Jim Dalrymple.com

The Bruins posted its training camp roster today. There are 55 players invited to the camp — let’s hope they can do something this year.

The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, has already said that he will only headline select shows at this year’s OzzFest tour, but now Ozzy said he will headline one show on the second stage. The lucky show will be the July 8 stop at San Bernardino, CA’s Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen.

Typically, the second stage is where the hard and heavy action goes on during OzzFest and this year will be no different … well a little different because Ozzy will be there too.

“After 10 years of headlining OZZfest’s main-stage I think it’s time for a change,” said Osbourne. “I haven’t had a chance to play this close to an audience in years and I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it. So look out LA.”

Headlining the second stage for most of this year’s tour will be Black Label Society headed by Zakk Wylde. Other acts on the second stage include Unearth, All That Remains, Full Blown Chaos and others.

Zakk Wylde signed his band Black Label Society to a new record deal with Roadrunner Records to do the follow-up to their hit album “Mafia.” Zakk is currently working on the album, which will be called “Shot to Hell.”

The best guitarist in the world is busy these days. In addition to working on his new album, Zakk has been named as the headliner on the second stage of Ozzfest 2006 and he is writing and recording with Ozzy for his new album. Ozzy has said in recent interviews that he will release a new studio album in 2006.

According to Roadrunner, “Shot to Hell” will be released this summer, although no specific date was released. Zakk is working with producer Michael Beinhorn (Soundgarden, Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers) on the new album.

The band’s last album Mafia debuted in March 2005 at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and at #1 on the Top Independent Albums chart.

Zakk Wylde has made a statement on the event surrounding members of the Osbourne entourage pelting Iron Maiden band members with eggs during their Ozzfest 2005 tour. Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson apparently berated Ozzy, sending Sharon Osbourne on a path of revenge.

“Iron Maiden were chosen for the Ozzfest tour because the Ozzfest committee felt they were a good band, plus the fact that they had not done shows in the U.S. for some time,” said Sharon in a statement. “From day one, Bruce Dickinson started berating Ozzy and belittling the Ozzfest audience. He stated he ‘didn’t need a reality show to give him credibility’; ‘We’re not just some fucking reunion band’; and continuously complained about the sound system, saying that when he comes back to America he’ll have a better one.”

Dickinson also complained in an interview about American audiences in general saying that “when you do the ‘hits’ tour here [in the U.S.], the audience is smug, and there’s a sense of self-satisfaction, like, ‘We got what we wanted … I’m looking at an audience that is self-satisfied and happy and fat, and getting what it wants and isn’t prepared to get off its ass.”

Although Zakk wasn’t personally involved, he made his views on the incident very clear in a prepared statement.

“Although I’m a huge fan of the IronMaiden band and their music, I have a problem with Bruce Dickinson talking shit about America and more personally, about the Godfather of my first born son.”

I took quite a few pictures at Ozzfest last weekend, but unfortunately I had to use the camera on my cell phone. Needless to say they didn’t come out that good. One picture, however came out pretty good. A marine that was sitting next to us took the picture using my cell.

I went to Ozzfest in Mansfield, Mass yesterday with my friend Peter. In short, it was the best time I’ve ever had at a concert. I was shocked with Iron Maiden, pleasantly surprised with Ozzy and of course, loved Zakk Wylde’s performance.

The first of the big three to hit the stage was Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society. Zakk hit the stage in usual no-nonsense style and completely took control of the show, getting people on their feet with an introductory blazing guitar riff that left your chest bruised.

Zakk started the show with Stoned and Drunk from The Blessed Hellride. He did other new hits like Fire It Up and Suicide Messiah from the bands new album Mafia, finishing up his set playing Stillborn.

Zakk appeared to get pissed off with the sound at one point when the band started a song. Zakk just tore into a solo and the band kicked into backup mode while Zakk carried the song for several minutes. Being the pros they are, Nick, James and Craig had no trouble laying down a nice riff for Zakk to play with.

During this stage in the concert, Zakk took off his Buzzsaw custom Les Paul and threw it into the crowd. People went absolutely crazy trying to get their hands on the guitar, bring Zakk’s roadies out of the woodwork to retrieve the guitar, which they eventually did.

Zakk paced the stage for a minute and then finally took another guitar — this time his white polka dot Flying V. It wasn’t too long before Zakk held that guitar out over the crowd, dangling it over their heads as they screamed. And yes, he dropped it into the mass of waiting fans.

This time, Zakk jumped into the crowd himself and the roadies passed him the guitar that had quickly recovered from the crowd. After he strapped on the guitar he tore into an amazing solo in the middle of everyone.

I don’t blame Zakk for being pissed at the sound. Of the big three, Zakk sounded the worst. Come on Ozzy, give Zakk his due — give the man a better setup. I saw Zakk in LA in January and the sound was amazing. The show would be much better if he could rip it out like we all know he can.

I saw Iron Maiden before and was certainly looking forward to their show, but I had no idea it would be as good as it was. Bruce was simply incredible from the time he took the stage until he left. He was all over the place and the voice of Iron Maiden hasn’t lost anything over the years.

From Hallowed Be Thy Name and The Trooper to Revelations and The Number of the Beast, Maiden showed their fans they can still belt it out. While Bruce looked really good, the rest of the band left a little to be desired.

Bruce had a short haircut and looked really good for his age. The other members just looked plain old — not that they didn’t play well, but they looked like middle-aged people trying to capture their past. They should all take a note from Bruce’s playbook.

And then there’s the Ozzman and Black Sabbath. I was almost sure when Bruce Dickinson left the stage that he had just stolen the show — I was wrong. Ozzy came out and looked like the Ozzy of old, not the befuddled man we see on television.

Ozzy was laughing, jumping and singing his ass off for about an hour, punching out hits like The Wizard, Black Sabbath, Iron Man and Paranoid. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward were amazing in their own right, as Sabbath solidified to their fans that they are back and can play with the best young bands in metal today.