Sometimes music opens a door you didn’t even know existed.
Recently I had the chance to collaborate with After Rain, an exceptionally talented classical composer from Guatemala, and the experience led me somewhere entirely new: bringing my metal guitars into a piece that was originally conceived as classical music.
The idea of merging metal with classical music has always been close to my heart. For years I’ve been fascinated by the possibility of creating a true synthesis between these worlds, following the footsteps of my greatest musical inspiration, Jon Lord. But until now, my approach had always been the same: I would write a metal piece first, and then enrich it with classical elements.
This time the process unfolded in the opposite direction.
The composition already existed as a fully realized classical work: its structure, harmonies, chord progressions, and rhythmic flow carefully woven into a deeply expressive piece of music. My task was not to reshape it, but to step inside it, to listen closely, and to find the places where the language of metal could naturally grow from its emotional core.
So I tried to set aside my usual ideas about how such a fusion should work and instead follow the inner logic of the music itself. Tight rhythms, massive guitars, and soaring solos gradually found their place within the composition.
As After Rain describes it on Bandcamp: “A powerful collaboration with Darkwave, blending my melancholic and heavy harmonies with his intense metal sound. A song born from despair, anger, and pain.”
While our musical backgrounds may seem strikingly different, I felt deeply connected to the original vision. My goal was never to overpower it, but to complement it: to let my own voice emerge through the guitars while remaining faithful to the spirit of the piece.
You can listen to the result here:
https://afterrain2.bandcamp.com/track/may-the-rain-wash-it-all-away-feat-darkwave
I hope you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed pouring my soul into this music.