Nobody saw this coming, and that’s exactly the point. Zachary Baker, the guitarist and founding member of multi-platinum rock band Avenged Sevenfold known worldwide as Zacky Vengeance, has released his debut solo album ‘Dark Horse’ independently via his own VNGNZ Records, and it lands squarely in alt-country and outlaw territory.
The album arrives alongside new single “Lighthouse,” the second taste from the record following the title track “Dark Horse.” Together the 2 singles sketch the outline of a project built on raw honesty, Americana grit, and the kind of poignant storytelling that has nothing to do with the distortion and spectacle Baker is best known for.
He puts his philosophy plainly. “The beauty is in the imperfections.” That restless spirit drives every track on ‘Dark Horse’, an 11-song collection that blends outlaw influences with deeply personal lyricism, signaling a striking and fully committed evolution from his hard rock roots into something entirely his own.
Baker describes himself as an unlikely storyteller, and ‘Dark Horse’ makes that self-awareness part of its appeal. Driven by the outlaw heroes that shaped him, the album delivers what he calls a raw sermon of honesty, carving out a lane that borrows nothing from his day job and everything from the Americana landscape he clearly loves.
‘Dark Horse’ is available as a limited edition vinyl in gold, pink, or black. An exclusive, limited edition handwritten and signed lyric sheet for “Lighthouse” is also available through his webstore for collectors who want something genuinely personal.
‘Dark Horse’ Tracklist:
- Dark Horse
- Misfit Hearts
- Unlikely Cowboy
- I’ll Stop Pretending
- Before I Go
- Lighthouse
- The Storm
- Long Highway
- Star Crossed
- Someday
- Fireflies