Doom Trooping at the Georgia Theatre: Black Label Society w/ Obituary & Prong.
Black Label Society (BLS) recently stormed through Athens, Ga. at the Georgia Theatre on their Doom Trooping over North America Tour (featuring Obituary & Prong) and I was fortunate enough to catch this tour stop. After a few failed attempts over the years, I finally received the opportunity to do photography at a BLS tour stop, so you could say I had a little bit of nerves leading up to this day. For those who do not know, BLS was founded by Zakk Wylde, guitarist (and founding member) in Zakk Sabbath, former guitarist in Pride & Glory and also played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne. Yeah, the same Ozzy Osbourne from the greatest metal band ever Black Sabbath.
Most notably, Wylde is recognized for his incredible work on Ozzy’s LPs: No Rest for the Wicked, No More Tears, & Ozzmosis. Wylde has performed on a total of five (5) LPs and three (3) Live LPs for the Prince of Darkness and counting. Enough about Zakk’s extensive resume, let’s talk about how many times this actual tour was postponed?! I believe this was the third date assigned to this tour stop in Athens, so give us an “A” for dedication and making sure we could be here.
Currently, Black Label Society consists of Zakk (vocals/lead guitar), John DeServio (bass/backing vocals), Dario Lorina (rhythm guitar/backing vocals), and Jeff Fabb (drums). BLS has released eleven (11) LPs since forming back in 1998 in Los Angeles, CA. Their latest, Doom Crew, Inc., will be released November 26, 2021, and features the following single, “Set You Free”. Follow this link to preorder your copy and get other great BLS merch! The thunderous set at the Georgia Theatre included tracks such as “Bleed for Me”, “Overlord”, “In This River”, “Suicide Messiah”, and “Stillborn” to name a few. During the part of set when Zakk plays piano for “In This River”, two huge backdrops featuring the faces of the Abbott brothers: Darryl and Vinnie draped over the cabinets during this song. As most people know, this song is now dedicated to the memories of two, now deceased, most-notable Pantera band members during the performance at every show. Closing out this epic night with their track, “Stillborn”, the energetic crowd let Zakk and Co. know that this was going to be a night that they would not forget.
Obituary is a death metal band that formed in Tampa, FL. back in 1984 and has released ten (10) LPs including the two (2) death metal classics Slowly We Rot (1989) and Cause of Death (1990). The band features John Tardy (vocals), Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (rhythm guitar), Terry Butler (bass), and Ken Andrews (lead guitar). They are also considered a central part in the development of the specific genre death metal over the years. Trust me when I say, Obituary has not skipped a beat over the years and is more brutal than ever! Take it from someone who has seen Obituary back in the mid 1990’s, early 2000’s, and now present-day. Check out all their music at Obituary’s Official Bandcamp page today! Also, you can check out their setlist from this night below:
Set list: Obituary Georgia Theatre 10/22/2021
· Redneck Stomp
· Sentence Day
· A Lesson in Vengeance
· Visions in My Head
· Chopped in Half
· Turned Inside Out
· A Dying World
· Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)
· Straight to Hell
· I’m in Pain
· Slowly We Rot
Prong is a heavy metal band from New York City that formed back in 1986 by front man/guitarist (and founding member) Tommy Victor. Prong has released twelve (12) LPs, one (1) live LP, and four (4) EPs since their formation. Currently, Prong features Tommy, Jason Christopher (bass/backing vocals), and Aaron Rossi (drums). They brought back some fond memories with some of their songs like “Test” and “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” during this night’s opening set. Prong, considered a major influence in the groove metal genre, did endure a brief hiatus between 1996-2002, but since their reformation Prong has been touring as much as possible to give the fans what they want.
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