Live report ZAKK SABBATH & LOWEN, Markthalle, Hamburg – March 18th, 2025

Zakk Wylde is a busy man these days. Having just finished a tour with Pantera, the guitar wizard from New Jersey started another tour, this time with Zakk Sabbath. The guitarist has a great passion for the early works of the metal legends from Birmingham and his years as Ozzy Osbourne‘s guitarist underline this fascination.

Zakk Sabbath is more of a side project than a band, although the guys have released two long-players with covers of Black Sabbath classics, “Vertigo” and “Doomed Forever Forever Doomed”. Tonight, Wylde, along with John DeServio and Jeff Fabb, are in Hamburg for a show at the Markthalle. Arriving at the venue, the first thing you notice is a long waiting line. Tonight’s show is a “sold out” event, because it doesn’t happen very often that Zakk Wylde plays shows in Europe.

The opening act this evening is a band from the UK. I can’t say that I’m very familiar with Lowen‘s music, and the first thing you see is the small table next to the microphone with a hatchet, a book and other altar-like objects. That gives you an idea of what to expect. Lowen have found their own musical identity by combining the middle-eastern heritage of vocalist Nina Saeidi with heavy riffs that sometimes lean more towards doom metal. Unfortunately, their 30-minute set isn’t one of the best I’ve ever seen or heard. There is a lot of drama on stage that reminds more of a mystic ritual than a pure metal show.

This would be ok if the music would be more the driving force. Let’s put it this way. You have to get used to Saeidi’s voice and the style of her singing, while the music itself stays very much in the same pattern. The room is already well filled since everybody wants to secure a good spot for the main act, but a real enthusiasm is missing. After 30 minutes of average metal, axe-swinging and book-reading, Lowen leave the stage and everyone looks forward to Zakk Wylde and his bandmates.

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The atmosphere at the Markthalle changes when Zakk Sabbath enters the stage. Like at the recent Pantera shows, Zakk Wylde takes a quick walk around the stage, masked and filming with his cell phone. This is an unusual start and a lot of fun at the same time. After such a short stroll across the stage, the trio starts their set with “Supernaut” from Black Sabbath’s “Vol. 4”. What follows is 100 minutes of pure and raw metal. “Snowblind”, “Faries Weart Boots”, ” Children of the Grave”,… – each of these songs is a classic and a treat for metal fans. No wonder that the crowd is completely adrenalized. It is the full metal blast – from breathtaking moments to wild headbanging.

Great songs and longer solo parts demonstrate the greatness of Black Sabbath songs as well as the expertise of the three musicians with Zakk Wylde in the center. Nevertheless, he leaves enough space for his two companions on stage and you have the feeling to see and listen to a band.

However, the guitars and the vocals are in the center of these Zakk-alyzed interpretations of Black Sabbath songs. Wylde’s voice reminds more than once of Ozzy Osbourne and it’s the furious guitar playing that puts a spell on everyone present tonight.

The show ends with two more highlights. There is “N.I.B.” and the timeless doom metal anthem “War Pigs”, the finale of a great evening. The latter also includes a longer solo part by Zakk Wylde in the middle of the room, surrounded by enthusiastic fans. It is obvious that everybody is enjoying this moment – guitarist and fans. Besides all the excellent guitar performance, it is this close contact to the fans that makes Zakk Wylde a very respected musician.

As I said, it’s not often that you get to see a Zakk Sabbath show in Europe, so it was a special moment for fans of the guitar wizard and metalheads who appreciate the metal power of Black Sabbath. After 100 minutes of legendary metal songs everyone is exhausted and happy having been part of a very special show with only highlights.