With renewed vigor, Black Label Society have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, coming with stronger material in recent years and Doom Crew Inc. doesn’t disappoint with Zakk Wylde firing out opuses that feel familiar to longtime fans, but done with more inspiration. Wylde as always takes influence from the main man Tony Iommi and also contains a ballad delicately mixing piano and guitar. This is BLS on top of their game and Doom Crew Inc. stomps to #19.

BraveWords spoke to the Wylde man for a feature story; an excerpt below:

For the first time on a BLS studio album, Zakk Wylde is trading solos and twin-guitar parts with Dario Lorina, and it really makes a difference. “Over the years that Dario’s been in the band (he joined in 2014), I’m just giving him more things to do – ‘Dario, why don’t you double this part of the solo?’ Pre-existing stuff that we do in the set, whether it’s ‘Stillborn’ or anything. Obviously, he’s doing all the solos when I’m playing piano. It’s just evolution really. When I was making the record, pretty much on Catacombs when we did ‘My Dying Time’, there was guitar harmonies leading up to the main solo. On this record, it’s almost an Allman Brothers approach, or Judas Priest type of approach where there’s harmonies, then you have the main solos – Dickey Betts and Duane Allman trade off, or Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, like that. It’s more of that approach. So, when I was writing it, it was like, I’ll solo here, and this part you solo on. That’s how it came about.” It's like Black Label Society brought the live show into the recording studio. “Yeah, pretty much. I agree.”

After more than 20 years of doing it all himself, Zakk did not find it difficult to share guitar duties in the studio. “No. I love Dario and I love showing him off. When we’re playing live, I’m always proud of him. I’m digging it. Whereas when I’m playing with Ozzy, it’s a three piece – a one guitar player band. When I’m with Ozz, I love doing it that way. But with this format, it’s different.”

The production on Doom Crew Inc. is both warm and crisp; not an easy feat to accomplish. “Same thing we do on every Black Label album,” remarks Zakk. “Pretty much using the same amps, same things. Since Order Of The Black, we’ve done every record in The Vatican (Zakk’s home studio). With each album, you try to beat your last bench press – whether it’s Def Leppard or AC/DC. When they did Pyromania, the production on that is insane. There’s really no turning back from that. So, when they’re doing Hysteria, the production, you’re trying to beat what you previously did. After AC/DC did Highway To Hell, that was with Mutt Lange – the production on that thing is great. Everything’s crystal clear, you can hear everything, great performances by the guys. So, when they did Back In Black, the goal was to beat the production. It’s just like anything. Even when I was doing my signature Marshall (amplifier), it was like, ‘Zakk, what kind of amp do you want?’ I go, ‘It’s pretty much perfect the way it is. Just give me more of that.’ That would be the only way to improve it. But I think that’s how it is with any band, whether it’s Zeppelin or whatever. I’m sure Jimmy Page, every time he went in the studio, his goal was to just sonically, make it sound as good as possible.”

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