Zakk Wylde brought Berzerkus to Northwell Jones Beach Theater on August 29 for the festival’s New York debut, its third overall outing following the 2024 edition, and delivered on every bit of its promise. Hosted by metal broadcaster and personality Mark Strigl (VH1), SiriusXM), the day built out a full festival footprint beyond the stage with a car show, a strongman competition, a hot sauce-eating competition, the Ride for Dime tribute, and additional attractions across the grounds. I arrived in time for Dark Chapel and cannot speak to those activations firsthand, but the lineup on that stage carried the day completely on its own.

Dark Chapel opened, and right away the day announced its intentions. The project led by Black Label Society guitarist Dario Lorina brought sludgy, bluesy grooves from Spirit in the Glass to an early crowd that warmed up quickly. Lorina, along with his bandmates, Dylan Dyce (Guitar), Jeremiah Walker (Drums), and Mike Leon (Bass), was the only band I haven’t seen before; I look forward to seeing them again.

Zakk Sabbath followed, and with it came the first of Wylde’s multiple appearances across the day. Backed by fellow Black Label Society members John DeServio on bass and Jeff Fabb on drums, Zakk Sabbath drove through Black Sabbath’s catalog with conviction. Between Dark Chapel and Zakk Sabbath, the early portion of Berzerkus served as a Black Label Society family showcase in rotating configurations and set the tone for everything that followed.

Before Zakk Sabbath even hit the stage, Wylde had already made his presence known across the grounds. Wearing an Ultimate Warrior mask and carrying an Ultimate Warrior action figure, he ran through the venue, recording the whole thing. Unhinged, funny, and exactly the kind of energy a festival with his name on it should deliver.

Suicidal Tendencies delivered pure, unfiltered energy. The band came out with a recently refreshed lineup, Xavier Ware stepping in as the newest addition on drums in 2026, and never showed a crack in the foundation. Rhythm guitarist Ben Weinman, founder of The Dillinger Escape Plan, spent the entire set in constant motion, jumping across the stage before eventually diving into the crowd, guitar in hand, while the audience held him up and kept him playing without missing a beat. Frontman Mike Muir matched that energy by getting into the crowd himself, high-fiving fans before dropping into the pit entirely, where the crowd circled him and sang every word back. It was chaos in the best possible sense and a highlight of the entire day. 

Down closed out the main support slots and turned their final song into an event of its own. Phil Anselmo, Jimmy Bower, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, and Pat Bruders took it to the end and then kept going. As the last track, “Bury Me in Smoke,” opened up, former Suicidal and current Sepultura drummer Greyson Nekrutman stepped in behind the kit, Kenny Hickey of Type O Negative and Silvertomb picked up guitar, and Robin Mazen, bassist of Castrator, rounded out the rhythm section. The jam stretched five to ten minutes with the entire crowd locked in and roaring the whole way through. All while Phil served as the de facto conductor, it was one of the day’s funniest and loudest moments.

Black Label Society took the stage next and delivered a tight, authoritative set pulling from across their catalog. “Funeral Bell,” “Name in Blood,” “Destroy and Conquer,” “The Blessed Hellride,” “Suicide Messiah,” and “Stillborn” all landed with full force. Then, closing the set, Zakk Wylde pulled out a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tears.” Worth pausing on that for a second: the man had already spent part of the afternoon fronting a dedicated Black Sabbath tribute, and then chose to close his Black Label Society set with an Ozzy song. The crowd found it funny and appropriate.

Lamb of God closed the night and wasted zero time explaining why. Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, Willie Adler, John Campbell, and Art Cruz came out and did exactly what seasoned professionals do: they played the songs and let the songs do the rest. “Ruin” opened it, “Redneck” closed it, and the twelve songs in between, including “Laid to Rest,” “512,” “Walk With Me in Hell,” “Omerta,” and “Memento Mori,” hit the Jones Beach crowd with the full weight of a band that has spent decades earning that headlining slot.

Berzerkus arrived as a still-new event carrying enormous ambition. On the strength of what happened on that stage, it earned the right to come back. Hopefully it does.

Lamb of God setlist:
Ruin
Laid to Rest
Now You’ve Got Something to Die For
Into Oblivion
Resurrection Man
Blunt Force Blues
512
Walk With Me in Hell
Parasocial Christ
Omerta
Memento Mori
Hourglass
Redneck

 

Buy Lamb of God music and merch here:
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Buy Black Label Society music and merch here:
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Buy Down music and merch here:
https://amzn.to/4ic4u5r

 

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY OMAR CORDY:
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Additional photos by Evil Robb & Brian Mitts Daniels.