ZAKK WYLDE Says GUNS N' ROSES Would Sound Like VELVET REVOLVER If He Had Joined The Band

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde recently answered a few questions for Argus Leader, South Dakota's largest newspaper. The question-and-answer session follows:

Q: You and Dimebag Darrell — the former PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist who was murdered on stage last year — were very close. Was it tough to pick up your guitar after hearing about his death?

Zakk Wylde: "Yeah. Definitely, for a couple days. I was like, (expletive) this. I talked to him two weeks before it all went down. He got me this guitar, it's like one of his new ones, one of the Razorbacks. The last thing I said to him was, 'I love you so much bro.' He said, 'I love you too.' The way I look at it, he's in God's tavern, and he's keeping the beer cold until we all get there. Because God knows there won't be any Crown left."

Q: Any kind of Dimebag tribute worked into your show?

Zakk Wylde: "Yeah, totally — 'In This River' every night."

Q: Is there any guitarist you'd be afraid to go up against in a riff battle?

Zakk Wylde: "No. I love all of them. I'm a huge fan of anyone who's (expletive) awesome. Anyone who takes the time out to be great, you've got to love them."

Q: You're a pretty big guy, how much do you bench press?

Zakk Wylde: "Usually ... about 375 pounds. Calf raises, 1,400 pounds. Leg presses, 700-800 pounds."

On what would have happened had he actually joined GUNS N' ROSES in 1995:

Zakk Wylde: "I think it would be what you're hearing now (with GNR offshoot VELVET REVOLVER). The stuff we would have been playing would have been slammin'. Look at VELVET REVOLVER, how awesome that album is."