ZAKK SABBATH
Vertigo
MAGNETIC EYE
Ozzy Osbourne axeman goes full fanboy for the Godfathers Of Metal
Sharon Osbourne once joked that Zakk Wylde is “a man who’s wonderfully mediocre at recreating other people’s songs on guitar.” Based on Vertigo, it may have been a warning. Zakk Sabbath’s debut album is a note-for-note recreation of Black Sabbath, celebrating the masterpiece’s 50th anniversary. Outright, its existence is pointless, especially since Zakk’s riffs and vocals are so allegiant to Tony Iommi and Ozzy’s. Yet, Vertigo remains fun to listen to, in the same way low-budget Star Wars fan films on YouTube are fun to watch. You can feel the passion for the original oozing from every second and there’s something admirable in that. Overall, “wonderfully mediocre” is a scarily accurate summary.