BLACK LABEL SOCIETY & ANTHRAX IN PITTSBURGH

Black Label Society and Anthrax rolled into The Burgh' and brought their 2022 co-headlining tour with Hatebreed as support and rabid metal fans in tow. Black Label is currently on tour to support their 2021 release of Doom Crew Inc. Anthrax is celebrating 40 years of being thrash metal legends. The Mad Viking Crew and some members of The Horde were there to take it all in! I was personally stoked for the opportunity to shoot the band on stage in action!

The evening started off with a huge meet and greet as Zakk and the crew took photos with fans. After a big group photo of the Pittsburgh Chapter, the crowds began to file in. The lights went down and Hatebreed took the stage. Hatebreed kicked off the evening with “Proven” from their 2002 album Perseverance. While vocalist Jamey Jasta told the crowd the night was one of celebrating four decades of Anthrax, Hatebreed are celebrating themselves the 20th anniversary of Perseverance and the 25th birthday of 1997’s Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire. Songs from both albums were represented in the setlist that night. If you haven’t caught Hatebreed in action, they are going back out starting in October on their "WEIGHT OF THE FALSE SELF WORLD TOUR". 

After a quick set change, our bearded brethren of doom, BLS opened their set with “Funeral Bell” from The Blessed Hellride album. The photo pit was buzzing with 5 photographers as we all traded positions trying to get the best shots of the night. After the third song Overlord ended, we all emptied out of the photo pit and returned to our seats. A great highlight of the evening is when Zakk jumped on piano and started into the song “In This River” to the memory of Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Rumor has it that Pantera will be going on tour next year. The lineup is said to include Zakk Wylde on guitar and Charlie Benante from Anthrax on drums. This is something that I know a lot of fans are eagerly waiting for. The energy of the night was massive and Black Label amped the crowd by ending their set with Suicide Messiah and Stillborn.

So. You wouldn’t think an Anthrax set begins with Keanu Reeves, but it did. Reeves along with numerous actors, musicians and comedians were shown in a video tribute marking the band’s 40th anniversary on the drop curtain in front of the stage and as that curtain dropped and the intro chords to “Among the Living” sounded, it was the alarm that Anthrax was ready to give their fans a thrash metal beatdown. The fans instinctively reciprocated by moshing in a circle pit in the center of the floor all night and crowd surfing in an irrelevant display of excitement. The energy in the room was combustible from the first song to the last. My favorite shot I got of the night was of Scott Ian during the second song of "Caught in a Mosh" (Photo below).

I want to personally thank Talena the Tour Manager and Zakk Wylde & The Black Label Society Family for letting us shoot the the show. The Doom Crew are one of the best in the business and we here at Mad Viking consider them all family.

If you haven’t checked out Black Label's newest album "Doom Crew Inc." Click here: "Doom Crew Inc." They also carry a line of beard products under the Mad Viking flag here: Black Label Society Beard Care collection.

 Article by Jason Sealand 

Jason is part owner of the Mad Viking Beard Company and is an avid photographer and lover of all things music.