A Conversation with VAZUM

It’s been quite a while since we had an interview/conversation on the blog. I meant to do them more often but got sidetracked a few times earlier this year. I’m back on track now and will do my best to have interesting guests, whether it’s bands or labels. Whenever I come across a band that has a unique voice, I want to know more about them and this time around, it’s a Deathgaze duo by the name of VAZUM. They’ve just released a new album titled V+ this past Friday and it’s their most accomplished record yet, in my opinion. Seriously, folks, this is one of the finest albums I’ve heard this year thus far. Not only that, but I highly recommend checking out their videos on YouTube as they complement their music perfectly. At the bottom of this conversation, you’ll find links to all their social media and platforms they’re on if you feel like exploring their catalogue and supporting them.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Today we’re sitting to chat with Zach Pliska, founding member and singer/guitarist/drummer along with Emily Sturm, singer/bassist of the deathgaze duo VAZUM. Congratulations on the release of your brand new album, V+. VAZUM has only been around for a few years, but you’ve been very prolific in terms of musical output. Can you tell us, in a nutshell, how the band has evolved to the stage where it’s at now as a duo?

Zach: Previously I played drums in probably a dozen different bands, so it was important to me that I form a band for VAZUM shows. I didn’t want to be a solo act, even though I recorded the first album solo. I recruited some of my friends but had a difficult time with drummers. We went through a handful of drummers. I even played drums and sang for some shows. Then my bandmates started losing interest, their level of commitment just wasn’t really there. And that’s around the time I met Emily. Me and Emily were friends first, then we started playing music together. By the time the pandemic hit my previous band members had faded out and it was just me and Emily.

Emily: I had been in bands previously but decided to focus on creating jewelry and running my own business. I kept a lot of songs and ideas filed away for a while. When I met Zach it seemed he was focused on his own music, but once we realized how similar our tastes and backgrounds were we began working on ideas. It was obvious we had chemistry. Jamming was fun, easy and inspiring and music quickly became a priority again.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: V+ is an amalgam of diverse musical genres and influences; we can hear echoes of Bauhaus, The Cure, Joy Division, and I can even detect hints of Siouxsie and the Banshees at times. You’ve even done a terrific rendition of one of my all-time favorite Bauhaus songs, “She’s in Parties”, on your 2019 album Variant. What would you say are the main influences that have contributed to shape your sound?

Zach: I spent my teen years obsessed with some of the 90’s rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden. That style of guitar playing and drumming is very important to me. I studied jazz in college which threw me for a loop but opened me up to a whole other world. And also showed me the discipline needed to learn and master an instrument. It wasn’t until later that I got into 80’s bands like Depeche Mode and Bauhaus. In 2018 I signed VAZUM up for a local Halloween cover show and we did a Bauhaus set. Trying to cop the Peter Murphy singing style really opened my eyes to a different vocal approach. Previously I was trying to do a more 90’s voice which I have decided to stray from. Currently I’m much more interested in a David Bowie vocal sound. And I’m still discovering a lot of 80’s goth, deathrock and industrial music which Emily has introduced me to.

Emily: I moved to LA when I was ten years old and listened to the radio station KROQ which introduced me to artists like Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen. My first concert was Adam Ant. Once I started going to clubs I fell in love with Christian Death. The deathrock scene had a profound impact on me and I’ve always wanted to do something similar musically. I like things that are intense and dissonant. 

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You’ve also released a Halloween concept album, Rated V, where half the album consisted of songs and the second half was dark ambient instrumental tracks. Those instrumentals were incredibly atmospheric and spooky. Is that something you’d like to explore further in the future, doing maybe a complete album of instrumentals or perhaps horror movie scores?

Zach: Yes, we plan to continue exploring ambient and instrumental music. I could see us even going into a progressive rock direction a bit. The possibilities are endless and Rated V was a good starting point for us.

Emily: Absolutely, we’re just getting our feet wet. We have a lot of different concepts and ideas for more Halloween-themed stuff.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Videos are an integral part of VAZUM. Emily’s background in the visual arts has no doubt been an important addition to the aesthetic of the band’s visually-striking videos. The song “Loved 2 Death” is a strong example of that, providing a deliciously eerie cemetery shoot that serves as a backdrop to the music. You guys are obviously horror movie fans; is making short films or delving more in depth into the cinematic aspect of the business something you’d have an interest in?

Zach: I’ve always associated visuals with the music I listen to. And it was important to create an aesthetic as well as a sound from the get-go. I grew up watching MTV and music videos are essential to me. Emily has taken our look and videos to another level.

Emily: I never thought I’d have the technology available for filming and editing videos that I do now on my phone. There was definitely a learning curve with the apps I use. But now that we have a grasp of our tools, we will only continue creating more video content. I’m a huge film buff. My favorite movies include Suspiria, The Thing, and Beyond the Black Rainbow. I’ve studied many films and have been obsessed with film making my whole life. Now I have an opportunity to put everything I absorbed to use.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: In my opinion, the best way to fully experience a band is to see them perform live on a stage with a crowd. Have you missed playing live gigs during the pandemic? Have you started playing in front of audiences again now that things are slowly going back to normal?

Zach: We haven’t played any live shows since the pandemic began but we’re starting to put our plans into motion. We want to tour and perform outside of Michigan. I haven’t missed playing live very much because I had been doing it for years mostly as a drummer and it became very routine. The break from shows gave me the opportunity to focus on recording and learn more about producing and engineering. 

Emily: Our live show is very important to us and we are constantly working to make it more engaging. I had only played a few shows with VAZUM before the pandemic. Now we have a completely different set-up and sound for playing live which we are excited to unveil. 

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: I want to thank you for taking the time to chat with us today and I wish you much-deserved success with V+. Is there anything you’d like to add for people who aren’t familiar with your music or the deathgaze/shoegaze genres in general?

Zach: Thanks for talking with us and listening to our music. We really appreciate it. Ultimately we are trying to push rock music forward. There’s a lot of stagnation with scenes and genres. People are hung up on the past and some bands simply settle for a familiar sound because it has proven to be successful. I think there is still an undiscovered sound out there that people haven’t tapped into. Deathgaze is a new genre and it hasn’t been defined. We are going to show what it means to be a deathgaze band. We are going to define the genre and create our own algorithm. 

Emily: We enjoyed speaking with you, the questions were very thoughtful. Thank you for giving new and obscure bands like ourselves a chance to speak our minds.

All photographs by VAZUM 

VAZUM on Bandcamp

VAZUM on Facebook

VAZUM on Twitter

VAZUM on Spotify

VAZUM on YouTube

VAZUM on Instagram

KISS - Off the Soundboard: Tokyo 2001

Let’s get one thing out of the way: KISS is my favorite band of all-time. Then, now, and they always will be. There’s a certain magic and mystique about the comic book look/vibe and genuine rock n’ roll sound they have that I will never tire of. I have so many fond memories of listening to them growing up in the late ‘70s, throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, listening to them on tape and CD, seeing their various incarnations and lineups live on stage and on VHS/DVD/Blu-ray at different junctures of my life, from being a kid to a full-grown man. I have KISS CDs, DVDs, toys, comic books, books, T-shirts, collectibles, and all that good stuff. As much of a huge Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd fan that I am, KISS will forever be my desert island band, my go-to if I only had to pick one band to listen to for the rest of my days.

That being said, I haven’t been excited for a good number of years to see them either in concert or to buy anything they’ve released. I didn’t even go see them for their “End of the Road Tour” at either of the two stops they made in my town back in 2019. Paul Stanley, as much as I love him, doesn’t have the pipes he once had. And rightfully so—the man is 69 years old and has been singing for the vast majority of his life almost on a daily basis. My favorite band member has always been Ace Frehley, followed closely by Paul Stanley. I never cared for Peter Criss as a drummer; to me, Eric Singer—their drummer for the past 20 years—is my favorite of the three drummers they’ve had over the years (I really liked Eric Carr as well). As I said, I haven’t been looking forward to anything KISS-related in a while—that is, until word spread around that they were going to start releasing a series of official bootlegs of some vintage concerts, titled Off the Soundboard. When it was announced that the first release would be of their 2001 Tokyo show featuring an as-of-yet officially undocumented lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Eric Singer, I was absolutely stoked! This lineup only existed for about 14 months and has got to be in my top three lineups to hear KISS play live. Add to that the fact that we’re getting a full concert, no studio overdubs and polish-up jobs the way the Alive releases were given, giving us KISS at their raw best, and you’ve got yourself the potential for something truly special. And special it is, my friends; this 2 CD/3 LP/Digital release is a bona fide gem!

Let’s go back in time a bit and explain what led to this lineup for those of you who lost track of who was in KISS at that time. Back in 1996, the original KISS lineup (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss) reunited during a special MTV Unplugged. From that point forward, KISS put the makeup back on and went on tour for almost two years. In 1998 they recorded and released Psycho Circus, their first album of new material with the original band since 1980. Then began the Farewell Tour—every band/artist does one and it’s never really the end; case in point, they’re doing another final tour 20 years later! Anyhow, in January 2001 of this Farewell Tour, Peter Criss leaves the band. Eric Singer, who’d been with KISS since 1991 until the reformed original lineup, returns behind the drums. So now we have a very cool lineup which is what we have on this fantastic live double CD/triple LP. This lineup would only last until March 2002 when this time it would be Ace who would depart to be replaced by Tommy Thayer (who also happens to be KISS’s current lead guitarist). Strangely enough, Peter Criss would return briefly for KISS Symphony: Alive IV in Melbourne, Australia only to quit after a little over a year for good this time. The current lineup of KISS with Paul Stanley on vocals/rhythm guitar, Gene Simmons on vocals/bass, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar/vocals, and Eric Singer on drums/vocals is the longest running lineup and have been playing together since February 2004.

I won’t be doing a track by track review; instead I’ll point out what were the highlights of the album for me and talk about the setlist a bit. The band is in rare form and plays very tight together, Ace is on fire with his guitar solos, and this is back when Paul still had that iconic voice of his and could pull off his magic on the mic. “Alright, Tokyo! You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world: KISS!” With these words, the fiery concert of March 13th, 2001 in the Tokyo Dome begins. They kick it off with a high energy version of “Detroit Rock City”. It’s followed by superb renditions of “Deuce” and ‘Shout It Out Loud”, two staples of classic KISS. Next up is a stellar performance of Ace’s “Talk To Me”, which is awesome to hear Ace on vocals on a song that just isn’t the same when Tommy Thayer sings it (or when KISS does it at all these days since it’s an Ace song). We’re treated to decent to amazing versions of classics like “I Love It Loud”, “Firehouse”, “Do You Love Me”, “Calling Dr. Love”, to a particularly solid rendition of “Heaven’s on Fire”—a fun song to hear Ace play on since he wasn’t on the 1984 Animalize album from which it comes from. We get a standard performance of “Let Me Go, Rock ‘n’ Roll” followed by a killer “Shock Me” with Ace on vocals again, segueing into a fantastic 10-minute guitar solo; truly one of the highlights of the album. Disk one ends with the excellent “Psycho Circus”, which to me always fits really well alongside their ‘70s material and sounds awesome here. 

Disk two starts with a really fun performance of “Lick It Up”, another cool song to hear Ace do his guitar thing on since he didn’t play on its studio counterpart, followed by a bit of a boring Gene solo—maybe it’s just me but I never find his solos particularly interesting unless I have visuals to go along with them or that I’m actually in the crowd at a show. “God of Thunder” is pretty great, sounding ominous as ever, followed by Eric Singer banging the drums for a solo. Peter Criss was never as powerful or imposing a presence as Eric Singer on the drums, in my personal opinion. Then we get to “Cold Gin”, one of my top three favorite KISS songs of all-time, and it’s a fantastic, live reference version we’re treated to here. It’s followed up by an equally phenomenal interpretation of “100,000 Years”. And the hits keep on coming with “Love Gun”, probably my fave KISS track of them all, with Paul’s usual flying to get up close with the crowd. Next up is a very special treat in the form of “I Still Love You”, from 1982’s Creatures of the Night (one of their top three albums in my humble opinion). This is a song that’s rarely performed live and it’s done here stripped, with only Paul singing and playing guitar by himself. It’s not the full song either, but it’s just perfect the way it is. It segues into the always brilliant “Black Diamond”, with Eric Singer doing a terrific job on vocals. The show winds down with a stellar performance of “I Was Made for Lovin’ You”, a song still hated by many hardcore KISS fans, but one that I’ve cherished since I first heard it when I was a wee boy of six years old. Things wrap up as usual with “Rock and Roll All Nite”, which honestly, I could care less if I never heard it again. They do a good job of it, but at this point, to me this song is the only song that’s been played too many times, whether it’s used for TV commercials, in movies, when KISS performs at events or are guests on TV shows; it’s overkill. I wish they’d have shelved it for a while and unearthed it after a number of years.

The verdict, as you can already tell if you’ve read this far, speaks for itself: this is one of the all-time best live releases from KISS and a must-own album if you consider yourself a KISS fan in any way, shape or form. It ranks up there with the first Alive, as blasphemous as some of you might think me for saying this. Look, it’s a fantastic lineup, they’re on fire, the song selection is diverse with some nice little-heard gems squeezed into the setlist, and it’s a full-length concert, warts and all. In terms of bootlegs, for those of you who collect such things, it’s on the level of the outstanding New Zealand 1980 boot taken from the final night of the Unmasked Tour. In terms of official releases, this show is a very good portrait of an almost undocumented era of KISS and just as important in the scheme of things as, say, their Dodger Stadium show of Halloween 1998 (another bootleg I’d love to see released officially, although the video version appears in full on the third KISSology DVD set). I’ll be revisiting this album quite often in the days/weeks/years to come and I’m eagerly awaiting the announcement of the next volume in the Off the Soundboard series.

Visit KISS’s Off the Soundboard Shop

Eric Stangeland - Wake Up

It’s the year 2021 and Grunge is making a comeback! Eric Stangeland’s third album—his first for ToneMark Sounds—is a nice blend of Grunge, Hard Rock, and Metal. Titled Wake Up, the record is heavily influenced by the grunge sounds of the ‘90s, going for a fresh take on the beloved alternative subgenre. It isn’t so much a solo album as a dozen musicians contribute eclectic styles to the mix, similar to what Santana and Slash did on their solo albums with a plethora of guest singers/musicians. The end result is very rewarding.

Wake Up is first and foremost a very personal album, and a concept record at that. It’s introspective, dark, moody, and uplifting at the same time. Featuring both male and female vocalists, a wide variety of musical arrangements (even some rap thrown in for good measure), it’s also a platform for Eric to showcase his guitar chops and proficiency as a lyricist. The album is divided into two halves: the first half is heavier and louder, while the second half is quieter and moodier.

Things kick off with the gloomy “Sky Glazed Over”, featuring Jes Phipps on vocals. This tune has a great chugging riff throughout and is a perfect tone-setter for the album. “Falling Away” is faster and gloomier and has Mark Moots as guest vocalist, with Eric Stangeland scorching the earth with his fiery guitar. The third cut, “Head’s in a Fog”, has a cool Alice in Chains vibe and Gus Caba’s vocals are eerily reminiscent of Rob Zombie’s. It also features Stevi Cooper rapping to add some flavor to the tune. I really dig this song! Next up is “Don’t Make Me Go”, a very catchy alternative track sung by Katie Keller channeling Mother Love Bone, which is actually referenced in a spoken word part by Joy Stark in the latter section of the song. It’s followed up with “Not a Dream, Not Reality”, with Mark Earnest on vocals and a fine display of Eric doing a killer guitar solo. On to the mellower second half of the album, we have the dreamy “Gravity” with the lovely Lisa McQuiston taking over vocal duties. The slower tempo continues with “When Can I Leave?!”, a superb instrumental guitar track that I wish were longer. It segues into “No Matter What”, a standout song on this great album, a kind of a rock ballad, featuring another female vocalist in the talented Brittany Maggert. We go back to a heavier groove for “Holding Hands in Silence”, a solid rock song with terrific guitar play which has vocalist Mark Moots returning on the mic. The album comes to a close on a softer note with the acoustic “For You”, which incidentally is the only song on the record that Eric sings; it’s split with a brief, sort of hidden instrumental track titled “For Ed” which provides the perfect finishing touch to end this beautiful record.

Eric Stangeland’s Wake Up is an amazing collaborative effort from both a musical and lyrical standpoint. It showcases a broad array of sonic influences, predominantly grungy, that echo Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and ‘80s-inspired guitar solos, all the while presenting the listener with lyrics that will make you ponder and inspire you to keep fighting and moving forward if you’re going through hard times. After four spins so far, this record keeps getting better and better with every listen—a telltale sign of a fine album. This one’s a keeper, folks; show Eric some love and pick up a copy today!

Eric Stangeland’s Bandcamp page: https://ericstangeland.bandcamp.com/