LIVE FROM THE PIT: Black Label Society, Venom Inc. and Dark Chapel

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY have been a band that have been wowing audiences since 1998. For a band to have this much notoriety they must be doing something more than right, and their latest UK tour has solidified why they have evolved into the iconic band they are today. 

Opening the evening were DARK CHAPEL. Fronted by Dario Lorina from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, the band are fairly new in their formation, however played as though they had been doing this for decades. Opening with Afterglow, an anthemic song that felt cinematic as the phenomenal riffs soared through the crowd. Each song felt like a great blend of sludgy grooves with a blues/grunge feel. 

By the time they played a cover of Bill Withers’ song Ain’t No Sunshine you could truly see that the talent on stage was on another level. Whilst the ties to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY could arguably be the reason they did so well on stage, the audience reaction and applause told everyone they deserve the recognition this tour is giving them. 

Next up were British heavy metal rockers VENOM INC. Hailing from Newcastle, this band are old school to their core. Featuring a member from the original VENOM line up from 1989, the three piece are confident that they are more than just a cover band by creating songs that are both classic and modern at the same time. With only one cover of the VENOM song Cursed, the band showcased the range of songs that they have created in subsequent years. 

Their songs were full of never ending riffs and drums that rattle you alongside classic northern grit that lends well to heavy metal. Vocalist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan paid tribute to those metal icons that have passed such as Phil Campbell before exploding into a Motorhead cover of The Hammer  This band know how to play music and play it well. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4C0g5gFr1Y

Before BLACK LABEL SOCIETY takes to the stage, a giant logo covered curtain rises to help cover what’s to come, allowing the mystery to stay that way for a little while longer. You can feel the excitement building in the sold out venue as the time draws closer to curtains up and by the time the opening sounds of Whole Lotta Love and War Pigs came through the venue speakers, the crowd could hardly contain themselves with excitement. 

Stood in front of a wall of amps are the band, shaking the venue as they open with Funeral Bell. There doesn’t seem to be much time to slow down the pace as the band race through in the most perfect of ways and the audience go wild with crowd surfers and mosh pits galore. 

Supported with a tower of skulls around his microphone, vocalist Zakk Wylde is every part the frontman that a band needs. Stepping onto the riser in front of him, he reaches to the sky, plays powerful riffs, and sends the audience into a frenzy. Backed by a band that are equally as talented, there is no stopping these music making machines. 

Wylde takes time out of the set to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in the most fitting of ways before playing No More Tears. This tribute is one of the few moments that the band stops for a breath and takes in the show. The other is when Wylde introduces everyone by saying which British classic they hate, leading to football like chants for fish and chips. 

The crowd was a huge mix of ages, showcasing that the band has created timeless music that transcends generations to unite them in a BLACK LABEL SOCIETY chapter. Each song has a blend of classic rock, metal, and southern roots that truly allow each band member to showcase their own talents in a cohesive way. Utilising the piano in In This River and playing insane riffs to Ozzy’s Song allow the band to showcase their emotions and show their softer side to the hard metal exterior.

With the audience transfixed from the first chord to the closing bars, the band gave them 90 minutes of pure insane energy and non-stop music met with rapturous applause. Ending with the behemoth of Stillborn, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY showed the audience that they are not slowing down with this massive crushing finale and cemented themselves as a legacy in the rock world.

Words and photos: Laura Davies