Doomed Confessionary XXL: Kris Dzierzbicki (AAWKS)
Photos by Tiffany Paradis
Hailing from the mysterious foothills of Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie, Ontario (Canada), AAWKS sludge through the heavy, psych, stoner, doom, fuzz universe in their beat up occult boogie van. Their music is as influenced by newer bands such as Mephistofeles, Monolord, Windhand and The Melvins as it is by classic rock bands like Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple. They explore fantastical themes of the occult and spin tales of mind expansion and spaced out exploration of the multiverse.
AAWKS released their latest EP »Luna« on December 8th, 2023 via Black Throne Productions.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a rock group from Barrie ON Canada, about 45min North of Toronto. We make heavy, fuzzy, dreamy, doom laden music with melodies and harmonies.
How much do you think has the band’s sound evolved from your early days?
We’ve changed up our sound quite a bit. We started out playing more of a mix of alt garage/psych rock in the vein of The Pixies and Breeders, The Stooges and Hawkwind but after a bit of time I decided that I should just give in to my desire to play heavy, down tuned doom-esque stuff. We’ve been slowly getting heavier and heavier but I like to maintain a sweeter sense of melody and harmony in our songs a la the aforementioned bands…
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
It’s always a challenge balancing regular life, kids and jobs being in an underground band. But overall things are actually going pretty well. We released a split album called »The Eastern Scrolls« with our friend Aiwass and a 4 song EP out Dec 8 called »Luna«.
What can you be most proud of last year?
Besides the two releases we had a bunch of great live performances throughout Ontario and Quebec. I think the thing I’m most proud of though would be writing an albums worth of songs this year. I had some writers block related to putting too much pressure on myself to follow up our first album and once things started to flow and we had some solid songs that pressure seemed to go away.
What was your biggest regret as a band?
I don’t think we really have any regrets. We tend to be pretty realistic and accepting people and we feel more gratitude than anything being able to play shows, write and record. We have a strong sense of community in our scene and we feel lucky to be part of it.
What was the best concert/tour last year and why?
Our Interprovincial Wormhole Tour with Sons Of Arrakis was phenomenal. We got to play a ton of great shows and meet so many great people.
Have you played any unusual places that you’ll never forget?
We’ve played a bunch of cool places, skate parks, basements, garages, loft spaces… The coolest place I think for me is a secret “ask a punk” place in Montreal that I probably shouldn’t name in case it’s discovered. The area was a bunch of abandoned warehouse type buildings that have been converted into living spaces and there’s a cool building they’ve converted to a performance place. The vibe is something between Mad Max and Roadbouse and the crowd’s energy there is always off the hook. Great, positive energy and a loving communal type of anti-establishment culture. We love it there.
What are the main differences between shows in Canada and in the U.S.?
Well, unfortunately due to US laws, Canadian bands at our level have a difficult type playing there. There’s a bunch of red tape to navigate and it’s expensive. We haven’t played down there yet but we’re looking at planning a tour soon.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We have a bunch of shows planned! Keep your eyes on our social media for dates and locations.
You just droped new EP »Luna« in December 2023 via Black Throne Productions. Are you working on any new songs?
Our second album is fully written and we’re in the process of tightening up the performances. We head into the studio in May and then, depending on mixing and mastering we should have a second album available later this year.
Can we expect your next release soon?
We’re hoping for the fall of 2024!
What can you tell me about the music scene in Barrie, Ontario? Are there any artists that you would like to point out?
There’s a thriving music scene here. Tons of great artists of all different types of genres. Check out all the bands on Tarantula Tapes for local punk related stuff. There’s a bunch of great heavy music like Indian Handcrafts, Overcrook, Ethereal Tomb, Nova Doll, Loose. There’s so many more I’m forgetting off the top of my head but do yourself a favour and check these ones!
Do you remember the first (metal) concert you attended? What’s the best one you’ve gone to?
Oh man, the first metal or, at least heavy show I got to see was Rage Against The Machine in 1993. They were absolutely unbelievable. Since then there’s been a million heavy bands I’ve had the pleasure of seeing… the best one is difficult. I’d have to say Alice In Chains in 1993 is the first one that comes to mind. They were on another level back then. The vocal harmonies were mind blowing and the performance was phenomenal. I remember it felt like time was standing still for the entire performance and it definitely left a mark on me.
How did you get started in music?
I’ve been involved in music since I was a child. I guess technically it started with the school choir in grade 2 and the trombone after that. I didn’t start playing guitar until I was 16. I’d kind of given up on rock music at the time. It was pre-internet and I only had access to mainstream radio and I grew up on a farm with no cable so I didn’t have Much Music or MTV initially. Then the Seattle thing hit and my entire world became music. I got a guitar about a week after hearing »Nevermind«, »Bad Motorfinger« and »Ten«.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Watching our good friend’s label Black Throne Productions blow up was a great surprise! We’re so happy to be part of the Black Throne family, great bands and really great people that care about the music scene and work their asses off for us. Also, watching the underground scene blow up around Ontario and Quebec has been great. There were alot of great albums released this year.
What music is currently on your playlist?
Mostly underground doom, sludge and stoner stuff. I also love discovering all the proto-doom and stoner stuff. I’ve been on a Pentagram and Dust kick this week but Purple Hill Witch, Grave Speaker, Wicked Trip, Morganthus, Dopethrone, Hazehound and Tumble have been in heavy rotation too.
Do you have a memory of a song or an album from your childhood or teenage years that you are emotionally linked to?
I was probably 3-4 years old the first time I ever heard Black Sabbath’s »Iron Man«. I still remember that it completely changed me in a difficult to describe way. I remember the first bent note riff causing a sort of mental braingasm. It caused a whole visual scene that played in my head and a there was visceral, emotional connection to the whole thing. It was like eating a really good steak while fighting a dragon or something; a sort of mental high mixed with triumph possibly? I distinctly remember feeling like I needed to hear it again right away and also how it became a sort of standard for comparing what good music was for me. I guess it still kind of is to be honest.
Could you name a few of your favourite albums of all times?
Beyond the obvious ones I’d say: Sorceress – »Beneath The Mountain«; Alice In Chains – »Dirt«; Mephistofeles – »Whore«; Fu Manchu – »In Search Of«, Godspeed You! Black Emperor – »Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven«; Hell – self-titled; Melvins – »Ozma«.
There’s so many more but those are the first ones that come to mind.
If you could go back to the earliest days of the band, what advice would you have for your younger self?
I would’ve given in sooner to my urges to write more doom related riffs. I struggled for a long time trying to write other stuff that just never seemed to work. Once I gave in to just writing heavy riffs things started flowing much easier.
How can people best support your band?
Come to shows and lose your minds.
What are your plans for the future? What do you personally want the most?
Besides playing shows, we’ll be recording our second album and be introducing the world to our new bass player Ryan.
What I want the most is to keep improving and getting closer to expressing the sounds that are in my head to tape. I’m always thinking about songs, melodies and riffs and trying to find that ‘wow, where did that come from?’ feeling.
Thank you very much for your time! Do you have any last words?
Thank you to anyone that gives us a listen or comes out to a show! We appreciate you more than you could realize.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well