Black Label Society is the brainchild of longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zack Wylde, who formed the band in 1998 while on extended hiatus from his Ozzy duties. After releasing a bluesy, Southern-rock fueled, metal opus under the name Pride And Glory in 1994, he followed up with a solo acoustic album titled Book Of Shadows in 1996. In 1999, Wylde came out guns a' blazing with a new Black Sabbath meets Alice In Chains blend of dark and raunchy heavy metal in the form of Black Label Society. As this DVD attests, the band has been going strong ever since.
I have only been a casual fan of Zakk Wylde since first hearing him on Ozzy's No Rest For The Wicked album of 1989, but he has always captured my attention when I hear him play. I find his overuse of the pinch-harmonic technique a little annoying at times, but I love the raw power of his tone. His brutal guitar work on the last few Derek Sherinian albums, is mostly what inspired me to check out this latest BLS offering, as I have not really followed their career.
Doom Troopin' Live - The European Invasion is centered around the band's June 17, 2005 concert at the Elysee Monmatre in Paris, France - otherwise known as "The Paris Chapter". This was augmented by four songs recorded during their June 3, 2005 show at the Astoria in London, England - aka "The London Chapter."
The "Paris Chapter" show is the main feature of this DVD and includes an explosive, 15-song, 104-minute performance by the band. The film begins with a short behind-the-scenes video montage, before cutting to the darkened stage, as sirens blare and strobe lights flare to signal the entrance of Zakk and the band. Wylde kicks off the show with an extended guitar solo using his new Randy Rhoads' replica, white and black polka dotted Flying V, which was made for him by GMW Guitars. The guitar definitely helped to channel Rhoads' spirit during this powerhouse solo.
The first song of the night, "Stoned and Drunk, "comes from 2003's The Blessed Hellride album and never lets up from the intensity of the opening salvo. Wylde is not your average looking guitar god. Built like an NFL linebacker, dressed in his own brand of denim and leather biker attire, and sporting ass-length dirty-blond hair and a long scraggly beard that would make Billy Gibbons jealous, he does not look like a guy you'd want to fuck with. His singing sounds like a steroid-fueled mix of Layne Staley and Sabbath-era Ozzy, but it fits these rowdy metal anthems to a T.
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