Everyone's Personality Is in Their Phrasing
Total Guitar|March 2022
He plays heavy with Black Label Society and Ozzy, but Zakk Wylde is inspired by the emotion in blues and "pentatonic insanity" of jazz fusion
By Amit Sharma. Photographs by Jen Rosenstein
Everyone's Personality Is in Their Phrasing

The world may still feel like it's in a state of pause, but that's not enough to stop Zakk Wylde from doing what he does best. He ended 2021 out on the road with Black Label Society, while teasing singles from the band's 11th studio album Doom Crew Inc. - another masterclass in blues-based metal and pentatonic shred. And continuing his long association with Ozzy Osbourne, he features on the singer's forthcoming album alongside three legends in Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Tony Iommi.

In one of the new BLS tracks, End Of Days, your solo climaxes with a pentatonic run in six-its like hearing Eric Johnson or Joe Bonamassa with more distortion!

I learned all of that from players like John McLaughlin and Frank Marino. When I first listened to (jazz fusion pioneers] Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jan Hammer and Jerry Goodman would be doubling what John McLaughlin was doing. That stuff felt like true pentatonic insanity to me. Hearing Eric Johnson and Bonamassa doing it came quite a while after for me, but I'm glad I discovered their pentatonic goodness!

Those kinds of licks can be quite a challenge for the picking hand. How did you get them up to speed?

Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Total Guitar.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Total Guitar.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA TOTAL GUITARSe alt
"You Can Imagine a Song in a Completely Different Genre" - The mysterious Lord Phobos, guitarist for TWRP, has covered everything from disco to Def Leppard in his collaborations with tongue-in-cheek duo Ninja Sex Party.
Total Guitar

"You Can Imagine a Song in a Completely Different Genre" - The mysterious Lord Phobos, guitarist for TWRP, has covered everything from disco to Def Leppard in his collaborations with tongue-in-cheek duo Ninja Sex Party.

The mysterious Lord Phobos, guitarist for TWRP, has covered everything from disco to Def Leppard in his collaborations with tongue-in-cheek duo Ninja Sex Party. He explains what makes a great cover version - and reveals the one guitar and the one pedal he couldn't live without...

time-read
9 mins  |
August 2024
Some Things You Want to Tweak and Make Your Own- How the Foos' Chris Shiflett reworked two rock classics on his recent solo EP
Total Guitar

Some Things You Want to Tweak and Make Your Own- How the Foos' Chris Shiflett reworked two rock classics on his recent solo EP

Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett is also a solo artist in his own right, and his latest EP Starry Nights & Campfire includes Lights covers of two great old rock tracks - Thin Lizzy's Cowboy Song and the ballad Don't You Ever Leave Me by Hanoi Rocks, the Finnish band that did so much to inspire Guns N' Roses.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2024
"It Gives Me Physical Satisfaction To Play Funk Riffs!" - Into the groove with Giacomo Turra, the Italian guitarist who made his name covering classics by Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars and more...
Total Guitar

"It Gives Me Physical Satisfaction To Play Funk Riffs!" - Into the groove with Giacomo Turra, the Italian guitarist who made his name covering classics by Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars and more...

Into the groove with Giacomo Turra, the Italian guitarist who made his name covering classics by Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars and more... Born in Milan, his funk guitar sensibility can be traced back to the dance studio where his mother taught, and the tunes he heard blasting out of her boombox. "I like to experiment with a lot of genres, but the really interesting thing for me is I really grew up on funk, and a little bit of jazz and fusion music," he says.

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2024
- Try out these creative tips and make your cover versions stand out
Total Guitar

- Try out these creative tips and make your cover versions stand out

Try out these creative tips and make your cover versions stand out

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
BEAUX GRIS GRIS & THE APOCALYPSE
Total Guitar

BEAUX GRIS GRIS & THE APOCALYPSE

Heavily requested on rock radio stations thanks to their unique twist on bluesy Americana, Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse are the kind of band that thrive in front of large crowds on hot summer days just as much as more intimate performances inside sweaty underground basements.

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
BOSS KATANA-50 GEN 3
Total Guitar

BOSS KATANA-50 GEN 3

The Japanese giant cuts through the noise with its new practice amp

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
SOLOKING MS-1 CUSTOM 22 HH
Total Guitar

SOLOKING MS-1 CUSTOM 22 HH

A great value guitar looking to clash headstocks with the big boys

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
IK MULTIMEDIA TONEX ONE
Total Guitar

IK MULTIMEDIA TONEX ONE

The most powerful amp modeller for its size, bar none

time-read
2 mins  |
August 2024
YAMAHA PACIFICA STANDARD PLUS PACS+12M
Total Guitar

YAMAHA PACIFICA STANDARD PLUS PACS+12M

Yamaha's long-running doublecut finally gets a makeover

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2024
NO MORE MR.BRIGHTSIDE!
Total Guitar

NO MORE MR.BRIGHTSIDE!

The 10 songs you should never cover. Or at least think twice before trying...

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2024