Review: Zakk Sabbath ‘Doomed Forever Forever Doomed’
I’d like to preface this review by admitting to my feelings on Zakk Wylde; some of you may feel the same way, but just many, if not more of you will not, so just hear me out before deciding to crucify me over it.
Simply put, I cannot stand his playing, he over utilizes the pinch harmonic squeal technique, he plays extra notes that don’t serve the songs, his solos are boring and repetitive, and his whole Viking Biker aesthetic is just ridiculous to me.
When I told my friend Pia that I’d be reviewing the newest Zakk Sabbath album, she said that he’s the ‘we need more cowbell’ of guitarists, and it’s the most fitting description for his style that I’ve ever heard.
Now that we have that out of the way, we can begin talking about Zakk Sabbath‘s upcoming double album, Doomed Forever Forever Doomed, which is released via Magnetic Eye Records this Friday, March 1st, 2024. This release sees Zakk and company (which includes Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie bass player Blasko, and Danzig and Queens Of The Stone Age drummer, Joey Castillo) tackling the second and third Black Sabbath records, 1970’s Paranoid, and my all-time favorite album, 1971’s Master Of Reality.
Paranoid
This isn’t an album that gets played much at my house, though it does have some iconic tracks on it. There’s just something about this record that doesn’t grab me the way other Sabbath albums do, and since we’ve all heard these songs a million times, I’m going to briefly touch on my favorites.
War Pigs has been a fan favorite since the album was freshly released, and I have to say that I’m impressed with how well Zakk sticks to the original, while still injecting it with his style. He absolutely nails the vocals, but that’s never been my issue with him, and there are very few spots where I wanna beat him with his own guitar for taking excessive liberties with what Tony Iommi laid down back in the ‘70s… but there are a few.
The rhythm guitar tone is a nice mix of metal crunch and Black Sabbath’s old-school sound, making for an updated yet faithful take on the original tone…
Electric Funeral is one of my all-time favorite Black Sabbath tracks, and I like what Zakk does with it. He sticks closer to the original here than on any other number on this first disc, and the song shines because of it.
In Fairies Wear Boots you will hear a bit of Dimebag Darrell manifesting itself, which makes sense given that Zakk is currently in Pantera, it’s not a lot, but it’s a cool touch and you’ll definitely know it when you hear it. The rhythm guitar tone is a nice mix of metal crunch and Black Sabbath‘s old-school sound, making for an updated yet faithful take on the original tone.
Master Of Reality
Every weed smoker on planet Earth knows this track, even if they don’t listen to anything else in the genre, and I have to admit that I love what Zakk Sabbath did with Sweet Leaf. It is one of the most well-known Black Sabbath songs, which may play a part in why I enjoy this cover, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this band nailed it.
My favorite track on Master Of Reality has always been Into The Void, so despite the fact that Zakk Sabbath did a great job with it, I still don’t care for their version of this legendary track. For me, it’s a song that only the original is good enough, much like Sound Of Silence by Simon And Garfunkel… a track that made me hate Disturbed after they attempted to cover it.
Solitude was absolutely terrible, and this was thanks to Zakk’s vocal performance, it is however the only track on either disc that suffers from this particular problem though. There’s just something about his tone and delivery that was incredibly abrasive to my ears.
I love what Zakk Sabbath did with Sweet Leaf…
As you probably deduced after reading the first paragraph, I wasn’t expecting to like this album. However, after listening to it all with an open mind, I can admit that it’s actually a pretty good album. Zakk does fall into his habit of adding repetitive and predictable guitar bits across both discs, and it’s not because we all know these songs inside and out, but because of Zakk’s approach.
I’m of the mind that he tends to put too much of his own personality into some of these songs, and it does nothing more than take away a bit of the magic that made the originals so special. Thankfully it’s not to the extent that he normally does, making his playing substantially easier to digest for people like myself.
There is some bad news for those of you who prefer digital music over physical copies, as Doomed Forever Forever Doomed is only available physically… as all music should be. There are vinyl variants, CD and cassette copies to be had, so if you’re old school like me, you’ll be very happy with this twist.
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Tom Hanno
