Zakk Wylde must never sleep. After just finishing a massive European tour with Pantera, he is back onstage just a week later with his Black Sabbath cover band Zakk Sabbath. Now, it’s less so covers and more a signature Zakk Wylde take on the legendary tunes of the godfathers of metal. And it is special.
I mean who doesn’t love Sabbath? And who doesn’t love Zakk Wylde? On a sold out opening night of the tour, Manchester is in full voice as Zakk does his very best to take us back to the 70s club nights of Sabbath’s prime. Hitting the stage just after nine, Zakk accompanied by John DeServio on bass and drummer Jeff Fabb rip into ‘Supernaut’.
At its core the show is a celebration of all things Sabbath, but most of all this is Zakk Wylde in his element. Adding his signature crunch to the iconic Tony Iommi riffs, the guitar tone is enough to rattle your whole skeleton. Mix in all the extended solos, sometimes played with the guitar behind his head or even with his teeth, it is a masterclass in guitar playing.
The setlist itself is packed full of Black Sabbath hits even if it does miss two of the big hitters. Missing ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Iron Man’ from a Sabbath set is a bold move, not that anyone would complain tonight. Treats you wouldn’t get at a normal Black Sabbath gig include ‘Wicked World’ with an extended jam and ‘Tomorrows Dream’.
Then come the massive hits. The bass and drum combo on the ‘Children of the Grave’ is crushing, while ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ sounds as good as the first time I heard Sabbath play it. DeServio absolutely kills the ‘NIB’ intro with Zakk re-joining him onstage before the duo tear into that legendary riff while the crowd sing the chorus and scream the obligatory “OH YEAH”.
Ending on ‘War Pigs’, Zakk disappears into the centre of the crowd to play yet another extended solo with the crowd once again doing Ozzy’s “Oh, lord yeah!” It’s hard to leave the show not completely blown away by just how good Zakk Wylde is, and of course DeServio and Fabb also.
As far as cover bands/tributes go, Zakk Sabbath are by far the best in the business. The setlist is perfect and the playing is flawless. If you’re a fan of Black Sabbath, Zakk Wylde or just music in general it would be hard to leave without a smile on your face.
