{"id":29561,"date":"2016-04-17T16:18:11","date_gmt":"2016-04-17T06:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=29561"},"modified":"2016-04-17T16:18:25","modified_gmt":"2016-04-17T06:18:25","slug":"zakk-wylde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2016\/04\/zakk-wylde\/","title":{"rendered":"Zakk Wylde"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Zakk<\/a>
\n\u201c\u2026it\u2019s not like I\u2019ve been sitting around writing these songs for twenty years, because Black Label\u2019s been working for the last twenty years basically, so I\u2019m always making records and I\u2019m always recording. You give me a month, you manage me and say \u2018Zakk, the fellas are gonna be coming out to The Vatican in about a month\u2019 and I\u2019m like alright, well I\u2019ve got a month to make a record.\u201d<\/p>\n

From release: Zakk Wylde\u2019s powerful pipes, mayhem-inducing charisma, mischievous humor, and instantly recognizable pinch-harmonic driven blues based histrionic guitar shredding have made him the world\u2019s most beloved American Guitar Hero, and the fearlessly introspective melancholy and melody of Book of Shadows helped to make its follow-up one of Rolling Stone\u2019s Most Anticipated Albums of 2016. As fierce and diverse as his work in BLS and as large as his accomplishments as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne have been, Book of Shadows II offers an even richer look into the spirit and psyche of one of the most beloved pillars of the hard rock community.<\/p>\n

With the release of \u2018Book of Shadows II\u2019 we gave Zakk a call who is out on the road with Generation Axe at the moment to chat and have a good laugh with him about the album, why it took twenty years to make, playing with Generation Axe, touring Australia, and much more\u2026<\/p>\n

You could say that \u2018Book of Shadows II\u2019 has been twenty years in the making… Why was now the right time for it to see the light of day?<\/strong>
\nWell you figure \u2018Chinese Democracy\u2019 took fifteen years to make and when we got to sixteen years on \u2018Book of Shadows II\u2019 I figured ahh the hell with it, why don\u2019t we just go another four years that\u2019ll be twenty years and this way we\u2019ll hold the record for most time unemployed between records. The way I look at it is the only one that can go twenty years without making a record, without making any money and be able to pay for the light bills and pay for a pizza would have to be Richard Branson. I figure that\u2019s the only guy that could beat this record of twenty years *laughs* that was one of the motivating factors. Also the fact that we did an \u2018Unblackened\u2019 run from New York to L.A. after we\u2019ve been touring behind \u2018Catacombs of The Black Vatican\u2019 for two years doing the heavy stuff I said man this feels good doing the mellow stuff, since it\u2019s the twenty year anniversary why don\u2019t we knock out another one of these Book of Shadows records because you know, our Black Label family, everybody\u2019s always asked no matter what chapter we\u2019re hanging out with around the world and on tour. They\u2019re like \u201cZakk do you think you\u2019re ever gonna make another one of those records because I really dig the mellow stuff and it\u2019s a cool road trip record\u201d and I was like you know, if I get around to it between changing the diapers, cleaning the dog run, bringing about world peace and then coming up with a cure for herpes, gonorrhoea and the common cold then that\u2019s before brunch then we\u2019ll see if we can fit it in.<\/p>\n

So you haven\u2019t been busy at all then?<\/strong>
\nYeah *laughs* exactly\u2026<\/p>\n

So what was it that inspired the songs that became the album?<\/strong>
\nNothin\u2019, well for me it\u2019s not like I\u2019ve been sitting around writing these songs for twenty years, because Black Label\u2019s been working for the last twenty years basically, so I\u2019m always making records and I\u2019m always recording. You give me a month, you manage me and say \u2018Zakk, the fellas are gonna be coming out to The Vatican in about a month\u2019 and I\u2019m like alright, well I\u2019ve got a month to make a record. Let me grab a cup of Valhalla Java and get started on that\u2026 I\u2019ve got a month to write a record and the way I always look at it, is like if me and you were digging for dinosaur bones we know they\u2019re around here within this two to three mile radius, we\u2019ll dig over here today and hopefully we find something, if we don\u2019t find anything we\u2019ll go out and get something to eat, chill and go and see a movie and then tomorrow we\u2019ll start again and hopefully we\u2019ll find something over there. We know they\u2019re out here it\u2019s just a matter of me and you finding them, so I don\u2019t get into panic mode\u2026 if I told you you had to write a record in a month and I\u2019d be like \u2018hey how you doin?\u2019 you\u2019d be like \u2018yeah I got two ideas yesterday\u2019 and if tomorrow you don\u2019t get anything well maybe the next day you wake up and you write three more, who knows? So it\u2019s no big deal.<\/p>\n

When you look at the first album what for you are the biggest differences you encountered when creating its sequel?<\/strong>
\nNothin\u2019, to me like you said the bottom line is let\u2019s say me and you managed Led Zeppelin after they write \u2018Stairway To Heaven\u2019, after Led Zeppelin IV, you\u2019re like oh wow it\u2019s great, so when they\u2019re going to do the next album I mean obviously we\u2019re not telling the fellas what to write, we\u2019re just like whatever the side of the bed they wake up that day is whatever mood you\u2019re in and you\u2019re gonna write. I\u2019d say \u2018did you hear any of the new stuff\u2019 and that would\u2019ve been \u2018Houses of the Holy\u2019 after Led Zeppelin IV and you\u2019re like \u2018yeah Zakk they\u2019ve got this song called \u2018The Rain\u2019 song and it\u2019s amazing, then they\u2019ve got this other song called \u2018The Ocean\u2019 which is awesome, and this other thing called \u2018Over the Hills and Far Away\u2019 it\u2019s killer\u2019 so that\u2019s the next batch of tunes. You wonder if they\u2019re gonna top this one and all of a sudden they write \u2018Kashmir\u2019 and like wow. If me and you ever managed anybody you can\u2019t tell people what to write or tell Salvador Dali what to paint, it\u2019s just like whatever side of the bed you wake up on that day I guess that\u2019s what we got.<\/p>\n

OK I reckon we should get into management, who should we pick up? Who\u2019s good at the moment?<\/strong>
\nLet me see\u2026 the whole thing is, whoever we\u2019re gonna get it\u2019s chess moves, we just have to make sure that they\u2019re successful, that\u2019s what our job is. We\u2019re world leaders, we\u2019ve gotta make everyone happy and make sure everyone\u2019s got enough money so they can actually pay their bills and they\u2019ve got enough left over so they can buy a toy. Then me and you will go down as the greatest leaders of all time.<\/p>\n

So when you go in to make an album like \u2018Book of Shadows II\u2019 do you have to go in with a different mindset than when you make a Black Label album?<\/strong>
\nNo, not at all, even when I\u2019m writing with Oz, I write some cool riffs, that\u2019s about it, or write some mellow stuff, whether we\u2019re doing \u2018Momma I\u2019m Coming Home\u2019 or doing \u2018No More Tears\u2019 or \u2018Miracle Man\u2019 or anything, you know \u2018Perry Mason\u2019, Oz would go \u201cwhat you got Zakk?\u201d I\u2019d say \u201cHere you go, Oz, here\u2019s a riff\u201d and he\u2019d say keep playing let me sing something on it. That\u2019s about it.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s the beautiful thing about music you just go in and it\u2019s a box of Cracker Jacks, you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re gonna get until you get to the bottom of it and that\u2019s the joy of it.<\/p>\n

I have to say the joy of it was listening to the new record, it\u2019s just so chilled and so easy to listen to, so thank you\u2026<\/strong>
\nI appreciate it, brother, yeah like I said it\u2019s just like a cool road trip record. Put it this way when we\u2019d be touring back in the day with Oz or Black Label we\u2019d be sitting in the front of the submarine and I\u2019d be making you whether you\u2019re drinking Jack and Coke or a beer I\u2019d be making you a cocktail in a high ball and we\u2019d be sitting up the front listening to Van Morrison, The Band, The Eagles, Elton John, Percy Sledge, Sam Cooke, you know all this cool mellow stuff, Crowded House, whatever, and just solving the problems of the world and it\u2019s just all the mellow stuff. So the mentality was to just make a cool road trip record.<\/p>\n

We have of course seen you here with Black Label and the love for you and that band is something you have to witness to believe, do you think we maybe see you back here as just you to play the Book of Shadows albums for us?<\/strong>
\nHopefully, the tour starts right when we get done with the Generation Axe tour we\u2019re gonna head out on the road pretty soon after that, so yeah without a doubt. We\u2019re going over to Europe and then hopefully we\u2019ll go down to Australia to see the Australian Chapter, the Canadian chapter, you know, round the whole world, why not?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what it is but there is just such passion for you and your music, what do you think it is that just draws people in?<\/strong>
\nWell I think it\u2019s payola, cocaine and strippers and it seems to be working *laughs* and they say payola\u2019s not alive and well\u2026 you pay everyone to enjoy it. *laughs*<\/p>\n

I have to ask about Generation Axe, how did you get to become involved with it and what can we expect from Generation Axe moving forward?<\/strong>
\nI ran into Steve in a back alley and he put a gun up against my head and said \u201cDude I will kill you if you don\u2019t\u201d and I said it really doesn\u2019t have to come down to that, then he kneed me in the balls and then I said I\u2019ll see you on Tuesday\u2026 so that\u2019s pretty much it *laughs*. No, so Father Steve just called me, this is his brain child, he said Zakk I want to round up some of the fellas and then we\u2019ll all go out and have a good time. I said no problem count me in, man. It\u2019s been a blast, aside from hearing everyone kill it every night, the stories and the comedy about the music business in general is just awesome, it\u2019s a constant laugh fest, but it\u2019s been a great time, man. We\u2019ve known all the guys, well I\u2019ve never met Tosin before, but I\u2019ve known pretty much everybody that\u2019s on it we\u2019ve known each other for years so it\u2019s definitely it\u2019s an ass kickin\u2019 time. *Nuno Bettencourt takes the phone* and I do believe he is the best guitar player on this tour\u2026 after me *laughs*\u2026 *back to Zakk* That was Nuno *laughs*<\/p>\n

Australians love the instrumental stuff like G3, are there plans to bring something like Generation Axe down here?<\/strong>
\nActually I was talking to Father Steve about that, you know maybe going to Europe and down to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, you know basically taking it on tour around the world. That would be great man, for sure.<\/p>\n

Who do you consider the next up and comer in the guitar world?<\/strong>
\nWell I mean Tosin is out here killing it every night, he\u2019s amazing. No, there\u2019s the guys in Avenged Sevenfold I know it\u2019s not a new band, but those guys are the torch bearers for inspiring all the younger kids which I think is a beautiful thing. So you keep the bloodline alive and well for sure.<\/p>\n

You’re a busy man, it seems like you never stop but what does Zakk Wylde like to do in his downtime?<\/strong>
\nLike a vacation for me is actually going home *laughs* but I love travelling, like if we\u2019re in New York, \u2018The Immortal Beloved\u2019 will come out and we have a blast, so it\u2019s constant vacation and you can bring everyone out, like where other kids only see it in a book you can bring your kids out whether you\u2019re going to Paris or London, or Canada or Australia or whatever. People can see pictures of Australia and you take your kids there and they can say, yeah, I was there, so I mean I\u2019m blessed in that regard, I\u2019m definitely fortunate, and I love it. I\u2019ve got some buddies of mine that don\u2019t like to tour anymore, guys that I started back with Oz back in \u201987 \u2013 \u201988 and they\u2019re like \u2018Nah Zakk I really got tired of it\u2019 but I still love it, so to me it never gets old.<\/p>\n

Other side of that is that as you said you\u2019ve been doing this a long time, but is there anything you want to do or somewhere you want to go that you haven’t yet gotten the chance to?<\/strong>
\nWell no, I\u2019m blessed, right now I started Wylde Audio and I\u2019ve got my paper route and mowing lawns with my own music company and now I\u2019m cleaning pools, so it\u2019s just another job which I love doing. To me it\u2019s not work and I always tell kids who as can you give me any advice? I say well who wants to have a crummy job? You love playing music right? And they say \u2018yeah that\u2019s what I want to do with my life\u2019 and I say well make the band your job. Everything should be the band if you\u2019re not practicing you should be doing something in regard to the band whether it\u2019s the artwork, the T-shirts, promoting the band, trying to figure out how you\u2019re going to book a tour, it should all be revolved around music and the band if that\u2019s what you want to do with the rest of your life. I mean if me and you were going to open a pub or a restaurant we\u2019d start with the one and then we\u2019d build from there, but it\u2019s all based around our job which is that restaurant and making sure it\u2019s awesome, then we\u2019d shape up and start another one, then another one, then another one, so it\u2019s always revolved around us being successful.<\/p>\n

So if it’s taken twenty years for your second Book of Shadows album, does that mean we have to wait another five years for Steel Dragon to get back together for a sequel to Rock Star?\u00a0<\/strong>
\n*laughs* Yeah maybe\u2026 maybe that\u2019s what it would have to be\u2026 *laughs* Fuckin\u2019 A.<\/p>\n

Maybe, make it six, then you\u2019ve got twenty one and beaten this record\u2026<\/strong>
\n*laughs* Yeah exactly\u2026<\/p>\n

Lastly let’s grab the crystal ball and look ahead to the future so finish this sentence for me. The one thing Zakk Wylde wants to do in 2016 is…
\n<\/strong>Let\u2019s see\u2026 I don\u2019t know I\u2019m doing everything that I want to do\u2026 I can\u2019t think of anything, I\u2019m out here doing Generation Axe with Father Steve, Nuno, Yngwie and Father Tosin which is awesome every night. Then after that I guess we start the \u2018Book of Shadows\u2019 tour, and then I don\u2019t know, maybe get a footsy rub from the wife\u2026 oh who am I kidding that\u2019s never gonna happen *laughs* so anyways\u2026 *laughs*<\/p>\n

You make it sound like there\u2019s more chance of a new Steel Dragon record\u2026<\/strong>
\n*laughs* Yeah exactly\u2026 we could do that\u2026<\/p>\n

Zakk, it\u2019s always a pleasure, so thanks again for your time\u2026<\/strong>
\nAlright brother, great talking to you, talk to you in a bit.<\/p>\n

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Essential Information<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong>\u00a0USA<\/p>\n

Band Members:<\/strong>\u00a0Zakk Wylde<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong>\u00a0http:\/\/www.zakkwylde.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest Release:<\/strong>\u00a0Book of Shadows II (Out Now – eOne)<\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

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