Zakk Wylde Reflects on the Guns N' Roses 'What If' That Never Was

In a candid chat on the latest episode of the Go With Elmo Lovano podcast, Zakk Wylde, the legendary guitarist known for his ferocious riffs and unparalleled showmanship, revisited the tantalizing moment in the mid-'90s when he was considered for a spot in Guns N' Roses. Despite a promising audition in 1995, the stars never quite aligned for Wylde, who was immersed in the creative crucible of Ozzy Osbourne's 'Ozzmosis' at the time.

"We were grinding away in the studio in New York, working on 'Ozzmosis' with Ozz, and I had no idea what was brewing with Guns N' Roses until Axl Rose's call came through," Wylde recounted, his voice dripping with nostalgia. He had known Slash, Duff McKagan, and Steven Adler, but had yet to cross paths with the enigmatic Axl or the elusive Izzy Stradlin. It was a time when rock was in a state of flux, and the idea of jamming with the iconic band was a siren song to any guitarist.

After a casual phone call, Zakk found himself jamming with the Guns N' Roses crew and even demoing ideas at Duff's makeshift home studio. "We had a blast hanging out, but despite the chemistry, nothing ever crystallized from those sessions," he admitted. The guitar god was caught in a crossfire between his commitments to Ozzy and the potential for a new chapter with GN'R.

As Wylde shared, Ozzy was not one to wait around. "Ozz was like, 'Zakk, are you going to jam with the fellas or are you going to jam with me?' There wasn’t much room for indecision. So, Joe Holmes stepped in, and the rest is history. They hit the road, and I went on to craft my own path with the 'Book Of Shadows' solo album, tapping into a different side of my artistry that I hadn’t explored before," he explained, reminiscing about the late-night songwriting sessions that spawned his acoustic work.

Fast forward nearly three decades, and Zakk reflects fondly on his time with the band that could have been. Despite the missed opportunity, he maintains a strong camaraderie with the members of Guns N' Roses, having even shared the stage with them on multiple occasions. "We've opened up for them, and everything is good, man. No hard feelings, just the feeling of what could have been," he concluded, leaving fans to ponder the sonic possibilities of a Wylde and Slash collaboration.