DVD Review: Black Label Society - Doom Troopin' Live (The European Invasion)

Black Label Society is the brainchild of longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zack Wylde, who formed the band in 1998 while on extended hiatus from his Ozzy duties. After releasing a bluesy, Southern-rock fueled, metal opus under the name Pride And Glory in 1994, he followed up with a solo acoustic album titled Book Of Shadows in 1996. In 1999, Wylde came out guns a' blazing with a new Black Sabbath meets Alice In Chains blend of dark and raunchy heavy metal in the form of Black Label Society. As this DVD attests, the band has been going strong ever since.

I have only been a casual fan of Zakk Wylde since first hearing him on Ozzy's No Rest For The Wicked album of 1989, but he has always captured my attention when I hear him play. I find his overuse of the pinch-harmonic technique a little annoying at times, but I love the raw power of his tone. His brutal guitar work on the last few Derek Sherinian albums, is mostly what inspired me to check out this latest BLS offering, as I have not really followed their career.

Doom Troopin' Live - The European Invasion is centered around the band's June 17, 2005 concert at the Elysee Monmatre in Paris, France - otherwise known as "The Paris Chapter". This was augmented by four songs recorded during their June 3, 2005 show at the Astoria in London, England - aka "The London Chapter."

The "Paris Chapter" show is the main feature of this DVD and includes an explosive, 15-song, 104-minute performance by the band. The film begins with a short behind-the-scenes video montage, before cutting to the darkened stage, as sirens blare and strobe lights flare to signal the entrance of Zakk and the band. Wylde kicks off the show with an extended guitar solo using his new Randy Rhoads' replica, white and black polka dotted Flying V, which was made for him by GMW Guitars. The guitar definitely helped to channel Rhoads' spirit during this powerhouse solo.

The first song of the night, "Stoned and Drunk, "comes from 2003's The Blessed Hellride album and never lets up from the intensity of the opening salvo. Wylde is not your average looking guitar god. Built like an NFL linebacker, dressed in his own brand of denim and leather biker attire, and sporting ass-length dirty-blond hair and a long scraggly beard that would make Billy Gibbons jealous, he does not look like a guy you'd want to fuck with. His singing sounds like a steroid-fueled mix of Layne Staley and Sabbath-era Ozzy, but it fits these rowdy metal anthems to a T.

From the very first song on, he pauses every few minutes to chug one of several pints of beer which have been strategically placed around a lighted "Pub Open" sign that sits proudly on the rear of the stage. Sometimes he doesn't even miss a beat, continuing to play the song with his fret hand, while downing a brew with the other one - which he does so effectively during his "Iron Man" interlude. Now that's coordination. It is amazing that this guy can play with such speed and precision, let alone stand up, considering all the beer he drinks before and during the show. The backstage footage attests to that.

The set list focused primarily on BLS's two most recent albums at the time, 2003's The Blessed Hellride, and the album that sparked this tour, Mafia, from 2005. It didn't take more than the first song to realize that this video was going to be inundated with various annoying special effects. You've got your black and white look, your purposely fuzzy look, your acid-trip look, the multiple split screens, and on and on. Are there really people who think that this adds to the presentation? To be fair, I've seen them used much worse than on this DVD, but I'd still prefer to just see the band and their light show.

Wylde and the band tear through such monster tracks as "Destruction Overdrive," "Funeral Bell," and "Suffering Overdue" from The Blessed Hellride, as well as the excellent new "Been A Long Time," from Mafia. For the sixth song, Wylde dims the mood with his moving tribute to the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, with "In This River." The Mafia version is basically a piano ballad with guitar embellishments, but here Wylde transforms it into a stunning guitar arrangement that propels the song well beyond ballad territory.

Ten songs in, Wylde puts down his Les Paul to indulge in a little solo acoustic jam, where he lays down everything from DiMeola-esque fusion to some slow-burning blues. The end of the jam is highlighted by some riffs from the two Ozzy classics "Diary Of A Madman" and "Mama I'm Coming Home." Next, he finally takes us back further than just a few years, going all the way to the 1999 BLS debut album, Sonic Brew, with "Spoke In The Wheel." "Spoke" continues where the acoustic jam left off, but halfway through the song, Wylde straps on his Rhoads' Flying V and proceeds to WAIL! He eventually jumps down into the pit and solos away as amazed fans grope at him and his guitar. He eventually lets them take it from him, as frantic security guards scramble to get it back.

"Stillborn" gets extended dramatically, as the band jams magnificently for several minutes before finally revealing the familiar chords to this fan favorite. To close out the show, Wylde dedicates "Genocide Junkies" to the troops, as the befuddled French look on like "EH?." Things get really chaotic now, as Wylde pulls about 20 people from the crowd up onto the stage, as the rest of  the band continues on with the song. At one point, one of these guys straps on Wylde's guitar and jams away with the band - quite well too! After most of the fans have stage-dived back to their respective places in the crowd, Wylde finally notices this guy soloing away on his guitar and shoots him this priceless "look at this fucking guy" smile. After graciously allowing him a final solo at center stage, Wylde takes back over and finishes the song properly.

The "London Chapter" portion of the DVD only includes four songs, "Been a Long Time," "Suicide Messiah," "Stillborn," and "Genocide Junkies," all of which were performed on the main featured. The inclusion of some songs that weren't performed during the Paris set, would have made this a more worthy inclusion, but I guess we shouldn't complain about having too much live content.

The overall production quality of this DVD was very good, once you get past the stupid video special effects. Both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio options are provided and they put Zakk's guitar way up in the mix — as it should be. A DD stereo track is also included for those without surround amps, but I didn't even try it. The camera work provides some excellent angles which capture the energy and atmosphere of the show superbly. This one definitely makes you feel like you are right there.

The Bonus Features are highlighted by the excellent 50-minute "Backstage Pass" feature which takes you backstage, on the tour bus, to a record store signing, and with Wylde accepting his "Metal Hammer" award - which he promptly tosses in to the crowd. For all you guitar freaks, the best thing of all may be all of the intimate close-ups of Zakk warming up, or just jamming for the fun of it, using a variety of guitars. Also included are the videos for "Suicide Messiah," "In This River," and "Fire It Up," as well as a short "The making of Suicide Messiah" feature.

Doom Troopin' Live is one hell of a good bargain considering the price (around $15) and the generous amount of content. Most importantly you get a killer performance by one of metal's best guitarists, and one of the few American bands left carrying the old-school metal torch. I think all of you BLS chapters have good reason to celebrate, and continue to bleed Black Label!

Set Lists

Paris Chapter:
01. Stoned and Drunk
02. Destruction Overdrive
03. Been A Long Time
04. Funeral Bell
05. Suffering Overdue
06. In This River
07. Suicide Messiah
08. Demise Of Sanity
09. Spread Your Wings
10. Solo Acoustic Jam
11. Spoke In The Wheel
12. Fire It Up
13. Stillborn
14. Genocide Junkies

London Chapter:
01. Been a Long Time
02. Suicide Messiah
03. Stillborn
04. Genocide Junkies

Performance 8/10
Production 8/10