In the heart of Southampton, where maritime history meets metal mastery, the 1865 hosted one of the most heavy metal events of its existence – a night of heavy riffs and nostalgic nods.

★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

**ZAKK SABBATH PERFORMING AT THE 1865 IN SOUTHAMPTON**
**PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI**

The evening kicked off with Lowen, a band that doesn’t just play doom metal, but elevates it to a masterful performance. With very obvious middle eastern influences and an array of stage props, the band’s crushing doom sound and skin-crawling vocals had the crowd’s eyes peeled through the whole set. The room was packed full since doors opened, and the hypnotic sounds of Lowen had everyone swinging like a collective body. Notably, the singer had a variety of weapons that she used on stage – like a sharp dagger and an axe – as well as softer props such as a spellbook. It was a very interesting and different set to watch live, and a great start to a very anticipated gig.

It is not often that Zakk Wylde visits smaller venues. A guitarist of his scale is probably more accustomed to playing in front of tens of thousands of people, yet a smaller venue didn’t stop him from giving the show everything he’s got. Zakk Sabbath have an iconic lineup, with the indomitable guitarist joined by Blasko on the bass (and for those who don’t know he also played with Ozzy, Rob Zombie and Danzig) and Joey Castillo (Danzig and Queen of the Stone Age) on drums. With a trio of their talent and experience, we were already in for a great night.

Zakk came on stage draped in his signature kilt and purple swirl guitars, instantly launching into ‘Supernaut’, igniting the crowd with the raw and nostalgic energy of classic Black Sabbath tunes. Every song was at least 5 minutes long, with multiple inimitable and masterful guitar solos and excess guitar prowess. The rhythm section of the songs was filled by intense bass and thunderous drumming, adding momentum to the performance. Without taking a single break between the songs and endless guitar solos, the band performed a set that would bring into tears the most heavy duty Sabbath fans. The setlist consisted of iconic anthems such as ‘Wicked World’, ‘Fairies Wear Boots’, ‘Children of the Grave’ and ‘Wall of Sleep’.

Through the set, there were balloons floating across the crowd, guitar picks flying into raised hands, lots of sing-alongs and fists raised high. When ‘N.I.B’ came on, the crowd took over the singing completely, surprising the band. Zakk Wylde did some brief introductions in between, addressing his audience for the first time after performing ferociously for an hour and a half. As a last stint, he walked through the audience during ‘War Pigs’ and the crowd chanting echoed around him, blurring the lines between performer and fan. Playing the guitar in every single position possible (front, back, sideways, above his head), he provided a masterclass in skilful guitar-playing – as if we didn’t already know he’s one of the best.

The night ended with flushed faces of people asking for more, so we hope that he decides to visit Southampton soon again.