Category: News

From Digital to Tangible: Thanatology in CD Format

06.09.2024

The moment I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived: my third album, Thanatology, has been released in physical format! I must admit that it’s been a long and windy road. The album has been released as an independent production with only 100 copies available, with a lot of hard work and effort – but exactly because of that, it fills me with exceptional joy that I can finally hold my latest release in my hands as a CD.

The first physical release of an album is always a significant milestone in any musician’s life and career. In a world where digital platforms dominate, holding our own music in a tangible format like a CD or vinyl means more than just a product. It’s a symbol of the passion, work and enthusiasm that went into the songs. Personally, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and permanence. Something physical always feels more ‘real’ and lasting than a few sound files uploaded onto a nameless server at an unknown place. From now on, Thanatology exists in the world beyond just the digital realm!

If you would like to have a copy, just send me an email at zsolt.nemethy@gmail.com or leave me a comment below!

Guest Guitar Solo on Terrorbit’s “20XX AD” EP: Synthwave Fun

27.08.2024

I had the chance to add a guitar solo to one of the tracks of the new Terrorbit EP entitled 20XX AD. As you know, Terrorbit is a darksynth/synthwave/cyberpunk band from Sweden, and I already had the honor to be a guest musician on one of their earlier releases (in two songs on From Beyond the Rave – for further details, see my earlier post here). Although their current release is slightly different from their earlier EPs (as it includes hints of synthpop and several vocal parts), the album fits well into Terrorbit’s rapidly growing discography. You can hear my guest guitar solo on the fourth track entitled Dreams in Binary (around 2:14 – to open it in Spotify, click here. You can also listen to the song on Bandcamp by clicking here). It was such a great fun to add my personal shades and emotional colors to this amazing synthwave song – a genre that’s otherwise not something that I’m really familiar with. To look into an almost unknown musical world and get involved in a creative process that’s so different from my own is certainly an effective way to widen a person’s inner horizon. While writing and recording the guitar solo, I definitely intended to stay inside the musical world and tonal characteristics of the 80’s with the aim of implementing my own personal style within the framework of the song. What do you think of the overall result – do you think I grabbed the essence of the track and added something personal to it?

The links to the full album are here (Spotify) and here (Bandcamp). Give the EP a listen, if you want to hear quality synthwave stuff!

Darkwave Reloaded: All Albums Remixed & Remastered on Bandcamp!

10.08.2024

Hello friends!

Big news: all three of my albums have been completely remixed, remastered, and even partly re-recorded to sound more powerful and alive than ever before! I’ve replaced the original files on Bandcamp, so if you’ve downloaded my albums before, make sure to grab the latest versions – you’ll definitely hear the difference!

This is the best sound I’ve ever achieved, and I truly hope you’ll enjoy it! Thank you so much for your support, and happy listening!

Zsolt

Back in Business: Darkwave Remixed & Reinvented!

15.07.2024

Some of you might have thought I had vanished – maybe even stopped making music altogether. But nothing could be further from the truth! While I haven’t been as active here as before, I had a damn good reason for it. Over the past few months, I’ve been completely immersed in remixing and remastering all my previous albums, diving deep into an intense online mixing course, and battling through the inevitable trial-and-error process that comes with learning sound engineering on your own. Trust me, it was a long and exhausting ride!

But now, it’s done. And the result? In one word: BRUTAL. After months of experimenting with new guitar and bass tones, tweaking drum samples, and refining my mixing techniques, Hexapla, Missa Innominata, and Thanatology now sound massively different from their original versions. Of course, I won’t be the one to tell you whether it was worth the wait – that’s for you to decide.

One big change you might notice: Hexapla – The Remasters (my 2022 remix/remaster) is no longer available. Why? Because I’ve completely reworked the original Hexapla from the ground up, making the older remaster obsolete. But aside from that, all my previous releases are still there – now with significantly enhanced sound quality.

So, do me a favor: head over to my Bandcamp page, crank up the volume, and experience the new, upgraded Darkwave sound for yourself!

Thank you for being part of this incredible musical journey!

Current Collaborations: Exploring New Sonic Horizons!

02.06.2024

Lately, I’ve had the honor of contributing to some truly amazing musical projects, spanning a variety of genres and styles.

Terrorbit – Retro Horror Synthwave Meets Guitar Fury

I had the pleasure of adding my guitars to two tracks on Terrorbit’s latest album – a dark, retro/synthwave masterpiece inspired by the eerie aesthetics of ‘80s horror movies. If you love cinematic synths with an edge, this one’s for you! You can check out the album on Bandcamp, YouTube, or Spotify. My contributions can be heard on Track 2: Ghost and Track 6: Emptiness.

Da J – “Come Alive” (Dubstep/EDM/Bass Music)

Yes, you read that right—I ventured into the electronic music scene! I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate on “Come Alive”, a high-energy single by Da J, a top-tier producer in the dubstep/EDM/bass music world. If you’re wondering what a progressive/thrash metal guitarist is doing in this genre, just hit play and you’ll get it! You can stream “Come Alive” on Spotify and Apple Music.

Combstead – “Line In The Sand” (Heavy Metal Instrumental)

It was also a privilege to work on “Line In The Sand”, an epic instrumental track featured as Track 8 on Combstead’skiller album Road We Travel On. This record is packed with incredible guitar work, and I’m beyond honored to have been part of it. You can stream the full album on Mark’s SoundCloud!

Huge thanks to Terrorbit, Da J, and Combstead for letting me be part of their artistic vision. Each of these collaborations has been an exciting challenge, and I can’t wait for you all to hear them! Let me know what you think!

Long Time No See – But Big Things Are Happening!

16.03.2024

You might have noticed that I haven’t been posting much lately – no floods of Instagram stories, no constant updates. Sure, I dropped a few here and there, but for the most part, I disappeared from the public eye. I’ll admit, it felt a bit isolating… but trust me, I had a damn good reason for it.

Far from being inactive, I’ve actually been rebuilding Darkwave from the ground up.

A Whole New Sound
For months, I’ve been obsessively fine-tuning my sound, and I can finally say that Darkwave now has the sonic identity it truly deserves: thick, punchy drums, dark and brutal guitars, and a bass tone that’s heavier than ever. I’m still deep in the process of remixing my previous albums, but the goal is clear – getting them pressed onto physical CDs in the near future. I can’t wait for you to hear the results!

Lyrics & Vocals – A New Chapter Begins
Darkwave has always been instrumental, but I’ve reached the point where I need to explore vocals to fully realize its potential. I’m currently working on translating my original Hungarian lyrics into English and searching for the right vocalist(s) to bring them to life. While I can’t reveal the final texts just yet, I can promise you this: the lyrics will be dark, introspective, and deeply philosophical.

New Music in the Works
Beyond all that, my hard drive is already loaded with 40-50 new riffs, waiting to be shaped into full-fledged songs for my next release. It’s only a matter of time before they evolve into something massive.

So, no – I haven’t been inactive at all. Quite the opposite! Big news is coming, so stay tuned to my website and socials. And as always, thank you for being part of this journey! Your support means everything!

Another amazing review!

17.01.2024

metal-digest.com, “The Normless Music Magazine” wrote an amazing review on Thanatology! 

„Zsolt Némthy’s one-man instrumental Metal project Darkwave bring an EP of chunky riffage, mellifluous keyboard stabs and pads and tonalities from here, there, and everywhere. This Hungarian multi-instrumentalist takes the concept of soundscaping further than almost any of his peers, and uses the furious guitar lead in lieu of vocals. You may argue that’s nothing new or extraordinary, but what there is sounds amazing (he self-produces too) and is quite beautifully written and played. Yes, there is a Proggy indulgent side, and a couple of tracks feel a little overlong. You’ll forgive that quite easily as overall this is a strong and entertaining EP.„

Check out the original post here: https://metal-digest.com/2024/01/17/darkwave-thanatology-ep/

A huge milestone!

03.01.2024

In a poll that received over 1,000 votes, readers of the excellent Metal Has No Borders webzine voted on their favorite metal releases of 2023. The voting started on the 18th of November and ended on Christmas Eve. It is my distinct pleasure to share the amazing news: Thanatology received Bronze Tier in the poll for Readers’ Metal Album of the Year!

Right now I’m speechless. It is not very often that a self-released album of an independent musician receives such an enormous recognition – and now I feel extremely honored and grateful! Let, therefore, my first thoughts fly to all those who believed in me and voted for Thanatology. Thank you for your enormous support: not just for voting on my latest release, but also for encouraging and helping me all along the way! Music is basically a special and intimate form of interpersonal communication – therefore it would be meaningless to create a sonic framework to transmit feelings and thoughts without the circle of those who listen to it. Thank you for keeping company and travelling with me on this amazing journey!

Also, thank Metal Has No Borders for the opportunity, and their appreciative words on my album: “”If King Crimson had formed in modern times with an instrumental agenda for prog-thrash, the result would be the right brain freakout titled Thanatology. Zsolt Némethy commands the one-man project, Darkwave, into the arena of symphonic, experimental, atmospheric, and neo-classical shred” (click here for the original entry on metalhasnoborders.com)!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

The long annual summary post

27.12.2023

I know that nobody reads long posts anymore, but I can’t become a person who I’m not: I am simply unable to put a text together out of five concise sentences. So, please bear with me – my usual long annual summary post will follow.

2023 has been a wild ride to me. I managed to release Thanatology, my third full-lenght album (regardless that Spotify notoriously keeps calling it an EP…). Believe me, I poured all my heart and soul – and also a huge amount of time, practice and effort – into it. I know that I’m some kind of a perfectionist – and perfectionism is often considered to be a two-edged sword. Besides composing, recording and programming all the tracks, I spent countless hours with learning how to mix and master a decent metal album. Not gonna lie, the result turned out much better than I expected – Thanatology sounds clearer and more natural compared to the first two releases. Still, there is always a place for further imporvements (says the perfectionist…) – so I decided to remix all my releases before re-issuing them on physical CDs in the near future. This is the most important activity that keeps me busy these days. So please keep an eye on this website and/or my socials if you’re interested in getting physical Darkwave goodies (CDs and – hopefully – some merch, too).

Thanatology received extremely good feedback: it was favorably reviewed not only by people who listened to it, but also by metal webzines – metalhasnoborders.com even listed it among the best albums of August, 2023! (Just a side note: to tell the truth, this was absolutely unexpected to me! My focus has always been on creating something meaningful and to connect with people who resonate with my musical experimentation. Therefore, the possibility of being mentioned together with important players of the modern metal scene never occured to me. To see Darkwave on the same page with Crypta, Angra or Brujeria is really an amazing honor!). Right now, Thanatology is on the third place in a poll at metalhasnoborders.com for the best metal release of 2023 (the final results will be announced in early January) – who could have imagined such an enormous success a couple of months ago? I certainly didn’t, that’s for sure.

To cut a long story short, it seems that Darkwave finally stepped through the shadow line, if you know what I mean. I could continue writing about the main events of 2023 for hours, but the release and favorable reception of my beloved Thanatology fills my thoughts with pride, joy and thankfulness. I – of course – have plans that will provide me enough work for at least a decade, but I already summarized them elsewhere. Therefore, let me finish this lenghty annual summary post with a word of gratitude. Darkwave is surrounded by the love and support of a circle of good friends and supporters, and I am extremely grateful for each and every one of you for being here and encouraging me! A musician without listeners would be nothing more than a bizarre manifestation of a dead end.

Thank you for being with me in 2023! I just have one simple request: please never forget about me! 2024 will be another fascinating year for Darkwave, and I can’t wait to see, what the future holds for us!