Dawn of the Deadwax

Lately, I have noticed that when I go to buy music, I am often more interested in getting a different version of something old that I already have rather than picking up a new release by a modern artist. There are two reasons for this. The first one is that I really like the things I like. If there is a new mix of The Dark Side of the Moon, a new pressing of Who’s Next or a new version of the Scarface soundtrack coming out, I’m probably going to be interested. The second reason is that in my opinion, modern music is mostly pretty bad. When something totally new comes out that’s actually good, that makes it extra exciting. Sadly though, this hardly ever happens.

So, what about a re-release of a classic album that I love, but that’s done by another band?  How about two classic albums in one release? When I saw that Zakk Wylde’s Black Sabbath tribute band Zakk Sabbath was going to be releasing both Paranoid (1970) and Master of Reality (1971)in a double album, I figured that it was something to get excited over. If you are just looking for the TLDR on this, I was right, and this release is fantastic. If you want some more details, here is what I can tell you…

First of all, if you are a fan of Zakk Wylde and his band Black Label Society, you are probably going to like this double album. Zakk Sabbath is NOT the same band as BLS, but since Zakk is also singing and playing here, there are going to be elements of the overall sound that are similar. To be perfectly clear, no one who is familiar with Zakk’s playing is going to hear this and not know it’s him. It’s got all those cool squealy pinch harmonics, and his instantly recognizable singing voice. Both of these things go together really well with Black Sabbath’s music, so it’s no wonder that Zakk Sabbath has been successful since its inception in 2014.

Doomed Forever / Forever Doomed has been released by Magnetic Eye Records and is a physical formats only release. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty cool idea. I suppose it could possibly be a little risky nowadays in the digital age, but I have a suspicion that most of the people who listen to this type of music would rather have a physical version anyway. The are plenty of different options that should be able to suit anyone’s tastes. For vinyl copies, the album is available as a double LP in black, red and purple. There are also CD versions available in standard as well as a deluxe collector’s edition that includes an art book. You can even get a cassette tape version if you are so inclined.

With so many choices, I decided to pre-order the purple vinyl version, along with the standard CD. After my first listen, I went back and bought the red vinyl as well. Right out of the gate, I was really impressed with the packaging from Magnetic Eye. The album came in a large shipping box (which is usually a bad idea since stuff tends to slide around), but everything was packed really well. The discs were removed and placed inside the gatefold to prevent damage in transit from split seams and the like. I have never seen a record label package things like this before, so hats off to Magnetic Eye for giving their releases the respect they deserve.

The packaging of the album itself is beautiful and comes embossed in colored hot foil with a UV spot varnish. The color of the foil coincides with the color of vinyl you choose. The cover is highly reflective, so it’s a little hard to take good photos of it, but I have tried my best to show you an accurate representation. It’s really a package that you need to see in person to fully appreciate though. Each disc is pressed with high quality wax and has nice full color labels. I cleaned them before playing, and there were no visible flaws or warps whatsoever.

The first album in the set of two is Paranoid, so I spun that one first. Right out of the gate, I noticed that the production is flawless. Everything from the mix to the vinyl itself, which is dead silent, gets an A+ as far as I’m concerned. The sound stage is really well defined, and the mix is just how I like it. The drums are punchy and crisp, the bass is deep and clear, and the guitar is somehow crunchy and smooth at the same time.  Zakk does a great job with the vocals here, and although he sings in his own unique style, he channeled Ozzy once or twice to the point where it made me do a double take.

I have to be honest and say that I am generally not a fan of “tribute” albums. Most that I have heard are either so much different than the original that it just turns out to be a worse version, or are so close to the real thing that it’s like an uncanny valley type of experience. They get it really close to the original, but it’s just somehow “not right”. That’s not the case at all with Doomed. It somehow rides the line perfectly between sticking to the original music, while at the same time giving us something fresh to get excited about. Most of Zakk’s solos, for example, have all the essential, recognizable parts to them, but he’s changed things up just a bit or added some extra flare in certain areas. It seems like that because he’s enjoyed listening to these albums for so long, he knew what parts just had to stay and what could be changed up a little bit. It’s different enough to be interesting while not ruining anything.

As far as individual songs go, I think a song-by-song analysis is kind of pointless. If what you have read so far sounds appealing to you, you should really just go out and pick up the album and give it a listen. I will, however, talk about a few of the songs that really resonated with me:

From Paranoid, the title track “Paranoid” is a song that we have heard probably a million times between solo Ozzy and Sabbath. The Zakk Sabbath version is almost the same as the original from a technical standpoint, but the signature Zakk Wylde crunchy guitar tone changes the feel entirely. This track is a good example of how adding just a touch of originality to the guitar solos can make a cover song a truly worthy tribute piece.

Originally written as Bill Ward’s sort of Moby Dick type moment, Joey Castillo’s drums on “Rat Salad” are absolutely monstrous. Not only is the playing certainly worthy of a tribute to Ward, but the mixing really shines here. You can crank this one up and calibrate your system to it. The neighbors will hate you. The drumming on the entire album is solid, but this one is an obvious stand out in both fidelity and musicianship.

As I have mentioned before on this blog, Master of Reality is one of my favorite albums ever. “Children of the Grave” is probably my favorite song from the original album, and it does not disappoint here, either. It was “Solitude” that really got my attention on this disc though. The harmonized vocals and piano/keyboard playing (all done by Wylde) remind us that Zakk Wylde is more than just a shred metal guitar player. This track is hauntingly beautiful in a very similar way to the original, but with its own flavor. Some people still have a difficult time believing that Ozzy Osbourne sang on the original version, and quick search online will reveal that many still think it was Bill Ward doing the vocals. Maybe the confusion will continue, and fans won’t believe that Zakk Wylde can play and sing like this, either.

Doomed Forever / Forever Doomed is a great album from a tribute perspective, and also on its own merits. If you are a Black Sabbath fan that isn’t familiar with Zakk Sabbath or BLS (really, how could this be possible, though?), I would still encourage you to pick this up. I don’t see how you could think they messed it up. There’s a pretty good chance you will agree with me, and that’ll you’ll really enjoy how this album breathes new life into two of the most important albums in rock and heavy metal history. Hopefully, this version will also expose Black Sabbath to an entirely new generation of fans.

If you want to pick up a copy, the Zakk Sabbath Bandcamp store and the Magnetic Eye store still have some copies in stock. Each color of vinyl is very limited though, so if you want your choice in colors, you had better order soon before everything sells out and ends up on the secondary market for higher prices. If you like Doomed Forever / Forever Doomed, their first album, Vertigo, (a re-make of the first self-titled Sabbath album) is also worth checking out.