A Modern Twist on A Classic Sound

An Interview with Eugene Parkomenko & Daniel Stokes of Black Wizard

Interviewed by George Archibald & Josh Drespling

Canadian heavy metal group Black Wizard, are on tour currently with Volbeat, and Killswitch Engaged. Earlier this year the band released New Waste, a collective of heavy metal originals that are reminiscent of the glory days of the genre.  This band is almost chameleon-like with its sound, having emulated that of Black Sabbath, King Diamond, and early Metallica to name just a few. They are undoubtedly wizards of heavy guitar and bass tone along with power driven drumming. Black Wizard had a few moments to sit down with myself and Josh, to talk about the tour and their newest album.

Adam Grant of Black Wizard photo by Josh Drespling

JD: I am personally a big fan of noise used to build feeling and emotion. I like the dissonance, ambiance and the way it can build aggression. That’s the way your album starts out, and I was in love with you after the first 30 seconds. So how do you get that sound, or what helped developed that sound?

BW: (Dan) We have always been huge fans of Doom metal stuff, and that’s how we have been starting our sets. It has been sounding awesome, it builds up really nice.

JD: So the album sound and music is built out of your live sound?

BW: (Dan) Yea, we tend to use it (those sounds) between songs in our set. It was very appropriate for when we actually got in to record the record, that’s kind of how the idea came about.

BW: (Eugene) Those transitions work so well. It was very natural for us, and also as you said, it sounds suitable.

GA: You have a classic and iconic heavy metal sound. Having that iconic sound do you find it hard to write parts and maintain separate you out from other bands that are using those same phrasings and tones?

BW: (Dan) Yes, obviously there are a lot of bands in the group or genre we are in. Keeping it simple I think is important, just leaving it to heavy metal or thrash metal or whatever.

BW: (Eugene) The genre is definitely saturated, but we work really hard, tour a lot, and hope people like it a lot. It’s real, we aren’t trying to do something we’re not. The music just comes out naturally, whatever happens.

Eugene Parkomenko of Black Wizard photo by Josh Drespling

GA: I love that classic metal sound, and you guys do it so well.

BW: (Dan) Thank you, we are all definitely influenced, and inspired by older records. I think listening to those groups, and also listening to what those groups listen to, helps to kind of have us stick out a bit. Also, by not listening to your new favorite record that just came out and trying to do just that. Staying true to what we love personally, taking that and putting it into what we do musically. So I think that is maybe what you are hearing when you listen to us.

GA: You guys have a modern take on a classic sound.

BW: (Dan) Its great cause, when you listen to any heavy metal band, all their records, they have been around for decades you listen to their first three records, and then their last two and it’s completely different. It’s like well fuck the variety …

GA: I think when bands start changing with the times they lose a little of what they began with.

BW: (Dan) Yea man.

JD: On the track “Unnecessary Evil”, to me you sound a bit like Ghost, especially with the vocals? Take that good or bad, but with the way you guys are utilizing it, it works really well.

BW: (Eugene) I think I know what you mean, when we do those harmonies they kind of sound like that. We are huge King Diamond fans, from the beginning Ghost follows kind of down that path. The song was inspired by Trouble.  It has those really slow single notes. So I appreciate the Ghost/King Diamond reference.

GA: I heard you guys started off doing construction before the band formed, how much of that do you think influenced the music? I know from me personally having done restoration for several years, you get a lot of pent up anger and frustration. Then when it came to writing music by then, I just had to get it all out.

BW: (Dan) The guys still do it. Our singer worked up until this tour, but people are starting to quit those jobs now. He was still working up till about 4 weeks ago, and he just quit being we were able to do this way more now. Evan the bass player, Adam and Eugene have that experience with construction.

BW: (Eugene) A lot of really bad years of doing that with winter.  I’m so happy to say that, that is behind me and I hope to never have to do that again. Even if this whole music thing tumbles, never again.

GA: I can relate. I did fire and water restoration, so it was in and out of wet charred up houses all day.

BW: (Dan) Out of the group I’m a warehouse guy. It’s hard work, but I can’t say It’s like what the other guys had to go through.

Daniel Stokes of Black Wizard photo by Josh Drespling

JD: So how is it stepping up from home crowds and small clubs, to these bigger venues? (Black Wizard at this time just begun their tour with Killswitch Engaged a week prior)

BW: (Eugene) It’s been crazy; we are still in awe. It hasn’t sunk in yet honestly. We did sound check today and we are like ‘Ok, getting the hang of it.’

JD: Better sound? Better lights?

BW:(Dan) You get thrown into it so quick, as in like whatever the first show was, and you just have to go with it. I think today definitely during sound check, I felt personally that I was like ok and I’m adjusted to things.  I am digging how things sound on our stage, which is great, because the first time you are so used to setting up, and relying on your rig to give you that monitor. This is a whole other ballpark, you actually have the options to rely on what is on front of you, and its overwhelming and exciting. I am learning so much everyday

BW: (Eugene) The crew guys have been incredible too. We pulled up, there was four semi-trucks and four buses with trailers for two bands, and here was are with our 15 seater van with a trailer. Those guys have the buses, and trucks, and a hundred-person crew, and we were just like “Holy shit!” The crew guys start at 8 am, and finish at 2 am every single day. There is no house sound or house lights, those guys bring in, and set up the whole stadium package. It’s absolutely incredible to watch them put it up, and then they tear everything down; in about an hour and half, and have it in the trucks and its crazy!

GA: Eugene you run Bully studios, have you gotten to talk to Adam D of Killswitch or Rob of Volbeat about any tips or tricks for recording?

BW: (Eugene) We have been hanging out with a bunch of the guys, Mike the singer of Volbeat and their drummer, and Jesse from Killswitch. It’s been just some surface stuff, having some drinks, but I haven’t gotten too deep yet, it’s still early on this tour. Bully’s has been my place of business the last 8 years. It’s a jam space, two buildings and a recording studio.

JD: Did you guys record your album there?

BW: (Eugene) Yes we recorded the album there.

JD: Did you engineer the album?

BW: (Eugene) I used to engineer but, my business partner engineered this recording and produced it and everything else. I didn’t have the time in the studio, between touring and taking care of the business paperwork. I have been pretty much booked up.

BW: (Dan) It’s pretty much the coolest place ever to hang out in, especially doing a record.You have the time to spend the whole day there. It’s a great place to be. The vibe, you feel at home and that went miles for me personally. This was the first time doing a record in that place.

Evan Joel of Black Wizard. Photos by Josh Drespling

GA: I know from past recording experience that is you don’t feel comfortable somewhere, you are just going have a bad time trying to record.

BW: (Dan) Yea exactly you hit the nail right on the head.

GA: Is there any piece of equipment that you guys personally like to use? Any kind of coveted piece you have to have on tour? That is like your go to, it’s always reliable, and you just love using that piece?

BW: (Eugene) For me it’s my drums. I have these huge bottom style Vista Lite’s. I did a couple tours without them, and it was just shitty and I wasn’t into it. Now I am playing these kind of stages with that kind of monitor sound back, and I am playing these giant drums, I can never go back ever.

BW: (Dan) I stick with this guy right here. My Gibson Les Paul standard. It’s a mid-nineties model so it still has the weight to it. It’s my first Gibson ever. When I got it, it was one of those things like hanging in the jam space and the amp at show volume, and I couldn’t believe the difference. You hear people talk about them, you really got to bend the notes out of it but the resonance and tone is amazing. It was so great and it was like that’s what they are talking about. So I always use that and a Peavey 5150 amp head. It’s the first head I bought when I was 17 years old, its great because you have so much room. There’s more gain than you can ever need or want. You turn it up or dial it back depending which is good. I also think it’s important to keep it simple. There’s just that tube tone nothing else added on.

GA: So you guys run just direct for everything?

BW: (Eugene) Yep, just straight instruments, no triggers no sampler pads, it’s all natural.

BW: (Dan) The only one that has any effects is Adam for some certain signature parts. Some delays and chorus, other than that, its straight from the pickups coming right out of the amp head.

GA: What’s next for you guys after this tour?

BW: (Eugene) We go home for two weeks then we fly out to Europe. We are going to do a month long tour. We are playing Desert Fest in Belgium with a bunch of crazy bands, Red Fang, Pentagram, and a bunch of bands. After that just waiting to find out on other tours, hopefully we will be touring all year till we record the next record.

GA: Anything else you guys would like to add?

BW: (Dan) Mainly thank you, thank you to you guys coming out, thank you to everyone involved. Please come out and say hello to us at the merch table.

Black Wizard will be on Tour in the states till September 9^th with Killswitch Engaged and Volbeat.   Then they will be back in action, touring Europe kicking off on September 29^th through October 10^th. Josh and myself were so happy to have talked to both Eugene and Dan, you guys were awesome and so welcoming. We wish you guys good luck on tour and be safe out there. Looking forward to what you guys come up with in the future.

About Author

Josh Drespling

Josh is the Publisher and creator of Empire Extreme and it’s sister publication Kingdom Extreme Magazine. He is an accomplished writer, photographer and graphic designer. He is always conjuring up new ideas and has a amazing passion for the music industry and all the things that surround it.

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