed. I always thought they were a little arrogant, the arogency has been replaced with a great deal of confidence... that comes across really well as they crack on through songs from their now extensive back catalogue.

They come onstage to this awesome intro that contains a montage of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath songs, bands Black label Society really look up to and are strongly inspired by. It's nice how they start off with an early song from their debut album 'Sonic Brew'. 'The Beginning... at Last' is a track that I really hadn't listened to that much. I seemed to have skipped this album by mistake, but after hearing it today.

I think it is one that I really need to give a second look. The band look really cool like always, looking like a biker gang out of 'Sons of Anarchy'... in their custom made and branded BLS jackets with the giant skull logo on the back. Also the sun is working really well to lighten up the stage, and show off the band and their performance. So when they break into the the brilliant 'Bleed for Me' you know that today is going to be a very good day for Zakk and the boys.

Bassist John DeServio and very new guitarist Dario Lorino really come into their own on 'Heart of Darkness', and show that this is a line-up that is probably not going to change any time soon. Looking at Black label Society's timeline I actually can't believe how many changes in their ranks that they have had, with both drums and bass changing a hell of a lot of times.

I don't know if this is because Zakk was not happy with or like in Robert Trujillo (Metallica / Suicidal Tendencies / Ozzy Osboune / Black label Society / Medication) they wanted to go onto bigger or different things. One of the cool bits in the bands set is when a roadie comes on to sing through a megaphone a line or two from the track 'Suicide Messiah'. The band have so many good songs from 'My dying Time' to 'Damn the Flood', you realise this is a band that could be huger than huge... but I don't know or not, if they have missed their chance.

I also even like the guitar solo segment today, he doesn't go into show off territory like he did sometimes when performing with Ozzy Osbourne or previous Black label Society shows. The solo is just the right length and really showed off what he can do without it being too over the top. It also leads on nicely to 'Godspeed Hell Bound' which sounds really big and fast, with classic Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) esq. squeels in it. This shows that if their ever was a Pantera reunion,be that Dimebag's best friend Zakk would be the perfect person to fill the space left by the sadly departed guitar legend.

They go out in a big way with 'Concrete Jungle' and 'Stillborn', two of the best tracks in Black Label's arsenal. We are left surprised and wanting more so this is a really great day for Black label Society and a set and day that will be remembered by fans for quite a while. I look forward to hearing what they do on the next album.

Review and Photo's by Dan Devour

Check Out! the Video for 'My dying Time' Below...