If there’s anyone entitled to pay tribute to Black Sabbath while also putting his own spin on their canonical metal work, it’s Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne’s longest-serving guitarist. Having been at the side of the legendary vocalist onstage and in studio, Zakk does an absolutely dead-on impression in some songs, while sounding more like his Black Label Society self on others.
One ‘70s purist I spoke to after the show griped that Zakk didn’t play Tony Iommi’s solos note for note. Personally, I came to see a guy who looks like Thor guest-starring in Sons of Anarchy shred Sabbath all night with a liberal dose of pinch harmonics… and that’s exactly what I got.
Having seen Zakk as a sideman, watching him lead the band and the audience was a treat. He often channelled Ozzy’s famous onstage exaltation of “LOUDER!” and fist-bumped his bassist after playing a badass section. Photographers in the pit chased him from side to side, like grade school soccer players following the ball in a giant pack (myself included).
N.I.B. was a major highlight, with a bass solo leading into the unforgettable intro, then going quiet to let the crowd sing the choruses. Zakk wrapped the night by jumping offstage, strolling through the crowd at the end of War Pigs, climbing atop the soundboard table, and playing his Wylde/Iommi mashup guitar behind his head, without missing a note.
Openers Zoso and The Iron Maidens hewed much closer to their heroes, playing beloved hits note for note while striking their most recognizable poses in iconic outfits of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Matt Jernigan, in particular, captured the look and physicality of Robert Plant while he and the band embodied their massive sound. If you partook of some California-grown jazz cabbage going around the crowd, you could forget you weren’t seeing and hearing the real Led Zeppelin.
Since 2008, I’ve seen The World’s Only All-Female Tribute to Iron Maiden almost as many times as I’ve seen the boys themselves. These women bring the energy, precision, and beauty of The Beast to smaller venues, complete with theatrical goodies. “Bruce Chickinson” covered The Air Raid Siren’s impossible range while rocking his many costume changes. She donned pilot’s goggles for Aces High and wore a British cavalry jacket while waving the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes during The Trooper. Cyborg Eddie drew his laser gun during Wasted Years, and the Devil himself joined the ladies in The Number of the Beast.
These tribute bands drew a warm and welcoming metal crowd that knew all the songs backwards and forwards. I saw couples, friends, and families rocking out together and keeping timeless music alive everywhere I looked. Metal band shirts, battle jackets covered in patches, and Black Label Society vests ruled the night. Many attendees were creatives in their own right, with their own bands and art projects. On a night of nostalgia, the future of metal and hard rock seemed to be in good hands as the next generation celebrated these sacred songs before leaving to create their own.
Setlist
Supernaut
Snowblind
Symptom of the Universe
Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes
Tomorrow’s Dream
Wicked World
Fairies Wear Boots
Into the Void
Children of the Grave
Lord of This World
Hand of Doom (Instrumental with band introductions by Zakk)
Behind the Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.
War Pigs
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