Cool Off In This Summer Heat With Some Diamond Black!
Photo Credit: Tina K
Diamond Black:
Jaakko “J.I.” Turunen (Vocals)
Ben Christo (guitars, backing vocals)
Adam Lightspeed (Bass, backing vocals)
Jan-Vincent Velazco (drums)
What’s up Mayhem! As you all know, we are always on the lookout for new bands and new music. I was introduced to a new band through a friend and they have released two singles as of this writing “Sorrow,” and “Ghost in the Glass.” Diamond Black has exquisite guitar work, emotional, dramatic vocals, rib-cage rattling bass and crushing drum beats. They are hard at work on their new album to hopefully be released in early 2019. In the meantime, the band has graciously taken time out of their busy schedule to answer some questions for Mayhem.
1. You guys are a really new group! In fact, you have only released two singles so far. How did you come together to form this band? I understand there are members from the UK and Finland.
Ben: “The first time J.I. and I met was pretty much onstage! It was “Trash Fest” in Helsinki,
where we’d both been recruited to play a Skid Row cover as part of the festival’s finale. We were
in respective bands at the time (Night by Night and Spirit Raiser), but had a good chemistry on
stage, thus Jaakko said to me after: “One day, you will be my guitarist.” I laughed it off at the
time, but his premonition came true.”
“Vincent depped (stepped in) on drums for Night by Night on the 2013 Y&T tour, and we stayed in touch ever since, as I loved his work ethic and easy-going nature.”
“Adam and I have known each other on the London rock scene for years, as we’ve often DJ-d the same nights at The Electric Ballroom and the Intrepid Fox. We connected through a shared
love of such random things as James Bond, ‘80s British comedy and Manic Street Preachers. A mutual friend would often comment “there aren’t many serious musicians in this scene aside from you and Adam. You should do something together. And, again…”
2. From the two singles released so far, the band has a very dramatic, dark element to its sound. Was there a specific genre of music, or bands in particular, that influenced the sound that DB is going for on its first album?
Ben: “Diamond Black are hard rock with melody, meaning and mystique. The music can be powerful and muscular or fragile and haunting, with lyrics and themes that are often nuanced and introspective. Big rock riffs, stirring electronica, cinematic choruses and an emotive vocal that ranges from a brooding whisper to a venomous scream. There are ‘80s rock and electro vibes, there are ‘90s industrial & metal flavours; there is contemporary darkness - all tied together with a cohesive melancholia. We have recently coined the term ‘dark anthems’ to describe our sound, which is drawn from:”
“The Cult, Cold, Sevendust, Katatonia, Manic Street Preachers, AFI, Killing Joke, Judas Priest, Therapy, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Killswitch Engage, Thrice, (early) Def Leppard, The Cure, Boysetsfire, Linkin Park, Strung Out, The Birthday Massacre, NIN, Curve, Marilyn Manson, Back To The Future and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
J.I.: “My biggest influences are listed in the ‘favorite bands/singers’ part of the interview. I guess this whole sound that we have created is a mixture of different influences from all the band members and the producer.”
3. What is the writing process like? How does it work? It seems as if J.I and Ben write and then Adam and Jan-Vincent add the rhythm and percussion. A great team effort! It’s often that you hear many bands don’t always involve the whole band in the writing process. But I think this works because the sound is tight and flows perfectly.
J.I.: “So far the writing process has been almost exactly as you mentioned, with the exception that our Finnish producer Jaani Peuhu has been a big part of the actual writing as well.”
Ben: “Jaani (producer) and I had a really exciting technique for writing when I went to Finland recently. We would write one song per day, with the strategy that we would start from a TITLE before anything else. We would then spend half an hour talking about the ‘story’ behind the song. What are the feelings? The environment? The colours? The atmosphere? The characters? This would give us a really strong sense of the song before we’d even written a note of music and we would be focused on a mutual goal from the offset. We came up with 3 really strong ideas which have since flourished into DB songs.”
4. You have done some touring in support of Cellar Darling in the UK. Does the band intend to continue touring locally to build itself up before embarking on a larger scale touring beyond the UK perhaps into Germany, Norway, Sweden, etc.? Perhaps a few small tours in the US??
Ben: “We would love to tour all over. At present, with budgets being as they are, our imminent shows will most likely be UK-based, BUT we recognize that a large portion of our fans are in Germany.”
5. Ben has posted as recently as May 12, 2018 that the album is coming along rather quickly with an additional 3 song being written. Is there an expectation or date in mind for the band’s first full length album release?
J.I: “Our goal is to finish the album by the end of the year – then release it in the first half of 2019.”
6. I am in the middle of a music marketing class through Berklee College of Music. I have to say the involvement that bands have with its fans is a HUGE asset to the band’s growth and reach. You are interactive with fans via Facebook, Instagram and with your own website. You have a newsletter that fans can subscribe to stay up to date with the band and its developments, as well as offering some great merch. I terms of marketing, these are very important avenues for a band to take to expand fan base. But in the human aspect of things, how important is it to you, as the band to have that interaction with the fans? How does it make you feel to have fans tell you how your songs have inspired them, or helped them through rough times?
Ben: “J.I. said once to me ‘we are writing this music for all the black diamonds out there… those
who are still shining in the darkness.’ And even though we have only released 2 songs, we have
already received numerous e-mails from the fans about how much the words and music have
moved them, inspired them and even helped them through hard times in their lives. That’s amazing. That’s one of the main reasons we do this. Because that’s what others’ music has done for US.”
“Moreover, making a band work in the early days is very challenging, mentally and financially, so, it’s so inspiring and motivating to see fans’ enthusiasm and passion. This can be in e-mails they write to us, or in the artwork they create or even the things they physically make (including a Diamond Black GUITAR, if you can believe that)! It makes us stay focused and keep going.”
7. J.I. you have a wonderful dramatic voice. Can you tell us about your musical background a bit? Have you had any vocal training, or has it just come naturally? Have you sung in other bands or as a session musician? What artists or bands have influenced your singing style?
J.I.: “Thank you! I am mostly self-taught. I’ve learned a lot by singing on my own and listening to my idols perform. I started singing at a very early age but stopped for a while when I reached puberty and my voice changed. I started again about 15 years ago and have been singing in different bands / projects ever since. Anyhow DB is the first band that I consider to be exactly the kind of music I want to sing and write.”
“I went through primary school and high school in a music class and actually played a trombone at some point for a few years – maybe that’s how I learned a good breathing technique for singing. I also play guitar and bass but nothing really worthy of mentioning – only the basics so that I can compose songs and strum some chords to support my singing while I play acoustic songs.”
“My biggest vocal influences: Freddie Mercury, Peter Steele, Sebastian Bach, Jim Morrison, Chester Bennington.”
8. Ben, you have a long history in the business! You have been a guitarist for The Sisters of Mercy, and have toured with other bands or solo acts, and played in studio as a session musician. How have those experienced shaped you as an artist? Who are your influences in music? Have you had any additional training (classically) or has it been learning on your own, perhaps by ear training?
Ben: “My band influences are mentioned above, but when it comes to individuals...Guitar – Steve Clark (RIP) of Def Leppard was a huge influence from a young age, in terms of songwriting, lead playing and stage presence. He always wrote in a unique and melodic way. I was never really moved by the ‘shredder’ guitarists, but the ones who can command melody, attitude and emotion in a few thoughtfully chosen notes - players like Billy Duffy (The Cult), Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) and Angus Young (AC/DC). And, as well as the music, having seen live videos of my performance, I see echoes of Billy, Steve and Angus’ stage moves in my own.”
“Lyrically, Richey James (Manic Street Preachers), Robert Smith (The Cure) and Nathan Gray (Boysetsfire) have hugely inspired me, and I also have drawn influence from poetry, in particular, Carol Ann Duffy.”
“I had a few lessons at the start, but music theory is a bit too much like mathematics for me. I have learned by ear and I write whatever comes into my head with no restrictions or rules. That said, I have pieces of knowledge from all 8 grades of music theory, but could not take an exam in any of the grades, if that makes sense?”
9. Adam, your bass playing is impressive! Very strong and always perfectly in synch with drum work. What (or who) inspired you to pick up bass? Are you interested, or have you played other instruments? Have you played bass for any other bands? Do you have a preference to the type of bass you play (do you stick to a certain brand or 4/5 string)?
Adam: “Thanks! I was inspired to take up bass after seeing AFI at the Concorde 2 in May 2001 (don’t use this to figure out my age!) But I played piano/keyboard since I was 7 and got to grade 8 before taking up bass. Since then I’ve played guitar, drums, been a singer in the band Star Scream and dabbled in ukulele(!) But bass has always been my favourite. I love the feeling when you play bass and the floor shakes and you can feel it though your bones!”
“It’s taken me a long time to perfect my bass tone and style, I’ve always wanted something unique, so I’ve got quite an unusual setup. Most bassists would call it sacrilegious the amount of processing I use on my tone, but I love it. Big and dirty, like me!”
10. Jan-Vincent your drum work is perfection! As part of the “Rhythm section” of the band, you provide the beats. I’ve listened to a lot of bands over the year, and I have to say your work with Adam is in complete synch as a unit. Absolutely incredible! How long have you been playing, and did you have training? Are there any drummers that influenced how you play?
Jan-Vincent: “Thanks for the kind words. I think Adam and I complement each other’s playing. He’s a very solid bassist and I think in DB it’s essential to have a tight rhythm section.”
“I’ve been playing for about 25 years now. I studied at ACM in Guilford. Before that I was a self-taught drummer and I used to play in small clubs and pubs a lot when I was younger. I did that for many years which gave me some experience playing live.”
“The drummers that influenced me when I was young were the ones popular at that time; Matt Sorum from G’n’R, then Metallica and Megadeth. A few years later, I got into Rush, Dream Theater and other progressive bands. Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy really opened up and changed how I saw and played and my style.”
11. I really love the video for “Sorrow.” What was the story behind that video?
Ben: “It was conceived by the talented Andy Michaels at Before Dawn Productions. What I loved about Andy’s methods is that he and I talked at great length and detail about the song’s themes and went through the lyrics line-by-line in order to find a way to visualize. We will definitely work together again. In fact, we came up with an entire treatment for Ghost in the Glass, but for budget reasons (at this point) we had to settle for a lyric video. However, the video could still very well be made.”
12. I like to ask each member what they are listening to these days. Can you guys let us know what’s playing on your MP3 devices lately?
J.I.: “The Doors (always), Type O Negative, Ghost, Alter Bridge, The Cult, Alice in Chains, Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Queen, Opeth, Pink Floyd, Guns N Roses, Skid Row, Linkin Park and many others. I haven’t really found many new bands that I like that much (or maybe don’t know what to look for).”
Ben: “The Birthday Massacre, Strung Out, Therapy?, The Cult, Rush, The Used, Work of Art, Katatonia, Waterdown, Sevendust, The Cure, Winger, Killswitch Engage, In Search of Sun, Kate Bush.”
Adam: “Erasure.”
Jan-Vincent: “Metallica, REM, LIVE, Ratt, Skid Row, Children of Bodom, RHCP.”
Definitely give these guys a listen and keep an eye on their social media pages as they post updates on their album work. They also have a Spotify list of their own favorite music on Spotify, so go give that a follow.
Diamond Black’s Media/Links
Website: https://diamondblackofficial.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diamondblackofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmondblk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diamondblackofficial/
iTunes: https://apple.co/2yEGbHd
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2MzacNf
Their Spotify Playlist: https://spoti.fi/2MsWvix
Mayhem’s Media/Links
Website: http://mmnrockandmetal.wixsite.com/mayhemofficial
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MayhemMusicNetwork/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmnrockandmetal
Tumblr: http://mayhemmusicnetwork.tumblr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayhemmusicnetwork/?hl=en