There are Heavy Metal gigs, and then there are nights where the walls seem to sweat Jack Daniel’s, Marshall stacks, and pure riff worship. The return of Black Label Society to the O2 Forum Kentish Town for Summer 2026 Part 1 was exactly that. Joined by Venom Inc. and Dark Chapel, this was a lineup built for denim, leather, ringing ears, and neck muscles destined to regret every decision the next morning.
Black Label Society – Venom Inc. – Dark Chapel
O2 Forum Kentish Town, London – 29 May 2026
Words: Ash Nash
Photography: Robert Sutton
The London date was part of a short UK run alongside Glasgow and Bournemouth, bringing together three generations of heavy music under one roof. From pioneering architects of Extreme Metal to rising talent and one of modern Metal’s most beloved institutions, this was a celebration of heavy music’s past, present, and future.
Dark Chapel
Openers Dark Chapel provided an intriguing contrast. Fronted by Black Label Society guitarist Dario Lorina, the band delivered a darker, more atmospheric set built around cinematic textures and modern heaviness.
Their performance offered a glimpse into Lorina’s creative vision away from Black Label Society, while retaining enough familiar DNA to feel at home on the bill.
The brooding soundscapes and crushing riffs of Dark Chapel created an effective bridge between Venom Inc.’s old school fury and the headline spectacle waiting in the wings.
More importantly, they showed the depth of talent within the extended Black Label Society family.
Venom Inc.
Second on the bill this evening were Venom Inc., a band whose existence reminds us how much modern heavy music owes to the original Venom. Long before Black Metal became a worldwide phenomenon, before corpse paint, blastbeats, and Scandinavian forests became synonymous with extremity, there was Venom. Their influence stretches across black Metal, Thrash, Death Metal, and countless other subgenres.
Their set had all the hallmarks of classic Venom chaos. When The Hammer crashed through the speakers, the mood inside the O2 Forum Kentish Town changed instantly.
Horns shot into the air, heads moved in unison, and the room became a swirling mass of black band shirts, whipping hair, and pure Heavy Metal energy. It was loud, uncompromising, and exactly what the crowd had come for.
There was something wonderfully unapologetic about the performance. No elaborate staging. No distractions. Just pure aggression at maximum volume. Venom Inc. do not have to prove anything, but provided evidence that the band’s influence remains impossible to ignore.
Black Label Society
By the time the house lights dimmed, anticipation inside the O2 Forum Kentish Town had reached fever pitch.
The opening strains of Ozzy Osbourne’s Mr. Crowley echoed around the venue, immediately drawing cheers from every corner of the room. It was the perfect introduction.
Few guitarists remain as closely linked to Ozzy’s legacy as Zakk Wylde, and from the very first notes, the atmosphere shifted from anticipation into celebration. The roar that greeted the band as they walked onto the stage could probably have been heard somewhere outside Camden.
For more than twenty-five years, Black Label Society have been one of heavy music’s most enduring forces. Formed by Wylde in 1998 after his legendary tenure with Ozzy Osbourne, the band has spent decades refining a sound between southern Groove Metal, classic hard rock, blues-soaked swagger, and crushing doom-laden heaviness.
Their latest album, Engines Of Demolition, released earlier in 2026, continues that tradition. A setlist packed with tracks like Name In Blood, The Gallows, Broken And Blind, and Ozzy’s Song show that Black Label Society remains creatively balanced and vital rather than relying on past glories.
Their setlists have blended classics with newer material, and Kentish Town was no exception. Tracks including Funeral Bell, Destroy & Conquer, Name In Blood, A Love Unreal, Heart Of Darkness, Fire It Up, and Suicide Messiah sat comfortably alongside one another.
Rather than feeling like a nostalgia act, Black Label Society felt like a band still actively writing its story.
An early drum showcase highlighted the rhythm section’s strength. Rather than a routine solo, it reinforced the immense musicianship underpinning the band’s sound, with relentless punch after punch. Every groove landed with force, creating a physical weight felt throughout the floor.
Funeral Bell arrived like a wrecking ball. The riff shook the O2 Forum Kentish Town from floor to ceiling while thousands shouted every word back to the stage.
Name In Blood generated one of the loudest responses, proving the newer material holds its own against long-established favourites.
Yet what continues to separate Black Label Society from countless other heavy bands is not simply the riffs. Plenty of bands can write crushing songs. Plenty of guitarists can shred.
What has kept Black Label Society thriving for more than a quarter of a century is the sense of family that surrounds everything they do.
From the moment the band stepped on stage, it felt like more than a concert. Black Label Society has always called its supporters Chapters rather than fans, and that bond was impossible to ignore. Every lyric was sung back with conviction. Every guitar flourish was greeted like an old friend.
This was not a crowd watching from a distance. This was a gathering of the Black Label family.
That spirit became clearer during interactions between songs. While Wylde remains the focal point, the chemistry among the band was unmistakable. Years of touring together have created camaraderie that cannot be manufactured. The jokes flowed naturally, the audience responded instantly, and every exchange felt genuine.
One of the evening’s most memorable moments arrived when the conversation somehow turned towards British cuisine. With a grin and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s never far, Wylde boldly told the London audience that fish and chips “really sucks”.
The response was immediate.
A wall of good-natured boos rolled through the venue. The crowd laughed. The band laughed. Rather than backing down, they doubled down.
Soon, traditional British favourites were put on trial one by one. Fish and chips was condemned. Bangers and mash was no better. Even the sacred roast dinner was dragged into the firing line. As each dish was criticised, the audience reacted as though a national treasure had been insulted.
The boos became louder. Then the chants began. “Fish and chips!”
The crowd roared the words back towards the stage. Again. And again. Until thousands were shouting the name of Britain’s most famous takeaway in defence of its honour.
If fish and chips had received a passionate defence, the roast dinner inspired near outrage. The suggestion that a proper British roast could be lacking was met with boos loud enough to rival some of the biggest cheers of the evening. This was now less like a Metal concert and more like a family argument taking place across a particularly loud pub.
Eventually, with the crowd still defending British cuisine, Wylde raised his bottle of Jack Daniel’s and delivered the perfect punchline. “Because I love them.”
The O2 Forum Kentish Town erupted.
It was classic Zakk Wylde. Equal parts mischief, humour, and affection. The joke was never about the food. It was about the relationship between band and audience. The band knew how the crowd would react, and the crowd happily played along.
Moments like that help explain why Black Label Society inspires such loyalty. Beneath the thunderous riffs, biker imagery, and larger-than-life personalities lies something simple: connection.
That sense of brotherhood would soon give way to the evening’s most emotional moment.
Throughout the night, Ozzy Osbourne’s influence remained present. During one extended guitar passage, Wylde incorporated the closing section of No More Tears, instantly triggering chants of “Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!” throughout the venue. It was a moment where the connection between artist and audience felt natural.
The emotional centrepiece arrived during In This River. As the opening notes echoed through the O2 Forum, banners honouring Dimebag Darrell appeared behind the band. The atmosphere shifted. Thousands of lights illuminated the room while voices joined for one of Heavy Metal’s most powerful tributes.
Written in memory of Darrell and associated with the loss of both Dimebag and Vinnie Paul, the song carries enormous emotional weight. For a few minutes, the room felt united by something bigger than a concert.
Of course, no Black Label Society performance would be complete without a healthy dose of guitar heroics, and Wylde delivered those in abundance.
During one extended solo, he casually played behind his head while maintaining flawless precision. The crowd erupted. What could feel like old school rock star excess instead felt authentic. This is simply what Zakk Wylde does.
As the show entered its final stretch, the energy climbed once again. Fire It Up transformed the O2 Forum into a mass sing-along while Suicide Messiah landed with devastating force. Every riff hit harder. Every chorus sounded louder. Every member of the crowd seemed determined to squeeze every last drop from the evening.
By the time the house lights came up, the O2 Forum Kentish Town looked exhausted in the best way. Hair soaked with sweat. Voices shredded beyond repair. Pint cups scattered across the floor. Exactly how a Black Label Society show should end.
For a band now firmly established within Heavy Metal’s modern pantheon, there was nothing nostalgic or tired about this performance. Black Label Society continues to embody something timeless about heavy music: colossal riffs, genuine emotion, world-class musicianship, larger-than-life personalities, and a sense of brotherhood few bands can replicate.
And somewhere in the middle of it all stood Zakk Wylde beneath the lights, armed with a bullseye Les Paul, making his guitar scream like the world was ending.
