Of Fireballs and First Steps

54 years ago today, Deep Purple released Fireball. An album that, even after half a century, still carries the raw spark of something untamed and alive.

It feels strangely fitting to say that my very first recording was born out of this record. Not a song of my own, but an instrumental cover of Fools. By then I had already been playing guitar for decades, but I had never once tried to capture it. I knew nothing about recording, mixing, or even the simplest tricks to make things sound “right.”

And it shows. The result is rough, clumsy, painfully naïve in terms of production. But it’s also something else: a marker. A point in time where, without knowing, I took my very first step toward what would later become Darkwave.

Listening back now, I hear a strange blend—Deep Purple filtered through something darker, almost Sabbath-like. It’s awkward, but it’s also honest. And that honesty matters more to me than any polish could.

So here it is. A fragment of history. If you care to listen, do so with kind ears, and don’t judge it too harshly. This is where it all began.

Listen to the recording here: https://on.soundcloud.com/l89j2jB23StvppJZwb

Transforming Nevermore: A Unique Rendition of ‘The Sorrowed Man’

Nevermore’s music has always had a profound impact on me, with a special emphasis on The Sorrowed Man, one of the most remarkable tracks from their In Memory EP from 1996. While this lyrical piece, with its depth and atmosphere, might not entirely stand out from the band’s classic themes – given that Nevermore’s timeless legacy includes numerous heavy and atmospheric tracks – The Sorrowed Man offers a unique contrast to the 90% of their repertoire that is rooted in progressive and power metal intensity. As one of my favorite bands, I’ve long wanted to pay homage to their work with my own interpretation.

Finally, the moment has arrived. Together with the amazing French vocalist, Ana Lyr, we’ve created our own rendition of the song. Throughout the arrangement process, we aimed to preserve the original vibe while allowing Ana’s emotive vocals to add a uniquely intriguing layer to the track.

The video is now available on both of our YouTube channels. If you love Nevermore, or you’re just in the mood for some special atmospheric music, check it out and let us know what you think!

Ana Lyr on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@analyr_art

Darkwave on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@darkwavemetal

Re-recording my oldest cover

Recently I’ve been sick and had quite a lot of time to play with re-recording my oldest cover song, Gypsy from Deep Purple/Whitesnake. I replaced several (but not all) tracks in the original cover and slightly polished the mix: the previous sound seemed too thick and blurry to me. I didn’t put extensive efforts into the whole process, but it was fun to work again with one of my favorite songs after so many months (well, almost two years to be honest…).

I hope you guys will enjoy the result! You can listen to the final version either here, or directly on my SoundCloud page – let me hear your comments!

Working on a new cover song

Just wanted to share this short video file just to let you guys know that besides working on new original music, I’m currently recording a new cover.

Can you guess the original?