Is the guitar and rock music dead? It’s an accusation that’s been levelled quite a bit in the past decade or so. But former Ozzy Osbourne sidekick and Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde reckons there’s nothing to worry about.

In a new interview in the latest issue of Guitar World magazine, the guitarist waxes lyrical on the current generation of players, saying the instrument is very much alive and well.

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He wastes no time in firing off a list of his favourite guitarists right now. “I’m friends with Richie Faulkner, who I think is the full package,” he says. “We’ve toured with Judas Priest a bit and he’s a phenomenal player. He also has his own band, Elegant Weapons. He’s got vibrato, technique, tone everything. I feel that way about Dario from Black Label Society.”

Naming some more contemporary players, he continues: “Jared James Nichols is awesome. I love hearing younger guys like him and Tyler Bryant playing the blues. They clearly love it and have such an amazing grasp of it. Tosin Abasi has been doing it for a while now, but he’s phenomenal. I think Tim Henson is insane. My son Hendrix is a huge fan of Polyphia and Tim’s playing.”

As for those who question the vitality of guitar as an instrument in 2026, Zakk makes his opinion clear: “Whenever I hear people saying, ‘Guitar is dead,’ I think, ‘What are you talking about? What rock do you live under?’

“Guitar is doing just great. There are so many young players who love the instrument, and they’re really going for it.”

Those words are coming from one of the most accomplished and well-travelled musicians in rock music, so you have it on good authority…

In a hilarious anecdote earlier this year, Zakk Wylde recounted the time Ozzy Osbourne was mistaken for singer Meat Loaf by an air stewardess.

“He’s sitting there, bummed out, and the stewardess is like: ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe it’s you!’ She’s giving him drinks, getting him food, and he’s just floored by it. He’s going: ‘Maybe things aren’t so bad.’

“As the plane lands, she says: ‘Can I get a picture?’ So she takes the photo, and then she goes: ‘Oh, wow, thank you Meat Loaf!’ Ozzy’s like: ‘I really fucking need to cut back on the calories…’”

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of Guitar World, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and MusicRadar.