Black Label Society Skullage

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by John Kindred
Staff Writer

Skullage, the latest DVD release from Black Label Society, provides fans with a varied mix of performances that span the course of the band’s career. Featuring Zakk Wylde, whose notoriety was born under the tutelage of Ozzy Osborne, Black Label Society has given the guitarist a home to explore his musical endeavors.

Unlike previous Ozzy-axemen, Wylde has been a surviror of the Ozzy machine. His predecessors have not fared well — Rhoads died in a plane crash and Jake E. Lee had a brief solo career with Badlands before becoming a recluse.

Wylde delivers music for a generation of bikers keen on metallic, southern rock flavored, heavy metal. Extreme and loud, leather and chains … and skull crushing, Wylde is, well, wild. Besides the music he takes us to his home for an inside perspective on the guitarist. The documentary provides bits of comedy and chaos providing a glimmer of insight into the inside workings of the man, who portrays himself externally as hard and dangerous.

Skullage is fan DVD only. If you’re not a fan nothing compiled here will change your views on the man or the music. With so little new content as the DVD pulls from previous DVD performances its hard to say that that it is even a must have. Although the previously unavailable radio performance in Lehigh, Penn. is interesting to say the least.

Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment

DVD:
Videos:
• “Stillborn”
• “Suicide Messiah”
• “In This River”
• “Fire It Up”
• “New Religion”

Concert Performances:
• “Spoke in the Wheel” (from Doom Troopin’: European Invasion)
• “All for You”
• “13 Years of Grief”
• “Bleed for Me” (all from Boozed Broozed & Broken-Boned)

“Slightly Amped” acoustic songs taken from a radio performance in Lehigh, PA, on February 13, 2004:
• “The Blessed Hellride”
• “Spoke in the Wheel”
• “We Live No More”
• “Stillborn”

“Welcome to the Compound” 30-minute interview and behind-the-scenes segment with Wylde at his home.

CD:
• “Machine Gun Man”
• “Dead As Yesterday”
• “All For You”
• “13 Years of Grief”
• “Bleed For Me”
• “Doomsday Jesus”
• “Stillborn”
• “Won’t Find It Here”
• “Suicide Messiah”
• “In This River”
• “Fire It Up”
• “New Religion”
• “The Blessed Hellride” (acoustic)
• “Spoke in the Wheel” (acoustic)
• “Stillborn” (acoustic)

“Welcome to the Compound,” a brand-new 30-minute interview and behind-the-scenes segment with Wylde at his home.

HRH Rating: 7/10