ZAKK SABBATH offer a New Year's Eve tribute to the pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal in Silver Spring, Md.

Article by: Sean Mickel

Photographs by: Kim Mickel

Zakk Sabbath leads the King Of The Monstours Tour to The Fillmore Silver Spring to throw a New Year's Eve party, not only for the Maryland chapter of BLS, but for anyone who appreciates music from three of hard rock and heavy metal's biggest and most influential bands.

Zakk's co-hosts for the night's festivities were The Iron Maidens, the world's only all female tribute to Iron Maiden, and Zoso, billed as The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience.

We haven't gone out to celebrate New Year's Eve in years, but the allure of ringing in 2025 with live music was too much for us to resist. We arrived at the venue and endured a bit of consistent rain before we made our way inside. The Fillmore opened it's doors in 2011 in the historic district of Silver Spring, and occupies the former site of a JCPenny's department store. It has an open general admission floor with a bar on either side of the stage, helping to ease crowding. This was especially useful on a night such as New Year's Eve. Above, all three sides have premier balcony seating offering direct views of the stage.

I secured a spot in front of the soundboard, and conversed with a few people while waiting for the show to begin. The start time was later than what we are used to, possibly pushed back to ensure a New Year's Eve metal moment? The venue was fulling up quickly and I was glad to see a packed house.

At approximately 8:30, the lights go down, and Doctor Doctor by U.F.O. starts playing over the P.A., as our opening act for the evening - The Iron Maidens, prepare to take the stage. Formed in 2011, The Iron Maidens have toured the world extensively performing both classic and rare Maiden tracks with phenomenal precision. The Iron Maidens lineup currently consists of original drummer, Linda (Nikki McBurrain) McDonald, formerly of the band Phantom Blue, bringing the percussion. The band's second longest tenured member, Wanda (Steph Harris) Ortiz, provides the galloping bass which is a staple of Maiden music. On vocals, the amazing Kristen (Bruce Chickinson) Rosenberg commands the stage and brings her powerful pipes. On the twin axes, two incredibly gifted guitarists, Nikki (Davina Murray) Stringfield, and the newest addition to the band, Alyssa (Adriana Smith) Day. Alyssa took over duties from Courtney Cox, who recently joined Burning Witches. Nita Strauss, lead guitarist for the legendary Alice Cooper is also a former member.

As Doctor Doctor ends, Winston Churchill's speech begins, and we start the night with the classic Aces High. Kristen, looking the part by sporting an aviator hat and glasses, hits all the high notes like the proverbial air raid siren, as Nikki and Alyssa trade off guitar solos and faces are melting early!! Wasted Years is next, and the opening notes of this song always give me goosebumps, as my wife, and Rockreational Activities photographer, walked down the aisle to this song at our wedding. The girls nailed it to perfection. The Iconic cyborg Eddie makes an appearance during the solos to take some shots at the crowd and the band before exiting the stage.

The Trooper is up, and they bring everything they've got on this one. Kristen is in Trooper gear, sporting the red British jacket, proudly waving both the British and American flags during the song. They tear through this one, and the crowd participation is in high gear, with everyone chanting and singing along. This leads right into a deeper cut, Flash Of The Blade from the Powerslave album. An incredible song with an amazing riff and a catchy beat. It's a song that has always been one of my favorites, and the crowd appreciated a song they normally wouldn't get to hear live.

We get two more classics to end the set with a one two punch of Number Of The Beast and Run To The Hills. The energy on the last two songs was over the top and the girls fed off of that energy, and ended their set spectacularly. They were on fire, firing on all cylinders, and having a good time. They set the pace for the evening, as the night was just getting started.

After a quick set change, it was time for a slight shift in energy. The lights dim to set the mood as Zoso prepares to take the stage. Founding members - vocalist Matt Jernigan and bassist Adam Sandling are joined by long time drummer Bevan Davis and Scott Hathaway on guitar (who joined the band just prior to the start of this tour).

They open their set with two Zeppelin mainstays - Good Times Bad Times and Communication Breakdown, with Jernigan embodying everything Robert Plant. He had the look, the voice, the moves, and the stage presence locked in. The Rover, off of Physical Graffiti is next followed by one of Zeppelin's heaviest tunes, Immigrant song. The crowd sings and chants along as the vigor of the crowd is taken up a notch. Scott Hathaway is playing like a man possessed channeling his inner Jimmy Page during this song.

What Is And What Should Never Be is up, and performed exquisitely, complete with an amazing slide bar solo by Hatahawy. Another crowd favorite follows as they rip through Black Dog. They cap off their set with two songs from Houses Of The Holy. The first being The Ocean, followed by Over The Hill And Far Away. It was an incredible performance by all four musicians that captured the vibe of what I think a live Led Zeppelin show would've been like.

Another set change takes place, and the mood is about to change yet again. This time . . . to Doom. This iteration of Zakk Sabbath includes Zakk's Black Label Society bandmates, bassist John JD DeServio and drummer Jeff Fabb. Jeff takes his spot behind his kit as the spotlights shine down on him. He pumps up the crowd as Supertzar plays over the house system, preparing the crowd for the star of the party, Zakk Wylde. Zakk appears on stage, in all his kilted glory, along with John, a bundle of energy, who sported an infectious smile throughout the show.

They open with Supernaut, a classic from the seminal album, Vol. 4, which would be heavily represented on this evening. Zakk belts out the first line, and his voice is eerily similar to Ozzy's early years. Zakk cemented his legacy as Ozzy's off and on lead guitarist from the late 80's up until the Prince of Darkness' last tour, and he has the lineage, and the respect from the architects of Metal. His other projects include both BLS, and of course playing guitar for Pantera as they tour with Metallica, and headline their own shows around the world.

The Vol. 4 theme continues with Snowblind, Under The Sun, and an amazing rendition of Tomorrow's Dream. Zakk is heavily influenced by early Sabbath, and the middle of the set mirrors this fact. The next seven songs are all curated from the first 3 albums, including the jazz influenced Wicked World, and Wall Of Sleep from their self titled debut album. The excitement of the crowd is heightened during Fairies Wear Boots, and Zakk and the boys return the energy in full force.

They then dive into three in a row from the 1971 masterpiece - Masters Of Reality. Into The Void leads into a powerful version of Children Of The Grave, followed by one of my favorite Sabbath songs, Lord Of This World. Hand of Doom is played next with an extended bass intro. But instead of singing Geezer Butler's written lyrics, Zakk introduces his band and presents some interesting and comical facts about his bandmates' nicknames and dietary habits. It's getting close to Midnight and the boys are having fun. John DeServio is in the spotlight next as he begins the bass line for Basically, which of course, is the intro to N.I.B.. The New Year is minutes away, and Zakk has the crowd in a frenzy, singing the chorus in unison for him and the energy was to the max. An extended guitar solo ended the song at exactly midnight, a far more exhilarating experience than watching the ball drop. After the song ended, we got an official (unofficial) New Year's Eve countdown from Zakk, even if it was 30 seconds late.

After New Year's drinks, kisses, and high fives, we get one more song to end the night. The air raid sirens commence, and the first notes of War Pigs ring out. The crowd loses their collective minds. During the extended solo, Zakk exits the stage and moves through the crowd, standing in the middle of the floor, just feet from my position in front of the soundboard. He set up there for a few minutes before returning to the stage to finish his solo. Utilizing all of his skills, including playing behind his back and with his teeth, he never misses a note. They wrap up the song and take a bow as Zakk's guitar, which he laid on the stage, continues to chirp through the amps. The band throw out picks, sticks, and setlists and exit the stage.

It was a remarkable performance from all three bands, and a unique way to celebrate New Year's Eve. The King Of Monstours tour continues through the next few weeks ending on January 15th. The final two shows are rescheduled dates from shows in December that were postponed so Zakk could rest his voice under doctors' recommendation. If you are a fan of the roots of hard rock and heavy metal, or you're just looking for a great night out with live music, be sure to catch this show before its too late!