Special Report By Debby Rao

Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY invaded New England this week performing three sold out concerts at the Webster Theatre in Hartford on October 24, Hampton Beach Casino on October 27, and the Worcester Palladium on October 28

The New England trek of the BLS tour featured many special events. The festivities kicked off at The Webster Theatre as Black Label Society kicked off their New England Shot To Hell tour in Hartford. Opening band BLACK STONE CHERRY did a great job of getting the crowd warmed up for BLS. The band has a great southern rock sound with a touch of metal. Black Stone Cherry has a new self-titled release on Roadrunner Records. Highlights of the set included their new single, ‘Hell Or High Water’, and ‘Maybe Someday’.

Black Label Society hit the stage at 9:30 P.M. The stage setting featured the Black Label Society logo, and a picture of that mischievous Nun that appeared on the Shot To Hell album cover. Sirens blazing and a sign Pub Open, the BLS curtain fell to the floor, as the band hit the stage with a vengeance. Last time I saw BLS perform in Hartford was at Ozzfest earlier this summer . The band tore up the stage at Ozzfest, and proceeded to do the same at The Webster Theatre. Opening with ‘New Religion’, BLS performed four new tracks off of Shot To Hell. The set also included many BLS favorite such as, ‘Bleed For Me’, ‘Suffering Overdue’, ‘Suicide Messiah’, and ‘Spoke In the Wheel’.

The week-long festivities were just getting started as Black Label Society appeared at a very special in store appearance at Daddy's Junky Music Store in Portsmouth, NH from 6 PM - 8 PM This was a great opportunity for the BLS fans to get an unclose and personal visit with one of the top bands in music today. Zakk Wylde and the band signed autographs, and chatted with their many fans. The band was in a great mood and it was great to see many BLS enjoying this opportunity to meet Black Label Society Special thanks to BLS Tour manager Mark for letting me cover this special event.

One of the highlights of the New England BLS Trek was their sold out performance at Hampton Beach Casino. Black Label society hit the stage at 9:30 P.M. and performed a blockbuster 90-minute set of power packed songs, which featured a three song outstanding acoustic performance, plus all the heavy BLS favorites.

Kicking off the set with ‘New Religion’, BLS was ready to showcase their new album in a skull crushing performance. Zakk Wylde took center stage, as the pied piper and guitar virtuoso held the audience in the palm of his hand. The first part of the set featured the earlier BLS catalog such as ‘Been A Long Time’, ‘Forever Down’, and ‘Suffering Overdue’. The band sounded really tight driving the male dominated audience into frenzy. Zakk even played the intro to ‘Iron Man’, paying tribute to his roots, where is career all began with his mentor OZZY OSBOURNE.

Bass player John JD Deservio was a ball of energy, as the rhythm section that also features Craig Nunemacher proved to be the Rock of Gibraltar, pounding out relentless beats that have become BLS's trademark.

One of the most amazing aspects of this tour is the powerful acoustic set, which features Zakk Wylde on piano. Zakk takes a break for this masterful guitar shredding to showcase his softer side, and paint a beautiful canvas with 3 of the most powerful songs that he has ever written. Opening the set with 'Spoke In The Wheel', the songs features great bluesy vocals, heart wrenching lyrics that make you feel the pain on this love gone wrong song." This has to be one of all time favorite BLS songs. It has been a long road for BLS to reach to reach the top of the music industry. Through their dedication to their craft, Black Label Society has become one of the top bands in music.

In past interviews, Zakk has always told me,” You have to play music that you believe in." As he spoke of his career tonight and his rise to the top, Zakk mentioned how when Black Label was first getting started that record companies would say if you sounded more like LIMP BIZKIT and shed your biker image you would make it. Well it is safe to say that Zakk never changed his image and sold out his beliefs to make it as a recording artist. Zakk has stayed true to his musical beliefs, and it has payed off. After many years of his dedication to his craft, Black Label Society is garnering a huge fan base worldwide. The band recently toured Australia performing to sold out venues in the land down under. Zakk Wylde said, Shot To Hell hit #21 with a bullet on the Billboard Charts, and the BLS family is getting bigger and bigger every year."

I recently had the opportunity to speak to Zakk about the Shot To Hell Tour, which began at the Starland Ballroom in Jersey. His Jersey roots, the music industry today, and Black Label Society’s Tribute to Dimebag every night on the STH Tour.

Wylde: “Yes, there is about maybe four or five ballads or something like that on the new album. On Black Label albums, as much as I love the heavy stuff, I love the mellow stuff too. Without a doubt, you can always rework the heavy ones, and just make them acoustic. Yes, we will dedicate ‘In this River’ to Dimebag every night. I wrote the song before Dime past away. It is just like I never had a brother, but Dime was my brother. I laid him to rest. It is just like that. Looking at the lyrics, this is his song.”

Zakk on playing guitar solos and the resurgence of metal:

Wylde: “Yeah, without a doubt, is definitely coming around again. AVENGED SEVENFOLD, those guys are doing solos now. It is always one of those things, what is old is new again. For a while, like with the girls wearing the jeans, the hipsters were out and now they are in again. Then eventually that will go away. It is usually like a twenty-year cycle. Even with fashion or what people are wearing and music. What is old is new again. Girls are wearing midriffs again, hip huggers. For a while girls were wearing baggy pants. It goes out of fashion and suddenly comes back again. Nirvana was amazing. Kurt was like I don't want to do Eddie Van Halen solos, I am a songwriter. He was all about the attitude. It's like hot dogs and hamburgers. Some people like hot dogs better than hamburgers, it is still food. One is not better than the other; do ya know what I am saying?”

Zakk and his jersey roots, and his thoughts on the music industry today.

Wylde: "Yeah! I'm living on a prayer cuz I have been Shot thru the Heart! Do ya know what I mean? The Brutality! You have so many great performers from Jersey including, FRANK SINATRA, STEVE VAI, and JOE SATRIANI is Jersey. Some people say it is the pizza, I say it is the water. The music industry has changed. I think nowadays with the Internet and everything, young kids can make their own records and do the stuff they want to do. They can put a website out and sell their own records, which is really cool. You don't even need a record deal. I just think it is like anything, it is a lot of hard work for rock bands. You got to love the music, whatever music it is. Don't be swayed by what other people tell you. You got to be dedicated to your instrument, because there is going to be ups and downs. It is all one big family, and we are all in the same boat. Don't ever quit the music, because music is never going to quit on you. Do you know what I am saying?

Another exciting feature of the BLS acoustic set is that it features Pittsburgh's Nick Catanese on lead guitar. Nick does a stellar job of making his Shot to Hell guitar sing with melody on ‘Spoke In The Wheel’, and ‘The Last Goodbye’. I recently had the opportunity to ask Nick about how he is enjoying the great opportunity of playing lead on 'Spoke In The Wheel', and 'The Last Goodbye'. This is what he told me.

Catanese: “It's fuckin insane playing solos that Zakk wrote and I hope I am making him proud. I'm trying anyway, but yeah it's an awesome feeling. The first night I did the solos I was shittin' my pants. But it's all-cool now. I love it.”

I also asked Nick about the influence that Dime had on his guitar solos in the song, ’The Last Goodbye’ and ‘Spoke In the Wheel’. And his thoughts on when Zakk said, 'Dime lives in Black Label.'

Catanese: “Well, Dime does live with us. Anyone that has been lucky enough to be friends with him, and he is in with his fans as well. He is never gone. Dime is always with us in our hearts. But yes he has influenced me a lot”.

Nick also spoke about the quality of the balance of melodic and heaviness in the Shot To Hell set.

Catanese: “It has to be there. We are not a metal band. We have songs that you can sing along too and enjoy that are where we are. It's all about quality and songs you can remember. That's what we want.

Nick, also has a very special message .

Catanese: “Just sit back and enjoy man. It's a cool set of new and old, some piano songs and just a SHOW, and to all the Black Label bashers on the boards. Iron Maiden does rule and I’m glad you hope we all die. Because of you we are GOING NO WHERE, so suck on that

Black Label Society latest release Shot To Hell on Roadrunner Records features a melodic side of BLS, and four outstanding ballads, which includes, ‘The Last Goodbye’. As you know, BLS is all about family. As BLS performed ‘The Last Goodbye’ Zakk said this song is dedicated to losing a loved one, and how someday we will all be together again. Zakk Wylde features this song in the acoustic set. One of the highlights of the show in Hampton was when Zakk dedicated this song to the fallen police officer SGT. Michael Briggs of NH, who was killed in the line of duty this month. 'The Last Goodbye' also featured a great solo by guitarist Nick Catanese. It was great seeing the Evil Twin getting to perform lead on these two songs. The acoustic set features the diversity of the band, and showcases Zakk's strong song writing skills.

Next up the most heartwarming part of the entire show. Black Label Society performed, ’In This River’. As the crowd chanted Dime over and over again, someone gave Zakk a picture of Dimebag. Zakk kissed the picture, and taped it to the Marshall Amp, and did the sign of the cross. Zakk said, "Dime is still here with us tonight, Dime lives in Black Label". The impact of that moment was so powerful. Zakk sang 'In This River' with much emotion to his best friend and fallen hero Dimebag Darrell Abbott. You could feel the love.

The Shot To Hell party was ready to kick into full gear, as ‘Fire It Up’ roared through the speakers, as BLS beach balls began flying in the air. The whammy bar guitar riffs on this song are amazing. Zakk performed a blistering 10-minute guitar solo on his polka dot V that also included a few riffs from the Star Spangle Banner. The rhythm guitar of Nick Catanese on ‘Fire It Up’ was ferocious, as Zakk weaved his catchy lead riffs around the heavy rhythm section of JD and Craig.

The party was just getting started as the band rolled into the heavy new song, ‘Black Mass Reverends’. This tune has a hypnotizing killer bass riff that doesn't let up. The new BLS tunes from Shot To Hell, sound even more skull crushing live and are infuse with much energy." The band then slammed into their first single off of Shot To Hell called, ‘Concrete Jungle’. This is another favorite new tune that features the whammy bar effects that are reminiscent on Mafia

Black Label Society ended the set with the song that started it all, ‘ Stillborn’.

The STH party was in full gear as Black Label Society rolled into the Worcester Palladium for a sold out show at the Worcester Palladium the following night. BLS performed another amazing set, as Zakk thrilled the all ages crowd and held them spellbound with his masterful guitar shredding.

The New England Chapter of Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society were treated to three amazing sold out shows featuring guitar legend Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society.. Zakk Wylde and band were all Fired Up and ready to rock, as the driving force known as Black Label Society invaded New England with one of the most powerful tours this fall. Black Label Society proved that ‘Blood Is Thicker Than Water’, as there BLS family is growing in epic proportions. The STH tour continues through December 8. Be sure to catch one of the best tours this fall.