Zakk Sabbath – Doomed Forever Forever Doomed
Release Date: 1st March 2024
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Heavy Metal
FFO: Black Sabbath, Zakk Wylde.
Review By: Paul Cairney
When you have one of the great metal guitarists playing some of the greatest metal riffs ever written, you know that you are in for a good time.
Zakk Wylde has been playing Black Sabbath songs for a long time, being the long-time guitarist in Ozzy’s band obviously helped this. I also remember him playing ‘War Pigs’ at 1994’s Monsters of Rock Festival at Donington. Sabbath tracks are in his DNA, so it makes perfect sense for him to form a tribute band to the mighty Black Sabbath, lovingly crafting recreations of classic albums.
Doomed Forever Forever Doomed is the 2nd album proper from Zakk Sabbath (see what he did there?) and it is a double album borne of almost adulation of the songs. The trio are made up with Blasko (Rob Zombie) on bass and Joey Castillo (Danzig, QotSA) on drums, and together they have recorded their versions of ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Masters of Reality’ putting out a double album.
First things first, this album does not reinvent the wheel. This is not a reimagining of the songs. This is a faithful retelling of the albums, with a little bit of guitar wizardry from Zakk, so expect the traditional pinch harmonies and scintillating solos. What is noticeable on the album is the production quality. Obviously, modern techniques make the songs cleaner, I’ll let you decide if this is an improvement to the original material or not.
There are a number of stand-out tracks, as you would imagine, from 2 of the great heavy metal albums. Opener, ‘War Pigs’ is expectedly outstanding, the keys added to ‘Planet Caravan’ add depth to a slower track and, dare I say it, Zakk’s vocals suit the song better than the original.
Throughout the album, the original riffs are caressed with the attention a museum curator gives to ancient books. ‘Electric Funeral’, ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ and, especially, ‘Children of the Grave’ are treated with unfettered awe by Blasko and Castillo in general and Zakk Wylde in particular. The care the band takes to recreate the songs borders on obsession, to the benefit of the album.
Doomed Forever Forever Doomed has to be taken for what it is. This is not a cheap cash-in on the legacy of Black Sabbath, this is created out of love for a band and the joy Zakk Sabbath obviously take from playing tracks that defined a genre. The album will have you drumming the air, thrashing your air guitar and generally headbanging like a deranged lunatic.
Doomed Forever Forever Doomed will also have you reaching for your Black Sabbath back catalogue and listening to the originals for the first time in many years. Perhaps this was the intention of Zakk Sabbath all along.
(4.5 / 5)
