Guitar legend Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, ex-OZZY OSBOURNE) is featured in a new interview with Australia's Sludge Factory. It was conducted prior to the Soundwave Festival tour, currently running through Australia. An excerpt from the story is available below:

Unblackened is a DVD showcasing some acoustic performances by none other than Black Label Society and featuring special guests that Wylde is still trying to keep a lid on, but rumours and speculation have produced names like Slash (VELVET REVOLVER) and Jerry Cantrell from ALICE IN CHAINS.

"With the Unblackened thing, we’re trying to figure that all out and the guests we’re going to have on it, getting that all coordinated and making it happen," says Wylde, elaborating a little on his current schedule. "We were just talking about wrapping up the book today so that should be coming out pretty soon. There’s a lot going on plus we’re obviously looking forward to coming down to roll with the Australian chapter!"

The book that Wylde is talking about is entitled Bringing Metal To The Children, and the premise is best explained by the man himself.

"It’s just kind of like me and you hanging out and talking about how ridiculous the business side of the music industry is," he chuckles. "That’s where all the cartoon characters come from! There are really no rules in the music business. To be a doctor, you have to have a degree. To weld, you have to have a licence. To be in the music business, you don’t need anything! All you have to do is show up! It’s just like ridiculous stories from over the years, people asking me for advice or what they should do. One day I was just like, ‘we just gotta put this down and make it into a book!'"

In the midst of all the projects that Wylde and his crew have in the works, there was recently a roast in honour of this guitar legend with a cavalcade of celebs from the music industry including Zakk’s friends and family such as Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), Sharon Osbourne, Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR), Duff McKagen (ex-GUNS N ROSES et al), Brian Posehn (comedian and heavy metal enthusiast) to name but a few.

"It’s no different than when I’m on the road with the guys or at home with my family! We’re already taking the piss out of ourselves anyway," muses Wylde. "It was a blast. It wasn’t just that I was getting roasted either. Everybody that was there was just getting their asses handed to them so it was definitely a good time."

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On January 19th at The Grove in Anaheim, CA, Zakk Wylde, surrounded by Roastmaster Sharon Osborne and a slew of metal luminaries, held the distinctive honor of being the inaugural honoree of Guitar World’s first ever Rock ‘N’ Roll Roast to benefit MusiCares, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.

A five minute, profanity laden, fan-filmed video shot at the Roast can be seen below.