The band is not to be confused with Zakk Wylde's solo project (sometimes known as Book of Shadows after its only album) or with Pride & Glory, Wylde's southern rock band.
History
In 1992, Ozzy retired after the No More Tears tour, which led Zakk to form his own solo band Pride & Glory, blending potent bluesy southern rock with heavy metal. In 1994 Ozzy decided to come out of retirement, and the numerous recording sessions for Ozzmosis took place. Around this time, Zakk was also offered the open guitar slot in Guns N' Roses and had a hard time deciding whether to tour with Ozzy or join Guns N' Roses. Neither project panned out. This gave Wylde the opportunity to record his own acoustic solo album, "Book of Shadows." After limited commercial success with Book Of Shadows, in 1998, Zakk and drummer Phil Ondich formed Black Label Society and recorded their debut album "Sonic Brew." Nick Catanese had been Zakk's touring rhythm guitarist since the Book Of Shadows tour (Zakk records all guitars on his albums). Craig Nunenmacher has been drumming for the band since 1919 Eternal (2001) following Phil's departure. Previous bass players include current Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo, former Megadeth 4-stringer James Lomenzo, and current Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, who also played with Zakk on the No More Tears, Ozzy tour.
The band had their song "Fire It Up" featured as a bonus song in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero. Zakk Wylde has an avatar in the video game "Guitar Hero: World Tour", and the song "Stillborn" also appears.
Heart of Darkness
Black Label Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The engine that
Scream through the sky
As visions of crosses and graves
Fuel lifeless eyes
Desolation of hope and the death
Of one's prayers
Is beyond repair
Heart of darkness
Remorse has fallen away
Not of this world
For God is not here today
The coldness that sets in the air
As the ice fills the veins
Disorder and chaos overthrowing
The house of the sane
Desolation of hope and the death
Of one's prayers
The tarnished cage of goodwill
Is beyond repair
Heart of darkness
Remorse has fallen away
Not of this world
For God is not here today
Desolation of hope and the death
Of one's prayers
The tarnished cage of goodwill
Is beyond repair
Heart of darkness
Remorse has fallen away
Not of this world
For God is not here today
In the song "Heart of Darkness" by Black Label Society, the lyrics suggest a world overrun by chaos, disorder, and despair. The "angels of hatred" and the "engine that screams through the sky" represent war and destruction, while the visions of crosses and graves fuel the lifeless eyes of those experiencing the devastation. The phrase "heart of darkness" implies that the source of this destruction is within humanity itself, and that the world is not a place where God is currently present. The repetition of the lines "Desolation of hope and the death of one's prayers / The tarnished cage of goodwill is beyond repair" speaks to a sense of hopelessness and helplessness in the face of overwhelming destruction.
The overall message of "Heart of Darkness" seems to be a warning about the destructive power of humanity and the impact of war and violence on society. The lyrics suggest that once chaos and disorder take hold, it is impossible to repair the damage done. The repeated refrain of "remorse has fallen away / not of this world / for God is not here today" suggests that the consequences of our actions in this world may have longer-lasting effects than we realize.
Line by Line Meaning
The angels of hatred
The powerful forces of anger and negativity
The engine that
The driving force behind
Scream through the sky
Are heard far and wide
As visions of crosses and graves
Thoughts of death and suffering
Fuel lifeless eyes
Lead to a lack of hope and vitality
Desolation of hope and the death
The hopelessness and despair
Of one's prayers
That even prayer cannot help
The tarnished cage of goodwill
The once pure intentions now seen as corrupted
Is beyond repair
Cannot be fixed or redeemed
Heart of darkness
The core of despair
Remorse has fallen away
The feeling of regret and sorrow is no longer present
Not of this world
Something beyond our understanding or control
For God is not here today
There is no divine intervention or hope
The coldness that sets in the air
A sense of bleakness and emptiness
As the ice fills the veins
A numbness that takes over
Disorder and chaos overthrowing
The forces of disorder and chaos taking over
The house of the sane
Even the rational and logical minds cannot withstand
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ZAKK WYLDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
APDURN
FOREVER MY HERO. I met Mr. Wydle when I was 16. He came to our airbase overseas and hung out at our record shop before a show in Luxembourg and let me tell you. He changed my life that day. He said, “keep on playing little Sister, I got a feeling about you,”. I have never stopped . Thank you from the bottom of my soul. You’re playing is the sound of my life. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Tim Henning
Very cool! Hang in there 😉
APDURN
He also signed my shin when I asked (after making SURE my Mom was okay with it haha) and I got it tattooed on the next day (thanks Mom for letting me!) Because , any time I’ve almost given up, I look down at that tattoo and keep. On. Going. ⚡️
Pedro Henrique Ribeiro
Zakk Wylde... One of the best guitarists and musicians in the entire history of music!
Raiyu
Isn't it funny how some of the best guitarists and song writers ever, wrote the worst songs you could imagine. This is such an example. I could fart a better song than this. Infact, I just did whilst writing this comment. Farts rule!
John Smith
@Robert Cubinelli Very Alice in Chains with a bit of Ozzy and a southern rock garnish.
Ivan Snegireff
@erick saul chang perez hi
Ivan Snegireff
@Tommy Dolan love 🙏🏼💯💯💯💯💯💯🙏🏼🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Maynard Blaston
@Nick Plesh We also can't forget he had the greatest Metal singer of all time as a Mentor!
Draconior87
When I want some pure, plain, genuine rock, I know I can count on Zakk.