As dry ice billowed down from the ceiling above the stage inside the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY, Zakk Wylde positioned himself and his guitar between a literal fortress of Marshall cabinets, and a skull encrusted mike stand. From that vantage point he proceeded to dominate the 600+ berzerkers who turned out for the show to witness his signature guitar mastery. All eyes were transfixed on this colossal mad man as his fingers blazed up and down the fret board in unforgiving fashion. His low, guttural vocals further entranced the audience, who delighted in BLS classics such as “Suicide Messiah,” “The Blessed Hellride” and “Stillborn.”
About mid way through the set, and from my vantage point, I could see the sweat ooze from Zakk’s mammoth biceps as he bent the E string with relentless ferocity during an intense solo that seemed to go on forever. Those in attendance stood in awe of Wylde’s supreme domination of the Gibson Flying V.
As always, guitarist Nick Cantonese and bassist John DeServio kept the crowd engaged by cheerfully slapping hands and tossing out picks, while drummer Jeff Fabb provided a brutal beating of the skins.
Zakk’s piano solo and emotional rendition of “In This River,” a ballad that shall forever honor the memory of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, is now a highly anticipated staple at BLS shows and tonight was no exception. The Black Label brotherhood stood strong as Dime’s spirit echoed from the ivory keys.
Although I would have liked to have seen the venue filled to capacity for this show, those metal heads that did make it out were treated to an adrenaline rush that is simply unlike any other.
Set List:
Godspeed Hell Bound
Destruction Overdrive
Bored to Tears
Berzerkers
Bleed for Me
The Rose Petalled Garden
Piano solo/In This River
Forever Down
Guitar Solo
Parade of the Dead
Overlord
The Blessed Hellride
Suicide Messiah
Concrete Jungle
Stillborn
All Photos by J. Ritz. We would like to thank Mark Ferguson for the credentials to review the show.
