Zakk Wylde Tells It Like It Is

Zakk Wylde is known for a lot of things. Mostly, it’s for being the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and for fronting Black Label Society. But I like to think he’s also known for being a guy who isn’t afraid to speak his mind… and speak his mind he does in a recent interview with Gibson.com where he discusses everything from songwriting to Metallica to how he got so damn good.

Zakk on Songwriting

"I don’t just write lyrics; I write about things that are real to me. Let me tell you something that was hysterical. I was working on Down to Earth with Ozzy and they brought in these professional songwriters. Meanwhile, I’m writing all these songs that later went into Black Label — like ‘Love Reign Down,’ with that power riff that Ozzy sounds great singing over it, which was about my mother passing away, and ‘Bleed for Me,’ which is about God …

"But what do I know. I guess I’m not a real songwriter, because these guys, I shit you not, decided to write a love song for Ozzy and came up with: ‘Girl, you are so pretty/girl, you are so fine/girl, I brought you this flower/girl, would you be mine?’ And Ozz is just sitting there saying nothing, and I’m saying, ‘You’re joking, right? Am I getting punked?’ The truth is everybody just wants to get their two-cents in, if they’ve earned it or not.

"I laugh when I go into a music store and there’s a title called How to Write Songs. You can’t teach someone how to write a song. Angus Young didn’t read a couple books to learn how to write ‘Hells Bells.’ All the bands and musicians I grew up on and loved, like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix … it’s their names that are on their songs. That’s the beauty of buying a record by a real artist. Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction was written by Guns N’ Roses, not some weak-asses like those lame songwriters for Aerosmith.

"Aerosmith wrote great songs like ‘Dream On’ and ‘Back in the Saddle’ when they were on booze and drugs. Next thing you know, they get sober and bring songwriters in and then it’s the most watered down s***. If you can’t write songs you’re just a puppet as phony as Britney Spears and all those boy bands. If you can’t sit behind a piano or pick up a guitar and write a song, then you don’t have any business making records."

Zakk on Metallica and Some Kind of Monster

"When I saw the guys, I said, ‘What were you thinkin’?’ Who needs a psychiatrist? Like I need marriage counseling? I’ve been married for 24 years. Look, I’m gonna get in fights with the wife and that’s life, man. You got the high and the lows. You’re in a band, you’re gonna fight, you’re gonna get over it or it wasn’t meant to be any more. The bottom line is this: Tough times don’t last; tough people do.

"Once Mom sent me to Promises rehab. I said, ‘Promises rehab?’ I’ll make you a promise right now: either I’m going to cap myself or some mother is going to die in this joint.’ And one of the bylaws of Black Label is ‘suicide is not an option.’ I got in there and had no time for those weak-willed assholes. One guy said he just couldn’t get out of bed in the morning to get to the group therapy meetings. I said, ‘Hey, sometimes I don’t want to get up on that stage but you get your damn jock strap on, you man up, and you do it.’ I’ve got no time for weak willed bull****. I was cut from the same cloth as General Patton.

"Hey, lions are born lions. They are not made. Berserkers are born berserkers. They are not made. Marines are born Marines. They are not made. Get tough or get out."

Zakk on Developing Chops

"You can’t make somebody pick up a guitar and practice. I learned this back when I was teaching kids how to play guitar. You have to want it and practice you balls off. They’d ask me, ‘Zakk, how do you practice that Randy Rhoads thing; how do you practice that Jimmy Page thing?’ And they’d come back the next week for their lesson and nail it. I was proud of them. I’ve got no time for bullshit. If you want something, you step up for it. And it’s practice, practice, practice, bro. That … and lots of porn."

Zakk on His Gear

"I’m playing the Pauls and the ZV, and the Flying V and the double-neck for ‘The Blessed Hellride.’ Me and Nick [Catanese] both play double necks for that one in Black Label. It’s cool. And we have our signature Marshalls — JCM 800s. And we both go out of two of them each, and we both go out of two cabinets and we’re in quad sound. Nick uses Paul Reed Smiths, too, but I play the Gibsons. And then I have my pedals: chorus, distortion, Eddie Van Halen phase shifter, the Zakk wah, and the Roto-Vibe. Let’s put it this way: any 15 year-old kid could have my set-up.

"It amazes me when people say, ‘Hey check this new amp out, or this new rack gear. It sounds just like a vintage Marshall.’ Well, why not get a vintage Marshall? Nuthin’ sounds better than a Gibson plugged into a Marshall. And next time we get to Nashville I’m thinking about having Gibson design me a custom guitar that looks like a motorcycle joined with a Flying V. They did a great job on the ZV, putting together the horns of an SG with the wings of a Flying V and a Les Paul Custom neck on it. That thing slams."

Zakk on 22 Years With Ozzy

"The fact that I do dishes, I do laundry, I feed the dogs, I clean toilets … it’s those unique qualities that set me apart for Ozzy. When I do laundry, my whites are whiter than anybody elses. That’s what Ozzy sees in me.

"I gotta be honest. We’re both goofballs. He’s the greatest. He doesn’t take any of this shit seriously, either. Making great records and putting on great shows — we take that seriously. But to buy into your own ‘Prince of Darkness’ bullshit and all that, you’ve gotta be an idiot.

"God bless Kurt Cobain, but he made only two records. Led Zeppelin was only around for 10 years or so. Ozzy’s been making recordings since 1968 and he’s still around doing it. Something’s gotta be said for that. He’s not just a guy on a sprint."

Black Label Society is currently promoting the release of their latest compilation CD/DVD which features live and studio versions of the band’s greatest hits among other goodies.

Report by David Lowe-Bianco.

Comments

[waysay]

Sounds like Zakk is a straight up guy. I hope to meet him at the laudromat someday to get advice on getting tough stains out of my knickers.HaHa. I love how he dissed Aerosmith. They suck these days.

[xl999]

zakk's the man.

[guitar_freak523]

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

[Baz1211991]

First off, Nirvana made more than 2 records.
Anyway, Zakk is a pretty cool guy, not too much of a fan of BLS but I like his character

[Lapidus]

I guess he's okay but if he was really that strong and brave he'd tell Ozzy bad he suxxx right now but I guess the money's too good.

[Aidsteen]

Really like this interview. Everything he said needed to be said by someone who could back it up.

[theotherguy7145]

I should hate him for putting down Aerosmith seeing as they're my fave band, but he's right. Songwriters are kinda lame, and I do prefer Aerosmiths own stuff.

Zakks the man!

[HIM-boy]

what a character

[fattypumbaa]

He lives on the richer side of town. I've been hoping to run into him I know a few people who have. I like Zakk. I however don't care for his playing these days with all those ****ing harmonics. I'm hoping for another Book of Shadows or Pride and Glory type project.

[DEVILS SON NWL]

zakk wylde is a heavy metal lord

[mercurymay]

Metallica had Phil Towle come in because Q Prime Management deemed it necessary... Listen to the commentary on the Some Kind Of Monster DVD. They didn't like it one bit.

[bazzabalboa]

Zakk is one of the coolest dudes alive

SDMF

[Hellish_Wolf]

Wow, the first time I have heard from Zakk without their being 4673 pinch harmonics. Nah, I kid...I like Zakk, hes a good guy.

[fartz]

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

[kroket666]

sometimes he acts like a prick but this was quite ok,

[Radical Bob]

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

[mosherhamish]

any 15 year old kid can afford gibsons, all those pedals, two marshall cabs and a jcm 800

dear lord what have i been doing for the past year to make me so poor

[The_String_Man]

fartz wrote:

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

Aerosmith... aongh!
business making records...iiingh!
tough people do...eiink!

damn i'm bad at mimicking.

[KirkMetallica]

If he could get his head out of his ass and stop the macho bullshit he'd be fine...

[fob12]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

Are you serious? He mentioned Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Page, GNR, Aerosmith all of which aren't metal bands (GNR is hard rock). He said he didn't like when Aerosmith had people write songs for them, he liked their own stuff. Learn to freakin' read.

[jrcsgtpeppers]

I liked everything he had to say...
Few comments though:

Nirvana did have 3 recirds.... just for the record.
Led Zeppelin broke up because their drummer died, it's not like they just stopped..... but Led Zeppelin got kinds boring after Houses of the Holy i.m.o.
><
When I saw Zakk with Ozzy, black rain tour, I tried to count all the Pinch Harmonics.... my head exploded.....

He is so cool though, I'm glad he speaks his mind like this.
Aerosmith was a good band with their first album. But after that they went pop.
>
^^haha Pich Harmonics. If this was a recorded interview, you would hear:

"...When I do laundry, my whites are whiter than anybody elses. That’s what Ozzy sees in me." *PH~~~~

"… and lots of porn." *PH~~~~~

[JacksonplayerXD]

Zakk is the coolest mother out there and one hell of a guitarest

[JacksonplayerXD]

*guitarist

[Radical Bob]

Yea he mentioned a lot of people in that article fob.. only to say how he was better than all of them. He brought up Zeppelin, GNR, Cobain, only to say how he and Ozzy were still making records and had more staying power than them (apparently). And he brought up the song writing thing and mentioned boy bands, Aerosmith and Britney Spears only to say 'Hey you guys lost out cause I took all my much better songs and played them with BLS'

[LedZeppelin9345]

you always know where you are with Zakk. he's a bloke's bloke.

[gwitersnamps]

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

[nashmanz]

I love how you guys sit around knit-picking every little fact and detail that he wasn't correct on. He is just trying to make a point. He is right and his point is dead on. If you can't write your own songs then get the F*** out of the business. 'Nough said. Zakk Rulez.

[SocialismCross]

mosherhamish wrote:

any 15 year old kid can afford gibsons, all those pedals, two marshall cabs and a jcm 800

dear lord what have i been doing for the past year to make me so poor

haha good one man.

[b r y a n]

I don't think I'd be able to spend more than five minutes in a room with this guy. Plus his guitar playing does absolutely nothing for me. Basically what I'm saying is, I can't ****ing stand Zakk Wylde.

[McLeod]

5 if you wanna include the MTV acoustic, I know its just live songs, but it is a total different way of hearing them.

[mightmuffin]

Gotta love the dude!

[ChucklesMginty]

I respect how 'bo bullsh*t' he is. I hate it when it's misinterpreted and people think he's just a douche bag. As said before you always know where you are with Zakk.

A true rock star.

[ChucklesMginty]

I respect how 'no bullsh*t' he is. I hate it when it's misinterpreted and people think he's just a douche bag. As said before you always know where you are with Zakk.

A true rock star.

[highwind5150]

Zakk is my freakin' HERO!! I hope him and Ozzy come out with a good record...and I'm DYING for a good BLS album as well.

[THE Saint Jimmy]

awesome interview, he seems like a really cool dude..

[ChucklesMginty]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Have you not heard of the Jonas Brothers?

[count schizo]

Um..not a big fan of his dig on LZ. They'd still be playing TOGETHER had Bonham not passed away. It's not like they're not still playing these days anyways right? Just in different projects. Zakk's a great guitar player, but I'm not a fan.

[LeadSalad182]

i knew he was a god among men, when he picked up the guitar, but he's also very intelligent too, and i'm glad he pointed that out about aerosmith cuz i've thought that for years

[jammy827]

i respect his opinions on kurt cobain. zakk is a true respectfull rock god.

[jrcsgtpeppers]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Oh really? Hm.... I skipped one then.. I only thought he had three.

[fartz]

b r y a n :
I don't think I'd be able to spend more than five minutes in a room with this guy.

Probaby because of the smell of his sweaty armpits.

[s-o-u-l-f-l-y]

Hellish_Wolf wrote:

Wow, the first time I have heard from Zakk without their being 4673 pinch harmonics. Nah, I kid...I like Zakk, hes a good guy.

sir...I LOL'd

[jayyshep]

kurt cobain made 3 albums

[perilouspete]

and that's why he's one of my favorite guitarists ever. he's hilarious, he's awesome live, and he just kicks ass in general.

i hope he keeps writing tunes for a long time. lately i haven't been as impressed with his riffs with ozzy on his last album and shot to hell is not my favorite bls album, although it does have some really good slow songs. but the guy has so much talent i know he'll keep writing great stuff in the future.

[Andragon]

Zakk is pretty cool guy; he says what's on his mind and doesn't afraid of anything!

[Comeback Kiddd]

i like the title

[maximumrocker]

hahah nice guy

hey speaks the truth

but yea, someone said it above, i went to a ozzy concert
zakk used like 100000 PH
but w/e...

he is a great guitarist so i guess he can do what he wants

[Shabalaba]

fartz wrote:

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

Haha beat me to it

mosherhamish wrote:

any 15 year old kid can afford gibsons, all those pedals, two marshall cabs and a jcm 800

dear lord what have i been doing for the past year to make me so poor

Too true

[IRONMAIDENTLICA]

Zakk Wylde is amazing, I do think his guitar playing gets repetitive (pinch harmonics/wah stuff) but I still enjoy BLS and Ozzy, he just seems like an awesome dude in general

[xicetraex]

fartz wrote:

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

I lol'd.

[meleadyoufollow]

wow. i've never much cared for zakk, but this confirms my opinion, this guy is an *******. Most of his songs sound the same nowadays anyway. 0-3-5-5-3-0 whoa...good riff zakk! now play a long boring solo with constant pinch harmonics! whoa! **** him for his rehab comment. i'd like to see zakk start doing heroin, then call someone else weak willed. Nirvana did only have 3 albums, Bleach, Nevermind, and In utero. Incesticide was actually a collection of b-sides, rarities, etc.
go to hell zakk wylde. what an ignorant jerk.

[b_flo]

Zakk is really a goof ball. He asked me why it was taking me a long time to load up a truck...I told him, 'Why don't you get up here and help me load the truck?' He laughed it off. The dude got us drunk, and let us play with his guitars. My buddy, drunk as hell, told Zakk (while Zakk is playing 'Crazy Train') that he was playing it all wrong. So the next night, Zakk went ahead and played my buddy's version of 'Crazy Train'. Zakk is great in person!

[ghoztofcasper]

He's speaking a lot of truth there imo.

[Ekofu]

One of the best interviews I've read in a while. I love to read/hear musicians laying out the truth. And you know what? The truth hurts.

I'm honestly not a big fan of Zakk's music. But the fact that he can recognize what's wrong with other musicians is great. All in all, a fantastic interview to read for this shitty day.

[Campbell_x50]

personally, i thought he was dead on with what he said about song writing

[necrosis1193]

"If you can’t write songs you’re just a puppet as phony as Britney Spears and all those boy bands. If you can’t sit behind a piano or pick up a guitar and write a song, then you don’t have any business making records."

""You can’t make somebody pick up a guitar and practice. I learned this back when I was teaching kids how to play guitar. You have to want it and practice you balls off. They’d ask me, ‘Zakk, how do you practice that Randy Rhoads thing; how do you practice that Jimmy Page thing?’ And they’d come back the next week for their lesson and nail it. I was proud of them. I’ve got no time for bullshit. If you want something, you step up for it. And it’s practice, practice, practice, bro."

I have to admit, I came in here expecting to laugh, and I did(Albeit not at what I thought I would), but I joke a lot about ZW and likely still will. The man spoke some truth in this though, and earned a fair share of respect from me.

[MasterExploder0]

meleadyoufollow wrote:

wow. i've never much cared for zakk, but this confirms my opinion, this guy is an *****. Most of his songs sound the same nowadays anyway. 0-3-5-5-3-0 whoa...good riff zakk! now play a long boring solo with constant pinch harmonics! whoa! **** him for his rehab comment. i'd like to see zakk start doing heroin, then call someone else weak willed. Nirvana did only have 3 albums, Bleach, Nevermind, and In utero. Incesticide was actually a collection of b-sides, rarities, etc.
go to hell zakk wylde. what an ignorant jerk.

I really don't think he's going to hell...btw you're an idiot.

Anyways, I hate how he ruins Randy's solos with his palm muting and pinch harmonics but dammit this guy speaks many truths.

[mustacrackish]

mosherhamish wrote:

any 15 year old kid can afford gibsons, all those pedals, two marshall cabs and a jcm 800

dear lord what have i been doing for the past year to make me so poor

I think the point he was trying to make is that there's no secret. You don't need to spend 1000+ on rack gear and hundreds of pedals. the tone is in your hands and what you do with your gear.

[Chaingarden]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Incesticide isn't really a proper record. It's just a compilation of b-sides and rarities and such.

I like Zakk, but he's very one-dimensional, in many respects (guitar playing, songwriting, as a person.) Seems like a cool guy, though.

[Maidenhell666]

Porn is how I got good at guitar.

[tiky]

I hope none of his kids (does he have kids??) Get into a depression, as they will for sure end on commiting suicide...

[IfDaysEnd]

"...And it’s practice, practice, practice, bro. That... and lots of porn."

I lol'd at that

[bfmvrock]

I ****in love zakk wylde, he says the craziest stuff
Legend.....

[me versus you]

thanks to chronic masturbation, Zakk Wylde has a career

[tamargoguitar]

this interview is full of ignorance

[stondagain]

fartz wrote:

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

I lol'd

[recliner33]

tiky wrote:

I hope none of his kids (does he have kids??) Get into a depression, as they will for sure end on commiting suicide...

I know that Zakk has a son named Hendrix. I don't know if he has anymore kids though.

[ScottyB724]

you guys should look up the aqua teen episode with zakk wylde it is hilarious and so is his guitar playing in it

[ash_punk_4_life]

haha zakk needs to get his head out of his arse

[JesterShred]

nashmanz wrote:

I love how you guys sit around knit-picking every little fact and detail that he wasn't correct on. He is just trying to make a point. He is right and his point is dead on. If you can't write your own songs then get the F*** out of the business. 'Nough said. Zakk Rulez.

EXACTLY! he's not saying any of these groups suck, he's just saying they have lost the principles of real music, and actual artwork, he's making a point, and actually showing respect to those that have come before him, saying they have done great, but here's how he would do it better... and he's right...

[JesterShred]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

Are YOU kidding ME? on that whole point, he's right. if you aren't actually making music, then **** it! a good voice only counts for so much if you have nothing to put behind it than DON'T EVEN TRY! britney spears doesn't have any bussiness making music...

[Chuckleberry]

wow i'm liking this guy less and less. He thinks he is the most badass dude around and tries to play it off cool by acting tough. In my opinion he sounds TERRIBLE!! Listening to some of his solo's it just seems he tries to play as fast as he can and then bend and hold a note...rinse and repeat. btw his signature guitars look retarded....especially the ZV....WOW why would gibson make that? they are just tarnishing their name. This dude needs a ego check...

[Brian 1.0]

Not a huge fan of his guitar playing styles but everything he's said in here is 100% right. If you don't have it you don't have it, whether it comes to learning songs or writing them.

[AlterEdge]

I was with him until he said porn... then I was even more with him

I certainly hope Zakk knows what he's talking about, for the sake of my chops

[Mad Mike 829]

mosherhamish wrote:

any 15 year old kid can afford gibsons, all those pedals, two marshall cabs and a jcm 800

dear lord what have i been doing for the past year to make me so poor

simple as this, they're spoilled pricks, thats all

[vinnym86]

ZAKK FOR THE WINN

[JRowe3388]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Jonas Brothers. They don't write that music. They probably don't really play guitar up there.

[CoreysMonster]

funny how zakk wylde is bashing people who commit suicide and have trouble coping with problems, yet those very same people write much more better music (IMO) than he does. I have yet to find a Zakk Wylde song I like, and I've listened to many.
He's just rambling on on how being a man means sticking through shit blablablabla. I mean I agree in a way, crying isn't gonna get you through tough times, but the way he's saying makes him seem like a poseur.
how is getting wasted on beer after every show and getting wasted on coke any different, mr. wylde?

[randomdude]

zakk is the man.

[talonpc]

haha, im fifteen and all i have is a piece of sh** squire that i got for free from my friend
yeah, most people can totally afford thousands of dollars in equipment

[ethansj1]

i liked the interview.

[kurtebirdi]

its not fair to say the last bit about zeppelin and nirvana, the reason for both of those is the fact that a band member died. I understand that Ozzy stuck with it after Randy kicked the bucket, but that doesn't really make you that much better than them

[FelixJZ]

Seems like an elitist prick

[axe_man]

man now i feel lame

[Rhoads_1096]

Good Interview :haha

[Slash 555]

Zakk has to be one of the funniest most honest guys in rock today

[2mins2midnite]

practice, practice, practice.. that, and lots of porn

sounds like my guitar session

damn i need a girlfriend to whack me off, instead of doing it myself

[toohightodie]

Just registered, checkin to see if it works, Whomever said it, is right, ZAKK DOES RULE!! DOESENT HE???

[Zyph73]

I can agree and disagree with some things. Like as far as the rehab thing goes and he mentioned the guy who didn't want to get up, sure, I don't know what it's like to be battling the addiction. But at the same time, just delaying gets you nowhere, the only real way to keep going is to step up. The only way I disagree is that he puts it across rather harshly, but the point still remains.

I also find it kinda funny how people hate him and such and complain about his style, because either way he's just going to keep going and doing his own thing.

[PaulieIommi]

Macho bullshit

[GOALIE]

Hmm...well Zakk is sweet and he does get the good points across, but what is his deal with porn? It seems like all of his interviews, even guitar world stuff, mentions the porn. Dude's always commenting on Rocco Siffredi's dick and shit. WTF

[FLbassplayer21]

straight up guy

[zAg1619]

tamargoguitar wrote:

this interview is full of ignorance

This one actually aint too bad. You should check out a Nugent interview for ignorance lol.

[Stratogibson]

jrcsgtpeppers wrote:

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Nirvana Had 3 Official Studio albums. Incesticide is a compilation. Zakk is pretty cool but some of the stuff he said is common knowledge. Don't really like his songs but I like his honesty.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Oh really? Hm.... I skipped one then.. I only thought he had three.

[IheartUG]

Seriously, if you faggot dumbasses actually paid attention to what Zakk says, Jimmy Page happens to one of Zakk's biggest influences. The reason why he was saying how Ozzy has been doing better than any other musician out there is just proof that he is a loyal guy, he sees Ozzy as his boss. Zakk has seen what heroin and drugs have done to people really close to him that's why he doesn't take bullshit. He happnes to be a respectful guy who will respect you if you respect him his biker brothers and his lifestyle.

Checked.

[IheartUG]

recliner33 wrote:

tiky wrote:

I hope none of his kids (does he have kids??) Get into a depression, as they will for sure end on commiting suicide...

I know that Zakk has a son named Hendrix. I don't know if he has anymore kids though.

Hendrix Halen Michael Rhoads Wylde (named after Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Mike Piazza, and Randy Rhoads) Hayley Rae Wylde, and Jesse John Michael Wylde (named after Ozzy). And to the above comment about the depression. His kids are as loyal as he is, and follow his BLS bylaw of "Suicide is not an Option"

-SDMF Connecticut Chapter.

[sav46e]

yea fair enough on most things he said and I like how he lives and see's life but he see's himself as too much of a hard man for me and a bit up himself. great guitarist and pretty cool guy who when I have seen on t.v looks up for a laugh and down to earth but I think in interviews he comes across slightly up himself.

and with regards to aerosmith, they are awesome. yes some newer stuff not great obviously but they have so much great stuff it doesnt matter.

[genolk]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

No offense bro, but New Kids on the Block are currently touring Australia... Every man and his dog are making comebacks. Well trying to.

IheartUG wrote:

Seriously, if you faggot dumbasses actually paid attention to what Zakk says, Jimmy Page happens to one of Zakk's biggest influences. The reason why he was saying how Ozzy has been doing better than any other musician out there is just proof that he is a loyal guy, he sees Ozzy as his boss. Zakk has seen what heroin and drugs have done to people really close to him that's why he doesn't take bullshit. He happnes to be a respectful guy who will respect you if you respect him his biker brothers and his lifestyle.

+++++ 10

[Alex Vik]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

The Jonas Brothers -_-

[MusicalMinority]

I agree with some of his arguments, disagree on some. But hey, the man's honest, speaks his mind, and sticks up for what he believes in. You might not believe all of what he's saying is right (I certainly don't), but you've got to give the guy respect.

I don't like his music much either, but +20 respect points to Zakk Wylde.

[Ponchibego]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

I really feel like you missed the whole point of what he was saying... He was by no means putting down that style of music, but the fact that these people are making it big off something that's handed to them and that it's ridiculous they are given the credit for it. I don't really see any "metal is the only way" kind of talk in there.

[pawnluv]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

dont forget their live one as well

[Christian Davis]

meleadyoufollow wrote:

wow. i've never much cared for zakk, but this confirms my opinion, this guy is an *****. Most of his songs sound the same nowadays anyway. 0-3-5-5-3-0 whoa...good riff zakk! now play a long boring solo with constant pinch harmonics! whoa! **** him for his rehab comment. i'd like to see zakk start doing heroin, then call someone else weak willed. Nirvana did only have 3 albums, Bleach, Nevermind, and In utero. Incesticide was actually a collection of b-sides, rarities, etc.
go to hell zakk wylde. what an ignorant jerk.

A song doesn't have to be something crazy or complex to be good as you can see with bands like ACDC and in Zakk's writings.

And like to see him start doing heroin and then call them week willed? The dude doesn't do heroin cause he's smart and has a strong will. He's right about a lot of stuff in this interview.

[Uber Man]

hmm... i lost a ton of respect for him while reading the metallica part. i don't think that he understands that without the counselor we wouldn't have death magnetic, and any other future record they'll produce. sounds to me like Zak needs to grow up.

[MTVget0FFtheAIR]

Zakk is a great guy. I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of his music, but ideologically speaking there are few musicians I admire more. He really has his head on straight, and the ideas he is trying to get across are spot on. Judging by the comments, a lot of you have trouble understanding who he is and what he is trying to say. Nitpicking through his examples and pointing out little flaws is completely stupid and only further empowers the point of his discussions.

This was a great read.

[cblowrun]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Jonas brothers?

[ozzynator]

I am never tired of reading a Zakk Wylde interview, they are great most of the time, specially this one. some of the people here should read it a couple of times more to really understand what he is talking about instead of giving their own version of it acting like smartasses.

S.D.M.F.

[SG Man Forever]

I'm not a huge fan of Wylde's music, but he seems like a kickass guy. Also, to people who are giving him flack about what he said about Metallica, he's dead on. Metallica should have broken up after they put out Justice, and let that serve as a memorial to Cliff. They completely lost their balls after that. Everything they've put out since then I could have never heard and it would not bother me.

[Astaldo]

that was great!

[Tomhigton]

Nirvana had 3 albums.... and led zeppelin were around for 12 years.

[ranbat]

I like Zakk as a player and he's written some great songs with Ozzy, but Black Rain was straight up awful. Not to mention Black Label's Shot to Hell. He can and has done better. And he shouldn't be pointing fingers at anyone about having outside songwriters come in, Ozzy has had plenty in his career.

[jimishred]

That was quite funny interview. i do agree with zakk by saying to learn guitar you need to practice (alot). Also do be a real band you dont need song writters people should be smart enough to come up with thier own s*** . Some band are like a ballon the harder you blow the bigger they get. If you blow to hard they go BOOM! (oh no thats pop,where talking metal here!) (lol)

p.s does anyone know when BLS will be realesing a new album?

[NorCalLos]

Dude sure talks a lot of crap about nothing.

[hendrix_128]

Aidsteen wrote:

Really like this interview. Everything he said needed to be said by someone who could back it up.

i couldnt agree more

[akedia101]

practice practice practice, an porn hahahahaha
HAHAHAHA

[SoftParade1967]

Go Zakk go! Exactly what the title says, hes tellin it like it is.

[rocknroller5]

I lost a little respect for aerosmith. Zakk Wylde is amazing

[StratStar21]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

its that self righteous, they asked him about songwriting, he gave his opinion, learn how to read. He didnt "bust on any genres" except maybe pop, and that deserves to be busted on imo. Britney Spears and good vocals? give me a break, and please explain to me how you classify "BS" as an accomplished musician (and dont cite however many million albums sold to prepubescent girls)

[StratStar21]

^meant its *not* that self righteous

[StratStar21]

ranbat wrote:

I like Zakk as a player and he's written some great songs with Ozzy, but Black Rain was straight up awful. Not to mention Black Label's Shot to Hell. He can and has done better. And he shouldn't be pointing fingers at anyone about having outside songwriters come in, Ozzy has had plenty in his career.

did you even read the interview?

[sXe170]

He is so...fvcking...overrated

[Tag43]

This was a real good interview. I like Zakk Wylde, he's pretty cool.

[HarvesterofPain]

Good article. I like the stuff that he says, he really cuts through the bull. A lot of people don't like it, but hey... That's Zakk.

And not to be a dick, but I figured I'd add my $0.02 here...

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

Ever been to karaoke night at a bar? Just cuz someone can sing someone else's song well doesn't mean they should have a singing career. :P

meleadyoufollow wrote:

**** him for his rehab comment. i'd like to see zakk start doing heroin, then call someone else weak willed.

Umm.... Perhaps the point is to not do heroin in the first place? I get where you're coming from(kinda) being that pissed about the comment, but seriously. If you dig your own ditch by doing that stuff, then no one should hold you're hand to get back out.

[Shredder Guitar]

fartz wrote:

b r y a n :
I don't think I'd be able to spend more than five minutes in a room with this guy.

Probaby because of the smell of his sweaty armpits.

you'd have sweaty armpits too if you had to haul around those massive cannons that he calls arms.

[BlitzkriegAir]

you guys left out the part where Zack mentions his gigantic whale like penis and the size of his manly monsterballs of manliness and metal

[Beginner Bass]

"That was a pretty lame rant. Just going for attention." was the first thing to come to mind. I don't know the first thing about his character, or anything, besides he plays for BLS and Ozzy. Otherwise I know nothing about it. But to an extent, I'm gonna have to stick with Radical Bob here. I could be completely wrong, but that's my first impression.

[inflatablepie]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

[inflatablepie]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Spelled Bleach wrong, and Incesticide doesn't count as an actual studio album, so it's 3 albums by Nirvana as the final count.

[Xhale1]

badass.

[ripdime04]

zak is the ****ing man

[<SpaceTime>]

sXe170 wrote:

He is so...fvcking...overrated

This. Seriously, Zakk RELIES on overly distorted amps and down tunings to play the way he does. If a great bluesman or a jazz guy handed him a standard tuned tele into a clean amp and asked him to jam he would suck.

[Let It Be0o0]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

well u could call jonas bros and basically everything from disney a boy band

disney sucks

[Flying Afros]

He should go hunting with Ted Nugent.

I thank Zakk for doing this interview. I enjoy reading all the comments dissing him but little douche bags at their computers. He may seem a bit pompous at times, but he seems like a chill dude.

Smoke ****ing dope.

[Dave Mierzwa]

wow! one of these losers say Zakk should tell ozzy he sucks? now we can all say that kid doesn't know what music is. Ozzy maybe changing to some people, not to me, but he is STILL on top of his music! If you're gonna comment on Zakk's talks, make sure you COMMENT him, not insult him. Some of you losers don't know WHAT music is, or what you're talking about..... Keep rockin Zakk!

[drummz11]

It seems people are selfish and if someone doesn't agree with them then they are wrong. Zakk Wylde kicks ass and this article is all about what he thinks, so people need to just shut up and listen or screw off. But whatever makes them happy. Incesticide still counts as an album...

[kirkwannabe]

It wasn't Metaliica's idea for the therapist. They tried to get out of it like 6 months early.

But I like how straight up Zakk is. Sounds like an awesome guy to be around.

[z4twenny]

aside from some innacuracies (nirvana had 4 albums, bleach, incesticide, nevermind, in utero and thats not counting the b sides and mtv) he seems like a good guy. real down to earth with a "f#ck it get back up and keep going" attitude which i dig, i prescribe to it myself

[Megadeth2011]

zAg1619 wrote:

tamargoguitar wrote:

this interview is full of ignorance

This one actually aint too bad. You should check out a Nugent interview for ignorance lol.

i disagree. Ted is pretty smart imo. And so is Zakk. He speaks the truth here. Bands need to write their own songs, Metallica shouldnt have hired a band therapist, they should have dealt with their own problems by booting a bad member *cough* Lars and James *cough* or by other means. And yep, the only way to get through life is to suck it up and deal with it.

[Starchild_ex4]

It sounds like you are sweet on Zakk. I bet you'd like him to pinch your harmonic.

IheartUG wrote:

Seriously, if you faggot dumbasses actually paid attention to what Zakk says, Jimmy Page happens to one of Zakk's biggest influences. The reason why he was saying how Ozzy has been doing better than any other musician out there is just proof that he is a loyal guy, he sees Ozzy as his boss. Zakk has seen what heroin and drugs have done to people really close to him that's why he doesn't take bullshit. He happnes to be a respectful guy who will respect you if you respect him his biker brothers and his lifestyle.

[outlet]

:
sXe170 wrote:

He is so...fvcking...overrated

This. Seriously, Zakk RELIES on overly distorted amps and down tunings to play the way he does. If a great bluesman or a jazz guy handed him a standard tuned tele into a clean amp and asked him to jam he would suck.

i know who Zakk Wylde is...but who the f*** are you?

[JakdOnCrack]

I didn't like this at all. ZV just comes off as a prick.

[JakdOnCrack]

JakdOnCrack wrote:

I didn't like this at all. ZV just comes off as a prick.

ZW*

[Necrosaber]

wrote:

sXe170 wrote:

He is so...fvcking...overrated

This. Seriously, Zakk RELIES on overly distorted amps and down tunings to play the way he does. If a great bluesman or a jazz guy handed him a standard tuned tele into a clean amp and asked him to jam he would suck.

You must have not heard much of his work, then.

[Slipknot2009]

i agree with most of what zakk says here but he is forgeting that after the first few albums the bands have a hard time writing new material as they had their whole lives to write those songs but still you can't dis a band like aerosmith who still with their songs written for them and get sold out show no matter who wrote it.....well i guess that's not the total truth but you get my pont right but i do see where he is going with all of this and he seems like a pretty cool/fun guy to be around.

Go BLS!!! and what ever other hard-rock heavy metal, and alternative, and funk, and Etc. bands that you want me to say go for...but not pop or taylor swift they all suck biigggg time i hate them all.....

[Whale Nip]

Meah, he probably had several pints in him. He talks about not taking things too seriously. We shouldn't take it too seriously and call him a dick. There is no denying his experience and his achievements. It isn't like he doesn't know what he's talking about. 20+ years with Ozzy really says a lot, I don't care what you say. He's a good guy.

[fausto1970]

Zakk is metalgod in the history of rock.
his opinions are his opinions... but your opinions who cares????

[Dragon Master]

He's awesome. BLS is awesome. Ozzy is awesome. And I think he's absolutely right about Aerosmith.

[Ironpriest]

like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix … it’s their names that are on their songs

lol wasn't the first Led Zeppelin album full of covers?

God bless Kurt Cobain, but he made only two records

last time I checked, he made at least 3 studio albums. Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero...

[GuitarSymphony]

Comments on Mr. Wylde's Interview:
1. You CAN teach someone to write a song. Someone taught me, and now I am forever still learning how to write one. Every song is an experiment unto itself. If you think all songs come from the soul or have to, then you're kidding yourself. Especially if you think writing any thing from the soul gives it more merit.
2. Brittney was a puppet til she gave a big "F U" to the media by going nuts. Now she's back in the hot spot and still making music. And please... I'm not going to listen to people tell me what is and isn't music. At the end of the day, respect your fellow musician even if you don't like their music. Also, the voice is just as good an instrument as any piano or a guitar - there is no hierarchy. So, please don't tell a musician how to make his music.
3. Zakk likes to bring up God, yet seems to have no respect for the 'weak'. You represent no teaching of God that I know of. Jesus defended the weak and gave hope to them. Please give up the BAMF mentality and realize you're still human.
4. How does one 'get' anywhere if they are destined lions that are not "made". Do you see the contradiction? He seems convinced people are born tough. That's bullsh!t, I'm sorry, I used to be a nice guy too.
5. The man is right about the practicing.
6. "Why not just get a vintage marshall?" Because they are rare, high-priced and are high maintenance. Not a lot of people want to deal with that, and really I don't blame them.
7. I agree with his mentality on performing. If you have a job to do, you better do it. But who is he to claim those that are 'weak' can not be in the business? The music industry is a complex business. It cares more about the ends than the means in some regards (others not so much). The music industry allows the musicians they want to express themselves in whatever way it takes to make the most amount of money and progress. If anything, I would think some of the 'weakest' musicians have made more money than Mr. Wylde by being 'weak'. Whether you love your job or not, you're still a cog in their machine.

I respect the man, but this guy speaks in bias, and not in truth. He doesn't have much to back up what he says. He just says shit, because like he said: "he doesn't take it seriously."

[brookiemonstarr]

fartz wrote:

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

LOL ohdearr =p

[MLilienthal]

That was the most retarded thing I've ever read in my life

[.Jamison]

This just makes me realize Zakk is a bigger doucher than I thought!

[Kyoh]

He speaks his mind and thats a respectable thing, but I dont agree with him on a few subjects. Plus he sounds like he's got a bit of an elitist thing going, which is almost justified by his skill.

Interesting interview, really shows you what he thinks.

[maidenfan15]

Megadeth2011 wrote:

Metallica shouldnt have hired a band therapist, they should have dealt with their own problems by booting a bad member *cough* Lars and James *cough*

That would leave Kirk and I'm sure the fans wouldn't be too happy about that. You can't just kick out two out of three band members after 20 years with them, it would cause an uproar.

But props to Zakk for this interview. He seems to just tell it like it is and doesn't BS. Everything he said was true. From the songwriting, to Some Kind of Monster, to practice.

[SharpObject]

Zakk is cool but...
This is just a bunch of macho bilge.

[LittUp666]

A Guy To Idolise

[Filip413]

My respect for Zakk, although already very high, has just tripled after reading this. Nobody in music today has the balls to talk as straight as this guy, no bullshit, no gimmicks....and he's into porn too lol

[Metalmangini]

wrote:

sXe170 wrote:

He is so...fvcking...overrated

uhm no.... he can play jazz and blues also dude...every listened to a little recording by him called the farewell ballad?

This. Seriously, Zakk RELIES on overly distorted amps and down tunings to play the way he does. If a great bluesman or a jazz guy handed him a standard tuned tele into a clean amp and asked him to jam he would suck.

[Lrn2play]

why the **** is this news? theres an interview column on this site

[guitaringnathan]

Metalmangini wrote:

wrote:

sXe170 wrote:

He is so...fvcking...ove

uhm no.... he can play jazz and blues also dude...every listened to a little recording by him called the farewell ballad?

This. Seriously, Zakk RELIES on overly distorted amps and down tunings to play the way he does. If a great bluesman or a jazz guy handed him a standard tuned tele into a clean amp and asked him to jam he would suck.

actually he plays clean guitar stuff and jams on an accoustic pretty well too. his most known stuff is just the distorted guitar material

[David5150]

lol hes been married 24 years?
i thought hes only like 41, so he would have been married at 17 if thats right

[druz15_UG]

i have never seen so much ignorant elitist fail in my life.
Kurt Cobain only made two records? What the ****!!!
What an asshat
"nothing sounds better than a gibson and a marshall"
**** off, I prefer the sound of a Fender or a Gretsch through Oranges and Vox's, what the **** are you gonna do about it?

[JuiceMogly]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

Just because your a media ***** doesn't classify you as a "musician" or "artist".
The Popular kids at school for example. Yea everyone knows them, everyone sees them, but most of the time, when you get to know them, they aren't deep thinking people, or anything of the sort.
Britney has great vocals when she has shit done to her voice for her Cd, and when she ****ing lip syncs.
Her Note range is like... 3 notes.. tops.

[Ponchibego]

This guy is super nice in person too... I live in Iowa and when BLS stopped by and played he ended up going out to the local college bar scene and played some acoustic stuff just for the heck of it and he was really fun and chilled to hangout with... Not to mention he paid our tabs when he left too. He acted like he had known us for a long time and just shot the sh!t with us for a couple of hours. Wasn't like he was partying hard or anything just sat around and had some brews.

[JDawg]

\m/SDMF\m/ Excellent interview! Love everything about this guy...

[MetaMegaMagic]

Dave Mustaine also gives out his opinions about everything, but he doesn't have to have the need to demean others and swear every other word. Zakk Wylde is incredibly straightforward, but he's a pretty big douche.

[phantom911]

Fuck Zakk Wylde, "God bless Kurt Cobain, but e's only made two albums."

He's been involved in more than two albums, ****ing cocky douche

[voidSkipper]

Everything he says sounds like something off a Pantera live CD. In fact, I swear he's just quoting them in his Black Label live shows.

My favourite line so far is "Limp Bizkit ****ing suck!". Mallcore trashing mallcore - good work, jackass.

I'd respect what he was saying about hiring songwriters if it didn't just sound like he was trying to reiterate the words of others.

Does nobody else think Black Label Society is just late career Pantera 2.0, in both songwriting and attitude?

[metfuel]

Sure Zakk and after you said that to James and spit beer up in the air James stormed off your bus and you chased him down and apologized to him.

[philrox]

That's funny how he dissed Aerosmith. I give respect to him though for just saying what he feels.

[wormtongue]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

shutup

and yes nirvana did make more than 2 records

[kcobain3]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Thank you. i'm glad comebody knows that. kurt was a god

[Bass_Pro 6]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Jonas Brothers. Nuff said

[KingSquall802]

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

Damn right. HAHAHA. And add some fast pentatonic lick.

[glfmetallica]

I didn't even finish reading this yet. Got through the part about boy bands and I have to say finally somebody who agrees with me about the shitty pop artists who are so damn popular these days. Real artists write their own songs. Fuckin rock on Zakk!!!

[eastern_riffs]

[quote]druz15_UG wrote:

i have never seen so much ignorant elitist fail in my life.
Kurt Cobain only made two records? What the ****!!!
What an asshat
"nothing sounds better than a gibson and a marshall"
**** off, I prefer the sound of a Fender or a Gretsch through Oranges and Vox's, what the **** are you gonna do about it?

[/quote

TO HIM,nothing sounds better than a Gibson through a Marshall. He doesn't give a damn if you're into Gretsch or Fender or an Ukulele.

It's his interview,not yours.

He's spoken his mind, I don't understand why a lot of people are getting uptight. Just because you have a different opinion than his doesn't mean you start flaming him.

[kcobain3]

kcobain3 wrote:

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Thank you. i'm glad comebody knows that. kurt was a god

and that assuming you don't count from the muddy banks of the wishkah or MTV Unplugged In New York,

[goneshootin]

straight up this interview has balls

too many good quotes to point out in one comment. i'd have to copy and paste the whole article!

[mitch311]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Fall out boy. **** they're everywhere. You can't say there are any real rock bands in the mainstream at the moment

[Levi79]

SDMF!!!

[Hash4you]

jrcsgtpeppers wrote:

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.
Oh really? Hm.... I skipped one then.. I only thought he had three.

incesticide was a B-sides record, there were 3 covers and the rest were b-side tracks that never made it on the other records. bleach, nevermind and in utero were all studio records with no b-sides.

[Ibzman]

Amen to that. If someone has to write a bible of rock n roll, he's my man.

[silent caution]

cheap shots at aerosmith!!!
zakk is one of my favs, nice interview i dont think i read a whole interview on here in a while

[HELLAWAITSU]

JRowe3388 wrote:

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Jonas Brothers. They don't write that music. They probably don't really play guitar up there.

The ol' Milli Vanilli syndrome haha

[devilex121]

haha this guy's a cool guy!! \m/ long live the guys of metal!!!

[Peter Reardon]

Amazing interview. That was a really good read.
Rock on, Zakk.

[jimzer]

fartz wrote:

After each sentence there should be a *pinch harmonics*

massive laugh out loud

but serious what a down to earth guy

[MrFetzer]

I always though he was overrated and pretty lame, this basically confirmed it. And its good to compare Ozzy to Nirvana and Zeppelin, since both those bands decided to quit when a talented member passed away *cough* Randy Rhoads *cough*

[thExcomunicated]

What a legend. speaks what he thinks. not like all the bs love everyone stuff everyone else says.

[Mr. Skull]

geez god forbid he doesn't have his nirvana discography ready to go.

but damn it's good to hear somebody be straight up and not say stupid generic stuff like ' aerosmith's so talented and they've done a lot of great stuff.'
the man lays it bare for everyone

[McHizzie]

ChucklesMginty wrote:

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

Have you not heard of the Jonas Brothers?

lol yay no kidding but they suck ass!

[FooCards]

Ummm yeah Nirvana made 4 records.

[MANTAJAZZ]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

and you are that idiot he was talking about....

[queenslander47]

2mins2midnite wrote:

practice, practice, practice.. that, and lots of porn

sounds like my guitar session

damn i need a girlfriend to whack me off, instead of doing it myself

hahahahaha
seriously didn't need to hear that dude

Megadeth2011 wrote:

Metallica shouldnt have hired a band therapist, they should have dealt with their own problems by booting a bad member *cough* Lars and James *cough*

at first i was confused as to how anyone could suggest booting the two founding members who have written almost everything metallica have ever done,

then i saw ur username hahaha
all was explained, megadeth fans cannot say anything good about hetfield or lars

[tom1thomas1]

he's got a good attitude

[SG-Burchett]

im not a fan of BLS-but i also don't NOT like them cos they're all pretty good musicians.

Zakk seems pretty cool guy-says it how he sees it. Jeez-lucky kids to be taught by him.....but they probably had to practise so hard.

[Acidious_T]

Radical Bob wrote:

Seriously? This is the most self-righteous 'hard-core metal-is-the-only-way' bullshit I've ever heard. Way to bust on every other genre that's out there Mr. Wylde. And you can say what you want about Aerosmith or Britney Spears and not writing songs, but both have great vocals and Aerosmith has great guitar too.. and if accomplished musicians have no place making records then who does?

NO, metal is not the only way, but I am a strong believer in writing your own material. I have no respect for "Artists" who dont write their own stuff. You say Britney has good vocals.....you gotta be s**ting me!! All she does is moan and groan like a cat in heat. And Aerosmith.....I gotta go with Zakk on this one. They havent been good since PUMP. They have surely lost something that was special in that band because they have a team of songwriters. If a band doesnt come together and write their own music, how can they be connected mentaly? It's like a job they dont take pride in anymore. They are just dummies sitting on someones knee.

[braindamage828]

this guy is awesome. i agree. make your own music, but for some people who can write awesome lyrics but can't sing or play an instrument, they belong in poetry or some other writing career. stay out of music. but yea, its an art people so there's no "wrong" way to do it. Aerosmith got laim, but Led Zeppelin was around for ten years? who else caught that and thought to themselves "wtf?" he needs updated bc they were around a lot longer

[braindamage828]

***** real modern day rock band alert *****

- this band called chickenfoot, it's actually a rock band with joe satriani. im not a fan of sammy hagar bc his voice, but the band is good.

[The Axeman]

what a cool redneck he is. applaud this bouffon

[tommyt]

this article could have been much shorter

Q: Zakk ... how do you feel about modern music

A: I'M TEH BEST!

Q: Zakk ... how do you feel about aerosmith

A: I R BETTER!

Q: One last question Zakk ... do you really believe all this bullshit?

A: gggggrrrr Zakk not like smart interview man, questioning self hurts zakks hed, zakk smash grr... gibson .. marshall ... zakk pedal ... grrrr ... pinch ... grrrr ... hate music not mine ... grrrr

[TJM2482]

kind of sounds like an ignorant hick to be honest

NOTHINGS BETTER THAN A GIBSON AND MARSHALL

.....lol

[The Black Salts]

There's being straight forward and then there's lacking class.

[voodoochild23]

2. Brittney was a puppet til she gave a big "F U" to the media by going nuts. Now she's back in the hot spot and still making music. And please... I'm not going to listen to people tell me what is and isn't music. At the end of the day, respect your fellow musician even if you don't like their music. Also, the voice is just as good an instrument as any piano or a guitar - there is no hierarchy. So, please don't tell a musician how to make his music.

So, if you learn how to play Enter Sandman from the tab, without any music knowledge, you suddenly call yourself a musician?

Britney sings songs written by other people so F OFF you annoying sack of insecure teenage bs.

Zack Wylde's answers are flawless in this interview, you just can't argue with the reality of the state of music.

[Wilkesy1000]

i like zakk, hes so true to everyone and himself.
i believe you would have to be so privilidged to be taught by him. good words.

[basspunk709]

wait.....zakk wylde is good?

[yngwie.jnr]

slayer! nuf said.. :P:P

[Pingis_Or_Death]

If you can’t write songs you’re just a puppet as phony as Britney Spears and all those boy bands. If you can’t sit behind a piano or pick up a guitar and write a song, then you don’t have any business making records."

Agreed 100%.

[Kastöm]

tommyt wrote:

this article could have been much shorter

Q: Zakk ... how do you feel about modern music

A: I'M TEH BEST!

Q: Zakk ... how do you feel about aerosmith

A: I R BETTER!

Q: One last question Zakk ... do you really believe all this bullshit?

A: gggggrrrr Zakk not like smart interview man, questioning self hurts zakks hed, zakk smash grr... gibson .. marshall ... zakk pedal ... grrrr ... pinch ... grrrr ... hate music not mine ... grrrr

only people who would beat Zakk Wylde in a fight can make fun of his intellect. you sir, are not one of those people.

[HammettFTW]

LedZeppelin9345 wrote:

you always know where you are with Zakk. he's a bloke's bloke.

a blokes bloke, a man's man. one that enjoys a good beer while watching the big game and listening to his heavy metal!

[chichong]

because its a business, and not all people are complete,people sometimes can sing but cant dance,they can play guitar but cant sing,they can play guitar but hire someone to record their songs because they dont know technical stuff in the studio..there are players whos good at metal and suck in other genre,and there is eminem....

[Highwaytohell]

GuitarSymphony wrote:

Comments on Mr. Wylde's Interview:
1. You CAN teach someone to write a song. Someone taught me, and now I am forever still learning how to write one. Every song is an experiment unto itself. If you think all songs come from the soul or have to, then you're kidding yourself. Especially if you think writing any thing from the soul gives it more merit.
2. Brittney was a puppet til she gave a big "F U" to the media by going nuts. Now she's back in the hot spot and still making music. And please... I'm not going to listen to people tell me what is and isn't music. At the end of the day, respect your fellow musician even if you don't like their music. Also, the voice is just as good an instrument as any piano or a guitar - there is no hierarchy. So, please don't tell a musician how to make his music.
3. Zakk likes to bring up God, yet seems to have no respect for the 'weak'. You represent no teaching of God that I know of. Jesus defended the weak and gave hope to them. Please give up the BAMF mentality and realize you're still human.
4. How does one 'get' anywhere if they are destined lions that are not "made". Do you see the contradiction? He seems convinced people are born tough. That's bullsh!t, I'm sorry, I used to be a nice guy too.
5. The man is right about the practicing.
6. "Why not just get a vintage marshall?" Because they are rare, high-priced and are high maintenance. Not a lot of people want to deal with that, and really I don't blame them.
7. I agree with his mentality on performing. If you have a job to do, you better do it. But who is he to claim those that are 'weak' can not be in the business? The music industry is a complex business. It cares more about the ends than the means in some regards (others not so much). The music industry allows the musicians they want to express themselves in whatever way it takes to make the most amount of money and progress. If anything, I would think some of the 'weakest' musicians have made more money than Mr. Wylde by being 'weak'. Whether you love your job or not, you're still a cog in their machine.

I respect the man, but this guy speaks in bias, and not in truth. He doesn't have much to back up what he says. He just says shit, because like he said: "he doesn't take it seriously."

I agree with this almost completely. Truth about the business is that you can write "weak music"- you just have to be able to be strong in the face of the industry its a rough business. Alot of people dont have a tough ******* mentality, alot of people like to do something called chilling, relaxing, and don't always (unlike me) want to hear heavy metal. Becuase that music simply doesn't apply to everyone, I mean, It works for me just based on my values, ethics, and love of the loud, but other people just want to chill and not have to deal with intensity all the time.
ZW needs to learn a little respect for some people- but hell, if this works for him, than by god let him do it. I'm not going to question him if he feels confident and is all right with his behaviors- I'm just saying some might take offense for reasons he doesn't need to have it.

[abysspell]

guitar_freak523 wrote:

he mentions boy bands? i like zakk but he's got to pick up a news paper boy bands haven't been around for year

what about those new kids on the block eh?

all you need is a radio...
i wish you where right though!

[ateitup]

lol thats why i left metal. these guys are just as fake as any other celebrity. Only they are being "hard-asses" instead.

Zakk Wylde. The begins to Idiocracy

[Lordi71uk]

He speaks wise words, albeit not very accurate (numbe r of nirvana albums). Why should people be payed for doing a job when someone else is doing it for them? Leave that to the pop stars.!!!!

Zakk Rules

[Bass of Grunge]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Incesticide was a compilation of old songs/b-sides and junk. Isn't exactly an LP.

[TheNewWorldMan]

damn zakk tells it like it Pr

[Nothingface]

gwitersnamps wrote:

Nirvana had FOUR records.

Bleech
Nevermind
Incesticide
In Utero.

Thank you my man I was looking for this comment.

Demos or not it was still an album in the album charts.

There are a couple of Gems on that album

[zAg1619]

Kastöm wrote:

tommyt wrote:

this article could have been much shorter

Q: Zakk ... how do you feel about modern music

A: I'M TEH BEST!

Q: Zakk ... how do you feel about aerosmith

A: I R BETTER!

Q: One last question Zakk ... do you really believe all this bullshit?

A: gggggrrrr Zakk not like smart interview man, questioning self hurts zakks hed, zakk smash grr... gibson .. marshall ... zakk pedal ... grrrr ... pinch ... grrrr ... hate music not mine ... grrrr

only people who would beat Zakk Wylde in a fight can make fun of his intellect. you sir, are not one of those people.

That seems a little bass ackwards to me.. how does beating someone in a fight have anything to do with making fun of their intellect? I mean, I've never got in a fight, and won, and then felt compelled to call the guy a dumbass... On Topic, Zakk is very full of shit. Has little respect for other musicians, and is somehow in the mindset that metal is the only way. It's sad

[GuitarSymphony]

voodoochild23 wrote:

2. Brittney was a puppet til she gave a big "F U" to the media by going nuts. Now she's back in the hot spot and still making music. And please... I'm not going to listen to people tell me what is and isn't music. At the end of the day, respect your fellow musician even if you don't like their music. Also, the voice is just as good an instrument as any piano or a guitar - there is no hierarchy. So, please don't tell a musician how to make his music.

So, if you learn how to play Enter Sandman from the tab, without any music knowledge, you suddenly call yourself a musician?

Britney sings songs written by other people so F OFF you annoying sack of insecure teenage bs.

Zack Wylde's answers are flawless in this interview, you just can't argue with the reality of the state of music.

There are millions of classical musicians who do nothing but read and play scores and/or peices yet never write their own music. We call those musicians too. Let's not argue about the training and practice blah blah blah. Music is music. Who's to say she doesn't have any music knowledge? Only people close to her or she would know. I might be down with saying Britney is more of "Musical Entertainer", but as I can tell, you just insult people because they think differently than you do, so I'm not into looking for compromise with you.

[2trouble]

Zakk is no doubt a talented guitar player, but tries so hard at being this macho, tough guy that he doesnt see his own contradictions. He is right that a lion is born a lion (that doesnt mean it will be a ferocious beast) but then says "practice, practice" to be a good guitar player, so I guess a badass guitar player isnt born a badass guitar player. Most ignorantly of all a Marine is not born a Marine, I have a few friends who would be downright offended by that. To think all their training and dedication meant nothing to their becoming Marines, its about being born one, riiight. He's doing something right though, judging by all the people who buy into his tough guy BS. Gaining the blind loyalty of goons, so easy a caveman could do it.

[druz15_UG]

eastern_riffs wrote:

[quote]druz15_UG wrote:

i have never seen so much ignorant elitist fail in my life.
Kurt Cobain only made two records? What the ****!!!
What an asshat
"nothing sounds better than a gibson and a marshall"
**** off, I prefer the sound of a Fender or a Gretsch through Oranges and Vox's, what the **** are you gonna do about it?

[/quote

TO HIM,nothing sounds better than a Gibson through a Marshall. He doesn't give a damn if you're into Gretsch or Fender or an Ukulele.

It's his interview,not yours.

He's spoken his mind, I don't understand why a lot of people are getting uptight. Just because you have a different opinion than his doesn't mean you start flaming him.

that's the point, hes a f**kn elitist douchebag who thinks his opinion is the be all and end all.
Whats all this crap about people who dont write their own songs having no business making music? What an ignorant tool. What about Supernatural, Santana's comeback album? Half of the songs (and also the biggest ones on the record) weren't written by Carlos at all. Does that mean he isn't a musician, because he got guests to write and and sing for his album? Does that mean Smooth shouldn't have been the smash hit it was because Carlos didn't write it? Grow the f**k up Zakk and everyone else on this board who thinks that what he said bears any resemblance to an intelligent comment.

[druz15_UG]

chichong wrote:

because its a business, and not all people are complete,people sometimes can sing but cant dance,they can play guitar but cant sing,they can play guitar but hire someone to record their songs because they dont know technical stuff in the studio..there are players whos good at metal and suck in other genre,and there is eminem....

what about eminem? The man is ten times smarter than any metal musician ive ever read an interview with and he managaed to completely dominate a black demographic with only black artists at the top for 5 years. Imagine if a metal band of completely black guys won a grammy every year for 5 years and was always at the top of the hard rock charts for 5 years? Have you ever read Eminems lyrics? He is probably one of the cleverest lyricists around, and it's not like al that other mainstream rap talking about how much money they have, he's talking about personal shit and serious issues.

[Ricky4635]

Zakk is the best!

[Hanzo Takashi]

zakk's a joke. BLS has a few good songs, and that's it. Ozzy made a few decent records after sabbath... it's really nothing to brag about.

zeppelin and nirvana both quit because of deaths. Just because ozzy felt like continuing his career after rhoads died doesn't make him better.

wylde is a douche.

[guilty]

Zakk is the best! Good advice though, practice, practice, practice!

[flame_mc]

GuitarSymphony wrote:

Comments on Mr. Wylde's Interview:
1. You CAN teach someone to write a song. Someone taught me, and now I am forever still learning how to write one. Every song is an experiment unto itself. If you think all songs come from the soul or have to, then you're kidding yourself. Especially if you think writing any thing from the soul gives it more merit.
2. Brittney was a puppet til she gave a big "F U" to the media by going nuts. Now she's back in the hot spot and still making music. And please... I'm not going to listen to people tell me what is and isn't music. At the end of the day, respect your fellow musician even if you don't like their music. Also, the voice is just as good an instrument as any piano or a guitar - there is no hierarchy. So, please don't tell a musician how to make his music.
3. Zakk likes to bring up God, yet seems to have no respect for the 'weak'. You represent no teaching of God that I know of. Jesus defended the weak and gave hope to them. Please give up the BAMF mentality and realize you're still human.
4. How does one 'get' anywhere if they are destined lions that are not "made". Do you see the contradiction? He seems convinced people are born tough. That's bullsh!t, I'm sorry, I used to be a nice guy too.
5. The man is right about the practicing.
6. "Why not just get a vintage marshall?" Because they are rare, high-priced and are high maintenance. Not a lot of people want to deal with that, and really I don't blame them.
7. I agree with his mentality on performing. If you have a job to do, you better do it. But who is he to claim those that are 'weak' can not be in the business? The music industry is a complex business. It cares more about the ends than the means in some regards (others not so much). The music industry allows the musicians they want to express themselves in whatever way it takes to make the most amount of money and progress. If anything, I would think some of the 'weakest' musicians have made more money than Mr. Wylde by being 'weak'. Whether you love your job or not, you're still a cog in their machine.

I respect the man, but this guy speaks in bias, and not in truth. He doesn't have much to back up what he says. He just says shit, because like he said: "he doesn't take it seriously."

1.- If someone teaches you ''how'' to write a song, it'll never be the same. You'll be always influenced by that ''learning''... do u thing mccartney or page learned from someone how to write their songs...? I think that's zakk's point. Yes, maybe someone can teach oyou how to write, but it'll never be the same.
2.-Don't tell a musician how to do his music.... she's never writted a freaking letter to anyone, it's no like ''his(her)'' music...
3.-There're different gods, not just the bible god. Zeus, Budha, Ra are gods as well,and some people still believe in them.
4.-yeah, you're right
5.-WTF?
6.-Still, NOTHING and I mean NOTHING sounds like a real vintage marshall.
7.-Man, It's as simple as Zakk wylde says. You just can't be weak in music industry. You're weak, the manager-industry-media easily eats you.

[GenerationKILL]

It always blows my mind with Zakk Wylde starts with the randy rhoads rambling whilst talking shit about anything and everything thats not up to his standards.
For one thing, randy was well documented as sort of a laid back, easy going guy who was personable and shy. This guy just shoots his mouth off about everything and thinks because hes a "good" guitarist he has a right to, Gracious musicians who are good at their craft just stick to their own thing, and really don't care about whats going on.
Does zakk wylde actually have like some john lennon complex going one where he thinks if he bitches about something long enough HE can change it? I love his guitar playing, but everytime i read an interview with him in it, i like him less and less, he should just shut up and concentrate on HIS band, not everything or everyone elses, Im pretty sure nobody is gonna change or do anything for YOU zakk, so just get over it.

[MrWeenie]

ateitup wrote:

lol thats why i left metal. these guys are just as fake as any other celebrity. Only they are being "hard-asses" instead.

Zakk Wylde. The begins to Idiocracy

so you magically stopped liking the sound of an entire genre, just because you don't like some of the people in it. Wow, good work.

[Rev2Ten]

haha i find it hilarious

This. Seriously, Zakk RELIES on overly distorted amps and down tunings to play the way he does. If a great bluesman or a jazz guy handed him a standard tuned tele into a clean amp and asked him to jam he would suck.

have you EVER heard of a little track zakk did called "Farm Fiddlin?" OR, maybe an album...gee...i dont know...called the Book of Shadows??