BLACK LABEL SOCIETY leader Zakk Wylde spoke to Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band’s follow-up to “Grimmest Hits”, which was released in January 2018 via Entertainment One (eOne). “We’re in [my home studio] Black Vatican right now,” Zakk said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “We’re just working on the new record — new BLACK LABEL flavored country donuts for the next album.
“During the COVID, obviously, [we worked on] the [recently released] ‘None More Black’ box set, and then we also tracked about 30 songs,” he continued. “So we’ve got that. We’re just putting the finishing touches on some stuff right now. We’re gonna be mastering that in a little bit. So it’ll probably come out in November.”
Wylde also talked about BLACK LABEL SOCIETY‘s touring plans for the coming months, saying: “I guess we’re doing [the] Sturgis [motorcycle rally] with BLACK LABEL. That’s in August. And then in all of October and November, we’re gonna be going around the States. And then we’re doing a BLACK LABEL Christmas-new Year’s Eve, and we end up with the Arizona chapter. That’s what’s on the agenda for now. Hopefully everybody has the shot and then we can all have everything back to normal again, and we can start doing tours again.”
Asked if he is “jonesing” to hit the stage again after being off the road for so long, Wylde said: “Put it this way: for the last 20-plus years, the longest I’ve been home was probably maybe two weeks. So the COVID break, I’ve been enjoying spending time with the kids. And I wouldn’t trade my situation for anything. I love touring. I love rolling out and seeing our BLACK LABEL family everywhere, rolling with Ozz, then my ‘Gen Axe’ brothers, and then when we do the ‘Experience Hendrix’ thing. I’m always touring — whether it’s with Ozz, BLACK LABEL, ZAKK SABBATH, ‘Generation Axe’, ‘Experience Hendrix’. I’m usually home about less than two weeks [before] I’m back out on the road with something else. I love it. Every night I get up on stage, I look forward to it. This is the longest I’ve been home in 20-plus years.
He continued: “Once the grind starts rolling again, I think a lot of people are gonna go, ‘Wow. Remember 2020? That was pretty nice.’ I’m just saying, [it’s nice] being at home with your family and before the grind starts kicking again and there’s no breaks again. I’m enjoying every second of it until we start rolling.”
The “None More Black” box set, containing remastered versions of all 12 BLACK LABEL SOCIETY original studio recordings on gorgeous color vinyl, came out in April. The box set comes with a hardcover 32-page photo book, chronicling BLACK LABEL SOCIETY‘s legendary career. It arrives in an indestructible black-on-black embossed collection box. It includes “The Song Remains Not The Same II”, featuring reworked versions of the original songs.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY spent a couple of years touring in support of “Grimmest Hits”.
The band celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first album, “Sonic Brew”, in 2019.
Zakk has been the on-again-off-again guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne since 1987, although he does not appear on the legendary heavy metal singer’s latest LP, “Ordinary Man”.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY is:
Zakk Wylde – Vocals/Guitar
John “JD” DeServio – Bass
Dario Lorina – Guitar
Jeff Fabb – Drums
