RIFF-MONSTER RELOADED

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Zakk Wylde returns to Z7 in summer 2026 with his riff monster Black Label Society. And he’s bringing brand-new material with him: a new full-length album is scheduled for early 2026. As part of the subsequent album release tour, the BLS express will be rolling into Pratteln.

Zakk Wylde is a busy man. Most recently, he toured with the reformed Pantera and his all-star project Zakk Sabbath, and delivered a standout performance at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show in Birmingham last July. In between, he still found time to write and record new songs for Black Label Society. The long-awaited twelfth studio album will be released in spring 2026, followed by a major tour. From February onwards, an extensive run across the United States and Canada is planned, before the new tracks are brought to Europe in summer.
Three singles have already been released ahead of the album: “The Gallows” launched in September 2024, followed by “Lord Humungus” in February 2025, and “Broken And Blind” in autumn 2025 as the third advance single. Zakk Wylde commented on the release in his trademark offbeat and humorous style:
“What’s up, people? This is Zakk Wylde from Black Label Society. This is a new song called ‘Broken And Blind’. It’s about peanut butter and chocolate and what happens when I don’t have either. My soul is broken and I’m blind with rage when I don’t have peanut butter and chocolate. So yeah, this song is called ‘Broken And Blind’. Thank you, have a nice day.”

Black Label Society was founded by Zakk Wylde in Los Angeles, California, in 1998. Their debut album Sonic Brew was released the same year. Most recently, the band released Doom Crew Inc. in 2021. Metal Hammer praised the album, stating:
“Of course, Wylde’s ultra-cool guitar riffs are at the heart of every track, repeatedly enhanced by acoustic guitars, piano and even organ sounds. But best of all: never before has Zakk Wylde sung as powerfully and with such variety as on ‘Doom Crew Inc.’”
To date, the band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums and one EP. Album number twelve will be released in spring 2026. Monster riffs guaranteed. “The main ingredient of every Black Label track is the riff,” says Zakk. That foundation has taken Black Label Society into the Billboard Top 5 Albums chart three times in a row. The BLS discography reads like a manual for finely crafted American hard rock and should be mandatory listening for all blues-based rock ’n’ roll musicians. Once again, the new songs were recorded at Zakk’s own Black Vatican Studio. Their simplicity is rooted in a lesson Wylde learned from Black Sabbath’s 1976 release We Sold Our Soul for Rock ’N’ Roll: “Less is often more. Except when it comes to guitar solos.”

Venom Inc. stand for the resurrection of a metal myth. The band officially formed on April 25, 2015, originally conceived by Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan as a one-off project. Then came the surprise at the Keep It True Festival in Lauda-Königshofen: during an Mpire Of Evil set, three Venom members took the stage together to play a handful of classics – and the venue exploded. Mantas on guitar, Demolition Man on bass and vocals, and Abaddon on drums: the legendary Prime Evil-era Venom line-up was suddenly real again.

The response was immediate. Promoters from around the world got in touch, and what had been planned as a one-time appearance turned into a new chapter. Under the name Venom Inc., the power trio toured the globe and celebrated international success.

Their debut album Avé was released in 2017 and hailed by fans and critics alike as the return of the true Venom spirit. In 2022, There’s Only Black followed via Nuclear Blast, once again to widespread acclaim. Performances in front of hundreds of thousands, festival highlights across the globe and extensive touring cemented the band’s status.

The unholy trinity is currently working on new material for a studio album due in 2026. In addition, two live albums and a new visual project are planned. If it once said “Here lies Venom,” today it is more true than ever: Here stands Venom Inc.