Black Label Society: Overlord – new video

 

 

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY has released an absolute gem of a video for the song ‘Overlord’, directed by Master Cylinder. The video finds guitar legend Zakk Wylde and his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in a satire of 70's Kung Fu movies.  Wylde is featured as the Bruce Lee-type action hero in hot pursuit of the Overlord - in this case an old lady who holds the key to a very special prize. ‘Overlord’ comes from BLS's latest album ‘Order Of The Black’, released back in August 2010 via E1 Music. AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine reviewed the album with approbation: “BLACK LABEL SOCIETY are as close as you can get to unapologetic heavy guitar rock in the 21st century, holding true to the power of two guitars, bass, drums, and overwhelming amplification. Songs don’t necessarily stick but riffs do, as do Wylde's dexterous solos, which pull off a tricky thing – they’re breakneck but have a bluesy, almost soulful, undertow.” ‘Order Of The Black’ sold around 33,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release and entered Billboard 200 chart at number 4.

Zakk Wylde formed BLACK LABEL SOCIETY (BLS) in 1994 as a vehicle for his own artistic vision: “Uncompromising, unfiltered, no bullshit rock'n'roll”. The band released eight successful studio albums which have sold well over a million and a half albums total to date. At only 19 years old, Wylde joined Ozzy Osbourne's band as lead guitarist and co-writer. He performed with Osbourne for nearly twenty years. After falling out with his mentor, Wylde released his debut solo album, a guitar showcase entitled ‘Book Of Shadows’ in 1996. BLS' first album, ‘Sonic Brew’ - “a boozy, balls-to-the-wall metallic hard rock album that is unashamed about being a hard rock album” (by AllMusic) - was initially released in Japan in 1998 and eventually in USA (1999). Drummer Phil Ondrich stuck around for BLS' second album, ‘Stronger Than Death’ (2000, Spitfire Records). Robert Trujillo (now METALLICA), Craig Nunenmacher and Christian Werr joined the six-stinger for ‘1919 Eternal’ (2002, Spitfire Records). Nunenmacher remained for 2003's ‘Blessed Hellride’ which features guest vocals from Ozzy Osbourne on a single ‘Stillborn’. (According to Wikipedia, ‘Stillborn’ tells the story of a man whose girlfriend treats him so poorly and takes so much advantage of him that his love for her dies, leaving him feeling dead as well. Wylde insists that it is not autobiographical and that if any girl were to treat him like that, he would simply break up with her. Heh.) Detroit's Harpos Concert Theatre bar allegedly ran out of alcohol during the recording of the show BLS released as a DVD that same year, entitled ‘Boozed, Broozed, And Broken-Boned’. Fifth album, ‘Hangover Music Vol. VI’, followed a year later (Spitfire Records) and band's most commercially successful release (selling over 250,000 copies in the U.S.) ‘Mafia’ came out in 2005 through now defunct Artemis Records. BLS released their seventh album, ‘Shot To Hell’, in 2006 via Roadrunner Records before issuing a compilation/live album/DVD ‘Scullage’ in 2009 (Armoury/Eagle Rock). In February 2010, drummer Craig "Louisiana Lightning" Nunenmacher had quit BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to be replaced with EVANESENCE's Will Hunt.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY features: Zakk Wylde – lead vocals/lead guitar/piano, Nick Catanese – rhythm guitar, John DeServio – bass/backing vocals and Will Hunt – drums