MXR has recreated one of Dimebag Darrell’s favorite tone shapers in stompbox form with the launch of the Flanger/Doubler Pedal.

Along with his various Dean electric guitars, Randall amps and assortment of pedals, the MXR Flanger/Doubler rack unit played a key role in Dimebag’s revered heavy metal guitar tone.

Used as an always-on ‘thickener’, Dimebag utilized the unit's Doubler function as a way to bolster his overall sound while retaining all the tightness his riffing required.

It was something of an unsung hero of Dimebag’s guitar rig, but the Pantera guitar legend was never without it. It can be heard on songs like Cowboys from Hell in the intro, as well as tracks such as Slaughtered and Hellbound.

In fact, it was such a key part of the Dimebag sound that Zakk Wylde has already used it in recent Pantera Celebration gigs.

“Yes, yes and yes the rumors are true,” Wylde’s guitar tech, Justin Perez, shared on Instagram. “August 11th the launch of the MXR Flanger/Doubler Pedal. I had used this in Zakk Wylde’s Pantera Celebration rig for some shows. This thing works great and sounds great.”

Rex Brown, the band’s bassist, gave the pedal his seal of approval in the comments, writing, “That’s all you need.”

The arrival of a pedalboard-friendly unit to channel the sound of the now-discontinued rack mount will be welcome news for heavy metal fans.

It features an all-analog bucket-brigade devices design complete with the full original control set. There’s also a doubler button to switch between the flanger and doubler effects, and a mix knob for blending wet and dry signals.

The Invert button, meanwhile, reverses the wet signal polarity, effectively tapping into another voice that moves from “airy” to a bold low-mid punch.

The Flanger/Doubler is available now for $333.

Visit MXR to find out more.

[Update 12.08: This article was updated with a correction. Zakk Wylde’s guitar tech is Justin Perez.]

The name Amir Derakh is bound to elicit one of two reactions from guitar fans. Some people will light up with immediate recognition, while others will stare blankly and go, “Who?” As it turns out, the guitarist is quite aware of his niche status in the music world, and he’s OK with it.

“I realized a long time ago that I was a bit different, and I quite like it, to be honest,” he says. “I don’t think I’m that obscure or unknown, but I don’t go out of my way to conform. I couldn’t see being a blues player and that’s all I ever did – no offense to blues players.” He laughs. “I just like doing different things. I get bored easily.”

Derakh’s fanbase is splintered across a wide spectrum of musical styles. There are those who have followed the guitarist since his mid-’80s shred days, when the San Diego native replaced Craig Goldy (who replaced Jake E. Lee) in the glam metal band Rough Cutt. Other fans discovered Derakh in the late ’90s, when his guitar synth skills powered the hit industrial rock band Orgy.

And still others started took to him via his more recent electronic project Julien-K with Orgy vocalist Ryan Shuck or the alternative rock band Dead by Sunrise, which featured Shuck and the late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington.

“Funnily enough, I get fans from my entire span of career,” Derakh says. “I get Rough Cutt fans that come out to my shows, and then there are people who are more into the newer stuff. It’s very gratifying to know that people have embraced my work and have followed me through all of these projects.

“Obviously, I realize that what I’m doing now might not be for everybody, because some of the stuff is completely electronic – there’s no guitar at all. But there is some overlap, and it’s cool.”

Let’s go back to when you started on guitar. Who got you interested in playing?

The truth is, I didn’t want to play guitar initially. I wanted to play synthesizers. They had become a thing when I was in my mid-teens. My older cousin had a job, so he bought a Moog and started learning how to play keyboards. He kind of stole the idea from me, and I thought, “What the heck am I gonna do?”

I liked the guitar, and I loved bands like Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest – all the heavy metal bands of the time – so I thought I’d pick up the guitar. I got an Ibanez Iceman and started playing.

Did you take to the guitar pretty easily?

At first, it was total failure. A friend tried to teach me how to play, but he quit on me because he said I didn’t have what it took. But then I started taking binoculars to concerts, and I’d focus on what the guitarists’ hands were doing.

That’s how I taught myself. I could figure out the chords pretty easily, and then I focused on learning how to play leads. I started following players like Jeff Beck and Allan Holdsworth. Oh, and Alex Lifeson was a big influence.

You quickly became part of the San Diego music scene. It became kind of a thing. Bands and guitarists would get known around town, and then they’d split for L.A.

Yeah. I was one of the last people who came out of that whole thing. Jake E. Lee had already left San Diego. I kind of knew Warren DeMartini, but he was pretty much heading for L.A. at the time. They were a little older than me. San Diego became this hotbed for guitarists – I don’t know why. Craig Goldy was another one.

How soon after you moved to L.A. did you join Rough Cutt?

[Laughs] They came to San Diego and found me. A couple members had already left – Craig Goldy split to join Giuffria, and Jake left for Ozzy. The band decided to look around San Diego to see who else was around. They met with a bunch of great players, but nobody wanted to leave. They had families or whatever.

Finally, [bassist] Matt Thorr and [drummer] Dave Alford went to this music store, Guitar Trader, and said they were going back to L.A. because they were shit out of luck. Everybody in the store said, “You gotta check out Amir.”

Matt and Dave came by my house. I plugged into a little Super Champ, played one of their songs, and they went wild. They were like, “Can you get your gear and come to L.A. tonight?” It all happened really fast.

This was right in the middle of the Spandex-and-Aqua Net hair metal thing. You didn’t quite go for that all the way.

Not really. I think I’ve always wanted to be an individualist. I changed my look and my hair style a lot. There was just something driving me to be a little different. Musically, too, I didn’t fit in with other guys on the scene.

A lot of the guitarists from the ’80s had this shrill, screechy tone, but I always liked darker sounds. I like darker music, darker scales. My lead solos had a warmer, fuller sound. I think it was more melodic.

Do you think that was because of your interest in synths and their warm, atmospheric sounds?

Maybe. It’s funny, because I was actually using a guitar synth in Rough Cutt, but I had to keep it undercover because it wasn’t considered cool. My band was afraid to say anything about it. But early guitar synths were featured on Rough Cutt records.

What was your first guitar synth?

It was a Roland GR-700. Grover Jackson gave it to me. I was already working with Jackson and Charvel. Grover had gone to Japan and came back with the Roland. He knew I was into synths, and he thought, “There’s only one person who might know what to do with this.”

And did you?

Yeah. It was cool. I think a lot of people were using it wrong. They treated it like a keyboard, but it didn’t deliver good keyboard sounds. It tracked poorly and sounded pretty cheesy. I thought, “It’s a guitar, so I’ll treat it like a guitar.”

I plugged it into a guitar amp. It gave me a lot of cool added sounds. We downplayed it on Rough Cutt records, but I brought it back with Orgy. I hadn’t played it in years, and I thought, “I’m going to really make my mark with this.”

Rough Cutt was bouncing around for a while trying to get a deal. Once you joined, Warner Bros. signed the group.

That happened within a few months. We had problems, though: the A&R guy who signed us said that he was going to get Ted Templeman to produce us. We waited and waited for a long time, but Ted was too busy to get to us. Then the A&R guy left and completely abandoned us.

After Jake E. Lee left Ozzy, you auditioned to replace him.

I did. I think [bassist] Phil Soussan and [drummer] Randy Castillo championed me, so I was fast-tracked and avoided a lot of the B.S. They had already gone through a lot of guitar players, but there were only a few they liked. One of them was this kid, Zakk Wylde.

Oh yeah, I’ve heard of him. What songs did you play at your audition?

We did a few of the hits, pretty much what everybody knows – Crazy Train, Bark at the Moon, Shot in the Dark, Over the Mountain. I’m not a finger-tapper, so I thought, “I’ll do that stuff, but I’ll do it with one hand.” Ozzy was really impressed with my playing.

He did all the Ozzy stuff you’d think he would do – he got down on his knees and kind of performed. I was like, “Oh, my God. This is so weird.” But it was also a dream come true. I was a huge Randy Rhoads fan. I got my ear pierced when Randy died. I got a guitar like him. So to be playing with Ozzy, it was unreal.

On the other hand, there was something telling me that it wasn’t right for me. I remember they asked me to do a guitar solo on the spot – you know, an unaccompanied solo. I was like, “Yeah, I’m not really prepared for that.” I wanted to put something together and not rip off a bunch of stuff.

How were you told that you didn’t get the gig?

I can’t remember what they said; it was Ozzy and Sharon. It was kind of like, “Ozzy really likes you…” I pretty much knew that Zakk had the gig. I saw him at the Rainbow, and I said, “You’re going to get it.” He was like, “No, no, no…”

There were probably a couple of reasons why I didn’t get it. One, I was connected to Wendy Dio [who managed Rough Cutt], so they didn’t want to deal with that whole thing. Two, I wasn’t completely unknown. They preferred people who were new.

You and singer Ryan Shuck formed Orgy, and you achieved a fair amount of success. Your biggest hit was a dark electronic cover of New Order’s Blue Monday. Did you ever hear from the New Order guys?

Not directly, but I heard from a friend who had a friend that was playing with New Order, and as it was told to me, somebody in the band has a daughter, and she told Peter Hook in rehearsal one day, “I like Orgy’s version of Blue Monday better than yours.” I’m told they all laughed.

You and Ryan then formed Julien-K, and the two of you hooked up with Chester Bennington for Dead by Sunrise. What was it like working with Chester?

We were great friends and had been since the recording of the first Linkin Park album. Getting to create a project together was a dream for all of us. He had a one-of-a-kind voice and was very dedicated to his craft – always willing and able to go the extra mile. I feel lucky to have had him in my life. I miss him terribly.

Had he not passed, do you think the band would have continued?

Yes. He had talked with us about doing more DBS in the future.

Do you feel as if your post-Rough Cutt work has been a truer representation of your sonic style?

I do. Honestly, I wasn’t planning to be in Orgy – I was having a lot of success as a producer, engineer and programmer. I was talked into it, though, and I said, “Well, I’m going to play guitar synths.” Since then, it’s just a continuation of that vision. In Julien-K, I get to play keyboards, but I do play guitar. I’ve been playing a baritone guitar for the past 20 years. I get a darker sound with it.

I get to engage in a lot of different things with Julien-K. The middle of our set is completely electronic, and I play sounds that I created for the record on an iPad. I use a bullhorn that has a laser and a light on it, and I have my whole getup – it’s this different character that comes out.

All of that owes to my years of DJing in the club and techno scene. I got to do all of that incognito. Doing that stuff really allowed me to up my electronic abilities.

Rough Cutt have gotten back together sporadically over the past few years. The band’s latest record, 2021’s 3, was pretty solid. Was that a one-time deal?

Pretty much. We’ve had a very interesting relationship over the years. It was cool to go back and feel like the chemistry was still there. Everything sounded like it did before, even when we wrote some songs. But at this point, yeah, we’re kind of done. We’re grown-ups, and we all do a lot of different things. I was just like, “I can’t do this full time.”

Is there a specific non-synth guitar you rely on these days?

Absolutely. It’s the Yamaha signature guitar that I designed when I was in Orgy. It’s a baritone, but it’s not a super-long scale baritone, so it’s easy to play. Everything about this guitar is custom, including the pickup that I wound with Larry DiMarzio.

It’s been my workhorse for so many years. It’s an amazing guitar, but there’s not many of them. I think there are 75 models in the world.

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Amir Derakh may not be a household name, but the synth-guitar master isn’t as niche as he initially seems.

He replaced Craig Goldy (who replaced Jake E. Lee) in glam metal band Rough Cutt, lent his guitar synth chops to industrial rock band Orgy, and even backed Chester Bennington from Linkin Park.

The guitarist also nearly became Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist, only to lose out to a certain Zakk Wylde…

“I think [bassist] Phil Soussan and [drummer] Randy Castillo championed me, so I was fast-tracked and avoided a lot of the B.S,” Derakh tells Guitar World when looking back on the audition process.

“They had already gone through a lot of guitar players, but there were only a few they liked. One of them was this kid, Zakk Wylde.”

During what must have been a very nerve-wracking audition, Derakh was asked to play “a few of the hits, pretty much what everybody knows – Crazy Train, Bark at the Moon, Shot in the Dark, Over the Mountain. I’m not a finger-tapper, so I thought, ‘I’ll do that stuff, but I’ll do it with one hand.’ Ozzy was really impressed with my playing.”

Derakh goes on to say that the whole thing felt quite surreal – especially since he was a huge Randy Rhoads fan. “I got my ear pierced when Randy died. I got a guitar like him. So to be playing with Ozzy, it was unreal.”

However, he also admits his gut feeling was telling him that “it wasn’t right for me. I remember they asked me to do a guitar solo on the spot – you know, an unaccompanied solo. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not really prepared for that.’”

So how did Ozzy and co. break the news? “It was kind of like, ‘Ozzy really likes you…’ I pretty much knew that Zakk had the gig. I saw him at the Rainbow [in West Hollywood, California], and I said, ‘You’re going to get it.’ He was like, ‘No, no, no…’”

Derakh points to a couple of reasons why he didn’t land the gig, despite ticking most of the boxes. “One, I was connected to Wendy Dio [who managed Rough Cutt], so they didn’t want to deal with that whole thing. Two, I wasn’t completely unknown. They preferred people who were new,” he says matter-of-factly.

For more from Derakh, plus new interviews with Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Gus G, pick up issue 605 of Guitar World from Magazines Direct.

In more Ozzy-related news, it seems like a biopic is well and truly happening – at least according to his son, Jack Osbourne.

In the vast domain of rock guitar, there are few players with a resume or work ethic as impressive as Zakk Wylde’s. The man literally never seems to stop.

From Black Label Society to the recent Pantera Celebration tours, plus Zakk Sabbath; Experience Hendrix; teaching online courses; maintaining a guitar brand (Wylde Audio), a couple of pedal lines (MXR Wylde Audio and Dunlop Wylde Audio), and a line of guitar strings (Dunlop Zakk Wylde String Lab), the man is far beyond relentless.

And we haven’t even mentioned the Berzerkus Festival, nonstop social media, and a coffee brand (Valhalla Java Odinforce Blend, in partnership with Death Wish Coffee)!

With the release of Black Label Society’s latest album, Engines of Demolition, blazing on the horizon, Wylde took time out of his insane schedule to chat with Guitar World.

Engines of Demolition is the 12th album in Black Label Society’s 25-year history. When you first got the BLS ball rolling, did you think it’d roll for this long – and just keep on growing?

Without a doubt. When we first started doing Black Label, I figured this is the last stop – let’s do this. Then we just kept building it and building it one gig at a time. When we started, it was three people watching us in a bar and grill, and two of them were working behind the bar!

That’s what I always tell kids when they say they want to start a band – view it as your own mom-and-pop store, and then build on it. You might start with a hotdog stand on the corner and then you build it and build it, and it becomes a food truck – and then another one, and then another one and so on.

Then, when you look back on it, it was never work because you were doing what you loved. No matter if you’re all crammed in a van or in a car, you’re doing what you dig doing. That’s the advice I give to younger musicians – just do it! Go for it and be relentless.

I remember seeing BLS on your first tour. You played a hole-in-the-wall bar in Port Jefferson, New York, and you were literally setting up the merch table and moving gear around. You played to fewer than 100 people, but the gig was phenomenal and your passion was palpable.

I think it’s the same for any band that’s starting off, whether it’s Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, or the Beatles. They started off jamming in that little bar in Liverpool, the Cavern Club, and ended up selling out Shea Stadium. It’s just a matter of sticking with it. We all start at pretty much the same spot.

Of course, there are gonna be tough times, regardless of who you are; even the Stones played little gigs to begin with – and look at them now! You’ve just gotta keep putting another brick on the empire, every single day. It’s the same with bodybuilding. Dorian Yates [retired British bodybuilder] didn’t turn into Dorian Yates overnight!

Doom Crew Inc. was released in late 2021, and you’ve been busy since then with Pantera, Zakk Sabbath, Experience Hendrix, and so much more. What drives you to work so hard?

I have a good time with the stuff I’m doing. It’s no different than when we were 15 and starting a band. You practice as if your life depends on it, because it does. [Laughs] You save up lawn-mowing money so you can buy your first Marshall, and you put up fliers to let everybody know you’re playing a keg party. You have fun with it because you’re doing what you love. That’s my drive; do what you want to do. It’s simple.

You’ve got to play what makes you happy because that’s the only way you’re gonna thrive. You’ll only thrive if you’re playing what you love because that’s what creates the passion. Why would you be in a band if you can’t stand the music you’re playing?

I understand the business aspect of it – “If you sounded more like this, it’d be an easier sell.” But to me, the thing that naturally comes out of you is what you should be doing – because you’re not even thinking about it, you’re just doing it. JD [John DeServio, BLS bassist] and I were just talking about when we were playing in Zyris when we were kids.

One night we were playing the Stone Pony [a legendary Asbury Park, New Jersey, club] and they wanted us to do another 10 minutes after we got done with our set.

We ended up playing Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin, and I remember we were all looking at each other because we were having a blast playing it. I was like, “Why don’t our songs move me like this? This is super-cool shit, but the stuff we’re playing is contrived and not what we love.” That was a moment of clarity.

The band was trying to get signed, so we were playing what was popular at the time. I realized right then that wasn’t the way it really works. Labels don’t sign bands like that; you’ve gotta be true to yourself, not to a trend. A lot of that experience was Business 101 on how not to do it! Guns N’ Roses got signed because they were playing the music they liked playing; people gravitated toward it because they enjoyed it too.

And when there’s a line around the building, that’s when promoters, managers, and labels want to get involved. You’ve got to create your own success and situation, and that’s not really “work.” You can sit on the couch complaining or you could say, “Let’s go do this” and take action.

How would you compare Engines of Demolition to Doom Crew Inc.? Would you say it’s a natural evolution?

Of all the albums Black Label have made, this is one of them! And to be more specific, this is the next one! Let’s put it this way, if Doom Crew Inc. was Tuesday’s album, this one is Wednesday’s. Actually, all joking aside, the writing process on this one was definitely different.

Usually, it’s a bit of an implosion. I get told, “Zakk, you’ve got a month before the guys come out,” so I’ll write every day and get a bunch of cool riffs I’m happy with to work on with the fellas. But on this one, we took our time. We started work on it in late 2022, but there was no point putting it out while the Pantera Celebration was going on because all the focus was on that. So we waited.

In the end, only two or three of the original ideas made it onto the record because I kept on writing and working with the guys. It’s a musical ride through the peaks and valleys of the last four years – hitting some of the highest highs and lowest lows, plus everything in between.

A song that’s obviously going to garner a lot of attention is Ozzy’s Song.

I already had the music and the melody idea sitting around. Then, after Ozzy passed away and we’d laid him to rest [July 2025], I wrote the lyrics. As for the title, originally it had a title that was basically the chorus, but after it was recorded, [my wife] Barb would always say, “Put on the Ozzy song – the one you wrote for him.” That’s why I renamed it Ozzy’s Song. It makes sense; I mean, we’ve always called In This River, ‘Dime’s Song.’”

How different was your guitar setup in the studio compared to your live rig?

It’s the same exact thing; there’s no need to change it. That said, I only use the chorus pedal [MXR Wylde Audio Chorus] in the studio for certain things because double tracking the guitars creates a natural chorus sound anyway.

For certain dive-bomb things, though, I’ll put the chorus pedal on, double it, and it just gets huge sounding. Like at the start of Suicide Messiah, for example.

Are your solos on Engines of Demolition composed, improvised, or a bit of both?

I always sit down and come up with what I like. They’re all composed, unless it’s an outro jam, in which case I’ll invariably improvise. It’s almost like the Saint [Randy] Rhoads school of thought – or Neal Schon, where you have a melody thing and then maybe put the afterburners on near the end. They’re all pieces of music.

When you’re composing a solo, is it something you hear in your head or something you find and like when you’re jamming?

I can hear it in my head, especially when coming up with a melody. I’ll just sit down and work with what I call a homework tape of the backing track I’m soloing over.

As usual, the lead interplay between you and Dario [Lorina, BLS guitarist] is fantastic.

I love that kinda stuff. With Night Ranger you always had Brad [Gillis] and Jeff [Watson] shredding, which I thought was awesome. And then there’s all the other twin-lead guitar bands – whether it was Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Brothers Band – where the guys would go back and forth and you could always hear who was playing what because they had such distinctive sounds and styles.

There are also certain lead parts where Dario doubles you or plays a harmony.

If I’ve written out something specific, that’s what we’ll do. Otherwise, I’ll just leave gaps and tell him, “Father D., just play whatever you want there.” After all, that’s the whole point – to let him do his own thing.

For Name in Blood, I pretty much had it all written out, so I was like, “Dario, why don’t you double this part and then we’ll do the harmonies at the end? You do the high part and I’ll go low.” Most of the time, though, he’s free to do whatever he wants.

Of the 13 songs on Engines of Demolition, are there any solos that stand out, or are they all your children and you love them all?

I obviously like them all. I’m really happy with the way the one in Ozzy’s Song came out, and I’m also digging the solo in Name in Blood – and it’s pretty lengthy, too. They’re all pieces of music, and like any piece of music it all depends on what mood you’re in at the time.

The upcoming BLS tour with Dark Chapel and Zakk Sabbath opening is unique in that all members will be pulling double-duty; Dario will kick off the show with Dark Chapel; then you, JD, and Jeff Fabb will do a Zakk Sabbath set. Then you’ll take a quick break before all four of you hit the stage together for BLS. That’s some heavy lifting. Looking forward to it?

Yeah. The only thing I’m worried about are the Diana Ross clothing options for the tour; that’s my main concern! Will we have enough makeup and wardrobe cases? If I don’t change my costume in between sets, the audience will think it’s the same guy up there for both bands. They’ll see right through it!

You’ve become renowned for finishing a show and then heading straight to the bus to do a workout. Does double duty with Zakk Sabbath and BLS mean two workouts every show day?

I guess it just means I can eat an extra Reece’s in between sets and then burn it off during the Black Label show before hitting the weights! [Laughs]

You’ve been pretty much nonstop for the past few years. Are you ever gonna take a vacation?

No. I just love doing it. I’ve never been like, “I can’t wait to go home; I don’t wanna do this anymore.” When you’re on the road, that’s the very reason you’re doing it. That’s the reason you had pictures of Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Saint Randy, and all the guys on your bedroom wall when you were a kid.

When you look at our musician friends – if they’re lifers, then it’s just part of what they do. I’ve got friends who still play at bars purely because they love playing with their buddies; it’s not a financial thing. It’s the same with bands like the Stones; they definitely don’t need the money. They’re still out there doing it because that’s what they love to do.

I saw the Alice Cooper and Judas Priest co-headline tour last year, and during the show it dawned on me that the combined ages of Alice and Rob added up to more than 150 years. Both guys are clearly still doing it purely out of their love for music, not the almighty dollar.

Exactly. That’s what I’m saying. Alice doesn’t need to do it. If he wanted to retire, chill, and play golf, he would. He likes going out on the road and hanging out with the band and crew because they’re his family and they always have a great time. Why wouldn’t you do that?

It’s like when people ask Keith Richards, “When are you ever gonna retire?” And he goes, “Retire from what?!”

I mean, if you enjoy drinking coffee while reading a good book, are you gonna retire from that? Music is the same. For sports, I get it; if you can’t perform at the same level, you say, “I’m done.” But then you move into coaching, managing, commentating, or whatever, like Dana White [CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship].

That way you’re still around the thing you love. It’s like brushing your teeth; it’s something you automatically do every day – except when you’re out with Black Label, of course!

You’ve already offered some guidance, but if you had a couple of sentences of advice to give to someone who’s just starting out, what would they be?

Play the music that moves you. Play what you love. That’s that – it’s the truth. People are always going, “It can’t be that simple,” but it is. Don’t complicate things.

If you enjoy it and it’s moving you, that’s what you should be doing. Why would you be playing anything else? That would be like telling Joe Pass, “You need to be doing more pop stuff.” And he’d just go, “I play what I love!"

• Engines of Demolition is out now via Spinefarm.
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

There’s purple smoke arising from Wylde Audio HQ. It’s official. Zakk Wylde’s signature guitar amp, the Berzerker, has arrived, and it sounds just as we expected – and yet is nothing like we imagined.

Yes, it’s a Zakk Wylde signature amp, which means you’ve got that gnarly juicy midrange, an abundant level of gain, the kind of tonal profile that’ll have the pinched harmonics squealing out of the speaker.

But no, it’s not a fully tube-driven amp; it is a hybrid, with single ECC83 tube in the preamp and – presumably, little specs are shared – a solid-state power section. Also, it is half the size of what we imagined this amp to be.

C'mon, this is Zakk Wylde, the long-serving six-string courtier to the Prince of Darkness. Surely it’d be a mammoth head, bend the knees and back straight when lifting it? Again, no. The Zakk Wylde Berzerker is a very compact amp, one which Wylde Audio says weighs in under the 5lb mark.

Co-designed with David Karon, aka the mastermind behind KHDK Electronics, and the result of more than two years of R&D and road-testing, the Zakk Wylde Berzerker head arrives in two finishes, standard Black, and a limited edition Zakk Sabbath Purple.

The latter is limited to 275 units worldwide, comes with a COA and is hand-signed by the man himself (and strong signature it is too, testament to Wylde’s brutally efficient right-hand technique).

It is an uncomplicated design. The front panel has almost everything you need to dial in your tone.

There are knobs for master volume, presence, treble, middle, bass and pre-amp gain, but around the back of the amp you will find the USP, the Wylde knob that “lets you dial in anything from raw and open to that thick, mid-heavy roar”.

This also has some hidden talents. There is a built-in cab sim, engineered to emulate Wylde’s preference for EV-loaded guitar speaker cabinets, and there is a serial effects loop for welcoming your pedalboard to the party. There are two speaker outputs. And that's that; you are off to the races.

Wylde says it’s everything you need to get his electric guitar tone.

“I’ve spent over three decades chasing my sound on stages all over the world, and this amp exists for one reason: to put my real tone in a box that makes sense today,” he says.

“No watered-down version, no extra junk. Just the same gain structure, feel, and low-mid punch I’ve always used, stripped to what actually matters. The Purple Edition is a limited run finished in Zakk Sabbath Purple as a nod to where it all started.”

The Zakk Wylde Berzerker is priced $629 and is available now. Find out more over at Wylde Audio.

Over the weekend, the BRIT Awards became the latest institution to deliver a star-studded tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, with Zakk Wylde stealing the show with a massive guitar solo.

The Prince of Darkness’ passing, just weeks after his Back to the Beginning farewell show, shook the music world and there have been a raft of tributes in his wake.

First, Nuno Bettencourt, Aerosmith, and Yungblud performed an Ozzy medley at the MTV VMAs. Then, Slash and Andrew Watt lead the charge at the Grammys. The hat trick was rounded out at the BRITS in Manchester, England, over the weekend.

There, Ozzy alumni Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, Adam Wakeman, and Tommy Clufetos united for a slide guitar-propelled performance of No More Tears. Wylde became Ozzy’s third full-time guitarist after Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee in 1987, while Trujillo was part of Ozzy’s band for 2001’s Down to Earth.

Drummer Clufetos and keyboardist Wakeman (the son of Rick), meanwhile, were part of Ozzy’s latter-day live band. This is also the core of the band that helped induct Ozzy into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in late 2024.

Wylde, playing his offset, Bullseye-laden Wylde Audio Nomad electric guitar, was a real tour de force on the night, performing a 52-second solo. It starts slow, with wailing notes, as he strides confidently down the stage's runway. Then comes a blur of pentatonic licks as the stage is lit up with images of Ozzy.

But some credit must go to their surprise frontman, British pop heavyweight Robbie Williams, whose performance came after a surprise collaboration with Tony Iommi.

In related news, Wylde recently looked back on writing a tribute song to Ozzy on Black Label Society's new album.

You might know him as Captain James T. Kirk, the cavalier captain of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, but believe it or not, William Shatner is a true heavy metal warrior – and he has just announced an all-star metal album to prove it.

Given all that he has been through – all those times Montgomery Scott beamed him through the transporter, the long-running feuds with Klingons and Romulans – we can forgive Shatner for not holding the electric guitar in the orthodox fashion.

We might even forgive him for holding what looks like an AI-generated Gibson Les Paul or perhaps one from the Chibson Custom Shop – clock those melting upper-fret inlays or, for that matter, the mere fact there are inlays on the 11th and 13th frets at all.

But one condition. This as-yet-untitled album, with an as-yet-unannounced cast of metal guitar talents, better not suck. Shatner sounds bullish on that score.

“Metal has always been a place where imagination gets loud,” he says. “This album is a gathering of forces – each artist bringing their fire, their precision, their chaos. I chose them because they have something to say, and because metal demands honesty.”

This, reads the statement, is not a “novelty album”. Tune in for “massive guitars, cinematic arrangements”, and for “sharp turns, dark humor, raw emotion, and moments of unexpected beauty”; this, dear reader, is life itself.

Shatner got the inspiration for the project after collaborating with former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, delivering a spoken word intro a la Barry Clayton for the new album from Nuclear Messiah, Black Flame.

“When Nuclear Messiah came to life, something clicked,” says Shatner. “It wasn’t just a track – it was a doorway. It made me want to go all the way in, bring in the best metal players I could find, and create something fearless.”

No names have been officially attached just yet, but part of the inspiration for the project was the guitar Zakk Wylde personally gifted the Star Trek star – a gesture Shatner describes as unexpected and deeply motivating. That makes the former Ozzy guitarist a shoo-in for the record. Ditto, Chris Poland; we’d bet his legato will be dripping all over at least one of these tracks.

As for the rest? Well, it’s from a roster of 35 quote/unquote metal icons, each hand-picked by Shatner – as though he has summoned the best and the brightest from The Metal Archives and lined them up in a carpark, Shatner beatifically gliding along on a Segway, pausing only to tap the chosen ones on the shoulder.

Shatner says there will be some choice covers of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden standards, but there will be all-original material, too. He knows what he is doing with these all-star collaborations.

In the past he has worked with a diverse cast of players, with 2004’s Has Been featuring the likes of Henry Rollins, Adrian Belew, Brad Paisley, the wonderful Aimee Mann and more – including his collab with Pulp on Common People. Paisley returned for 2021’s Bill, joining Joe Walsh and Robert Randolph in the studio.

So, we wait with bated breath. We’ll bring you more details on this Shatner-fronted metal project as soon as they arrive.

To paraphrase the original ‘Metal Warriors’: Klingons and Romulans leave the hall, heavy metal or no metal at all!

Joe Bonamassa has never hidden the fact he’s lifted tips and tricks from blues legends like Eric Clapton and B.B. King throughout his career. Taking tone hacks from an Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, however, has proven more surprising.

Bonamassa is actually immortalized in the Prince of Darkness’s vast guitar canon (even if he couldn’t believe he was being asked to feature on a track back in 2005), but taking amp setup cues from Zakk Wylde? That wasn't on our bingo card.

In a conversation with Guitar World around his new signature combo amp with Fuchs alongside company founder Andy Fuchs, Bonamassa confessed to taking one particular idea from Ozzy’s former guitarist, even if doing so is “heresy.”

“I've had great luck doing the exact opposite of what the internet tells me,” he says. “The internet says, when you see a Marshall, you put a Celestion [speaker] in it. I put in Electro-Voice, or EV, speakers in the cab. And when you see a Fender, Fuchs, or Dumble amp on my stage, chances are it has Celestions [in it].”

“This is heresy,” returns GW's Paul Riario.

“It's about the sound you have in your head, and how it feels under the strings,” Bonamassa details. “Everybody's tweaked their way out of a good sound, so if I find a guitar that I like, I won't change it. I won't even solder it.”

But when it comes to amps, he’s far less precious.

“I nicked that from Zakk Wylde,” he says of his speaker/cab philosophy. “I believe he used to split the cabs [to mix and match speaker cones]. What I like about Electro-Voice [speakers] with Marshall amps in particular is that it takes the fizz away, and the bottom end is very true and bell-like.

“I chose Celestions for this amp [the Fuchs] because they were giving the harmonics and mid-range a human voice. These speakers have their roles in certain things; you'd see Stevie Ray Vaughan putting EVs in his [Fender] Vibroverb amp because he wanted a big bottom end. Eddie Van Halen split his cabs with JBLs and Celestions.

“If you have a dynamic range, you don't have to hit the guitar that hard to get it to bloom,” Bonamassa continues. “Those kinds of things make a big difference. If you're splitting the load so one thing is not doing everything, it helps. It's not gonna collapse as fast.”

It’s for this reason that impulse responses have become such a powerful tool in the digital amp modeling world. It's the same idea, just with less drilling. Sometimes, gear is perfect as is. Sometimes, one key tweak can make all the difference.

In related news, Bonamassa recently offered cost-saving advice for buying amps and explained why he is yet to become an amp modeler convert.

Having Zakk Wylde for what would turn out to be Ozzy Osbourne's – and by extension, Black Sabbath's – final show, Back to the Beginning, was a no-brainer considering he was, on and off, the Prince of Darkness’ right-hand man and go-to guitarist since 1987.

However, such a large-scale event doesn't happen without its fair share of technical hurdles, and Wylde recalls what he calls his “Spinal Tap moment” during the show that drew 40,000 metalheads to Villa Park in Birmingham, and an additional 5.8 million on the accompanying livestream.

“When we were doing Mama, I’m Coming Home, I remember… the friggin’ acoustic’s over here, and the mic stand’s over there, and I’m like, ‘Oh, you gotta be kidding me, right?’” Wylde recalls of that day.

“So we start, the boss [Ozzy] cracked one of the notes, and I just go, ‘Alright, I have quite the metal conundrum right now. Not a pickled conundrum, a metal conundrum.’ So I was like, ‘How am I gonna get the guitar over to here without stopping playing?’

“So I was just hoping maybe Criss Angel [the famed magician and illusionist] could advise me on some magic at this point to try and get the guitar to levitate over the year,” he quips. “But I just couldn't get in touch with Father Criss. So I had to manually pick up the guitar and had to stop playing.”

Looking back, Wylde describes the whole snafu as “just comedy – because it was the biggest show on the planet. There's always got to be some Spinal Tap moments going on. It just did, without fail. So that was pretty funny.”

Elsewhere in the same interview, Wylde opened up about writing his recent tribute song to Ozzy.

Keep an eye on Guitar World for our upcoming interview with Zakk Wylde.

Zakk Wylde was Ozzy Osbourne's right-hand man on-and-off for decades – since 1987, to be exact. After earning his reputation thanks to his guitar work on Ozzy's 1988 album No Rest for the Wicked, followed by 1991’s No More Tears, and 1995’s Ozzmosis, Wylde and Ozzy developed a sibling-like relationship that continued till the day the Prince of Darkness passed away, on July 22, 2025.

“I don't think any of us were picturing Oz passing away two weeks after the gig [referring to Back to the Beginning],” he tells Guitar World in an upcoming interview.

“So I just figured... hopefully we'll make records, and then hopefully, because the festival went so well, Mom [Sharon Osbourne] puts together a Back to the Beginning once a year... we'll do one in Brazil, do one in Japan. You know that one was in Birmingham, then do another one in the States somewhere.”

He continues, “You could just mix it around every year – one in Germany next year, the next one would be in California, the next one's in Chicago... That's the way I was looking at everything.”

Wylde recalls how “shocked” he was when he received the call from Jack Osbourne, Ozzy's son, because, as he describes it, “Keith Richards, Lemmy, Ozzy... they're like the air you breathe, and [you think] they're going to be around forever.”

As part of his grieving process, Zakk Wylde also wrote a song that pays homage to his brother-in-arms, Ozzy’s Song – set to be the closing track of his new album with Black Label Society, Engines of Demolition (due March 27).

“I wrote the music before Oz passed away,” he explains. “But after Oz passed away, when we went back to England and we laid Ozzy to rest, when I got right from that, I went straight to Pantera celebrations with Phil [Anselmo], Rex [Brown], and Charlie [Benante]. So I hooked back up with the fellas, and we were back rolling.

“And then when I got done, when we got done with the Pantera celebration run, when I got home, I was just sitting in the house and [this] is when I wrote the lyrics and just sang the song. I was just thinking about Oz, and then I just wrote the lyrics.”

In more recent Zakk Wylde news, the longtime Ozzy guitarist and Black Label Society frontman revealed the three most important guitars in his life, and, spoiler alert, the list includes his now-iconic ‘Grail’ Les Paul.

Guitar World’s exclusive interview with Wylde will be published in the coming weeks.

• Correction 02/03/26: This article initially incorrectly stated the title of the song written in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and has been updated to reflect the correct title: Ozzy’s Song.

For many guitar fans, the term 'shred' evokes speed, precision and virtuosity. Desired and admired in equal measure, building your shred guitar skills lies in learning short patterns and sequences that can be repeated and varied. With enough learnt and playable at high speeds, you can reach Shred Heaven.

These shred patterns can be formed from many types of scales, typically derived from 2 note per string based pentatonic shapes and 3 note per string based modes such as Dorian, Mixolydian and Aeolian. Techniques-wise, you'll typically find a mix of picking (alternate, economy and sweeping), legato, and tapping.

A tried-and-trusted way to develop your shred chops is to use speed bursts. This typically involves a short pattern-based figure (a 'cell' sequence, typically 4, 6 or 8 notes long) that is (once mastered) played quickly for a brief duration before resting, giving your hands time to recover.

This process is repeated while gradually pushing up the metronome tempo and elongating the repetitions without stopping. Speed burst practice is a fantastic way to building strong left and right hand technique, as well as increase your speed and stamina.

Some of the biggest names in shred mastery make use of stunning speed patterns in their solos including Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, John Petrucci and many more. Paul Gilbert is a great advocate of patterns:. through his teaching videos, Paul has demonstrated stunning lead lines based around the minor pentatonic scale and three-note-per-string sequences.

In this tutorial, you will learn some of the best and most relied on patterns of the fast and famous. Ranging from pentatonics to modes, it's time for you to turbo boost your playing to whole new levels. Let's go!

Ex 1. A minor pentatonic pattern 1 with burst playing

Here's an A minor pentatonic (shape 1) sequence using the notes A-C-D-E-G. Inspired by Slash and John Petrucci, this starts with an 16th note pattern that involves 8 notes and repeats twice using alternate picking and pull-offs.

The second bar is where you catch your breath and lessen any tension in your hands as you only play a short E note on each beat. This burst approach (play fast then play slow) is a popular way to sharpen your technique, allowing you to increase speed without straining for too long.

The example concludes by continuing this sequence across the remaining string groups.

Ex 2. A minor pentatonic pattern 2 with burst playing

Here's a variation of Example 1, still based in A minor pentatonic. This ascending and descending fragment uses both alternate picking and fretting hand legato.

The eight-note pattern repeats for one bar, and is once again followed with a 'chill out' bar, keeping time by playing a short D note on each beat. This example concludes by continuing the sequence across shape 1 and across the top three strings of shapes 2 and 3.

Ex 3. A minor pentatonic pattern 3 with burst playing

This is your final pentatonic example, evoking the shred style of Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde. Here you're using shape 1 of the A minor pentatonic scale plus its b5 blue note, Eb.

Remember, A minor pentatonic + an Eb note (this is the diminished 5th/blue note interval for A minor) results in the six note A blues scale (A-C-D-Eb-E-G).

Once again, a fast 16th-note based repetitive sequence is followed by a one note per beat chill out bar for energy recuperation. To conclude, the sequence travels across the remaining string groups of A minor pentatonic, shape 1.

Ex 4. A Aeolian sequence 1 with burst playing

Here is your first three-notes-per-string sequence, as used by the likes of Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci and Steve Vai. It's based around the A Aeolian mode (A-B-C-D-E-F-G). The shred element is an eight note pattern that ascends and descends on the low sixth and fifth strings, using strict alternate picking.

Once again, you will use the repeating speed burst practice method, with a rest bar played. You then continue the sequence across all six strings, including position shifts as you climb the neck. It concludes by continuing the sequence on the top two strings.

Take care with this one, as the additional position shifts add to the complexity of the run. It sounds absolutely fantastic once you've got it to 'beast shred' levels (ie 4 notes per click from the metronome at 140 beats per minute or more).

Ex 5. A Dorian sequence with burst playing

Inspired by Eddie Van Halen and Paul Gilbert, this exercise is based around A Dorian (A-B-C-D-E-F#-G) and uses a 16th note triplet rhythm (othrwise known as sextuplets) to ascend on the top two strings.

The three notes on the second string should be played with legato and the first string's three notes are performed with alternate picking. Experiment with alternate picking for all notes, or if you find this too demanding, pick every three notes (ie pick, hammer-on, hammer-on).

This sequence is pretty demanding at the 100 bpm tempo – 6 notes per click at 100bpm is often considered shred speed territory – so practice slowly then gradually build up your speed. Pay attention to the timing of your fretting hand, as this is vital when synchronizing with your picking hand.

Ex 6. Mini Piece - putting it all together

To close the examples, this is a mini piece that combines the approaches you've worked on in the previous examples.

Bars 1-4 feature a repeating pentatonic sequence inspired by Zakk Wylde. You develop the phrase in the first bar, which repeats before continuing the sequence across the remaining string groups.

The pentatonic sequence has been embellished with additional notes, including the b5, resulting in the A Blues scale, plus the minor 6 interval which gives the lick an Aeolian vibe.

Bars 5 and 6 include a pattern that ascends and descends with the A minor pentatonic and include some double picked notes plus fretting hand legato. This concludes with a sequence that shifts through three positions of the A minor pentatonic on the top three strings.

Bars 9-10 include an ascending sequence based around A Aeolian. This includes position shifts, so take care with your hand synchronization. The solo concludes with an ascending sextuplet pattern on the top two strings using notes from A Dorian. This sequence uses both legato and alternate picking.

Shred speed burst classics

Paul Gilbert - Scarified

This is a shred instrumental classic originally recorded by Paul Gilbert's first big rock band, Racer X. It more than lives up to its name and is full of picking and legato licks, many of which are built on foundations of small 6 or 8 note cells/patterns. If you want proof of the benefits of this article, this is one of the best pieces to be inspired by. Prepare to have your face melted!

Ozzy Osbourne - Miracle Man

This was a new era for Ozzy Osbourne with Zakk Wylde. Hard rocking and powerful, Miracle Man is a full-on rock assault with a stunning solo!

Following a climbing arpeggio sequence, Zakk rips through an outrageous fast picking pentatonic sequence that still perplexes guitarists to this day.

Check out his blues scale lead licks at 2:21 – you will notice example 3 pays tribute to this. Much of Zakk’s playing makes use of fast pentatonic sequences, but this solo shows how far he (and in turn, you) can push it!

Dream Theater - As I Am

As I Am features a blistering solo that demonstrates why John Petrucci is hailed as one of the greatest rock guitarists to have emerged during the early '90s.

This solo is chock full of sequences including both pentatonic and three note per string, performed with precise alternate picking. The solo includes single string figures that develop into extended runs across multiple string groups. The pentatonic sequences are also breathtaking.

You may need a lie down after watching this, all born from Petrucci's admiration of Steve Morse's alternate picking style and his teenage years' intense shred pattern practicing.

Best of 2025: Over the holiday season, GW is shining the spotlight on some of its biggest stories of the year.

Ozzy Osbourne always had a ripping guitarist by his side – Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee and Gus G. among others. But Zakk Wylde, who entered the late Black Sabbath singer’s orbit in 1987, was more than just his guitarist. “It was definitely beyond just us playing in a band together and making music,” he tells Guitar World.

He built his reputation on Ozzy’s 1988 album No Rest for the Wicked, 1991’s No More Tears and 1995’s Ozzmosis. “I was always like, ‘Guys, I worship Sabbath,” he says.“‘Anything I’m gonna write will have Lord Iommi as the base of the soup. It’s in my DNA.”

Wylde grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, and like most players of his vintage, he was deeply impacted by Ozzy’s work with Rhoads and Lee. He grabbed one of the most coveted gigs in the world after Lee left.

“Oz was just the best,” he says. “I have my father, who was a World War II veteran; and then Ozzy, who was almost like an older brother. There was almost a 20-year age gap between us. With our relationship, there was the fun drinking – but if I ever needed advice, I could talk to him.

“There were issues on how to drink and how not to drink; you know, the important factors in life!”

But when the pair got down to business, the results spoke for themselves. “It felt natural with Oz. Very rarely would things turn into a math equation, where you needed a manual to figure out a part. If that starts it’s probably not going to happen.”

Wylde weaved in and out of Ozzy’s world through the ‘90s and early ‘00s, before returning in 2017 for the No More Tours II tour – Ozzy's final jaunt. He stuck around for the Prince of Darkness’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2024 and was by his side during his final performance on July 5, 2025, in Birmingham, England.

He smiles as he thinks back to those final moments, calling it “business as usual” – although he notes the priority wasn’t playing, but “making sure that Oz was okay.”

“It was definitely pretty amazing. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that’s the last time I saw him.”

Wylde wanted to give Ozzy space backstage on what that hectic day. Like most of us, he knew the 76-year-old was ill, but didn’t expect him to go so soon. He reflects: “I’m blessed and grateful, man. Anything other than that would be selfish.

“And on top of it, to go out with what’s the biggest-grossing charity event of all? That’s unbelievable. He helped a whole lot of people instead of making a profit. My God, what an incredible master. What an incredible life.”

Save for Tony Iommi, your relationship with Ozzy seemed more familial than his other guitarists.

“Yeah, that’s how I’ve always looked at it. Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son. Whether I was playing with him or not, if Sharon called me and my wife up and said, ‘Guys, can you watch the house while we’re away on a business trip?’ I’d do it. It’s like, ‘If you need me to bring milk and eggs over, I’ll do it.’”

Was your chemistry with Ozzy immediate when you first met?

“It was – with all your friends in your life, lions attract lions, you know? And the hyenas you hang out with, that sorts itself out later! But Ozzy was the easiest-going, warmest guy. He was so easy to get along with.

“You’re always gonna learn along the way. You trust somebody, then you get screwed on a business deal or whatever. And when anything would happen, Oz would be like, ‘Oh, Zakk, I remember with Sabbath, this or that…’ Things about thinking someone was a good guy, and they end up screwing you over.

“All of us live and learn on our own too, but Oz would always be there. He’d poke me in the eye and I’d be like, ‘What was that for?’ He’d say, ‘Life’s tough, that’s why!’ I’d go, ‘Yeah, but I really didn’t need that.’ He’d go, ‘Whatever – go make me a sandwich, and go light on the Coleman’s!’”

Coming in after Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee, you had big shoes to fill. Why do you think Ozzy chose you?

“Because I went light on the Coleman’s! Forget the guitar playing; the way I made ham sandwiches was amazing… my ham sandwiches with Coleman’s are on par with Randy and Jake’s greatness on guitar!

“But with anything, if it works, and it’s easy, that’s how it should be with bands. And relationships in general. Your wife, your friends, anyone – if they don’t bring you peace, why are you with these people? Who needs to be sticking their hand in a boiling pot of water?

“And musically, if you’re with the wrong people, you’ll know. I think all the people who are in bands love music; when you’re together, it’s because you’re into the same type of stuff.”

What was it like making your first Ozzy album, No Rest for the Wicked?

“Back then it was a different thing than it is now. Later I’d be like, ‘Oz, I’ll just record a bunch of stuff and you do whatever you like.’ It was like me lining up a bunch of beers and saying, ‘This is a stout, this is a pale ale, this is a cider. Tell me which you like.’ And then we’d all get blasted – Oz would be like, ‘Zakky, I like all of them!’

“But back then it was just us in a room jamming. We’d be blasting it out in a room.”

What was the first song you and Ozzy worked on together?

“It was Miracle Man. Oz said, ‘Where do I come in with the vocal?’ I said, ‘Why don’t we just do this riff, and you come in and sing on that?’ Nine out of 10 times, the first thing that came out of his mouth was it. He’d say, ‘Zakk, keep playing that riff,’ and we ended up doing that thing.”

Was that how it was on a song like No More Tears?

“With No More Tears we ended up doing that call and response thing, like War Pigs. It was the vocal then the guitar. It was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Very rarely would he go, ‘Zakk, I don’t like what I’m singing on that – let me come up with something better.’”

A lot of fans hold the No More Tears album in the same regard as Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. How do you view it?

“I appreciate that, brother. All the bands we love made albums that get them to where they are. It’s like a bodybuilder – you can bench 500 pounds, but to get there, you did 250 pounds, 300 pounds, 350 pounds and 400 pounds. Through those lifts and workouts, you got to the 500 club.

“It’s like Led Zeppelin – if they could have made the fourth album right away, they would have! But you need all the other albums to evolve. Blizzard and Diary were done back-to-back, so Randy didn’t have years to come up with more ideas.

“With the evolution of No Rest for the Wicked to No More Tears, people ask, ‘Did you do anything different?’ My love for the Allman Brothers, Albert Lee, and Lynyrd Skynyrd was creeping in more, so I was trying to maybe incorporate that in more.”

What guitar techniques would you call out to that end?

“Country-type flatpicking stuff on I Don’t Want to Change the World, and on the solos and stuff. And on Mama, I’m Coming Home, there’s a little country thing at the beginning with the pedal steel. That was definitely creeping in more on No More Tears. No Rest for the Wicked was just straight-up metal and hard rock.”

Did you feel it was a natural process, or something else?

“When people ask if I was intentionally doing anything different, I’m always like, ‘No. You just keep writing and writing and writing, and you end up there.’ I think that’s what makes it awesome: the evolution of things, how they change, and what led it there from one record to the next.”

You and Ozzy remained close after you parted ways in the ‘90s and the ’00s. What kept things close while you were separated?

“We’d always keep in touch. People were always like, ‘Zakk, why doesn’t Ozzy have you writing on all his stuff?’ It’s because the songs would often already be written, and Oz would say, ‘Zakk, can you just come in and play?’ I’d go, ‘Yeah, whatever you need me to do.’

“I remember Oz saying, ‘Zakk has left the nest. He’s his own guy now.’ He was like, ‘I don’t want to be the lead singer of Black Label Society!’ And I told everybody, ‘I completely get it, man.’

“It’s like when Jake was having success with Badlands on his own, and it sounded like Badlands. But if you put Ozzy on that stuff, now it’s an Ozzy record. Jake can’t help but write like Jake. It’s the same with me or anyone else, like Eddie Van Halen or Dime.

“So I completely understood what Ozzy was saying. If anything it’s a compliment – like, ‘Zakk, it doesn’t sound like it’s my band anymore; it’s like I’m in your band.’”

What are your memories of the final show? It has to be sobering knowing that those versions of Mama, I’m Coming Home and Crazy Train are the final versions with Ozzy.

“Yeah. They’re ingrained in my head. With Mama, I’m Coming Home, when we got the acoustic out, I had to be like, ‘Keep the guitar away from the microphone so I can sing,’ because Oz’s voice was having trouble at certain notes.

“I was like, ‘I need to make sure I’m always there so I can double him.’ I was like three feet away from the microphone when I started playing the song. I was like, ‘I gotta get near the microphone,’ so I had to almost stop playing, lift the guitar up and put it over the mic.

“It was like juggling balls or chainsaws while being on a skateboard! It was actually pretty funny – but it was business as usual. It’s supposed to be the most important show ever, but everything’s on the fly!”

When was the last time you spoke with Ozzy?

“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break. I figured we’d see him later on – the next day or whatever. But no. The last text I got from Oz was saying, ‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for everything.’ It was just us talking, saying, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That was it.”

Where would you be if you’d never met or played with Ozzy?

“I always say, to have music be the thing that turns the lights on at the end of the day, instead of some job that you can’t stand, it’s everything. Everything revolves around playing and music.

“If I didn’t have Oz, without a doubt, I’d continue playing… but it’s how Ozzy would say what The Beatles did for him, you know? What he gave me with Sabbath, and then with Randy and Jake, it’s a beacon of light. It gives you purpose. So even if I hadn’t played with him, he gave me purpose to be a musician. And without a doubt, that’ll always be with me.”

• “We had our ups and downs over the years – I hadn’t spoken to Ozzy since 2017. But I always knew if I reached out, he’d be there for me”: Geezer Butler remembers the genius and humor of his friend and Black Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne
• “I look over at Zakk and he can’t work the fretboard. I’m screaming at him, ‘It’s from liftin’ them weights!’ I didn’t realize he’d taken all the antibiotics in the bottle”: How Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde became metal’s most beloved partnership

Young guitarists dream of playing the same stage as their heroes, but few ever realize the fantasy. Guitar prodigy Thomas McRocklin, however, had the opportunity to open for Ozzy Osbourne when he was just eight years old – and he landed the spot on the day of the gig.

Nowadays McRocklin – real name Thomas McLaughlin – is Polychrome DSP’s headless guitar-toting head honcho, but back in the ’80s, he was a kid with outlandish outfits and technique far beyond his years.

At eight years old, he was shredding up social clubs in his native Newcastle, UK after school – and it’s fair to say audiences were taken by surprise.

“They were expecting some nice little tunes, and then it's a Marshall cranked up and there's full fireworks,” he says in a new interview with Guitar World. “But it really caught people's attention.”

It was that mentality that led to the Ozzy support slot, with a little help from his dad, who McRocklin describes as “a bit of a chancer” – the kinda guy who wasn’t afraid to try outlandish acts to make his son’s dreams come true.

“Ozzy is playing in Newcastle. We're obviously going to go,” recalls the guitarist. “And then next thing, I'm a little kid dressed head to toe in leathers, big cowboy hat and boots five times too big for me. I would look absolutely ridiculous. But it worked, because now we're knocking on the back door of Ozzy’s gig.

“Management, security, whoever, look at me and think, ‘What the hell is this all about?’ Drag [me] in. Plug me into Zakk Wylde’s amp. And then next thing I’m widdling, going crazy. There’s harmonics flying everywhere.”

Be it the harmonics or the hat, McRocklin says something caught the attention of the metal god. “That leads to Ozzy going, ‘Oh, let's get him on tonight.’”

Back then, the young guitar player would simply go up and shred sections of his favorite solos from Van Halen and Steve Vai before being dragged offstage – sometimes literally – when he reached the end of his 15-minute set.

As a result, he didn’t get a whole lot of time with Ozzy – which was probably for the best, given he was terrified of the Prince of Darkness’ persona.

“The only thing that was in my mind was the stories of Ozzy biting the head off a dove or something,” explains McRocklin. “And he was behind me in this picture with his arms right out, wrapped around me. I was petrified, but he was super-cool. Zakk Wylde was super-cool.”

McRocklin and his dad would go on to employ similar tactics to attract the attention of Steve Vai, who ended up producing the young shredder’s debut album with rock band Bad4Good – and later handed him the historic Ibanez Universe featured on the cover of landmark album Passion & Warfare.

But that’s a story for another time. To be precise, later this month, when McRocklin’s Guitar World interview will be published in full.

Shred legend Zakk Wylde was grabbing some downtime when GW connected with him at his home in California not long after he appeared at Ozzy Osbourne’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Only hours before we connected, he’d been busy tracking songs for the next Black Label Society album, before heading into six weeks of rehearsals for a Zakk Sabbath tour.

After that, he’s scheduled to start rehearsing for the Pantera celebration tour, followed by more Zakk Sabbath. He’s also already penciled in numerous BLS shows.

As Wylde says, “It’s just music, music, music as far as I can see, and that’s how I love it.” No matter how busy he is, Wylde is always ready to talk guitars, and the rock ’n’ roll viking was stoked to tell us why these are the three most important axes in his armory.

1. Gibson Firebrand SG (1981)

“This was the Firebrand SG in Pelham Blue, the first real ‘quality’ guitar I ever owned. I did so much of my learning on it. I bought it at Red Bank Music [in New Jersey] back in the day. There was a lot of publicity for these models at the time; I remember the Gibson ads saying, ‘A Firebrand for under a grand.’ It was a fantastic guitar, though, and a major step up for me.

“My guitar teacher at the time, Leroy, recommended it to me. He was a fan of SGs; he thought the double cutaways and access to the top frets would suit the stuff I wanted to play. I wasn’t really playing shows when I got it, more parties and jamming in the basement. I spent a ton of time woodshedding.

“I never changed a single thing on it – it’s completely stock. I still pull it out from time to time at home; it’s a bit of a lost classic in the Gibson range. Another thing about it was the color, which I liked so much that I’ve used it on a few guitars since then as well as on some of my own Wylde Audio fiddles.”

“I still have it. I sold it but managed to buy it back, which was an amazing feeling. Before I got it, I had a bunch of guitars that weren’t anywhere close to the SG. There was a copy of a Gibson L6 with action that was about 10 feet off the neck. I had a Fernandes and a couple of Electras in crazy shapes and some other stuff that was pretty crappy.

“The ones I didn’t hang on to, I tried to pick up in later years on eBay or Reverb; some I managed to buy back from the guys I’d sold them to, so I have all my childhood memory guitars one way or another. I think it’s important to keep your early gear if you can; there’s something special about picking up a guitar years later and thinking about the hours you put in.

“Those first guitars are what set you off on the path. I have friends who say they wish they still had some old toy or something, and I always say just go and hunt one down on the internet! Reconnect yourself, you know?”

2. Gibson Les Paul Custom (1985)

“I remember saving up for this guitar; it was a big deal. I bought it new, complete with the ‘chainsaw’ case. I still have the receipt – $800. Those models go for four grand now. This guitar is actually in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the moment.

“I graduated from high school in 1985, and I hadn’t saved enough money for it by that time, but my parents surprised me by adding the rest of the money to the pot. I think I needed about $300. I got home and they said something had come for me. I went into the room, and I freaked out because they’d got me the white Les Paul Custom. This is another one where I never changed a thing; it still has the original PAFs.

“I’d go and look at it all the time in the store – I wanted that guitar so badly, man. This guitar holds so much sentimental value because my parents got it for me. I used to take this and the Grail [see Number 3] on the road, which seems crazy now, given how precarious it is to travel with guitars on tour.

“After a few years I stopped doing that and started treating show guitars as exactly that; I wouldn’t touch them until I got on stage. I felt much happier leaving all the important guitars safely at home.”

“My first guitars were all fitted with humbuckers, and I know people don’t associate me with single coils, but I have quite a few Fenders. I’ve got a Tele I bought for $600 that I asked Bill Lawrence to paint to look like the one Jimmy Page had with the dragon on it. This was way before Fender brought out their Page model.

“I have a bunch of Strats, and I have a few guitars loaded with P-90s, including a ’65 SG and a ’58 Junior. It’s all about having tones to paint with when you’re in the studio. If you’re painting a picture, you’re going to want a whole palette of colors. If you can hear something in your head, you find the right tools to capture it.”

3. Gibson Les Paul Custom, “The Grail” (1981)

“A friend of mine, Scott Quinn, who used to work at Garden State Music in New Jersey, made a deal with me. I was endorsed by Gibson after I’d got the gig with Ozzy; Scott, a huge John McLaughlin fan, said that if I could get him a double-neck, he’d trade the Grail for it.

“Gibson hooked me up and I made the trade. I’d played this guitar and been knocked out by how amazing it sounded and how well it played. It was one of those moments where you just really connect with an instrument. It already had EMGs; I’d discovered them a little before I played the Grail.

“One of my students had a Fender Jaguar with EMGs. He was telling me you had to put a battery in the back for the pickups, which was a weird notion to me at the time. Anyway, when I plugged it into my Marshall combo I was astounded. The clarity, the depth, the glassy highs, the tightness and definition – I was amazed.

“I wrote my first Ozzy song, Miracle Man, on this one. Most of the records I did with Ozzy featured this guitar. After we’d recorded [1988’s] No Rest for the Wicked, I was gonna be shooting some photos and I realized I was gonna look like I was trying to be Randy [Rhoads] with the cream Les Paul, so I sent it to be refinished.

“It was meant to look like the poster for [1958 Alfred Hitchcock film] Vertigo, but it came back with the bullseye. I realized it was pretty cool anyway, and I made it a signature look ever since.

“I nearly lost it around 2000 when it fell out of our gear trailer. It came with one of those tough chainsaw cases, so it survived crashing onto the highway. It turned up in a pawn shop; someone bought it, realized it was mine and – three years after I’d lost it – contacted me and sold it back.

“I exclusively use Wylde Audio models on the road now; they’re exactly the same as the ones for sale. They’re already modded, because they’re built to my specs, with the Tone Pros hardware, the EMGs and everything.”

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

When Gus G joined Ozzy’s band after Zakk Wylde left in 2009, at 29 years of age, he had been around the block a few times with his band Firewind, but admits that he was a “starving musician.”

“I'm from Greece, and that's not a country that's known for its metal scene or impact,” Gus tells Guitarist. Ozzy's music was like a gateway for me to escape from the small country I come from and allowed me to dream big.”

Gus was drafted into Ozzy’s ranks with the understanding that he’d tour the world and make an album, which ended up being 2010’s Scream. With that, he admits to having “doubts” about his performance and fearing the “hate” he might receive from the fans.

“I'm sure he knew it must've been nerve-racking for a kid like me to all of a sudden be filling in these big shoes of these legendary players,” Gus says of Ozzy’s view on his induction into his band.

Gus’s concern was ultimately for naught, as he stuck with Ozzy until old pal Zakk Wylde returned in 2017 for Ozzy’s No More Tours II, which was to be his final jaunt. Gus admits this was a blow, and save for an occasional email with Ozzy’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, he lost contact with Ozzy thereafter.

However, he’s gained perspective since. “I look at my time with him as someone who helped fill a gap for a couple of years while Ozzy and Zakk needed some time off from each other,” he says. “I'm a fan just like everyone else.”

Like the rest of us, Gus was watching when Ozzy performed his final gig solo and with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, on July 5, 2025. “Ozzy was very strong,” he says of the performance. “I'm sure he gave everything he had and lived for the final gig in Birmingham.”

As for how he looks back on his time in Ozzy’s latter-day band, Gus shrugs, saying, “My deal was for one album and one tour, and they kept calling me to tour for a few more years. So, I must've done something right.”

“But most importantly,” he adds. “I had a lot of fan support throughout the years, and they're the final judge, as you know. So, if the majority of fans were pleased and enjoyed the shows, then we did a good job.”

What are your memories of first meeting Ozzy? Is it true that he invited you to audition for his band via email?

“Yes, that's right. In the summer of 2009, I got an email from management asking me if I'd be interested in auditioning for Ozzy's band. Of course, I was starstruck when I first met him. I couldn't believe I was in the same room as him.

“But he was very cool and broke the ice right away. When I landed in LA and checked in at my hotel, he called me and told me not to worry about it and that he had ‘a good feeling’ about me. He just encouraged me to play with my heart and not worry about mistakes.”

How important was Ozzy’s music to you growing up?

“I grew up listening to Black Sabbath's Ozzy-era records. Sabbath drew me to the heavy metal culture instantly and inspired me to want to start my own band. I remember daydreaming as a teenager and wandering the streets of my hometown [Thessaloniki, Greece], listening to Master of Reality on cassette.”

Coming in after heavy-hitting players like Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, and Zakk Wylde, why do you think Ozzy chose you, a relative unknown, at the time?

“I have no clue, and I’ll never find out, I guess. I was told that someone showed him a video of me on YouTube, and he went, ‘That's the guy.’ He had a great musical ear, and he knew what he liked and what he didn't like. I guess that he heard my sound and felt it would fit right in. I can’t think of anything else.”

Generally, what did Ozzy expect from his guitar players? And underlying, what did you sense that he needed?

“He never came in with any demands. He was always polite and encouraging. So, he always told me to be myself and play with my heart. Nothing else was discussed, really. I tried to do the best job that I could do. I practiced a lot, showed up on time, and played like there was no tomorrow.”

After joining Ozzy’s band, what are your memories of the early rehearsals?

“We did long rehearsals for a month in LA. At some point, we rehearsed most of Sabbath’s catalogue from the ’70s. The band spent a lot of time rehearsing and getting tight together as a unit. I think it showed on the world tour that followed.”

What did you bring to Ozzy’s sound that was different than past players? Did you take influence from them?

“I want to think that I brought a new energy and my own vibe, which is more European, I guess? [Laughs] It’s hard to analyze it myself. And, of course, I'm a huge fan of Randy, Jake, and Zakk, and I've been heavily influenced by all three of them. They were my school of guitar playing; I grew up on them.”

What was it like learning Tony Iommi, Randy, Jake, and Zakk’s parts? And which of those players did you find to be the trickiest to emulate?

“I've been asked this a lot in the past years. It was very exciting to dig deep into each player's style and re-learn it, so to speak. I tried to keep close to the original recordings, but of course, with my own tone and sound. I think the hardest one to emulate must have been Tony Iommi.”

Is that because of the hyper-idiosyncratic nature of his playing and the disability associated with his fingers?

“Yes. His playing is so unconventional. Maybe cause he's missing the tips of two of his fingers. But he slightly bends strings, even when he plays riffs. Also, his sense of timing is unique. I could never sound like Tony Iommi; nobody can. But I loved playing the Sabbath stuff every night.”

Did you use similar gear or your own rig on tour and in the studio?

“I used my own gear completely. Around that time, I started using Blackstar amps, and the Series One 200 amp is the one you hear on the Scream album, but also on the world tour. Of course, I already had my own signature guitars back then with ESP, so I used those.”

How did you approach the making of Scream, and what was it like writing with Ozzy?

“It was a wonderful experience, and we recorded it at Ozzy's home studio. So, every morning, [producer] Kevin Churko would pick me up from the hotel, and we'd drive to Ozzy's house. We'd have coffee and breakfast and then head downstairs and start working on the songs.

“We took our time and made sure everything sounded right. Also, working with Kevin was a big experience for me. He's an excellent songwriter, besides being a producer and engineer. My approach was just to try to add guitars.

“It was an already recorded album, so I tried to give it that Ozzy stamp and vibe. And have a few bits here and there that were reminiscent of his classic players. But of course, I brought my own game when it came down to the solos.”

How do you feel Scream’s legacy has evolved with time, compared to other records with Randy, Jake, and Zakk?

“It’s hard for me to say. I still think Scream is a strong album overall and has some fantastic moments. It's more up to the fans to decide, but I do get a lot of comments still from the young generation of that time, who discovered Ozzy from the Scream album.

“They tell me how much it means to them. I guess it's partly a generational thing. On the other hand, the classics are the classics. His early albums are the staples of his career and of the heavy metal genre in general.”

You left Ozzy’s band after he reunited with Zakk Wylde in 2017. What was that like, and was it difficult news to take at the time?

“Of course, I was bummed ‘cause I knew I'd probably never see him or play with him again. On the other hand, it totally made sense. Ozzy and Zakk have so much history together; those guys had to get back at some point. It was inevitable.”

How did your relationship with Ozzy evolve after you left? Did you stay in touch? And did you get to talk with Zakk at all thereafter?

“I last saw Ozzy at Graspop Festival in Belgium in 2016; that was the last time. He was there with Sabbath, and Firewind was playing that day as well. Honestly, we didn't stay in touch after I left. There was an occasional email to Sharon just to see how Ozzy's doing after his [quadbike] accident [which damaged his neck].

“But nothing besides that. He was always in my thoughts, and I hoped he'd get through this. As for Zakk, I bumped into him at a festival in France a couple of years ago and we spoke a bit. He's always been very nice to me.”

There’s no denying that Ozzy was special. He is beloved worldwide. But for you, someone who played with him, how will you remember the man and the musician?

“Ozzy was everything you imagined him to be. Proper rock royalty, very caring for those around him, big-hearted, generous, and super-funny. He was the funniest guy I've ever met. His aura was so strong that when he walked into a room, everyone stopped immediately and looked at him.”

Where do you think your career might have gone if you’d never met or played with Ozzy?

“I owe so much to Ozzy and Sharon for giving me that opportunity. It changed my life forever. Sure, I had my band before I met the Osbournes and made records, but I was a starving musician. Everything changed after I worked with him. So many opportunities and doors opened for me, and of course, playing with Ozzy has been such a huge part of my music career.”

How do you look back on your place within the canon of Ozzy’s players?

“I remember at some point, while recording Scream, I was having doubts about myself and my abilities, and I said to Kevin Churko, Ozzy's producer, ‘I'll probably get a lot of hate when the new album comes out, and people will think I'm the worst guitarist he's ever had.’

“And Kevin said to me, ‘I don't think so. But even if that happens, at least you were one of them, and how many people can say that?’ But all things considered, I think I did well during a transitional phase for Ozzy.”

Read the tributes to Ozzy Osbourne since his death in July at the age of 76, and you’ll hear salutes to every side of his considerable skill set. The flesh-creeping feline yowl. The underrated ear for a melody. The knack for turning a macabre lyric. The madhouse stage presence.

But whatever else he was in life – heavy-metal icon, reality TV pioneer, berserker, survivor – Osbourne was no guitarist. As the Black Sabbath and solo star readily admitted, to cast him as a ‘musician’ in the traditional sense – or as an ‘instrumentalist’ in any sense – was off the mark.

“I don’t play an instrument, I don’t understand music, I can’t even play chords on a guitar,” Osbourne insisted in one video interview with his son, Jack. During a separate 2017 encounter with Rolling Stone, a rueful note crept into the frontman’s voice. “That’s one of my biggest regrets. I can play a little bit of harmonica, and that’s about it. It’s been interesting, because I can’t communicate on a musical level with other musicians.”

Unlike other figures we have bade farewell to in 2025 – among them Mick Ralphs, Brian James and Joe Louis Walker – Osbourne never put fingers to fretboard to play a single classic riff, much less an essential solo or trailblazing technique. And yet, his impact and influence on the guitar scene over the past half-century is deep, profound and undeniable.

Remove the singer from the narrative and some of the rock era’s greatest six-string moments would either never have existed or else gone down in a drabber, much-diluted fashion. Lift him from the timeline – were such a thing even possible – and a fistful of hungry young rough diamonds might never have caught their break or blossomed into all-time greats.

It feels a little glib to cast him as ‘the heavy-metal John Mayall’, but perhaps there’s something in the comparison. Like the Brit-blues godfather – or, indeed, that other supreme talent-spotter, David Bowie – Osbourne had an eye for untapped genius and the ability to ignite it.

Time and again, he drew hard-rock and metal’s most promising gunslingers to him like an industrial magnet, then lit the fuse that turned base metal into gold.

“It’s like shopping for a new suit,” Osbourne told Guitar World’s Brad Tolinski of his recruitment policy. “There may be a whole rack of blue suits, but only one will grab you. There’s no ritual, there’s no formula. I’ve just been lucky that everybody’s liked my taste in guitar players.”

Osbourne’s first guitar foil, of course, does not belong in this category. Even in his early 20s, Tony Iommi was no ingénue in need of a guiding hand.

Rightly recognised as the chief architect of Sabbath’s thunderous, industrial shudder, his steely de facto leadership meant the Birmingham band would likely have gained a level of notice with or without Ozzy onboard.

Yet the best rock ’n’ roll has counterpoint, and it is hopefully not sacrilege to argue that Iommi’s pulverising SG grooves – especially after he began drop-tuning for songs like Children Of The Grave – might have been too torpid, too sludgy, too heavy without Osbourne’s insistent, agonised upper-register vocal as a catalyst.

From Paranoid to Iron Man, the riffs landed so hard precisely because of that tension between razor’s edge and blunt instrumentation.

His firing from Sabbath in ’79 should have been the end of Ozzy. But while future wife Sharon Arden must take credit for pulling the drug-wrecked singer out of the dirt, his nascent solo career only flew thanks to him identifying the neo-classical wizard Randy Rhoads as a breath of fresh air among the Iommi clones lining the corridor to audition.

“I was all over the fucking place,” Osbourne told this writer in 2011. “But fucking hell, when I first heard Randy play, it was poetry in motion. I thought, ‘Wow, I’m onto a good thing here.’ Who knows why we worked so well. Who knows the answer to anything. But sometimes you’ll meet a girlfriend and it’s more than just a night in the sack.”

Osbourne and Rhoads – with vital input from bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake – were a true creative team, fixing each other’s holes, working nose-to-nose and exploring tone and pitch to ensure both vocals and guitars exploded from the mix on standouts like Crazy Train and Mr Crowley.

“I’d give him a melody, and he’d work a riff around it,” the frontman told journalist Jas Obrecht. “What we both worked out [was], every heavy metal band sticks to one key. So we made a rule that every number we recorded was never played in the same key.”

The magnanimous singer even defied record label bosses to let his then-unknown junior partner perform an unaccompanied classical vignette, Dee, on 1980’s Blizzard Of Ozz.

In hindsight, it was an unprecedented and ballsy move for a make-or-break debut solo album.

“For me,” Osbourne told this writer, “if it’s just fucking headbanging from start to finish, that’s not an album, it’s just a fucking racket. So when Randy says to me, ‘Do you mind if I put this classical instrumental piece on?’, I said, ‘What are you fucking asking me for? It’s your album as well. Just go for it, y’know?’”

Two years later, Rhoads’ death at 25 in a stupid, senseless prank-gone-wrong might have put Osbourne back to square one. Yet the singer somehow managed to replace the irreplaceable, unearthing a volley of stellar players and urging them to contribute.

Some were dazzling-but-transient placeholders, like Brad Gillis or Bernie Tormé. Others, though, stuck around to become part of the mythology. Jake E Lee proved a tough and fiery sideman when he joined for 1983’s Bark At The Moon.

Later that decade, a Viking-haired Rhoads acolyte named Zakk Wylde was pumping gas until divine intervention (or glorious dumb luck, you decide) led Ozzy’s hand to his audition tape.

“You can imagine how many guitarists sent in their résumés – it was fucking mind-boggling,” recalled the frontman in an interview with Joe Bosso.

“So after a while, Sharon started bugging me – ‘When are you gonna listen to these tapes?’ I just didn’t want to deal with it. So one morning I decided, ‘I gotta do this.’ I stuck my hand in a bag and pulled out a tape, and Zakk’s tape was the first and only one I listened to.”

Once again, Osbourne and Wylde’s partnership bore instant fruit (“Back then it was just us in a room jamming,” the guitarist told Andrew Daly. “We’d be blasting it out in a room. The first song we worked on was Miracle Man…”).

And even when Wylde stepped away from the line-up in the post-millennium to tend to Black Label Society, the ripples kept spreading, with one Osbourne Band axeman informing the next.

“I grew up on Ozzy and Sabbath – if you’re into heavy metal, that’s your father,” late-period sideman Gus G told That Metal Interview podcast, adding in a separate interview with Rob Laing that “the first Ozzy album I got on cassette was Diary of a Madman. When I first heard Randy, I thought, ‘Whoa, who is this guy…?’”

No guitarist, then. But Osbourne’s passing marks the exit of both metal’s most captivating frontman and a lightning rod for the genre’s towering players.

Perhaps Wylde spoke most succinctly for the long line of Osbourne alumni – not to mention the wider hard-rock guitar scene – when he laid it on the line in a 2015 interview with Australia’s Heavy magazine.

“Without Ozzy, I wouldn’t be talking here with you right now. The thing is, with Ozzy, he introduces you to the world, and whatever you want to do is up to you…”

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Zakk Wylde’s Gibson Les Paul Custom with the cream-and-black bullseye graphic finish is one of the most iconic electric guitars in modern rock/metal history. Nicknamed “the Grail,” it is instantly recognizable, and for many is one of the defining images of Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears era.

And yet it was a total mix-up. That was not what he wanted. In a new interview with Guitar World, the Black Label Society frontman and longtime Ozzy guitarist reveals that it wasn’t meant to look like that.

He was looking for circles, yes. Wylde needed something to distinguish himself from Randy Rhoads – the late Ozzy guitarist famously played an Alpine White Les Paul Custom, whose finish had curdled to a similar shade of cream over the years. But it definitely wasn’t a bullseye finish he had in mind when he sent the guitar off for a refin.

“After we'd recorded No Rest for the Wicked, I was gonna be shooting some photos and I realized I was gonna look like I was trying to be Randy, with the cream Les Paul, so I sent it to be refinished,” he says, “It was meant to look like the poster for [1958 Alfred Hitchcock film] Vertigo, but it came back with the bullseye.”

That Vertigo poster is one of the all-time classic movie posters, the work of Saul Bass operating at the height of his powers, and it’s an infinitely more complicated design than what Wylde received.

Bass’s illustration features white spiral design on orange, with the silhouette of James Stewart’s Scottie Ferguson and a line drawing of Kim Novac’s Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton in the middle – like flies caught in a spider’s web.

That would have been cool. But as it turns out, Wylde was happy enough with what he got. And he has made it a leitmotif of his guitars ever since, riffing on it with various signature guitars, first with Gibson – notably with his bullseye camo model – and later with his Wylde Audio guitars.

In 2012, Wylde did actually get a vertigo design on a signature Les Paul Custom, but it was more like the Vertigo record label logo than the Hitchcock movie. The Grail, meanwhile, remained a reliable steed for Wylde’s adventures in his full-bore pentatonic exertions, and it led a charmed life.

Wylde says it was true love with the Grail. He got it from a buddy named Scott Quinn, who worked out of Garden State Music, in New Jersey. Wylde’s name was ascendant. He had just been signed to the Gibson artist roster on the back of his Ozzy gig.

He could get anything but he wanted Quinn’s Les Paul Custom, which was already loaded with a set of EMG active humbucker pickups. Wylde says Quinn had an idea for a swap.

“Scott, a huge John McLaughlin, said that if I could get him a double-neck, he’d trade the Grail for it,” says Wylde. “Gibson hooked me up and I made the trade.”

It was a square deal. We don't know what Quinn did with his double-neck but the Grail made its mark.

“I'd played this guitar and been knocked out by how amazing it sounded and how well it played,” he says. “When I plugged it into my Marshall combo, I was astounded. It was one of those moments where you just really connect with an instrument.”

When Zakk Wylde’s famed “The Grail” Gibson Les Paul – unmistakable for its black and white bullseye finish – fell off the back of a truck, he feared it was lost forever. Then, against the odds, he got it back.

The guitar featured prominently throughout his career as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist. He used it to write and record some of the Prince of Darkness’ biggest tracks and remains the guitar he’s perhaps most synonymous with. Alas, it nearly met a tragic end.

“A friend of mine, Scott Quinn, who used to work at Garden State Music in New Jersey, made a deal with me,” he tells Guitar World of his origins with the instrument. “I was endorsed by Gibson after I'd gotten the gig with Ozzy. Scott, a huge John McLaughlin fan, said that if I could get him a double-neck, he'd trade the Grail for it.

“Gibson hooked me up, and I made the trade. I'd played this guitar and been knocked out by how amazing it sounded and how well it played. It was one of those moments where you just really connect with an instrument.”

A big part of its ear-blasting sound was its EMG humbuckers. Wylde had discovered the might of active pickups after one of his guitar students let him rip on his EMG-laced Fender Jaguar, and from there, there was no looking back. Even if he was baffled about them needing batteries.

“I wrote my first Ozzy song, Miracle Man, on this one,” Wylde adds. “Most of the records I did with Ozzy featured this guitar.”

Then, after more than a decade with the guitar by his side, disaster struck.

“Around 2000, it fell out of our gear trailer,” he recalls. “It came with one of those tough chainsaw cases, so it survived crashing onto the highway. It turned up in a pawn shop. Someone bought it, realized it was mine and, three years after I'd lost it, contacted me and sold it back.”

Wylde has previously opened up about Ozzy's oddly specific gear rules, and how the singer expected his appointment to be met with backlash from certain fans. Fortunately, he never saw any animosity.

The Osbourne-Wylde partnership is one of heavy metal's most heartwarming pairings, with the guitarist ending Ozzy's search for a guitarist who could “kick Eddie Van Halen's ass.”

It was heavy metal's equivalent of the 1990s Leno/Letterman late-night wars: in February 2003, Metallica announced that its new bass player was Robert Trujillo, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies and Ozzy Osbourne's band.

Less than a month later, at a press event at 3rd Encore Studios in North Hollywood, Osbourne introduced the world to his new bassist: Jason Newsted, Metallica's anchor from 1986 until he left the band in 2001.

The event wasn't a huge media circus as one might expect, considering Ozzy's rekindled mega-stardom from his bizarre MTV reality show The Osbournes. Instead, a couple of dozen writers and photographers were invited to hear the new lineup play an intimate four-song set in a modest rehearsal studio.

Bass Player joined earplugged journalists from MTV News, CNN, ABC News, and a handful of local music zines as the band ploughed through the tunes with head-vibrating sound pressure levels.

During breaks Ozzy entertained the subdued, seated gathering with his familiar profanity-laced witticisms. Meanwhile, Newsted wallowed in metal's equivalent of hog heaven. He bantered with drummer Mike Bordin and guitarist Zakk Wylde, and armed with a Sadowsky Modern 5 plugged into a rented SVT backline, held it down as if in mid-tour form.

“I'm levitating,” he said during a post-set Q&A. “When I got this call I was flabbergasted. I was thinking, ‘This is not real.’”

Though Newsted was still brand-new to the band, Ozzy was excited after the energetic set. “I'm thrilled," he raved. “Jason is like a rock. I've always loved his bass playing, and I think he'd be a great asset to any band. Not that Robert Trujillo is a bad bass player, but Jason just has this edge.”

So was it Ozzy's idea to approach Newsted? “Actually, my son Jack was the first to mention it,” he said, referring to the Osbourne’s then resident teen slacker. "He mentioned it to Sharon, and a lightbulb went ping. You've got to pass the torch on; if you don't it's going to die, man.

“When new blood comes along it always makes me feel like I have a new band – and when I played with Jason for the first time, I knew he was the one for me. I'm all for progress, and to have Jason onboard is my honor.”

“Jason's coming from a different kind of music," said drummer Mike Bordin, "and he seems more of a push than a pull. With Ozzy I try to lay back and create a Black Sabbath-style groove that just gets there when it gets there. But I think in the super-aggressive music that Jason's been playing for the last 15 years, he's used to really going after it. To be sure, we end up in the same place.

“But it's like a baseball player using a different glove: you can do a great job with it – but it hasn't been your glove for the last 15 or 20 years, so there's an adjustment. The glove adjusts to you, and you adjust to the glove.

“As Ozzy has said, Jason adds a new energy. It's like trading Derek Jeter for Nomar Garciaparra – nobody loses. It's a huge blessing.”

Pantera have announced they will be canceling some of their tour dates to allow time to mourn for the late Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away last week.

In a statement posted to social media, the band – which features former Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde in its ranks – confirmed that a handful of dates will be rescheduled, while others will be cancelled, to give “time and space to grieve”.

“Ozzy wasn’t just a legend who shaped the very foundation of heavy metal and inspired Pantera from the beginning – he was family,” the post reads. “A mentor, a brother, and a constant presence in our lives both on and off the stage. The bond we shared with him ran far deeper than music.

“In light of this profound loss, we need time and space to grieve – to be with our families, our crew, and each other as we process and honor the life of someone who meant so much to us. Out of respect, and to allow members of our team the time to mourn, we will be rescheduling the following shows.”

Pantera’s July 28 show in Saratoga Springs has been shifted to September 9, while their July 31 show in Holmdel will be moved to September 8.

As a result, three later shows – July 19 in Gildford, NH; September 8 in Birmingham, AL; and September 10 in Virginia Beach, VA – have been cancelled.

Ozzy Osbourne died at the age of 76 last week, mere weeks after returning to the stage and reuniting with his Black Sabbath bandmates for his Back to the Beginning farewell show. The announcement prompted an outpouring of tributes from all corners of the music world, as well as heartfelt tributes from Ozzy’s Sabbath bandmates – Geezer Butler included.

Likewise, Wylde – who was recruited by Pantera to step into the shoes of the late Dimebag Darrell in 2023 – has also paid tribute to Ozzy in an emotional new interview with Guitar World, in which he looks back on their final moments together on stage.

Wylde’s deep-rooted connection to Ozzy traces back to the late 1980s, when he was given the unenviable task of filling a role previously held by Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee. He would go on to become Ozzy’s longest-serving guitarist, and was by the singer’s side when he performed his last solo set at Back to the Beginning.

Ozzy Osbourne always had a ripping guitarist by his side – Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, Brad Gillis, Jake E. Lee and Gus G. among others. But Zakk Wylde, who entered the late Black Sabbath singer’s orbit in 1987, was more than just his guitarist. “It was definitely beyond just us playing in a band together and making music,” he tells Guitar World.

He built his reputation on Ozzy’s 1988 album No Rest for the Wicked, 1991’s No More Tears and 1995’s Ozzmosis. “I was always like, ‘Guys, I worship Sabbath,” he says.“‘Anything I’m gonna write will have Lord Iommi as the base of the soup. It’s in my DNA.”

Wylde grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, and like most players of his vintage, he was deeply impacted by Ozzy’s work with Rhoads and Lee. He grabbed one of the most coveted gigs in the world after Lee left.

“Oz was just the best,” he says. “I have my father, who was a World War II veteran; and then Ozzy, who was almost like an older brother. There was almost a 20-year age gap between us. With our relationship, there was the fun drinking – but if I ever needed advice, I could talk to him.

“There were issues on how to drink and how not to drink; you know, the important factors in life!”

But when the pair got down to business, the results spoke for themselves. “It felt natural with Oz. Very rarely would things turn into a math equation, where you needed a manual to figure out a part. If that starts it’s probably not going to happen.”

Wylde weaved in and out of Ozzy’s world through the ‘90s and early ‘00s, before returning in 2017 for the No More Tours II tour – Ozzy's final jaunt. He stuck around for the Prince of Darkness’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2024 and was by his side during his final performance on July 5, 2025, in Birmingham, England.

He smiles as he thinks back to those final moments, calling it “business as usual” – although he notes the priority wasn’t playing, but “making sure that Oz was okay.”

“It was definitely pretty amazing. Seeing Oz onstage when Sabbath got done, that’s the last time I saw him.”

Wylde wanted to give Ozzy space backstage on what that hectic day. Like most of us, he knew the 76-year-old was ill, but didn’t expect him to go so soon. He reflects: “I’m blessed and grateful, man. Anything other than that would be selfish.

“And on top of it, to go out with what’s the biggest-grossing charity event of all? That’s unbelievable. He helped a whole lot of people instead of making a profit. My God, what an incredible master. What an incredible life.”

Save for Tony Iommi, your relationship with Ozzy seemed more familial than his other guitarists.

“Yeah, that’s how I’ve always looked at it. Ozzy is the godfather of our oldest son. Whether I was playing with him or not, if Sharon called me and my wife up and said, ‘Guys, can you watch the house while we’re away on a business trip?’ I’d do it. It’s like, ‘If you need me to bring milk and eggs over, I’ll do it.’”

Was your chemistry with Ozzy immediate when you first met?

“It was – with all your friends in your life, lions attract lions, you know? And the hyenas you hang out with, that sorts itself out later! But Ozzy was the easiest-going, warmest guy. He was so easy to get along with.

“You’re always gonna learn along the way. You trust somebody, then you get screwed on a business deal or whatever. And when anything would happen, Oz would be like, ‘Oh, Zakk, I remember with Sabbath, this or that…’ Things about thinking someone was a good guy, and they end up screwing you over.

“All of us live and learn on our own too, but Oz would always be there. He’d poke me in the eye and I’d be like, ‘What was that for?’ He’d say, ‘Life’s tough, that’s why!’ I’d go, ‘Yeah, but I really didn’t need that.’ He’d go, ‘Whatever – go make me a sandwich, and go light on the Coleman’s!’”

Coming in after Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee, you had big shoes to fill. Why do you think Ozzy chose you?

“Because I went light on the Coleman’s! Forget the guitar playing; the way I made ham sandwiches was amazing… my ham sandwiches with Coleman’s are on par with Randy and Jake’s greatness on guitar!

“But with anything, if it works, and it’s easy, that’s how it should be with bands. And relationships in general. Your wife, your friends, anyone – if they don’t bring you peace, why are you with these people? Who needs to be sticking their hand in a boiling pot of water?

“And musically, if you’re with the wrong people, you’ll know. I think all the people who are in bands love music; when you’re together, it’s because you’re into the same type of stuff.”

What was it like making your first Ozzy album, No Rest for the Wicked?

“Back then it was a different thing than it is now. Later I’d be like, ‘Oz, I’ll just record a bunch of stuff and you do whatever you like.’ It was like me lining up a bunch of beers and saying, ‘This is a stout, this is a pale ale, this is a cider. Tell me which you like.’ And then we’d all get blasted – Oz would be like, ‘Zakky, I like all of them!’

“But back then it was just us in a room jamming. We’d be blasting it out in a room.”

What was the first song you and Ozzy worked on together?

“It was Miracle Man. Oz said, ‘Where do I come in with the vocal?’ I said, ‘Why don’t we just do this riff, and you come in and sing on that?’ Nine out of 10 times, the first thing that came out of his mouth was it. He’d say, ‘Zakk, keep playing that riff,’ and we ended up doing that thing.”

Was that how it was on a song like No More Tears?

“With No More Tears we ended up doing that call and response thing, like War Pigs. It was the vocal then the guitar. It was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Very rarely would he go, ‘Zakk, I don’t like what I’m singing on that – let me come up with something better.’”

A lot of fans hold the No More Tears album in the same regard as Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. How do you view it?

“I appreciate that, brother. All the bands we love made albums that get them to where they are. It’s like a bodybuilder – you can bench 500 pounds, but to get there, you did 250 pounds, 300 pounds, 350 pounds and 400 pounds. Through those lifts and workouts, you got to the 500 club.

“It’s like Led Zeppelin – if they could have made the fourth album right away, they would have! But you need all the other albums to evolve. Blizzard and Diary were done back-to-back, so Randy didn’t have years to come up with more ideas.

“With the evolution of No Rest for the Wicked to No More Tears, people ask, ‘Did you do anything different?’ My love for the Allman Brothers, Albert Lee, and Lynyrd Skynyrd was creeping in more, so I was trying to maybe incorporate that in more.”

What guitar techniques would you call out to that end?

“Country-type flatpicking stuff on I Don’t Want to Change the World, and on the solos and stuff. And on Mama, I’m Coming Home, there’s a little country thing at the beginning with the pedal steel. That was definitely creeping in more on No More Tears. No Rest for the Wicked was just straight-up metal and hard rock.”

Did you feel it was a natural process, or something else?

“When people ask if I was intentionally doing anything different, I’m always like, ‘No. You just keep writing and writing and writing, and you end up there.’ I think that’s what makes it awesome: the evolution of things, how they change, and what led it there from one record to the next.”

You and Ozzy remained close after you parted ways in the ‘90s and the ’00s. What kept things close while you were separated?

“We’d always keep in touch. People were always like, ‘Zakk, why doesn’t Ozzy have you writing on all his stuff?’ It’s because the songs would often already be written, and Oz would say, ‘Zakk, can you just come in and play?’ I’d go, ‘Yeah, whatever you need me to do.’

“I remember Oz saying, ‘Zakk has left the nest. He’s his own guy now.’ He was like, ‘I don’t want to be the lead singer of Black Label Society!’ And I told everybody, ‘I completely get it, man.’

“It’s like when Jake was having success with Badlands on his own, and it sounded like Badlands. But if you put Ozzy on that stuff, now it’s an Ozzy record. Jake can’t help but write like Jake. It’s the same with me or anyone else, like Eddie Van Halen or Dime.

“So I completely understood what Ozzy was saying. If anything it’s a compliment – like, ‘Zakk, it doesn’t sound like it’s my band anymore; it’s like I’m in your band.’”

What are your memories of the final show? It has to be sobering knowing that those versions of Mama, I’m Coming Home and Crazy Train are the final versions with Ozzy.

“Yeah. They’re ingrained in my head. With Mama, I’m Coming Home, when we got the acoustic out, I had to be like, ‘Keep the guitar away from the microphone so I can sing,’ because Oz’s voice was having trouble at certain notes.

“I was like, ‘I need to make sure I’m always there so I can double him.’ I was like three feet away from the microphone when I started playing the song. I was like, ‘I gotta get near the microphone,’ so I had to almost stop playing, lift the guitar up and put it over the mic.

“It was like juggling balls or chainsaws while being on a skateboard! It was actually pretty funny – but it was business as usual. It’s supposed to be the most important show ever, but everything’s on the fly!”

When was the last time you spoke with Ozzy?

“Everybody and their mother were in the backstage dressing room and I just wanted to give him a break. I figured we’d see him later on – the next day or whatever. But no. The last text I got from Oz was saying, ‘Zakky, sorry, it was like a madhouse back there. I didn’t see you.’ He goes, ‘Thanks for everything.’ It was just us talking, saying, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That was it.”

Where would you be if you’d never met or played with Ozzy?

“I always say, to have music be the thing that turns the lights on at the end of the day, instead of some job that you can’t stand, it’s everything. Everything revolves around playing and music.

“If I didn’t have Oz, without a doubt, I’d continue playing… but it’s how Ozzy would say what The Beatles did for him, you know? What he gave me with Sabbath, and then with Randy and Jake, it’s a beacon of light. It gives you purpose. So even if I hadn’t played with him, he gave me purpose to be a musician. And without a doubt, that’ll always be with me.”

• “We had our ups and downs over the years – I hadn’t spoken to Ozzy since 2017. But I always knew if I reached out, he’d be there for me”: Geezer Butler remembers the genius and humor of his friend and Black Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne
• “I look over at Zakk and he can’t work the fretboard. I’m screaming at him, ‘It’s from liftin’ them weights!’ I didn’t realize he’d taken all the antibiotics in the bottle”: How Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde became metal’s most beloved partnership

Dimebag Darrell’s legendary Dean From Hell electric guitar has made an unlikely return to the stage in the hands of Phil Anselmo for Pantera’s recent show in Cleveland.

The sticker-laden Dean ML was originally maroon-colored when it ended up in the possession of Dimebag, who first won it in a competition in 1981.

Dime temporarily sold the instrument, but, knowing that he'd soon want the electric guitar back, Texan luthier Buddy Blaze repainted it, upgraded its hardware, and presented it to Dime as a surprise.

It became Dimebag's Number One guitar, and is the axe most commonly associated with the late guitar great, despite the fact he pivoted to Washburns in the 1990s and put the DFL into retirement.

Over three decades later, Pantera guitar tech Grady Champion has reflected on his “surreal” experience of getting the iconic guitar stage-ready for Anselmo to use on Goddamn Electric.

“I’m messing around with the OG,” he’s heard saying in a clip posted to Instagram. “This, ladies and gentlemen, is Dimebag’s number one guitar. She’s gonna have some new life tonight, [and] Philip is gonna be surprised.”

There’s a poignant moment when Champion drapes the guitar over Anselmo’s shoulder. He had no idea that the guitar was going to be handed to him as the track, from 2000 LP Reinventing the Steel, reached its riff-infested final throes.

The lightning design paint job is one Zakk Wylde – who is filling Dime’s shoes in the band for their current tour – has had wrapped around one of his Wylde Audio Warhammer guitars in tribute to Dime. In Cleveland, it met the real deal.

Clips from the social posts show clear war wounds across the Dean From Hell. Its headstock, especially, wears its history proudly on its sleeve, having helped turn Pantera from fresh-faced upstarts to one of metal's biggest acts by the time it received a well-deserved retirement.

It’s not clear if the DFL will get further stage time during the shows ahead, but either way, its rare appearance in the wild is something to celebrate.

Pantera's legacy may also be set to live on in other ways. Zakk Wylde says there have been talks of turning unfinished Dimebag demos into new songs, while Pantera superfan Kayla Kent is looking to start a new band, and her first demo shows Dime’s spirit is very much alive and kicking.

Over the course of his solo career, the late Ozzy Osbourne worked with a long line of guitar greats, but his partnership with Zakk Wylde – who stepped into the fill the spot previously held down by Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee – is perhaps his most enduring. Wylde became Ozzy's longest-serving (and, for many, definitive) guitarist, and contributed to some of his greatest records and tours.

In this classic GW cover feature from May 2018, published around the time of Ozzy's farewell tour, the pair reflected on their three-decade partnership, and discussed how they became metal's most beloved pairing...

Ultimately, everybody has to say goodbye in one way or another, but for musicians, saying “farewell” seems to be in vogue. In 2018, Elton John, Slayer, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are all hitting the road for what they say will be the last time – and no doubt they’ll see high-priced ticket sales soar.

Now you can add Ozzy Osbourne to the growing list of road-weary rockers – the Prince of Darkness recently announced his No More Tours 2 run, a two-year trek across the globe in which he’ll bid a fond, “That’s all, folks!” to his loyal fans.

The Oz man is an old hand at this farewell tour thing: Last year, he, along with cofounding members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, brought the curtain down on Black Sabbath, and before then, in 1992, he set out on his No More Tours excursion, although he reneged on his solo act adieu three years later, returning to the stage in 1995 for the Retirement Sucks Tour.

His current road run is a winking acknowledgement of his first, short-lived exit, only this time he swears he really means it – he’s done with touring.

“Okay, but let’s be clear about what this really is,” he says. “This isn’t a real ‘farewell’ tour. I keep saying that to people – I’m not retiring; I’m just not going to tour the world anymore. I’ll still do gigs occasionally. Maybe I’ll do a Vegas thing or something. But I’m not going away forever or anything like that. It’s a ‘no more tours’ tour.”

For some artists, farewell tours owe to circumstances such as advancing age or ill health. Earlier this year, Neil Diamond announced his retirement from the road after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Osbourne, who cited what turned out to be a false diagnosis of multiple sclerosis as his reason for his first No More Tours excursion, claims he’s feeling fine. He simply wants to make the most of the rest of his life.

“You have to understand – I’ve always been on the road,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years. I never saw my kids grow up. I was like a fair-weather father. Now I’ve got grandkids from my son Jack, and I want to spend time with them. I used to go away for long spells and come home for short spells. Now I want to reverse that.”

Joining Osbourne for his final solo tour are longtime band members Rob “Blasko” Nicholson (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards), and highlighting the lineup is the addition of Ozzy’s main axe cohort of the past 30 years, Zakk Wylde.

The irrepressible, hirsute guitar legend, who resumed working with Osbourne last year after an eight-year-break (during which time he was replaced by Firewind six-stringer Gus G), has his own account for why his employer is packing it in.

“I’ll give it to you straight,” he says with the kind of chuckle that indicates he’s being anything but. “Last year, Oz came to me with some inside information. He said, ‘All the money you’ve made with me, and all the money you’ve made since then with Black Label Society and everything else, I want you to put it all on Conor McGregor for the fight he’s got with Floyd Mayweather.’

“I was like, ‘Really?’ He goes, ‘I’m tellin’ you, do it. Everything I’ve ever made with Sabbath, the solo stuff, the TV show, you name it – I’m bettin’ it all on McGregor. Trust me, I’ve got inside information.’”

The August 2017 fight was scheduled to go 12 rounds, but Mayweather Jr. prevailed, winning a TKO against McGregor in the 10th round. “It was so sad!” Wylde wails dramatically. “We lost it all. So now we’re broke – we both live in this van down by the river. It’s pitiful. We’ve gotta tour till 2020 to make our money back.” He laughs again, then adds skeptically, “Hopefully, Oz won’t have inside information on frog racing. I may have to question his sources.”

Ozzy, you have worked with other guitarists for short periods over the years. How important was it for you to have Zakk on this tour?

Ozzy Osbourne: “Here’s the thing with me and Zakk: We never fell out. That’s the truth – we’re close. The Wylde family and the Osbourne family are like relatives. I’m a godfather to his son Jesse. Our wives go shopping together. This goes beyond friendship.

“I know that I can be anywhere in the world at any time, and if my guitar player disappears, I can phone Zakk and he’ll be on the next plane. And I’ll tell you this: We did some gigs last year, and I was blown away. He’s gotten so fucking good. He plays so fast!”

Zakk Wyde: “I pay Oz to say that. He takes all my per diem money in exchange for compliments. [laughs]”

Seriously, you two have had an on-again/off-again relationship. You’ve never fallen out at all? No fights or clashes?

Osbourne: “No. Why should there be? Like I said, I can depend on Zakk. No matter where I am, I can call him and he’s there. Does that sound like we’ve got problems?”

Wylde: “We don’t have problems. We’ve never had fights – it’s just not like that. People ask me if I’ve got any dirt on Oz, and I really don’t. All it’s ever been is laughing. And listen, here’s the thing: I’m the most grateful fucking guy in the world. Everything that I have is because of Oz and Mom – you know, Sharon [Osbourne]. I’m good with whatever Oz wants. If he needs me to play guitar, or if he wants me to mow the lawn or clean the dog run, I’m there. He knows that.”

Ozzy, let’s go back to when you first hired Zakk. You had already been through a few guitarists – what was it about Zakk that made you go, “He’s the one”?

Osbourne: “Here’s the story: When Jake E. Lee left, I put the word out that I needed a guitar player. You can imagine how many guitarists sent in their résumés – it was fucking mind-boggling.

“So after a while, Sharon started bugging me – ‘When are you gonna listen to these tapes?’ I just didn’t want to deal with it. I’d tell her, ‘Whatever, whatever.’ So one morning I decided, ‘I gotta do this.’ I stuck my hand in a bag and pulled out a tape, and Zakk’s tape was the first and only one I listened to.”

Wylde: “It was a good tape. I had the Mr. Crowley solo on it and Crazy Train. And then I did a bunch of improvising and jammin’. I did it on my buddy’s Fostex.”

Osbourne: “But then I looked at his picture that came with the tape, and I said, ‘Oh…another Randy Rhoads clone.’”

Zakk, did you know that?

Wylde: “Oh, yeah. When he met me, he said, ‘Have I met you before?’ He was thinking about the picture. I guess I looked like some kid who loved Randy Rhoads.”

Osbourne: “That’s what I thought. But when I met Zakk in person, he was a lot different than Randy. And then I heard him play, and that was that. He’s been with me longer than any other guitar player.”

Do you remember what Zakk played for you at the audition?

Osbourne: “No. That’s an impossible question. I just felt that he was the guy. There was an instant spark. Plus, he was funny. The guy could be a fuckin’ comedian.”

Wylde: “I played with the band first. We did Suicide Solution and Bark at the Moon. It was super cool. And then they flew me back out, and that’s when I met Oz. I remember he told me, ‘Zakk, just play with your heart. And then you can go make me a ham sandwich – and go light on the mustard.’ [laughs] Right after that, he poked me in the eyes like the Three Stooges. I said, ‘Oz, why’d you do that? That hurt.’ He goes, ‘Yeah… so does life. Get used to it.’”

What was it like when Ozzy gave you the word that you were hired? Did you feel as if your life had changed?

Wylde: “Sure, it was incredible. All my friends said, ‘Hey, Zakk, can we get free tickets, and can we meet Ozzy?’ Suddenly, I had more friends than I ever imagined. I was like, ‘I can’t believe this many people like me! They really, really like me!’” [laughs]

You were like Sally Field.

Wylde: “I was just like her. Same cheeks and everything.” [laughs]

Ozzy, what’s that feel like to play Santa Claus? You do realize you were changing Zakk’s life forever.

Osbourne: “Yeah, well, that feels good, sure. You know, people say to me, ‘My God, you’ve picked such great guitar players over the years,’ and I tell ’em, ‘But I’ve had my share of lunatics, too!’

“Before I found Zakk, I had one guy come in and say, ‘This song’s written in D, but it would be better if it were in F sharp.’ I said, ‘Why’s that?’ And he goes, ‘Because I play it in F sharp.’ So I said, ‘Yeah, well, you’re gonna play it the way we do it.’ And then he starts arguing with me, this fuckin’ guy. So finally I said, ‘You know what? Fuck off!’ It was ridiculous.

“People asked me, ‘Why don’t you get a name guitar player?’ But that’s a headache, because you gotta deal with him and his fuckin’ ego. I didn’t want to get Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton. I wanted somebody who wanted to be Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton. Or Tony Iommi.

“You want someone who’s hungry. And that was Zakk – he had that fire in him. It was great to see him go from playing his local bars to the stage at the Forum.”

The first gig you two played together was at London’s Wormwood Scrubs Prison. What went into that decision?

Osbourne: “No, no, that wasn’t the first gig. I can’t tell you what the first gig was, but it wasn’t the prison. What happened was, the prison had a band called the Scrubs. They were getting a fair amount of publicity for some song of theirs, and the prison requested that I come by and sing a song with them.

“I thought we could do better, so I said, ‘How about if I come with my band? We’ll do our bit and then the Scrubs can do their thing.’ So that’s what we did. It was great. A lot of those guys were in there for life. A hell of a lot of dope in there, too.”

Wylde: “You have to remember, I was 19, 20 years old for that gig. I was a young, beautiful, blossoming Hollywood starlet, with petite yet firm breasts. I was the closest thing these guys were ever going to see to a young Sally Field. I went over bigtime!” [laughs]

How long did it take for you two to become a true songwriting pair? Do you remember the first song when it clicked?

Wylde: “That would have been Miracle Man.

Osbourne: “Here’s the thing with our songwriting: He’s got a short attention span, like me. But you know, he’ll be playing guitar, and I’ll hear something come and I’ll go, ‘Oh, that’s it! I can put something to that.’”

Wylde: “He just goes, ‘You got any riffs?’ Yeah, Miracle Man and Demon Alcohol – when those came, we were like, ‘Okay, we got something here.’”

Did you two ever hit a wall creatively?

Osbourne: “Oh, fuck, I hit walls all the time. I get so boxed in, and I go, ‘Where the fuck do I take this?’ But it always happens – we’ll sit there for fuckin’ days with nothing going on, and then out of nowhere a song will come to us in five minutes.”

Wylde: “Ozzy’ll poke me in the eyes and go, ‘Life’s tough. Now go write me some fuckin’ riffs already!’” [laughs]

Ozzy, Zakk started to assert himself more in the ’90s, slipping some Southern rock licks into your songs. Did you resist that sound at first?

Osbourne: “No, no, I liked that. I thought it was great. If we do another album, which I’d like to, I want him to put that stuff into it.”

Of all your tours together, what’s the wildest story we can print – or even one we shouldn’t but will anyway?

Wylde: “[laughs] There was goofy shit all the time, especially back in the drinking days.”

Osbourne: “I remember this one time we were doing a gig. It was a while ago and Zakk was still a young guy. He got really sick, so he went to a doctor and got some antibiotics. The doctor told him, ‘Take one a day,’ but Zakk thought, If I take ’em all now, I’ll get over this thing fast.

“So we’re onstage, and I look over at Zakk, and he’s, like, paralyzed. He can’t even work the fretboard. I thought he fucked himself up from weightlifting, so I’m screaming at him, ‘It’s from liftin’ all them weights!’ I didn’t realize that he’d taken all the antibiotics in the bottle.”

Wylde: “My hands were all cramped. I was dehydrated and shaking, and BT [Bobby Thompson, Osbourne’s then tour manager] stuck my hands in ice so I could get through the show. It was rough, but we did it.”

Ozzy, there was a bit of friction between you and Zakk when you let him go and hired Gus G. Any regrets?

Osbourne: “No. The press created a problem there. There was never a problem, so no regrets.”

Wylde: “I was never pissed at Ozzy. Honest. He wanted to make a change. He said to me, ‘Zakk, I don’t wanna be the lead singer in Black Label Society.’ I get that. It made sense.”

Osbourne: “Gus is a wonderful guy, and I’ve got no problems with him. I’d like to see him do well. But since this is my farewell to touring, I’m doing it with Zakk. I’ve had great times with him, and I’ve watched him mature. He knows what it’s like to run a band and be a self-employed person. But I’ll tell you, I constantly get bags of mail from people who go, ‘I want to see you play with Zakk.’ And that’s all right, ’cause it’s not like Sharon has a gun to my head – ‘You gotta play with Zakk.’ I want to do it.”

Ozzy, can you sum up what Zakk brings to your music – and his importance as a guitarist?

Osbourne: “Zakk is headstrong. He will not lie down, and you can’t stop him. He just plows ahead with whatever he’s doing. I played six gigs with him last year, and I couldn’t believe how great he was. He had done this tour with Yngwie and Steve Vai and all these guys, and it must have made him get better, if you can believe it. He blew my fucking mind. That’s the thing about Zakk – he takes it to another level.”

Wylde: “Like I said, Ozzy gets my per diem money to say that stuff.” [laughs]

Zakk, can you sum up Ozzy’s importance as a singer?

Wylde: “Sure. It’s like we could be talking about the Doors, and you said, ‘Nobody sounded like the Doors before them, and nobody sounded like the Doors after them.’ That’s Ozzy. Who sounded like him before him? Nobody. Who sounds like him since he came around? Nobody. He’s his own thing. He invented what he does. That’s about as big as it gets.”

Ozzy, you hinted that you’d like to make another album with Zakk…

Osbourne: “I would love to, but we’d have to write the fucking thing. Just for the hell of it, I’d like to do it. I’ve just moved into a new house, and I want to turn one of the rooms into the studio, but I don’t know which one.”

Wylde: “I’ll do another record with Oz, sure. I’ll bring some milk and eggs over – whatever he needs.”

Even though this isn’t a “farewell” farewell tour, do you think you’ll get emotional onstage, particularly on the last date?

Osbourne: “I don’t know. When I did the last Sabbath tour, I thought, I’ve been doing this for 50 years. I was with the band for 10 years [Osbourne departed Black Sabbath in 1979]. I’m not going to get emotional. But you know what? I got very emotional. The last gig we did was in Birmingham, where we started.

“The whole thing had come full circle. I must confess, I had a lump in my throat when I was singing Paranoid with them for the last time. Maybe I’ll get emotional this time. It’s been an incredible journey for me. I know it sounds like I’m gonna die or something. I mean, I hope I don’t die – not yet anyhow.”

Wylde: “You know, if this is really the end of touring, then it is what it is. I just thank the good Lord that he put Oz in my life. He’s been a part of my life since I was 11 and started listening to Sabbath. Getting to play with him and be part of the team – it’s amazing. But I’ll tell you, those same people who asked me for tickets when I got the gig? They’re still at it! Ever since Ozzy announced this tour, I’ve got so many friends. They like me! They really, really like me!” [laughs]

Yesterday (July 22, 2025), it was announced that Ozzy Osbourne – the Prince of Darkness, who had helped forge the very sound of heavy metal – had passed away at the age of 76.

The news came mere weeks after the Black Sabbath singer had reunited with his old bandmates – and made his highly anticipated return to the stage – for the Back to the Beginning farewell show.

For his final send-off, it was fitting that Ozzy would line up alongside both Tony Iommi, the player with whom he revolutionized heavy music, and Zakk Wylde, who ended up becoming his longest-serving six-string sidemen.

But between those two players, Ozzy partnered with a long line of guitar players, collaborating with big-name artists and lesser-known talents over the course of his prolific career. Indeed, his impeccable taste in guitarists is almost as legendary as the man himself, with Ozzy turning aspiring artists into household names, and giving big breaks to those who have since become heroes in their own right.

From the virtuosic Randy Rhoads, who helped shaped Ozzy's early post-Sabbath days, to the likes of Brad Gillis, who served small-yet-crucial roles in the larger Osbourne ecosystem, the Prince of Darkness's list of collaborators isn't short of top tier players.

Below, you can find the guitarists who wrote and played on Ozzy’s classic albums and took part in his legendary tours.

Following the announcement that Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76, we're revisiting the Guitar World archives to look back on the life and legacy of the legendary Black Sabbath singer.

The following interview is taken from Guitar World's June 1990 issue. The original headline was "The Good, The Bad & The Ozzy: Or How to Become a Heavy Metal Guitar Hero in One E-Z Lesson."

If only half the rumors about him are true, Ozzy Osbourne should be dead. Yet, after 21 years of twisted public behavior, the man who brought you songs like Paranoid, Bark at the Moon and Children of the Grave looks incredibly healthy and ready to take on the world.

Ozzy recently celebrated more than 20 years in the business by polishing off a live greatest hits EP, Just Say Ozzy, and is currently at work on his next studio metal masterpiece.

In the conversation that follows, Ozzy thoughtfully recalls what made each of his great guitarists special, and elaborates his criteria for choosing a guitarist, his audition process, and his theory on why it's good to be bad.

Let’s start by looking at your past guitarists. How did you find Randy Rhoads?

"Thinking back, it was quite extraordinary. I had been in Black Sabbath since high school, and suddenly Tony Iommi fired me from the band. It was a shock because Sabbath had always been there. I was out of my brain on drugs and alcohol and I was stuck in the position of getting a band together. I had never auditioned anyone before and I was petrified.

"The auditioning process was so embarrassing. How do you tell someone that they’re not what you’re looking for? Back then, everyone was trying to clone Jimi Hendrix. I heard nothing but Purple Haze and Foxy Lady riffs. One guy even hooked up several tape recorders and echo units so he could play both the lead and rhythms to Hendrix tunes simultaneously. It was a nightmare!

"I had almost given up when somebody told Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife and personal manager] about this great guitar player in town named Randy Rhoads. Shortly afterward, Randy came over to my Los Angeles apartment. He was so frail, tiny and effeminate that I thought, 'Oh no, oh hell.' But out of politeness, I invited him to play the next day.

"Unfortunately, when he turned up, I was stoned out of my mind. I mean, I was on another planet. Some guy woke me up and said, 'He’s here!' I looked up and Randy started playing from this tiny amp. Even in my semiconsciousness he blew my mind. I told him to come by the next day and that he had the gig.

"The next day I told someone I dreamed that I hired a guitar player. They told me I didn’t dream it and that he was coming that day. I thought, 'Oh god, what have I done? I hope he can play!'"

How do you know when a guitarist is right or wrong?

"It’s like shopping for a new suit: there may be a whole rack of blue suits, but only one will grab you. There’s no ritual, there’s no formula. I’ve just been lucky that everybody’s liked my taste in guitar players."

What were Randy’s weaknesses as a player? Was there any aspect you had to help him with?

"He didn’t really have any weaknesses. I was the one that needed work. I had just come from Sabbath and Tony Iommi was a bit of a tyrant. His attitude was that I was the singer, I was allocated a space, and if I couldn’t come up with anything then I was screwed.

"Whereas Randy would work with me. Randy had patience because he was a guitar teacher. It was potentially a very frustrating situation for him because I couldn’t play a musical instrument. But he was always supportive and would say things like, 'Try bending a note here,' or 'Try this key.'

"It was a bit like going to music school. Randy was very instrumental in bringing me out of me. The first two Ozzy albums are by far the greatest things I’ve ever done. He was too good to last."

You and Randy had chemistry.

"Yeah, and now I think it’s gone, but you never know. I was never sure whether my work with Sabbath was any good. I used to think it was all too ordinary, but it seems to have stood the test of time. You never know what you got till it’s gone."

You must have had more confidence when you found Jake E. Lee.

"Not really. I knew a guitarist had to look good and have a good attitude, but other than that… Randy was the exception. He was from somewhere else.

"Randy came to me one day and said, 'I’ve had enough of this rock and roll stuff, I want to get a degree in music from UCLA.' I said to him, 'Why don’t you wait a few years and get some money and success behind you. You can always get a degree when you’re 90, if you want.' But he wanted to study right then and there.

"He started spending hours practicing and writing out his own formulas – diads or niads or whatever you call them. Day in and day out, whatever spare time he had was spent plucking on his flamenco guitar. He was a musician in the true sense. The instrument was an extension of his personality.

"When we were recording Diary of a Madman he would disappear into the studio for days. I’d ask him what he was doing and he would say, 'I’m working on this solo and I still can’t get it.' Finally, it would come to him and he would call me and say, 'Listen to this.' It would always tear my head off.

"That’s the difference between guitar players: there are guys who’ll go wingly-wangly up and down the fretboard, and some have emotions and others don’t. Randy and Eddie Van Halen were at the winning post, and everyone else is a close second.

"I mean, this Yngwie Malmsteen guy must have the capability to do some amazing things, but it’s too cold; it’s too much for the mind to take in. And watching Steve Vai is like watching a good mechanic strip down an engine in three seconds and rebuild it. He makes things run perfectly, but there’s no nice little errors that make things sound human."

Okay, but what about Jake?

"Well, Jake was fine for the first three days; then he wanted to take over. Randy wasn’t like that; he was one of the cool guys. I wouldn’t say Jake and I got along, but I wouldn’t say we didn’t get along. But in the last few years he became very reserved and it was hard to communicate with him.

"We lived together in a house in Beverly Hills and we never spoke! It wasn’t because we didn’t like each other. We just didn’t have anything to say.

"It was similar to the relationship I had with Tony Iommi. We’d get together to rehearse, write a mediocre song and then go our own way. It’s not the relationship I wanted with Jake, but a festering cancer set in. I wouldn’t have it. If I ask, 'What do you think of that?' I want a reaction. If it’s negative we’ll try something else, that’s not a problem. But Jake would shrug his shoulders, raise an eyebrow and walk away.

"The word 'band' means a band of men – an army, a platoon, a unit. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If there is a communication breakdown – hey, that’s a great name for a song – you’ve got no unit.

"To be fair, Jake did have a fantastic presence and he was a great guitar player."

What made Zakk stand out?

"This is a bizarre story, but it’s the God’s honest truth. It was a bad period for me because I was sick of auditioning people – drummers, bass players, keyboard players, you name it. Now it was time to audition yet another guitar player. The spark had gone out of it, probably due to my various battles with drugs and alcohol. I had a lot of personal hang-ups about a lot of things, plus I was tired.

"I asked the guys who were in the band at the time to put out the word that I needed somebody and to have people send me résumés. I auditioned about 50 guys. Some of them were hilarious. I asked one guy to play something in a specific key. He said, 'I think it would be better in another key.' I said, 'No it wouldn’t. Just play it in the key it was written in.' He protested again and I just thought, What the hell am I doing here? I’m jet-lagged to the max, arguing with some idiot guitar player.

"Then there were all these Eddie Van Halen clones on steroids. They played like Van Halen while standing on their heads and hopping on one leg. One guy even played like Eddie while eating a fucking sword!

"One morning I was confronted with a mound of tapes and I remember picking one up out of thousands and saying, 'Look here, a Randy Rhoads clone.' It was a picture of some guy with long blonde hair playing a Les Paul Custom. I couldn’t even bring myself to listen to his tape. I tossed it back in the pile and forgot about it.

"Then about six months later, my drummer, Randy Castillo, walks in and says, 'I found this great guitarist from New Jersey, and his name is Zakk.' I walked into the audition and I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn’t remember where. He plugs in and plays my whole catalog, note for note.

"I then asked him to play something of his own and he played some acoustic stuff and some classical stuff. He had a bounce and a spark about him. Then I realized where I saw Zakk before: he was the Randy Rhoads clone in the photo, the one tape I had picked out of thousands. Only it turned out that he wasn’t a Randy clone at all. Randy would’ve looked like an ant next to Zakk.

"There were lots of benefits to choosing Zakk. He had followed my career and he knew my songs better than I knew them myself. We knew it wouldn’t be hard to break him in."

Now that you’ve worked with Zakk for a while, what do you think his strengths are?

"That’s a difficult question. He’s still very young and still very impressionable. I think he’s still finding his own feet."

What are the drawbacks to working with young players?

"I keep thinking I would love to work on a project with musicians my own age. I guess I’d better do it quick because with each passing year the number of people my age gets smaller. I’m starting to feel like a daddy or something. I don’t want to be the wild man of rock and roll for too much longer."

You could go the David Coverdale route and hire established guitarists, yet you seem to prefer to discover new talent.

"I want someone that’s hungry. I want someone who wants to go out and kick Eddie Van Halen’s ass. I look for that hunger, that ability to succeed."

What was your most bizarre auditioning experience?

"There’s been thousands of them. One guy did a break dance and spun around on his back on the floor while playing wild guitar licks. There were lots of guys who were great but horrible to look at. I mean, there’s always cosmetic surgery, I suppose. Besides being a great guitarist you’ve got to look the part; you’ve got to be able to attract people. Some of the people I’ve auditioned looked like they should’ve been in a sideshow at the circus.

"I’m never worried about finding players, though. If Zakk walked through the door and said, 'I’m leaving,' I’d say, 'God bless you, goodbye.' There’s an abundance of guitar players jamming in their rooms who are brilliant. In fact, I often wonder why they aren’t out doing something.

You’ve got to have an interesting frontman.

"Yeah, you’re right. There is a lack of good frontmen. Axl Rose is the best I’ve seen in many years. I appeared in a movie called The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization, Part II: The Heavy Metal Years, along with a number of bands. I couldn’t believe the horseshit in that film. It seemed that all anyone talked about was partying and getting laid. What about being in a band and playing music?

"Guns N’ Roses is a great name for a band and they seem committed. I’m not trying to be trendy, but that’s what I think. I think they’ve got a great image, as well. Everybody likes the bad guys.

"Take that band Stryper – that’s the highest form of hypocrisy. They wear the same clothes as me, but they carry crucifixes and Bibles. The difference is, nobody likes to hear a good person. I discovered that many years ago."

What’s your assessment of Tony Iommi? He’s left-handed, his fingers are chopped off, he had to detune his guitar three steps, yet he ended up defining a genre.

"In the beginning he was brilliant – he was the master of heavy metal riffs. He was very clever. But I never really knew Tony; we rarely spoke. He was the god-almighty figure in the band and verged on being a bully. I must have learned something from him, though, because when I left I did pretty well on my own. I still keep in touch with the rest of the band, but I don’t speak with Tony because we never talked when I was in the band.

"He’s very intimidating. To be honest, toward the end his playing bored me, because everyone else was progressing and he wasn’t. That’s probably not fair, given his problems with his fingers. I should be grateful for Black Sabbath. But Tony needs to stop writing about devils and bullshit – it’s already been done.

"Ultimately, I think it was good that I moved on when I did. It was starting to get frustrating, because Tony would get a good headbanger going, then he’d start doing all this weird stuff. It started getting too complicated."

Except for Shot in the Dark, your live versions of songs stay pretty close to the originals.

"I’ve seen bands who’ve played endings that are longer than the actual song. I always think, Jeez, c’mon! End it already! I’m old-fashioned in the sense that I like the song to sound like the song. I don’t even like live records; I haven’t really acknowledged the release of Just Say Ozzy. Those songs have already been done. Why do them again?"

Aren’t you ever tempted to rework songs to keep them from getting boring?

"No. If I don’t get off on something, I just drop the song from the set. I’ve got enough tunes in the pipeline."

Millions of bands have tried to cop your formula, yet you endure. What is it about your songs that make them stand the test of time?

"God only knows. I was touring with Metallica a couple of years ago and I went backstage to talk with them. They were hanging out, and all of them were staring at me in a very strange manner. Then a couple weeks later I wandered backstage and they were playing Sabbath tunes.

"I asked ’em if they were trying to give me a hard time. And they said 'No, we’re mad for Sabbath.' They were big fans. I thought, What, Sabbath-mad? It’s incredible to me that people still like the music.

"Sabbath was a band that used to pull into an arena, play and never see a fan on the street. We came, we saw, we conquered and went home. I’d see an occasional acid freak wandering around San Francisco like a zombie mumbling 'Black Sabbath.' But we had no real contact with the fans, and we had no idea of the extent of our impact.

Of your albums, which are your favorites?

"Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. I relate more to the period of time than to the actual album. If I was having fun, then it was a good album. If I wasn’t, then the album was crap. We had a blast making Blizzard and Diary – screwed-up and always laughing.

"Those first two albums were my revenge because I was fired from Sabbath. I thought, Man, I’ll show them what it’s about! I always come out with my best when my back’s against the wall. It’s always when the luxury and financial rewards come piling in that I begin to lose it."

What would make you hungry again?

"I am, in a way. This is the first record I’ve ever done sober. I’m five months sober, and it’s very difficult. I don’t know whether it’s good or not. I’m writing mellower songs. Not to say the album will be mellow. Zakk will make sure it’s not. He’s crazy. In fact, he reminds me of me.

"During rehearsal, I’ll sit down with the road crew and have a can of Coke. Geezer [Butler] will walk in and quietly join us, then Randy [Castillo, drums]. But Zakk, you hear him from a mile away, screaming or whatever. He’s like a circus coming to town. Geezer cowers when he hears Zakk coming. There are so many cool-guy guitar players with their sunglasses and all that, but Zakk is one of the boys.

"He’s a real shitkicker. He always says hi to people and takes the time to talk to the fans – he’s always on. One of the key things about him is that he’s always got some time for the people. That’s a big asset. When people find success, they tend to get big heads and 18 bodyguards. They forget that without the fans they wouldn’t have a flash limousine and the money to pay for the bodyguards.

"You shouldn’t make yourself over-available, but you shouldn’t make yourself invisible either. I have to be careful because, in a lot of areas, not only are there a lot of people who like me but also a lot of people who hate me. I don’t want to be the next John Lennon.

"Trying to clean my act up was a major step in my life. I’m suddenly stone-cold sober in this zoo and the lions are trying to pick the lock. I was stoned for 21 years. Most rockers get stoned to break down the inhibitions, paranoia and shyness that stem from personal hang-ups we’ve carried around since we were kids. We all want to communicate with our fellow man, but we’re too frightened to try.

"Getting drunk allowed me to relax. But after a period of years, that stopped working for me. So I had a real dilemma. I was getting high and it was killing me. Yet, I was afraid of being sober. Things began going drastically wrong for me in my personal life. I had hit the bottom, and all that was left was death or insanity. Now with the grace of God, I’ve kept my sobriety, but I still take it one day at a time.

"On the next studio record I’ve decided to take a whack at writing a love song and things I actually feel. I may also write a song called, 'Son of a Bitch, Everything’s Real.' [laughs]

Someone once described you as a “nuclear bluesman.” The analogy fits – you often write simple, guitar-oriented songs about the woes of the modern man.

"Just the other day I was watching an old video of me singing Paranoid. I listened to the lyrics and thought, Hell, where were we when we wrote that? It was really strange because I had this smile on my face while I was singing this heavy, heavy song.

"I mean, Sabbath grew up in Birmingham, England, which was in an industrialized pit. That was a billion light years from San Francisco’s hippified flower power, where you’d hear some guy singing about wearing flowers in your hair. Meanwhile, my life was shit. I was frightened by fear. Fear has been my closest friend throughout my life. That’s why we drank. That’s why we’re all fucked up.

"But I have no real regrets, except that I wasn't up to keeping Randy Rhoads from getting on that plane. I'm no superman, no person from another planet – I'm just a lucky guy."

Since joining Ozzy’s band in 1987, save for a few pitstops along the way, Zakk Wylde has been the Prince of Darkness’s main guitar man. In fact, save for Tony Iommi, with whom Ozzy launched Black Sabbath (and heavy metal), and Randy Rhoads, who helped Ozzy resurrect his career in the early ’80s, no guitarist is more associated with Ozzy than Wylde.

With an array of bullseye-adorned and EMG-equipped Les Pauls slung low from his burly shoulders, a kilt hanging off his waist and a caveman beard that hangs even lower, Wylde has been a rock for Ozzy – and he’s also a friend, if not family.

“Ozzy is the godfather of my oldest son,” Wylde says. “My wife Barbara and I – our relationship with Ozzy and Sharon [Osbourne] is more of a family thing. I’m truly blessed to have him in my life.

“Musically, If I would have never played with Ozzy, he’d still be such a huge part of my life. Just getting to know him, and then being in a band with him – forget about it!”

You’ve been playing with Ozzy since the ’80s. Did the final show announcement come as a surprise?

“I was talking about this the other day, thinking, ‘What do I think should happen?’ When we did the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [induction ceremony, October 19, 2024], we were doing a run-through, so the camera guys knew what to expect, and Oz was up there on the throne, and we started doing Mama, I’m Coming Home, and Ozzy just started singing!

“His mic was live, and he was just sitting down on the throne and started singing Mama, I’m Coming Home because Jelly Roll [who sang the song during the actual performance] wasn’t there. Oz was like, ‘Screw it – I’ll sing it, man,’ so he just started singing and it sounded great. I was like, ‘Alright! Hopefully there will be more of that.’”

Ozzy – and Sabbath – have been unkillable. Do you think this is really it?

“We did rehearsals, and he sang a bunch of songs and sang a bunch with Sabbath, and it went over great, and he had a great time. It’s like, ‘I guess we’re gonna do another tour…’ Hopefully, I mean… maybe this thing will be, I don’t know, won’t be the ‘beginning,’ but it’ll be the whole new beginning of another tour.

“If Oz is happy and he has a great time and sings great, God bless him. Whatever Oz wants to do; if he needs me to go out and get milk and eggs for him and bring them over to the house, I’ll do it. But overall, all these other bands are gonna be there, so it’s going to be a great day.”

What does Black Sabbath mean to you personally?

“They’re like how Henry Ford is the creator of the car. They’re everything. All the bands that have come after are basically, like with the car; it doesn’t matter if it’s NASCAR, a Formula One race car, a dragster or however advanced it gets, it’s all based on the original Ford Model T. It’s based on that basic design.

“It’s a testament to what was created. Sabbath are the architects of the whole thing. They’re the massive oak tree, and we’re all just branches off of that tree. I think everybody there loves them, and we wouldn’t all be doing it if it wasn’t for them.”

How has Iommi shaped you as a guitarist?

“He’s basically the Bach, Mozart and Beethoven of metal guitar. He’s all three of them in one. And he’s the Lennon and McCartney of riff writing. He truly is. It’s pretty mind-blowing. His genius is just immense. I love every aspect of his playing. And outside of songwriting, I love his solos; I love all of it. It’s not just the riffs; Tony Iommi has amazing technique and can play fast… he’s just the complete package.”

The July 5 show is a celebration of the original lineup. Is that your favorite era of Sabbath?

“I think that when Ronnie James Dio joined the band, they should have just started calling it Heaven & Hell right from the beginning. To me, let’s say if Ozzy retained the rights and owned the rights to Black Sabbath, and he started calling what he was doing with Randy [Rhoads], Bob [Daisley] and Lee [Kerslake] Black Sabbath, it would’ve been the same thing.

“When I heard Heaven & Hell, it sounded like a whole new band. I’ve always felt like it would have been interesting to hear Ozzy’s approach to singing those songs. It was a whole new thing, but all the records are classics.

“It was just them breaking up at that point, taking a break from each other and starting those things. It was almost like you hit the reset button. The creative juices were fresh, brand new and truly mind-blowing. But for me, it’s the Ozzy era.”

What have the conversations been like about preparing for the show?

“Oz said, ‘Let’s just do Free Bird twice. That should take up an hour!’ [Laughs] I said, ‘Is that what you really want to do?’ He said, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’ I said, ‘Okay. You want fries on the side of that Coke?’ So, it’s Free Bird, which will take up an hour, or maybe two, depending on how long the jam is!

“But we haven’t even talked about… you know, it’s like when we did the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thing, we knew – we had it all planned. Wolfie [Van Halen] did Crazy Train, then we did Mama, I’m Coming Home, then a little of No More Tears. So I’m sure we’ll figure out what songs we’re gonna do – and then maybe it’ll finally come down to ‘Let’s just do Free Bird for two hours.’”

This must be bittersweet for you.

“If I was a soccer player, and I got to play for Manchester United, and they were my favorite team growing up, getting to play with them would be like a dream. So this is like a dream come true. Being such a huge Sabbath fan, and then when Oz started with Randy and Jake, and then me being in the band, it’s pretty mind-blowing. I’m truly blessed.”

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Whether he’s playing with Ozzy Osbourne, delivering pummelling biker metal riffs with Black Label Society, or tipping his hat to the late Dimebag Darrell in the newly reprised Pantera, Zakk Wylde never strays away from his EMG 81/85 pickups.

A humbucker combination beloved by some of the biggest bands in the world – from Metallica to Slayer, through to the history-making Diamond Rowe – the high-output active pups have more bite than a cheap buffet. But it wasn’t a metal guitar hero who originally turned Wylde onto them. Instead, it was one of his guitar students, who was playing – of all things – a Fender Mustang.

Before he became the Prince of Darkness’ right-hand man, Wylde was teaching guitar and plying his riff-writing trade in a band called Zyris. During one session, the apprentice proved to be the master.

“I was giving guitar lessons at the time, and I remember I had a Marshall ’78 combo with a master volume,” he explains to EMG TV. “I remember one of my students, he had a Fender Mustang with black pickups.”

Back in 2022, Wylde discussed his first-ever EMG encounter with Guitar World, and recalled how it ended up being a game-changing experience for him.

“I was like, ‘Wow, what are those?’ And he just goes, ‘Oh, they’re EMG pickups. You’ve got to put a battery in the back.’ I was like, ‘A battery? What are you talking about?’ And I’m like, Wow, that’s weird.’ I didn’t know anything about active pickups or what they were.”

For the uninitiated, active pickups require additional power from a 9V battery to achieve the full-bore power they offer. They are typically far hotter than passive pickups.

“So I plugged in his guitar, I hit a G chord and I was like, ‘Wow, the clarity! That’s what the amp’s supposed to sound like,’” Wylde continues in his EMG TV chat. “Because I had my Les Paul with the PAFs in it, right? It was as if somebody had a moving blanket on the cabinet and took the moving blanket off. That’s what my Les Paul sounded like.

“This Fender with the little body, you know – my Les Paul Custom had a thick body, more wood, more everything – that guitar sounded a trillion times better.

“There was just no film, it wasn’t muddled. The chimey highs were in there, the mid-range, the bottom end, I was just like, ‘Wow.’”

Wylde then went on a shopping spree, and by the time his Ozzy audition came along – and he was pitted against players he felt were only there for the money – he was knee-deep in active pickup power.

The pickups could be found in his bullseye-adorned Epiphone signature guitar, and are now a mainstay in all of his Wylde Audio builds, including the “sonically punishing” Blood Skull Bezerker and his Dali-esque Goregehn.

Quickly into his job as Ozzy's riffer-in-chief, however, he learned that the singer had some strict rules about gear, and one pickup position was off-limits.

“I only used the back pickup on the album [1988’s No Rest for the Wicked],” he says. “Ozzy hates the sound of the front pickup. He calls it the ‘cow tone.’”

Speaking to Guitar World soon after joining the band, Wylde also revealed that standing in the shoes of the late Randy Rhoads – and the plentifully talented Jake E. Lee – meant he had a tall order winning over certain portions of the fanbase. Not that he saw any backlash.

“When I joined the band, Ozzy told me I’d often hear people scream out Randy’s name during a show, but it hasn’t happened yet,” he had said. “Even if they did, it wouldn’t piss me off because I love Randy as much as everyone else. What’s really surprising is that I’ve seen a lot of handmade ‘Zakk’ T-shirts around. The fans have been real supportive.”

Wylde recently spoke about the prospect of writing new music with Pantera, and the likelihood of that happening seems to be increasing.

Zakk Wylde has opened up on time he came close to joining Guns N' Roses, and revealed how the ill-fated audition to link-up with Slash and co ultimately resulted in his departure from Ozzy Osbourne's band – and the formation of Black Label Society.

The Pantera electric guitar veteran recalled his experiences of jamming with GNR during a new interview with Billy Corgan, whose podcast is becoming something of a hot spot for high-profile tidbits. In the past, Gene Simmons has discussed Ace Frehley’s near-disastrous Kiss audition, while Corgan spoke about the differences between rock and “indie” guitarists with Richie Sambora.

With Wylde in the intervew chair, Corgan zoomed in on a lesser-known footnote in his storied career, which took place during the recording of Ozzy’s 1995 album, Ozzmosis. At the time, Guns N’ Roses were a guitar player down, and Wylde was on a list of potential recruits.

“I think Gilby [Clarke] had left the band and so Axl [Rose] was like, ‘Well, who are we going to get on guitar?’” Wylde recalls. “I guess Slash just threw around and my name came in the mix.”

It was Rose who reached out to him. The band was eager to test the waters with a guitarist who had previously been able to fill the sizable shoes of Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee in Ozzy’s band.

“I knew Slash when I first joined Ozzy, that's when Guns were blowing up,” he continues. “I knew Steven [Adler] and then I obviously knew Matt [Sorum] from when he was with the Cult. So everybody kind of knows each other. Axl called me up. He was like, ‘Zakk, do you want to get together and jam?’ I was like, ‘Alright, yeah, we’ll see what happens.’”

Wylde met the group at a rehearsal space and started “jamming and noodling ideas”. He also recalls they went as far as “recording a couple of riffs”, one of which became The Rose Petalled Garden from Black Label Society’s debut LP, Sonic Brew.

After their jam, Wylde notes “nothing was materializing”, to the point where Ozzy was left quizzing him over his availability: “Are you going to do this thing with the fellas or are we doing this thing?” Wylde recalls Ozzy asking him. The guitarist, however, was equally in the dark about the situation.

“Nothing [with Guns N’ Roses] was happening,” he continues. “I remember Oz was getting ready to release the Ozzmosis album and getting ready to tour. Oz was like, ‘Zakk, sit down. I’m going to get Joe Holmes to come play for a little while and then we’ll see where it happens from there.’”

Ultimately, the GNR gig didn’t come through for Wylde, he was no longer “playing with the boss”, and the guitarist was left in a difficult spot. He needed another creative outlet to turn his attentions to.

“When we were doing Ozzmosis, there was this place called Bruise on 34th in Lexington,” he goes on. “The pub had been there since 1908. So, I would go after we got done tracking and I'd be drinking till six in the morning every night, hanging out at the jukebox.

“They had the Stones on there, Bob Seger, Neil Young, the Eagles, all this amazing mellow acoustic stuff. I remember just going back into my room with my acoustic and writing. That’s when I did [my solo album] Book of Shadows.”

After a short tour in support of the album, Wylde realized he “wasn’t ready to be a singer-songwriter yet”. He wasn’t, however, willing to accept that “the dream was over”, despite acknowledging that Ozzy and GNR were moving on without him. And so, he set about building Black Label Society from the ground up.

“I went from playing with Ozzy in arenas, stadiums, and festivals to playing in clubs with like five people,” he says. “There were no other eggs in my basket.”

History dictates that BLS would ultimately be a success, and Wylde would even later return to the Prince of Darkness – but his tale may have been very different if the GNR gig worked out.

A lot of people have played guitar with Ozzy Osbourne. They are not all here. In the interests of keeping this list shorter than a book, we’ve restricted it to people who were hired, however briefly, for Osbourne’s solo band.

That means there’s no Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath’s towering God of Riff. Nor are any of the superstars who guested on Ozzy's last two studio albums: Slash, Tom Morello, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Mike McCready are all guitar giants in their own right, but only footnotes in the Osbourne story.

There are three guitarists who also missed out on being here by the narrowest of margins. Robert Sarzo, brother of Ozzy bassist Rudy, was hired by Ozzy and Sharon to replace Randy Rhoads. Unfortunately for Sarzo, Sharon’s dad and Ozzy’s label boss, Don Arden, had already offered the gig to Bernie Tormé.

Dokken guitarist George Lynch was hired in 1982 and got as far as traveling with the band and performing at soundchecks. He was unceremoniously dumped in front of Jake E. Lee.

Steve Vai, meanwhile, was hired in 1995 to co-write one song. He ended up getting on so well with Ozzy that the two schemed to make a full record, making an album’s worth of demos that were ultimately shelved.

These, then, are the guitarists who wrote and played on Ozzy’s classic albums and took part in his legendary tours.

Randy Rhoads – (1979–1982)

In just two albums, 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz and 1981’s Diary of a Madman, plus the posthumous live album Tribute (1987), Randy Rhoads set the bar for every subsequent Ozzy guitarist.

His combination of two-hand tapping, blazing legato, savage pinched harmonics, and demonic blues licks became essential vocabulary for shredders. He took the classic rock combo of a Les Paul and Marshall into the 80s, boosting it with the new MXR Distortion+ pedal, and modding the amp with cascading gain stages.

Rhoads’ last days with Ozzy were fraught. He was allegedly vehemently opposed to plans to record the live Sabbath covers album Speak of the Devil.

Ozzy drank heavily, and tensions became so bad that Rhoads had allegedly made plans to leave the band once the album was released. Whether this rift between Osbourne and his guitarist would have been healed can never be known. A plane crash ended Randy’s life on March 19, 1982. He was 25.

In a Guitar World interview conducted shortly before his death, Rhoads said that he felt his guitar journey was far from complete, opining, “For me, it's just flash that impresses the kids. I'm trying to make a name for myself as fast as I can.

“I wish I could take time and come up with something that nobody else has done. But that's gonna take a few years yet.”

In his brief career, though, Rhoads exerted a towering influence on metal guitar, neo-classical guitar, and on Osbourne’s sound. Alongside Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads defined the sound of metal guitar for the 1980s.

Bernie Tormé – (1982)

While Ozzy and Sharon were making plans with Robert Sarzo, Don Arden (Ozzy’s former manager and owner of Jet Records, Ozzy’s label; also Sharon Osbourne’s father) had offered the gig to Gillan guitarist Bernie Tormé.

Quite why Arden’s choice overruled Ozzy’s is unclear. Perhaps inevitably, this was a brief union.

According to Rudy Sarzo’s memoir, Off the Rails, Tormé announced after a handful of shows that he would be returning to England to work on his solo album.

While Tormé’s tenure in the band was brief, it was impactful. A 15-year-old Zakk Wylde witnessed Ozzy with Tormé at Madison Square Garden. Of that experience, Wylde later wrote, “I told him how amazing his playing was that night and how he made everybody in the building feel as if Randy’s presence was with all of us.”

After Ozzy, Tormé formed a solo band, and went on to collaborate with Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider in Desperado. Tormé died in 2019, aged 66.

Brad Gillis – (1982)

Under pressure to find a replacement, Ozzy auditioned Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis in a hotel room and enlisted him to complete the Diary of a Madman tour.

“I first met Ozzy in the master suite at the Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York,” Gillis told Guitar World in a 2021 interview. “I had my red Strat, no amp, and played him Flying High Again.

“How surreal to be sitting at the edge of his bed, with him cross-legged on the floor singing up to me while I played the song! Once I got through the solo he jumped up, gave me a big hug, and said, ‘Brad, I love you. Pull me through.’”

Gillis shadowed Tormé on the tour until he was ready to take over. His performances on the tour were recorded for Speak of the Devil (released as Talk of the Devil in the UK), a live album released under duress and consisting entirely of old Black Sabbath material.

Despite its unpromising origins, Speak of the Devil won Gillis a lot of fans. He put his own stamp on the songs with an impressive tone from a stereo chorus and a pair of Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB amps.

After the tour, Gillis returned to Night Ranger, with whom he's released 13 studio albums to date.

Jake E. Lee – (1982–1987)

Lee was a former member of Ratt and Rough Cutt, as well as a glam metal band with possibly the most on-the-nose name of all time, Sexist. He had also auditioned unsuccessfully to join Dio when former Ozzy bassist Dana Strum recommended him to audition for Osbourne’s band.

Lee has said that Ozzy was unhappy with George Lynch’s performances in rehearsals, and Lee pipped him to the gig.

Lee recorded two albums, Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986), with Osbourne. The former's title track was Lee’s standout Ozzy performance, with its jet-fuelled riff and fearsome alternate-picked solo.

Lee claimed he had written much of the album and was unfairly denied songwriting credits. He refused to work on The Ultimate Sin until he had a contract guaranteeing him songwriting royalties.

Of Lee’s dismissal in 1987, Osbourne told Stereogum in a 2022 interview: “The way it went was, Randy Castillo, my old drummer, had started to turn me against him. It was very sad because I had no qualms with the guy. He was a great guitar player.”

Lee, meanwhile, said in a 2018 interview that bassist Phil Soussan was “partly instrumental in getting me fired,” claiming that Soussan wanted to be Ozzy’s main songwriter, at Lee’s expense.

“I didn’t see it coming at all,” Lee told Guitar World in 2013. “In fact, it was my roommate, who was my tech at the time, who told me I was out of the band.

“He came back from the Rainbow [in Los Angeles] one night and he said, ‘Everybody’s talking about how you just got fired,’ So I called up Sharon [Osbourne], and I was like, ‘I just heard the weirdest rumor.’ She said, ‘Oh, my god. It’s true, it’s true.’ I went, ‘I’m fired?’ And she said, ‘Yes.’ My whole world got turned upside down.”

Lee went on to form Badlands. Since then, he has only sporadically released music with his bands Wicked Alliance and Red Dragon Cartel, whose last album dropped in 2018.

He has recently suffered from a complete lack of cartilage in his right hand, which has limited his ability to play. In October 2024, he said he was playing again and wanted to tour. Just days later, however, he was shot multiple times while walking his dog.

Though Lee is recovering well, understandably, there has not been much talk of new music from him.

Zakk Wylde – (1987–1993, 2001–2009, 2017–present)

Although Randy Rhoads is usually considered the greatest Osbourne guitarist, Zakk Wylde is in many ways the definitive one.

Wylde has spent so many years with Ozzy that his unmistakable sound has become the one audiences expect from Osbourne’s band. And though many capable players have tried to fill his shoes, his larger than life persona and continued visibility on the metal scene has tended to overshadow his replacements.

Wylde’s initial run produced No Rest for the Wicked and No More Tears. These albums marked a strong return to form for Ozzy, earning multi-platinum awards and that mark of any great metal album, one-star reviews in Rolling Stone.

Speaking about how he was selected for the much-coveted role, Wylde told Guitar World in 1989, “When [Ozzy] auditioned guitar players, his big gripe was that most everyone played like Yngwie Malmsteen on acid, and that wasn’t what he wanted.”

After the live album Live & Loud, Wylde left to pursue solo projects Pride & Glory and Black Label Society. Wylde was never fully gone though, as he played the guitars on Ozzmosis, the one studio album Ozzy wrote and released between his first two stints in his band.

Alex Skolnick – (1995)

Skolnick managed a whopping one (1) concert with Ozzy during his tenure, making him the shortest-lived touring guitarist Ozzy ever had. Still, that’s one better than Robert Sarzo, George Lynch, or Steve Vai managed.

Skolnick had already left Bay Area thrashers Testament when he got the Ozzy audition. His Ozzy gig was an intimate one at the legendary Rock City club in Nottingham, England. Geezer Butler was the bassist.

“It was really cool,” Skolnick recounted to Guitar World in 2012. “It was one of these periods where Ozzy and Zakk Wylde had temporarily parted ways. He tried out a few different people, and I think I was the only one who made it as far as doing an unannounced show with him in England, and he told me I was hired.

“But, I later found out from Sharon Osbourne that they had also been looking at another guy, Joe Holmes, who ended up doing the tour. Then they brought Zakk back.”

After joining the elite group of musicians to have been fired over the telephone by Sharon Osbourne, Skolnick then formed a successful jazz trio and later rejoined Testament.

Joe Holmes – (1995–2001)

Holmes had experience filling big shoes. His first gig had been replacing Jason Becker in David Lee Roth’s touring band after Becker’s diagnosis with ALS. Prior to that, he had played with LA shock rockers Lizzy Borden.

Although Holmes never recorded an album with Ozzy, his stint with the band coincided with the rise of Ozzy’s mammoth Ozzfest tours. As a result, he has probably performed to more people with Ozzy than any guitarist besides Zakk Wylde and Tony Iommi.

Despite appearing in the video for Perry Mason, he did not perform on the original recording. Still, his punishing delivery of that song for the Ozzfest 1996 live video is a testament to his fiery playing.

Holmes’ only Ozzy studio recording is the 1996 single Walk on Water, from the Beavis and Butthead Do America soundtrack. He co-wrote three tracks on the 2001 album Down to Earth, but the returning Zakk Wylde recorded them.

Since leaving Ozzy, Holmes has been relatively quiet, releasing only one album with his band Farmikos, in 2015. Still, he dropped a video for a new solo song, The Deadfall, in January 2025, so we may be seeing much more of him in future. The recording features his former Ozzy bandmates Mike Bordin and Robert Trujillo.

Gus G – (2009–2017)

Much fanfare greeted the arrival of then-29-year-old Gus G in Ozzy’s band. The hype was that Ozzy had discovered yet another young talent comparable to Randy Rhoads or Zakk Wylde.

In fact, Gus was hardly unknown, having released 13 albums with four different bands, and temporarily replaced Michael Amott in Arch Enemy for Ozzfest 2005.

Reflecting on his audition for Ozzy in a 2015 interview with Guitar World, Gus said, “We did six songs – six of the ‘must haves’ on his setlist. Ozzy came in the room and we played them all back to back with no breaks. The second that one song ended he would just call out the next one. It was like ‘Oh, shit!’ But it was cool.

“At the end of it he turned around and said, ‘You’re fuckin’ great!’ Then they all went into a room next door for a few minutes, and I was sitting there all alone like, ‘What’s going on now?’ Finally everybody came back in and they were all smiling. They asked if I wanted to come play a gig.”

The hype never quite materialized, largely because Gus never got the chance to write with Ozzy. Although he played on 2010’s Scream, Gus never quite put his stamp on the Osbourne sound like Rhoads, Lee, or Wylde had. That’s not to say he wasn’t good: Let Me Hear You Scream remains a big solo.

“I’m really proud of that,” he said in a recent interview. It was the one solo on the album he was asked to re-do.

“This is gonna be the first song that people will hear you on,” Sharon reportedly told him. “You're gonna be the new guy and people will be checking you out on that one. I just think you can do better.” Gus raised his game, and the solo smoked.

Gus was somewhat pushed aside in favor of a returning Zakk Wylde in 2017. Gus, who had kept his band Firewind active between commitments with Osbourne, simply returned to business as usual with Firewind and his solo work.

The Experience Hendrix tour always offers a healthy dose of electric guitar legends, but videos emerging from the 2025 leg show that young talent is just as capable of doing justice to Hendrix’s legacy.

Guests on recent shows include Ally Venable (25), Marcus King (29), and Mathias Lattin (22). Newcomers from recent years, such as Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, now return as established stars.

Fellow 20-somethings Zach Person and Artur Menezes are scheduled for forthcoming shows, with young guitar heroes in plentiful supply. The lineup is completed by legends like Zakk Wylde, Dweezil Zappa, and Eric Johnson.

With a fiesta red S-type, Ally Venable has been captured cranking out an appropriately combustible version of Fire.

Venable also joined Devon Allman and Mato Nanji of South Dakota rockers Indigenous for a stunning jam of Red House. This video is particularly entertaining for the audience member who shouts “Wow!” at 3:16 as Venable delivers a rapid-fire repeating lick.

2023 International Blues Challenge winner Mathias Lattin, meanwhile, delivered a raunchy Purple Haze, with his PRS responding a slight bit better to his grinding whammy bar abuse than Hendrix’s Strat used to.

On opening night, Lattin’s jazzy inflections and Hendrix-worthy wide bends sit beautifully alongside Kingfish’s more straightforward approach.

Though Marcus King rocked a Stratocaster with Devon Allman for Manic Depression, he doesn’t constrain himself to Jimi’s gear choices. For Crosstown Traffic, he plays an SG-style guitar into a Marshall JCM.

After the raw energy of the newcomers, the headliners offer a certain polish that comes from decades of experience. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, long touted as a successor to both Hendrix and SRV, appears to have embraced both mantles as he lays into Voodoo Child:

The current Experience Hendrix tour runs until April 12. Head over to the Experience Hendrix website for more info.

The 2024 Experience Hendrix tour's major star was actually a guitar: Hendrix's own 'Izabella' Woodstock Strat.

Given how busy he is with Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera and his Wylde Audio brand, Zakk Wylde must sometimes feel he’s carrying the weight of the six-stringed world on his shoulders.

He flanked the Prince of Darkness at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction last year, and he’ll be on hand to support his old friend at Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning show in July.

“We did rehearsals and Oz sang a bunch of songs, and a bunch with Sabbath,” Wylde tells Guitar World. “It went over great and he had a great time. It’s like, ‘I guess we’re gonna do another tour…’”

He knows that’s just wishful thinking, but he can’t help it. “Maybe this thing will be a whole new beginning. If Oz is happy, has a great time and sings great, God bless him. Whatever Oz wants to do, I’ll do it. But all these other bands are gonna be there, so it’s going to be a great day, man.”

Meanwhile, Wylde has been headbanging across the globe with Pantera, slinging his Wylde Audio gear as he goes. “I can’t even say that the sky’s the limit – there is no limit,” he beams. “We’re working on anything, just whatever. Any ideas that we think would be cool, we just do that.”

What’s the story there with the Blood Skull Berzerker?

“I said, ‘I want to make the most awesome jazz guitar I could possibly make!’ That’s all I’m saying! I just thought of Joe Pass, the great Joe Pass, and Pat Martino; I put them into a blender and came up with the Berzerker!”

Do you design the guitars yourself?

“I literally draw them out by hand. I trace other bodies, like an SG when I did the Barbarian. It’s basically an SG that I just put tweaks on – made the horns a little bit different, changed the body contour a bit, made the bottom a little curvier.”

Is that essentially what you did with the Blood Skull?

“Yeah – I did a new tweak on an existing body shape and then some blending of different shapes that we dig, you know? I’m just having a good time with it. I’m looking at all the cool old guitars, all the different brands and everything. When I was 15 I wanted to be one of those guys with a guitar with the horns on top and bottom!”

What other developments are coming from Wylde Audio?

”We’re talking about doing amps and stuff like that now. It’ll be a whole batch of different stuff – heads, cabs, micro-amps, practice amps. Then, obviously, plugins, the Fractal element of things. It’s not just tube amps.

“That’s been in the works for a while; it’s coming to fruition now. And then I’ve got another guitar that we’re going to be doing, called the Wrathmaker. It’s another new body shape. I have the prototype at my house and I’ll be getting the actual guitar soon enough. And we’re doing another IronWorks.”

Like the Barbarian you did with Schecter?

“I think we’re going to do that with the Viking V. I’m working on the design right now. Then we’re doing CarvedWorks as well – instead of IronWorks, which has the metal front with the carvings, CarvedWorks is going to be a wood body. The actual design will be carved into the body. The prototype looks badass!”

Elsewhere, you’re playing huge shows with Pantera.

“We just had a great time doing six weeks out there. That was a blast. The next adventure is we’re going out with Metallica, and then some headline shows.”

Are you considering recording new Pantera music?

“There were talks about stuff, because Dime recorded tons of unfinished riffs, and there were things he had lying around like incomplete songs or whatever he was jamming on. It was just him putting stuff on a tape recorder.”

Are there plans to do anything with those recordings?

“The way I look at it is, it’s just like if Eric Clapton was playing with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding, and honoring Jimi Hendrix, and calling it the Jimi Hendrix Celebration. It’s a if they were like, ‘We have these songs that Jimi never finished; one’s called Purple Haze. It’s just him on a tape recorder, with a rough outline of the song.’

“So it would be like if Eric, Noel, and Mitch recorded Purple Haze because Jimi had demoed it on acoustic guitar. It’s already written – it’s just bringing these hidden gems to life that were never recorded properly.”

Is that to say you’re considering taking Dime’s demos and bringing them to life?

“It’s still songs that Dime and Vinnie Paul had written; it’s just that it was on a tape recorder. Anything like that would still be what it is: a celebration of them and a tribute to them. I saw somebody wrote one day, ‘This is nothing but a tribute band,’ and it’s like, ‘Yeah… that’s exactly what it is.’”

Is there a timeline for these recordings?

“I don’t know – it’s just talks of it, like, if the guys would ever want to do something like that. If the guys want to do new songs and mix it up, we’ll throw some dark horses and hidden gems out there.”

• Head to Schecter Guitars to check out the current Wylde Audio range.

Zakk Wylde has hinted at the possibility of Pantera releasing new material based on unfinished riffs that were recorded by the late electric guitar great, Dimebag Darrell.

The Black Label Society axeman has been serving as Pantera’s guitarist since 2022, when it was announced that the metal greats would be reforming with a new-look lineup comprising original members Rex Brown and Phil Anselmo, as well as Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.

It was first conceived as a live project that would serve as a celebration of Pantera’s music – and a tribute to both Dimebag Darrell and his late brother, Vinnie Paul – but, according to Wylde, there have been some informal, tentative talks to take the new lineup into the studio and cut new material.

And this new material could potentially bring to life unfinished songs and riffs that had once been tracked by Dimebag Darrell on a tape recorder.

When asked by Guitar World's Andrew Daly whether new Pantera music was in the pipeline, Wylde reflects, “I remember there were talks about stuff because Dime recorded tons of unfinished riffs, and there were things he had lying around.

“Like songs, or incomplete songs, or whatever he was jamming on, you know? It was just him putting stuff on a tape recorder, jamming a riff, and it coming out of an amp.”

Expanding on how Pantera could treat this unearthed material, Wylde goes on, “The way I look at it is, it’s just like if Eric Clapton was playing Mitch [Mitchell] and Noel [Redding], and honoring Jimi [Hendrix], and calling it the 'Jimi Hendrix Celebration', and they went out, and Eric was playing Jimi’s stuff with Noel and Mitch.

“And then, it’s like if they were like, ‘Bro, we have these songs that Jimi never finished. There’s one called Purple Haze, another called The Wind Cries Mary, another called Manic Depression, and another called Little Wing.’

“And it’s like, you know, ‘Jimi never… it’s just him on a tape recorder, with a rough outline of the song.’ So, it would be like if Eric, Noel, and Mitch went in there and recorded Purple Haze because Jimi had [demoed] it on acoustic guitar. It’s already written, you know what I mean?”

“It’s still the songs that Dime and Vinnie had written,” Wylde continues. “It’s just that they weren’t recorded [professionally], it was just on a tape recorder, you know? Anything like that would still be what it is: a celebration of them and a tribute to them.”

Despite the tease of new Pantera material based on old Dimebag demos, Wylde is quick to downplay expectations, and stresses there is no timeline on when – or even if – it will ever come to fruition.

“It’s just talks of it, like, if the guys would ever want to do something like that, you know?” he asserts. “And they have so many songs in their catalog, so if the guys want to do new songs and mix it up, then we’ll throw some dark horses and hidden gems out there.”

It wouldn’t be the first posthumous use of archive Dimebag Darrell gems – one of his unused solos once ended up on Nickelback’s best-selling album.

Keep your eyes peeled to GuitarWorld.com for the full interview with Zakk Wylde.

After Buddy Guy announced his retirement from touring last year at 88, the blues hero is making a brief return to the stage by performing on the final date of the 2025 Experience Hendrix Tour at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on April 12.

The blues legend – who Jimi Hendrix himself looked up to and eventually befriended – has been added to the lineup, which features a who's who of guitar heroes, including Zakk Wylde, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Samantha Fish, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, and Marcus King.

Among the artists involved in this iteration's lineup, Buddy Guy has the distinction of being the only performer whom Hendrix himself acknowledged as a significant influence on his playing.

A testament to Guy and Hendrix's mutual respect and admiration is perhaps one of rock history's most underrated gems – the rare footage of Jimi Hendrix jamming with Buddy Guy in 1968, which kicks off with Guy performing a rendition of Stormy Monday at a small club with his band, followed by Hendrix joining him on stage with his Strat.

Commenting on his return to the stage and his friendship with Hendrix, Guy says, “Thank you to the Hendrix Tour family for bringing me back to perform at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta on April 12. I'll never forget meeting Jimi at that club in New York in 1968, and I'm so grateful we had the chance to become friends. It's an honor to help keep his legacy alive.”

Janie Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix's stepsister, who has been pivotal in steering his legacy, also comments on Guy's inclusion in the lineup.

“Having Buddy come out of retirement to play with us in the Atlanta show is an amazing finale,” she says. “It’s a true act of friendship and mutual admiration. I can’t think of a better way to close out such an epic event.”

The 2025 edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour kicks off at Cincinnati's Taft Theatre on March 11, with a total of 27 stops throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Last week, Wylde Audio unveiled the Blood Skull Berzerker, and at first it looked to be an electric guitar drop like most others.

But when we started to dig a little deeper for some necessary background research, the story took a rather, erm, unexpected turn down a bizarre, inexplicable, AI-riddled path that we never, ever would have imagined.

Type 'Wylde Audio' into Google, and you’ll be brought to the Schecter website, owing to the fact Schecter Guitar Research has been the home of Zakk Wylde’s gear brand ever since it was unveiled at the 2015 NAMM show.

However, you will now also see a website that boasts the rather official-looking ‘wylde-audio.com’ domain – and it’s here where things start to get a little bit strange.

While doing some cursory research for the Wylde Audio story, GW contributor Phil Weller ended up stumbling upon this website and it wasn’t long before he flagged it. Why? Well, where to start… it’s literally a website littered with red flags.

First of all, the pictures that are used all over the site are hilariously AI’d. Not only are they definitely not Wylde Audio guitars, they don’t even exist – those despicably unconvincing body shapes, nonsensical headstock designs and implausible designs were fooling absolutely no-one.

Oh, and it’s got pics of amps, which, again, aren’t real. It’s clear someone has just typed ‘Marshall combo’ in a generative image prompt and stuck whatever came out on the site. That font is truly laughable.

But beyond the weird and wonky AI gear pics, the site’s fictional ‘About Us’ section, along with its product and artist lists, is where things get truly absurd.

According to Wylde Audio dot com, the firm was founded in 1965 (yes, in the mid-1960s) by a mysterious Joe Wylde, who became “obsessed with building the perfect guitar”. As the story goes, “In the 1970s, Wylde Audio® expanded into mass production to meet demand.

“We opened a state-of-the-art factory using the latest technologies while maintaining Joe’s hands-on craftsmanship and attention to detail. The newly streamlined production allowed us to build guitars with greater efficiency without sacrificing quality.” Oh, yes – very convincing indeed.

It goes without saying, but all of the above is false. There is no Joe Wylde, and the brand hasn’t been around for over 50 years.

As for the products, the website does use pictures and links of actual Wylde Audio guitars (which makes this whole thing even stranger) but goes on to say it builds acoustic guitars, semi-hollow electrics, and even guitar amps. Ever heard of a Wylde Audio Wyndcaster acoustic? No, because it’s not a thing – but this website says it is.

And we’d be remiss not to mention those many fictional creations that actually do use genuine Wylde Audio product names, but pair them with absolutely bonkers AI pictures. One, for example, has a listing for a guitar that says it features a quilted maple top and large block inlays. Neither of those can be seen on the bizarre AI generated six-string.

But the artist section is the real kicker. Apparently Eric Clapton, Slash, Jimmy Page and Braid Paisley are all loyal Wylde Audio players. Even more absurd, the site names John Mayer as a Wylde Audio artist, and claims he “relies on his custom-built Wylde acoustics to create his hit records”. How about Neon on a non-existent Wylde Audio acoustic?

It begs the question, what is actually happening over at Wylde Audio dot com? The genuine Wylde Audio brand lives on Schecter, and has done since its inception. Has the Wylde Audio address been bought by some artificial intelligence fanatic, or has it fallen into public domain, and now it’s being controlled by AI?

Whatever the case, the website is absolutely filled with nonsense – we haven’t even mentioned the ‘Client Testimonials’ yet – so it’s quite strange to see the lengths the new site custodian has gone to in order to completely remodel the site.

So, as a public service announcement, steer well clear of wylde-audio.com. The only genuine Wylde Audio site is schecterguitars.com/guitars/wylde-audio, and it’s only a matter of time before the fraudulent site is taken off air.

Zakk Wylde’s gear brand, Wylde Audio, isn’t exactly known for its subtle electric guitar designs – and its latest creation, the appropriately named Blood Skull Berzerker, is certainly no exception.

Looking like Salvador Dalí’s impression of a B.C. Rich Warlock, the all-new body shape is said it “embody raw power, aggression, and unmistakable style that Wylde Audio is known for”... and there’s no arguing on the latter point, that’s for sure.

True to Wylde’s tonal persuasions, a pair of his favored high-output EMG 81/85 active humbuckers sit at the guitar’s core. It also offers a mahogany body – with a Blood Skull graphic, of course – a three-piece maple set-neck with the guitarist’s custom C-profiling, and an ebony fretboard.

There are 22 X Jumbo frets to glide across, with a 24.625" scale length and a 14" fretboard radius.

Hardware specs include a TonePros T3BP TOM bridge with T1ZS tailpiece and Grover tuners, both finished in Satin Black, as well as a Graph Tech Ivory TUSQ XL nut. Controls for Volume and Tone can be found on the control circuit.

For those who aren’t keen on the Blood Skull finish, there is also a Corridor graphic option, which offers a more square and angular take on Wylde’s famous bullseye design.

Wylde Audio promises the Blood Skull Berzerker to be a “visually brutal and sonically punishing instrument for the most dedicated shred warriors”, with Wylde’s advocation of them on stage testament to that statement.

However, those wanting to house the weaponized six-string in a Wylde Audio WA-VW-2 premium wooden case will have to buy one separately. Surely a guitar this sharp would be fine loose in the back of a van, though, right? Other pieces of gear would surely fear it.

The axe is available to order for $1,699, but models played and signed by Wylde from Pantera’s upcoming tour with Metallica this April and May will be available to buy through VIP packages.

The VIP sum of $3,500 includes a ticket to a show, a guitar fresh from the stage, a private meet-and-greet with Wylde himself, and an exclusive poster.

Visit Wylde Audio for more information on the Blood Skull Berzerker, and Wylde Audio VIP for ticket upgrade packages.

The guitars may feature at Black Sabbath's blockbuster final show, with Wylde set for a double shift with Ozzy and Pantera.

Thrash and jazz shredder Alex Skolnick has opened up on his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spell as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist that lasted just one impromptu show.

Since Randy Rhoads’ explosive talents helped launch Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career in the early ‘80s, the role of the Prince of Darkness’ chief shredder has been one of metal guitar’s most coveted jobs.

Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, and Gus G have all since assumed the position, be it for a single album or several decades. Meanwhile, plenty of big hitters – from Marty Friedman to Vito Bratta and neoclassical hotshot Chris Impellitteri – have either auditioned or been touted for the role when it has become vacant at various points over the last 40-something years. Very few have made the cut.

However, Alex Skolnick’s short-lived tenure in the band has become a footnote in the band’s history that many seem to forget about. He may have only lasted one gig – an unannounced show at Rock City in Nottingham, England in 1995 – but it came at a vital moment in his career.

“I don’t know why their separation happened, but I guess Zakk [Wylde] was doing other stuff and there was this search for a new Ozzy Osbourne guitarist,” he tells Metal Hammer during a new, career-spanning chat. “I was just honored to be in the running because I’d heard about some pretty well-known players that never got past the audition phase.”

Zakk Wylde was very much a permanent fixture in Ozzy’s band and was some seven years into the job by this point. However, one of the singer’s many attempts at retiring – the upcoming blockbuster Sabbath show promises to actually be his last – had seen the guitarist form a new project, Pride & Glory, to fill the void.

Ozzy’s return was unexpected, and with Wylde already committed to plans with his new band, the Prince of Darkness was forced to find a replacement. Skolnick had left Testament, an outfit he said his academic parents were “not thrilled” about him joining in 1985, three years prior. He was still looking for a venture, and a shot at being Ozzy’s band, and reviving his career, felt opportune.

“I actually got to the point of doing a show and Ozzy hired me – he said he wanted me to do the gig,” he reminisces.

“It was an unannounced show at Nottingham Rock City and it was great. I didn’t get the role full-time, which I think was a management decision, but it was a great motivation at a time when I didn’t really know what to do next.”

He gave more clues to the context behind the “management decision” when speaking to Loudwire in 2016. It doesn’t seem that the decision to look elsewhere was entirely musical.

“[After the show] there was one person who didn’t congratulate me,” he says. “A lot of hints had been dropped – things like, ‘Maybe you could lower the guitar,’ or ‘Maybe you could stand like this.’ I realized, ‘Oh, I think she wants me to be Zakk Wylde.”

He was quickly replaced by former David Lee Roth guitarist Joe Holmes, with Wylde eventually rejoining the fold and featuring, alongside Steve Vai, on his new album Ozzmosis, later that year.

Dispute Skolnick having had the briefest of stints in the band, he’s thankful for the shot in the arm it gave him.

“That was when I enrolled in the university called The New School in New York, and studied with these greats like [jazz musicians] Cecil McBee and Reggie Workman,” he concludes. His studies led to the formation of the Alex Skolnick Trio, which has released five albums to date.

Skolnick rejoined Testament in 2005 and is currently readying his fifth album of his second spell with the band.

A recording of Crazy Train, the last song Skolnick played on that fateful night in 1995, stands as one of the few souvenirs from his reign. The rest is left to fantasy and thoughts of what could have been.

Pantera-obsessed YouTuber Kayla Kent has shared a demo of her new band in the hopes of finding a singer – and she channels the spirit of Dimebag with grace and power.

Her hero-mirroring talents even saw her in the running to be part of Pantera’s much-anticipated reunion, eventually losing out to Dimebag’s close friend Zakk Wylde.

Perhaps Kent's near-miss has inspired her to push her chops down a more creative avenue, however, with a new band in the works. The shredder shared a demo of their first song, entitled Big Groovvy, and it sounds like an unreleased cut from Reinventing The Steel, full of sleek turns, chunky power chord riffs, and squealing licks.

The tone is impressively close to Dimebag’s signature scooped sound, and there’s a delicious wah-soaked solo for good measure.

It certainly fills the void Pantera left – even if former producer Sterling Winfield says it's “entirely possible” the current tribute lineup will release new music.

However, Kent’s new venture is currently missing one vital ingredient.

“I really don't want to do this this way, but I pretty much have no choice now,” she says in a new video. “In my two years of experience doing covers on YouTube, I get asked constantly 'Where's all your original music?'”

“We're primarily focused on just writing bangers,” she continues. “We're looking for someone who has the same thing in mind. The music that we wanna write is exactly as you'd expect. I like metal that has grooves and hooks, and that's what we're gonna set out to make.”

As much as her unwillingness to go public with her search is understandable, it isn’t a bad move, either. The Smashing Pumpkins did exactly the same thing when looking for a Jeff Schroeder replacement. An incredible 10,000 guitarists applied with Kiki Wong emerging victorious.

She points out that she has been publishing original music content on her channel, but after making “cute indie tracks” with the help of Garage Band MIDI drums, she's ready to go full-bore metal with a proper band.

The foundation for the band comes from herself, and her friends Matt and Renee on bass and drums, and, impressively, they've been jamming for 30 years now.

“In that time we've written some really cool stuff, but it's remained unfortunately unfinished because we don't have a singer,” the guitarist expands. “I've been trying to find a singer in private for a while now, and I've been really disappointed. Finding a singer is really fucking hard – it took years for Pantera to find Phil [Anselmo] after Terry [Glaze] left the band.”

Kent, then, is on the hunt for an “aggressive” vocalist who “fits the same vibe that we do”. However, the trio isn't looking for the band to take over their lives, with gigs here and there, the only real goal.

Kent may not get quite as many singers applying, but it is likely to make her search much easier.

Singers who like the sound of the project can email their audition tapes (read: WAVs) to kaylakentplaysguitar@gmail.com with the subject ‘BIG GROOVY AUDITION’.

Last year, Kent’s online fanbase helped her build her own Dime-honoring Kramer guitar after the luthier refused to get involved with her project, and the results were pretty damn impressive.

Yesterday (January 20), it was announced that John Sykes – a hugely influential mainstay of '80s hard rock guitar who had stints in Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, and Tygers of Pan Tang – had died at 65.

Though not quite a household name, Sykes was a true guitar player's guitar player who could more than keep up in a speed-obsessed era, but was most impressive for his unmistakable tone and song-focused playing approach.

The respect Sykes garnered was evident in the outpouring of tributes that came in in the wake of the guitarist's death.

Marty Friedman, for one, wrote on Twitter, “Very sad to hear of John Sykes passing. His work with Tygers of Pan Tang was by far my favorite of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). A wonderful guitarist.”

Zakk Wylde, in all caps, simply said, “God bless John Sykes.”

Guitar World lesson columnist Will Wallner also chimed in on Twitter, posting a particularly smoking Sykes solo with the caption, “Over 40 years later it still doesn’t get any cooler than this! He was such a special guitar player!”

Sykes' comrade in Blue Murder, drummer Carmine Appice, cited him as “one of the best.”

Though Sykes' tenure in Thin Lizzy was short – the band broke up less than a year after he successfully auditioned for them – he was arguably the largest factor in keeping the band going for that one final year.

Moving the band in a heavier direction, Sykes co-wrote one of their last hits, Cold Sweat, which he also highlighted with a sizzling display of his tapping acumen.

Nodding to his late bandmate and former six-string partner in crime, Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham wrote on Instagram, “So sad to hear about the passing of John Sykes. He and I played some sweet music together and he was a great musician. We'll miss him.”

“Black Sabbath are my all-time favorite band, and I’m Ozzy’s biggest fan,” Zakk Wylde related to Guitar World in 1989.

Fairly new to the Osbourne stable at the time, Wylde was, of course, filling in some massive shoes – Jake E. Lee, Randy Rhoads, and Tony Iommi before them.

All too aware and appreciative of that formidable legacy, though, Wylde was nothing but respectful to his predecessors, and his new boss; though that's not to say that he wasn't eager to bring his own ideas to the fold on his first album with the Prince of Darkness, 1988's No Rest for the Wicked.

He quickly developed a smooth musical relationship with Osbourne, learning what the singer expected and needed for his material, and when – and when not to – let it rip on his then-trademark bull's-eye-decorated Gibson Les Paul.

In the process, Wylde also came across some of Osbourne's more idiosyncratic guitar guidelines.

For one, Osbourne told Wylde to tamp down his wah pedal usage, saying it reminded him too much of one guitar hero in particular.

“I wanted to play more slide guitar and use the wah pedal more [on No Rest for the Wicked],” Wylde told Guitar World in 1989, “but the minute Ozzy hears a wah-wah, he immediately thinks of Jimi Hendrix.

“I could be playing Mary Had A Little Lamb with a wah-wah, and he'd be going, ‘Hendrix, Hendrix, Hendrix.’”

The restrictions went beyond pedals, too.

Wylde's bull's-eye Les Paul was fitted with a pair of formidable EMG pickups, but – at Osbourne's orders – he used only one on No Rest for the Wicked.

“I only used the [guitar's] back pickup on the album,” Wylde explained to Guitar World. “Ozzy hates the sound of the front pickup. He calls it the ‘cow tone.’”

Still, this isn't to say that Osbourne was a dictator during the No Rest for the Wicked sessions.

“The thing is, Ozzy’s been rocking out since before I was born, so I had to respect his opinion as to what would work in the studio,” Wylde told GW.

“He just wanted me to be the best musician possible. When he auditioned guitar players, his big gripe was that most everyone played like Yngwie Malmsteen on acid, and that wasn’t what he wanted.”

Matthew Salacuse’s cover photo for Guitar World March 2003 is one for the ages. Not only does it capture two of metal guitar’s leading lights, Zakk Wylde and Dimebag Darrell, comrades in arms with their camo signature guitars, it speaks to a more innocent era when such photo shoots could be enlivened by a little mischief – and, yes, some alcohol.

Recollections? Wylde says he can’t remember a thing. But he does remember the whole thing got him in big trouble with wife…

I’m gonna start off with a really dumb question. Why did you choose to use your Camouflage finish, bullseye Gibson Les Paul Custom for this one?

“Come on now, Father Nick! [Laughs] Surely the cover photo answers that one! Dime had this military theme idea mapped out, so I just rolled with it and brought my camo-bullseye Les Paul for beyond-obvious reasons.”

I believe you nicknamed that guitar “Stormin’ Norman” after the Gulf War Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, yes?

“You are correct, sir!”

And, as per your usual pickup MO, it was loaded with your Signature EMG active pickups – an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck position.

“Once again, you are correct, sir!”

You ended up using that guitar to record the outro solo on Reborn from Damageplan’s 2004 album, New Found Power, while you were there. Did you have any idea about that beforehand?

“No. In typical Dime fashion, it was totally off the cuff. He asked me if I’d like to throw down a solo, so we knocked it out.”

A lot of people, including me, were more than a little surprised that you let Darrell dye your beard green, but you went along with it without even a second of hesitation.

“Totally. That was pure Saint Dime comedy, bro. He was such a sweet guy; how could I possibly say no? I just went, ‘Sure, why not? Go for it!’ We had a blast doing that photo session with the painted beards and the camo stuff.”

What other recollections do you have of that day?

“Recollections? I don’t remember any of it! [Laughs] First off, as you know, we were slamming back the Sarsaparillas and adult beverages the whole time we were there, so I had to have a spare liver and pancreas on ice, available at all times. Then I missed my flight, and that’s when the comedy really began; it totally turned into the Keystone Cops at that point!

“I was supposed to fly to New Jersey the next day for the [Christmas] holidays with my wife and kids, but that obviously didn’t happen. I finally made it to Jersey a couple of days later, but I definitely wasn’t getting any foot massages or shoulder rubs for quite some time after that debacle.

“I was in the doghouse, but luckily Dime was able to smooth things over because Barb [Zakk’s wife] could never get mad at him. So yeah, I played the Dime sympathy card on that one. [Laughs]”

The list of guitarists who nearly joined Ozzy Osbourne’s band over the years is something of a who’s who of the 1980s guitar scene, featuring the likes of Vito Bratta, Richie Ranno, Marty Friedman, Jennifer Batten and more.

Now, Chris Impellitteri – founder of heavy metal band Impellitteri, who was widely considered to be one of the fastest guitarists of all time in his prime – has opened up on the time he himself auditioned for Ozzy’s band.

In a new interview with Guitar World, Impellitteri recalls receiving a message from Osbourne’s wife and manager, Sharon, at some point in the 1980s when he was at the peak of his powers. And, though he doesn’t recall the specific year he was approached, it seemingly coincided with the time Jake E. Lee departed, right before Zakk Wylde was eventually hired as his replacement.

“Let me not exaggerate that because it's been so many years,” Impellitteri relays. “What I remember – and I don’t know if Jake [E. Lee] was still in the band – that I was living in an apartment, and I had roommates.

“I came home one night from rehearsal, and my roommate goes, ‘Oh you've got to listen to this message,’ which said, ‘This is Sharon Osbourne. Me and Ozzy have been checking you out, and we really love your guitar playing. We want you to come down and audition.’”

There was one problem: Impellitteri had just signed a deal with Relativity Records, meaning it was nigh-on impossible for him to get out of the contract and join Ozzy’s band. Still, he turned up for the audition.

“I talked to Sharon, and I think Ozzy, probably three to five times,” he continues. “There was some back and forth. The problem was that I’d already signed a deal with Relativity [Records]. I had an attorney at the time named Peter Paterno, and he was frustrated and goes, ‘Chris, why didn't you do the gig?’

“I was like, ‘First of all, it technically wasn't offered to me. They basically just asked if I would come down and play with them.’”

Though he wasn’t offered the gig, Osbourne’s camp was apparently “very interested” in Impellitteri, who ended up going down to play two or three songs with the band. Still, a deal is a deal, and Impellitteri didn’t walk away from Relativity Records.

Whatever the case, it would have been an interesting appointment, and as Impellitteri goes on to speculate, the direction of Ozzy Osbourne’s band could have followed a completely different trajectory had the neo-classical speed shredder been recruited.

“If you listen to the new [Impellitteri] record, War Machine, I promise you that a lot of the stuff we do has elements of Randy Rhoads,” the guitarist notes when asked about what direction he’d have taken Ozzy’s band.

“Let’s say everything worked out with Ozzy, and I joined, right? I don’t think I would have wanted to do a record in the direction that he went. And by the way, those records with Zakk are amazing, and Zakk’s a phenomenal player. I really love him.

“I would have wanted to do something more like Blizzard of Ozz or Diary of a Madman. At that point in his career, Zakk and those songs elevated Ozzy, so imagine if you had this little brat kid like me, going, ‘No, no, no, we're going to do another Diary of a Madman.’ [laughs]

“Would that have been a positive thing for Ozzy or a negative? That change was orchestrated as the landscape was changing, and Ozzy, who was already big, became even bigger.”

The full interview with Chris Impellitteri will be published on GuitarWorld.com in the coming weeks.

NAMM 2025: Rex Brown has rejoined Spector as a signature artist mere months after the Pantera bass guitar player launched an Epiphone signature guitar.

The NY-based luthier has championed Brown’s “unparalleled talent,” calling him a “pivotal figure in the heavy metal scene”. Notably, the high-profile return comes after the long-awaited release of his first Epiphone build earlier this year.

The bassist’s low-end contributions were a key component of Pantera’s success, underpinning Dimebag Darrell’s groove metal fireworks. Spector basses were his weapon of choice for the band’s last three records, Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill, and Reinventing the Steel.

Brown switched up his rig for his latter days with Down, the doom-laden project he started with Phil Anselmo in the wake of Dimebag’s death, 20 years ago this December. He pivoted to Warwick for a signature in 2015 and dropped his first Epiphone Thunderbird signature at the start of 2024.

However, when Pantera reunited in 2022, Brown brought his collection of Spector basses along for the ride as he entered his fourth decade of using its instruments, which have starred at the shows alongside his Epiphones.

“Spector Basses have been a staple of my sound since ’93,” Brown beams. “I’ve been fortunate enough to play ’em and beat the hell out of ’em for all of these years. The tonal mixtures of their basses have grown into legend. I couldn’t be happier to come back to Spector after all these years, a company on the cutting edge of brilliance.”

“Rex Brown and Pantera changed heavy music forever, becoming icons in the metal genre,” says Spector’s Taylor McLam, believing it was “instrumental in achieving the band’s signature sound”.

Intriguingly, a final comment from the luthier – “I’m excited to see what we can create as we head into 2025” – and a press tease that says, “This collaboration promises exciting future endeavors, including the development of signature models in 2025” – all but confirms that another Rex Brown signature, perhaps one that harks back to the height of Pantera’s powers, could be in the pipeline.

As for how this all affects his relationship with Epiphone and Gibson, it remains to be seen. Dual-brand partnerships are not uncommon these days, so Brown could perhaps continue to endorse both companies in the new year.

Visit Spector for more.

Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a star-studded second induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over the weekend, this time for his work as a solo artist.

Ever humble, the singer took the opportunity to pay tribute to his former guitarist, admitting, “If I hadn't met Randy Rhoads, I wouldn't be sat here right now,” during a brief but heartfelt speech.

The Prince of Darkness’ contributions to the festivities were few and far between, with the singer remaining on his bat-adorned throne for much of the evening, having recently retired from touring due to his deteriorating health.

So it was up to a few familiar faces from across Ozzy's storied career to provide the sparkle and entertainment, with Jack Black delivering a passionate speech before a revolving all-star band took to the stage for a handful of knockout performances.

Guest instrumentalists for the ceremony included Wolfgang Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, and Metallica and former Ozzy bass player, Robert Trujillo.

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith was behind the kit, while Adam Wakeman and producer Andrew Watt were also called into action.

Vocal duties for the evening were delivered by Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, who gave Crazy Train a signature twist. Country Star Jelly Roll sang Mama I’m Coming Home, while Billy Idol crooned his way through a suitably dark No More Tears.

But it was Wolfgang’s contributions that were perhaps the most poignant. The Eddie Van Halen versus Randy Rhoads rivalry is one of the most debated in shred history, with the pair both at the peak of their powers in the early '80s.

As such, watching Wolfgang weave and tap his way through the Crazy Train solo on his EVH signature was a notable footnote to the festivities. It also nicely set the Van Halen/Rhoads rivalry aside and emphasized the legacy that both guitarists have created, and the influence they've since had on the world that adores them.

In truth, both virtuosos were guilty of fanning the flames that licked their rivalry. Eddie once said “everything he [Randy] did he learned from me,” while Ozzy claimed that “Randy didn't have a nice thing to say about Eddie”.

Wolfgang Van Halen is set to join Zakk Wylde, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens and super-producer Andrew Watt at this month’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, which will see the induction of Ozzy Osbourne.

In April, it was announced that the Prince of Darkness would be among the Hall’s Class of 2024, alongside the likes of Peter Frampton, John Mayall, MC5, Dave Matthews Band, Cher, Foreigner and more.

The ceremony is set to take place on October 19, and according to a report from Rolling Stone, it will feature some high-profile performances from a number of names associated with Osbourne’s career.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Osbourne revealed actor/musician Jack Black would be the one to formally induct him into the Hall of Fame, while Wolfgang and a host of other musicians will be tasked with providing the entertainment.

“I don’t know what to think,” Osbourne said. “I’m still in shock that I’m getting inducted for a second time. But at the same time, I’m very excited.”

Reportedly, the evening will host a tribute honoring Osbourne’s solo career, and although the man himself didn’t comment on whether he’ll be singing for the occasion, he did tease the ceremony won’t be shy of A-list performers.

Billy Idol, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and country artist Jelly Roll will all perform Osbourne tracks. Wylde – who has been one of Osbourne’s most faithful guitarists since the late 1980s – will be there to take part in the tribute, as will Wolfgang Van Halen and Andrew Watt.

The rest of the rhythm lineup will comprise Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, both of whom, according to Osbourne, make the perfect pairing.

“The rhythm section is the anchor of the band,” Osbourne adds, “and you honestly couldn’t get a better rhythm section than Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith.”

Most of these players all have something in common, of course: they’ve all collaborated with Osbourne in one way or another. Watt helmed production for Osbourne’s last two solo albums. Wylde was once part of his band. Smith featured on 2020’s Ordinary Man and 2022’s Patient Number 9. The list goes on.

It remains to be seen exactly what songs Wolfgang and co will perform on the night, but it stands to reason that a handful of Osbourne cuts will be on the cards. Given the fact such ceremonies have proven to deliver historic performances in the past – look no further than Prince’s epic solo from 2004 – so we have a feeling this won’t be one to miss.

Visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to find out more ahead of the ceremony on October 19.

Polyphia's next album will feature Babymetal, the band has confirmed, with some other high-profile names also expected to join in with their forthcoming fretboard-sizzling shenanigans. 

The prog metal outfit's latest album, Remember That You Will Die, helped propel the band to even greater heights, and featured a raft of guest stars, including electric guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno. 

Speaking to Rock Sound at Download Festival 2024, the band’s two guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage confirmed the record’s collaborative theme will continue with its follow-up. 

Japanese kawaii metal sensation Babymetal have already signed up, and a few other heavy guitar legends have also been tapped as potential collaborators.

“At the minute we're playing with sound design and that's very, very fun,” Henson says of the album’s writing process. “Features for the next one confirmed are Baby Metal; we just met Zakk Wylde so we're gonna ask him [laughs] and give him a three-minute long session and let him rip.

“We've been talking to Serj [Tankian] from System Of A Down. We love all kinds of music, so it's fun to reach into all these different things.” 

On the Babymetal song, Henson adds: “We have one done for them, but the stipulations this time are like, 'You have to give us one, too.'” 

Henson and LePage have worked with Babymetal before, helping the viral metal stars pen the track Brand New Day in 2019. The song has racked up nearly five million Spotify streams, with the fruitful pairing now set for a return.  

Of other dream collaborations, LePage name-dropped Fall Out Boy –  “who wouldn't want that?!” he beams –  as well as Meshuggah. Henson, meanwhile, has previously spoken about his desire to work with Thundercat – could the bass player be set to feature on their next record? 

Asked when fans can expect to hear new music from the band, Henson is coy. 

“Everything's in the demo stage. [After the tour] we get to go home and write, which is our favorite part of the job,” he says. “I don't want to give a [release] date because every time I do it ends up not being that and album five becomes a myth.”  

Recently, Henson featured on a new single from acoustic guitar virtuoso Marcin, and named the Black Sabbath album that’s ideal for beginner guitarists to learn.

The Experience Hendrix Tour will return for 24 US dates this fall, celebrating Jimi Hendrix’s fretboard-burning work with a huge ensemble of all-star electric guitar stars. 

The tour marks the 20th anniversary of what its curators are calling a “multi-artist celebration of Jimi Hendrix’s musical genius”, and comes five years after its last tour. 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, and Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram will head up a “powerhouse three-hour concert experience”, which also helps shine a light on up-and-coming blues rock talent. 

“I’m excited to rejoin the Experience Hendrix tour this year,” says Shepherd. “It’s always been a great tour with exceptional artists honoring Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitar player of all time, and his amazing and expansive catalog of songs. 

“Being able to do a tour with friends always makes for a great time and this show is not to be missed.”

Other notable artists tapped for the multi-generational line-up include Taj Mahal, Samantha Fish, and Dweezil Zappa, as well as Indigenous guitarist, Mato Nanji.  

Flag bearers for a new generation of blues players include Ally Venable – who headlined the 60-date European Blues Caravan tour at just 20 years old – and Blues Foundation’s 2023 International Blues Challenge winner, Mathias Lattin. 

There’s even room for two-hand tapping jazz virtuoso Stanley Jordan, who is sure to offer a fresh take on some of Hendrix’s cuts.

The full list of artists confirmed reads: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kingfish, Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, Samantha Fish, Dweezil Zappa, Taj Mahal, Noah Hunt, Chuck Campbell and Calvin Cooke (The Slide Brothers), Stanley Jordan, Ally Venable, Mato Nanji (Indigenous), Dylan Triplett, Ayron Jones, Artur Menezes, Mathias Lattin and Hendri Brown. 

Some dates will also feature additional special guests, including legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, with more set to be announced in the future. 

The tour’s concept dates back to 2001, when a single concert was held in San Diego. The show was repeated a year later, before hitting the road as a fully fledged tour in 2004. 

The 2024 edition stops in the Pacific Northwest, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, before travelling through Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Aptly, the showcase kicks off in Hendrix’s hometown, at Seattle’s Paramount Theater. 

The tour works with a rotating line-up, meaning the guitarists performing each night will vary. For detailed information, head to the Experience Hendrix Tour website. 

2024 Experience Hendrix Tour dates:

• Sept 19: Seattle WA, Paramount Theatre
• Sept 20: Spokane WA, First Interstate Center for the Arts
• Sept 21: Forest Grove OR, Grand Lodge
• Sept 22: Reno NV, Grand Theatre/Grand Sierra Resort
• Sept 25: Santa Rosa CA, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
• Sept 26: Saratoga, CA, The Mountain Winery
• Sept 27: Las Vegas NV, Smith Center
• Sept 28: Highland CA, Yaamaya Theater
• Sept 29: Tucson AZ, Fox Theatre
• Oct 01: Anaheim CA, City National Grove
• Oct 03: San Diego CA, Rady Shell
• Oct 04: Mesa AZ, Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
• Oct 05: Albuquerque NM, Mesa Arts Center/Ikva Auditorium
• Oct 06:Colorado Springs CO, Pikes Peak Center
• Oct 09: San Antonio TX, Majestic Theatre
• Oct 10: Houston TX, Bayou Music Center
• Oct 11: Ft. Worth TX, Will Rogers Auditorium
• Oct 12: Tulsa OK, River Spirit Casino
• Oct 13: Shreveport LA, Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
• Oct 15: Nashville TN, Ryman Auditorium
• Oct 16: Evans GA, Columbia Country Performing Arts Center
• Oct 17: Clearwater FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall
• Oct 18: Pompano Beach FL, Pompano Beach Amphitheater
• Oct 19: St. Augustine, FL, St. Augustine Amphitheater

Wylde Audio, the gear brand from Black Label Society's berserker guitarist Zakk Wylde, has released its latest guitar: the Goregehn – an axe that looks like it'd be fit for a Viking warrior. 

Its melted Gibson-Explorer-meets-Salvador-Dali body shape is sculpted from mahogany and given spiky devil horns, with their deep cuts allowing for easy access to the upper frets on either side of the 'board. 

The deep insert set neck construction hosts a three-piece maple neck with an ebony fretboard. Offering 22 X-jumbo frets, Zakk Wylde's signature C-profile neck and a 24.625" scale length, the Goregehn's war-ready look is completed by rune-style inlays. 

Its battle cries come from the tried-and-trusted EMG humbucker pairing of an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck, with a dedicated volume knob for each. 

Tonal tweaking comes via a master tone knob – with all but the Blood River Burl finish employing Gibson-esque speed knob designs – and a three-way pickup switch located directly beneath the neck pickup.   

Its hardware is rounded out with a TonePros T3BP Tune-O-Matic bridge and T1ZS tailpiece. They team up with Grover tuners for a three-a-side headstock, which is embellished by a subtly serrated top edge. 

The fittingly wild shape builds on the angles of the Thoraxe and makes the IronWorks Barbarian (a model that Guitar World called its  “wildest”  build yet on release) look resolutely normal. 

Not content with just a loud shape, three louder-than-Manowar finishes also bring different top options to the fore. As its name suggests, the Cocobolo Psychic Bullseye finish adds a top of cocobolo – a wood known for its characteristic grains – to the guitar. 

It also gives Zakk Wylde's signature buzzsaw design a fresh psychedelic edge as it spins around the bridge pickup. 

The Rawtop Buzzsaw finish is more in line with previous Wylde finishes, with its design spiraling out from the center of a body that by contrast features a flamed maple top. 

The pick of the bunch, though, has to be the Special Edition Blood River Burl finish, which is achieved through epoxy resin. Two rivers of red run parallel alongside the strings, while Wylde's buzzsaw aesthetic is channelled through the build’s gold pickup covers. 

That gold aesthetic continues with its bridge, metal dome knobs and tuners, in contrast to the black hardware found on the other two models. 

“Designed by rock guitar legend Zakk Wylde, this visually striking instrument is a true masterpiece crafted for the hard rocking skilled guitarist looking for premium specifications,” a listing for the guitar reads.

“Delivering unparalleled sonic firepower, the Goregehn is built with rugged construction and can easily handle the demands of intense live performances.”

Cost-wise, the cocobolo-topped and Rawtop Buzzsaw Goregehn both RRP at $2,429, with the Special Edition Blood River Rising to $2,719.

For more information, head to Schecter.  

Wylde Audio is part of the Schecter Guitars family, and its parent firm has recently been releasing a raft of signature builds for the likes of Avenged Sevenfold duo Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates, Glassjaw’s Justin Beck and DJ Sullivan King.

Zakk Wylde, meanwhile, has also been given numerous updates to his pedalboard, with Jim Dunlop releasing a new signature Rotovibe. Wylde's wah pedal has also returned to the market. 

NAMM 2024: Dunlop has added to the 20th-anniversary celebrations of its gear-powered relationship with Zakk Wylde by reissuing his Cry Baby wah pedal. 

The celebrations have seen Dunlop revisit the stompboxes which the Ozzy guitarist cannot go without. As was the case with the Zakk Wylde Rotovibe that was announced last month, the aesthetic and tonal differences appear minimal, but classy. The same brushed steel finish remains, albeit with Wylde’s signature bullseye artwork now more prominent on its rubber top.  

Dunlop describes the pedal – in line with its predecessors – as “built from the ground up with great tone and rugged durability in mind... [in order to] stand up to the crushing boot of metal's most relentless lead guitar player.” 

Officially called the Wylde Audio Cry Baby wah, it follows in the wake of previous iterations by delivering a "thick, cutting kick to the pants" wah effect which has been fine-tuned to Wylde's specifications. 

Unlike other signature Dunlop wahs, the Wylde edition is free from additional knobs and tone-tweaking capabilities, making it a no-nonsense, ‘stomp on it and crack on’ build.

Whether it does anything its older brothers do not is yet to be seen, but we suspect this is a simple case of bringing a well-received pedal back to market with a nice new finish, which is no bad thing.

Wah pedals have been a quintessential part of Zakk Wylde's guitar style and can be tracked right back to his first album with Ozzy, 1988's No Rest for the Wicked. They’ve remained on his pedalboard for his tours with Ozzy and Black Label Society since, and it also features in his current Pantera live rig.

Dunlop’s Wylde partying kicked off back in October when it unveiled five revamped Wylde Audio/MXR effects pedals, including his holy trinity of overdrive, phase and chorus stompboxes. That was followed by the aforementioned signature Rotovibe, which came with a premium price tag of $399.

The story isn’t much different here. The cost of having the signature, pants-kicking Cry Baby on your pedalboard weighs in at $285, while the standard Cry Baby currently goes for $99 and Dunlop’s array of other signature wahs – including Dimebag, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, and Van Halen models – cost $199.

The release marks the continuation of Wylde Audio, which the barbarian riff-monger launched in 2015. Producing guitars, amps, and, of course, pedals, it saw the guitarist furthering his heritage of successful signature gear with MXR and Dunlop.

Back in 2022, he even discussed the possibility of Wylde Audio making the next batch of Dimebag signature guitars. However, at the time of writing those aims have gained no further traction and the smart money is now on the Dean Zelinsky-backed Dimebag Guitarz. 

Away from the bearded giant, Dunlop has been NAMM-tastically busy with a horde of other releases. From the "buttery goodness and thunder and lightning distortion" of its Way Huge Smalls Geisha Drive pedal to a reproduction of the guitar strap Jimi Hendrix wore for his flame-licked performance at the Monterey pop festival, there's been plenty to sink your teeth into.

For more information about the new wah, head to Jim Dunlop .

Keep up to date with the latest NAMM 2024 updates via our guide to the latest NAMM 2024 news.

NAMM 2024: Though, strictly speaking, 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of Dunlop’s partnership with Zakk Wylde, that hasn’t stopped the pair from continuing the celebrations well into 2024.

As such, the special-occasion celebratory stompbox series – which first began back in October last year with the unveiling of five revamped Wylde/MXR effects pedals – has now been bolstered with a new addition: the WA357 Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato.

Once again, the updated offering brings back one of Wylde’s most essential pedalboard mainstays, giving his tried-and-trusted original Dunlop Rotovibe a sleek and fresh contemporary look.

It is a fairly modest cosmetic update, truth be told. It looks, for all intents and purposes, like the standard Dunlop JD4S Rotovibe, aside from the small ‘Wylde’ text that has been imprinted below the Rotovibe decal on the front-facing panel of the red-and-silver unit.

Some subtle Wylde flair, admittedly, can be found on the footswitch, whose rubber grip strip has been fashioned to feature Wylde’s trademark bullseye-style ‘logo’. In fact, it’s the same cosmetic nod that can be found on the ZW357 Rotovibe reissue that the Black Label Society axeman has remained loyal to over the past few years.

Indeed, that ZW357 has been Wylde’s go-to unit in recent times, and could even be found on his Pantera pedalboard, as was shown during Guitar World’s in-depth rig breakdown.

Unsurprisingly, it’s just the aesthetics that have been given a slight tweak. The pedal otherwise remains faithful to Wylde’s favored Rotovibe sound – why fix what ain’t broken? – meaning it delivers the same suite of chorus and vibrato tones that Wylde himself has championed.

Then there’s the price: it’s $399. To put that into perspective, the standard JD4S weighs in at $299. 

There’s no doubt that Wylde fans will be willing to pay the $100 premium, though. After all, the pedal’s predecessor was only released as part of a limited-edition run. Only one example is listed on Reverb at the moment, and that’s been given a price tag of $615.

There’s been no indication whether this new version will be standard or limited, but the demand is clearly there: “Been waiting so damn long for this!” says one commenter on Instagram. “Finally!!!” writes another.

“Joining the Wylde Audio Pedal Series, the Wylde Audio Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato features the same rich rotating speaker effect of the classic version with all-new custom graphics,” Dunlop says. “Whether it's to spice up a solo, add some overdubbed color, or as songwriting inspiration, the Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato has been a core component of Zakk's sound since 1988.”

The WA357 Rotovibe will be available on May 1.

For more info, visit Dunlop.

To keep up to speed with all new gear releases, visit our NAMM 2024 news guide and NAMM 2024 live blog.

Pete Griffin’s reputation as an A-list sideman is founded on two decades of exceptional bass guitar work across a multitude of genres and musical settings. The very definition of his low-end artistry in recent times – though sadly it’s ended now – was a very special rock supergroup, Generation Axe, that saw Griffin share the stage with guitarists Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Nuno Bettencourt, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Vai.

Yet in spite of his illustrious sideman career and the huge respect in which he’s held within the music world (and not just by bassists) – earning a 2008 Grammy Award with Zappa Plays Zappa – Griffin has never released a solo EP. Until now. 

“I decided to start working on some of my own music during the pandemic,” said Griffin. “I had a home studio and I knew some of the world's best musicians who were willing to work on my songs. I’ve always seen myself as a sideman because that's what pays the bills, but I realised I needed to have control over something in my life during a time when I had very little.”

Pete Griffin and His Lab Rats is not a self-indulgent bass-centred release; instead, it’s an eclectic collaboration with some of today’s unsung heroes from the L.A. session scene. “As session players we’re not always paid to make creative decisions. Sometimes our job is to just shut up and play whatever’s written! But I didn’t realise how much creative energy we’d all been saving for something like this. It became a very collaborative project.”

So after months of anticipation Griffin’s new solo EP has arrived, but how does he feel about stepping out from his traditional sideman role? 

“In the sideman world there can be various definitions of right and wrong. I might think that my idea is better than what the singer is asking me to do, but you can only work within the parameters that you’ve been given, and if that’s my job, then I'm very happy doing that. It can be an interesting dynamic, but having now produced my own music, I think I have a little more respect for the process.”

What was it like playing with Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi, in Generation Axe?

“All of those guys have a completely different approach. Yngwie would send recordings ahead of time and he would just expect you to know everything. Zakk Wylde might want to play a bunch of Black Sabbath covers, so that requires my best Geezer Butler impersonation!” 

What about Steve Vai?

“Steve Vai is incredibly specific. There’s one tune called Gravity Storm, which sounded to me like the bassline was being played with a slide into the note. Steve stopped me in sound check one day and basically told me that I needed to bend the note up half a step before I hit it, and then let the string bend back down. I was like, ‘what are you talking about? You just don’t do that on bass!’ But he's so granular about the details, and it turns out the bassline sounded way better once I started doing that!”

Is it the same with Nuno Bettencourt?

“Both Steve and Nuno think more like a producer. They’d never just give me the recording to learn. Nuno would give me very specific instructions about what he wanted the bassline to do. Get The Funk Out by Extreme starts with a drum fill and he wanted me to play a dead note right in the middle of it, and he told me exactly where. He even sat down and showed our drummer how to play it!”

Tell us about the recent tour with Dethklok

“I was covering that gig for Bryan Beller, which meant that I had three different versions of what to play. There's the original that Brendan Small played on the record, which was pretty straight-forward. But then I’d go listen to Bryan and he's got his whole three finger thing going on. I’ve also done the gig a few times in the past, so I had to decide whether to play the bass part as it is on the record, trying to copy what Bryan’s been doing, or finding my own version.”

How much direction did you get ahead of time?

“Brendon Small knows that the album version works, and both Bryan and I have been working with him for years, so he trusts us whenever we want to add anything. Some days I'll check in with him, but otherwise I'm left to figure it out from the tracks I've been given.”

Do you have any new bass gear? 

“I've been a Fender-type guy for most of my career. There was a point where there was an expectation to always play a Fender Jazz or P-Bass, but I’ve been really enjoying a Dingwall D-Roc that I just got, which has the multi-scale setup. I'm loving that bass just as much as the tried and true Leo Fender design. With Dethklok, I’m tuning down to low C and it can be hard to find a string that responds well at that range.” 

“I have a Dunable bass that's a 35-inch scale and the E-string on the Dingwall is 36.25, so the extra scale length just makes everything more comfortable, especially when you’re playing the faster songs. I love that there are companies out there that are still open to trying something new, and I think people are a more open-minded about it nowadays.”

Tell us about the gig with Zappa Plays Zappa?

“I was the biggest Zappa fan before I got that gig, so I could already sing any song that Dweezil wanted to play. Dweezil might want to start working on Zomby Woof, which sounds like someone's switching the radio channel every four bars, but I had unknowingly been doing my homework for that gig without ever knowing that it was going to exist, so I already had it locked in. Joe Travers is in charge of the entire vault of Frank Zappa recordings, of which there are still years of tape. He’s still revisiting old recordings, so how do you ever stop?”

Did Dweezil feel under pressure from living in his Dad's shadow?

“I can't even imagine, but you know, Dweezil's such an incredible guitar player. He would struggle with certain musical concepts just because he hadn't gone to music school. He learned by having Eddie Van Halen come over to the house and show him how to play! There would be certain songs, like The Black Page or Inca Roads, where he'd play something unbelievable, but then he’d struggle with an eight bar phrase that the rest of us could play in our sleep. He was really kind of an anomaly like that, but I can't even imagine what it was like for him.”

“Towards the end of his life Frank was working almost exclusively with something called the Synclavier, which was a very early DAW. It was like a mini sequencer. He just got sick of working with human musicians and their physical limitations and their emotional baggage. That Synclavier took up the whole room, but now we have an infinitely more powerful computer in our pockets. So if Frank Zappa was alive today? It’s almost too frightening to think about.”

Do you think Frank Zappa’s legacy still resonates?

“It’s like King Crimson or some of these bands where you need someone to hold your hand and walk you through it. So I hope more people can find Frank Zappa and find that thing that they like instead of just going, ‘Oh, isn't he the Valley Girl guy?’ The first stuff that I got into was Apostrophe and Roxy & Elsewhere.

Tell us about One Shot Deal

“We’ve basically got the core band back together with the blessing of the Zappa family. We’re called One Shot Deal, and we were playing the music of Frank Zappa all around Southern California. People have been really excited to see our camaraderie. To bring that back around has been a real pleasure.”

• Pete Griffin And His Lab Rats is out now.