After 11 years and counting as Zakk Wylde’s right-hand man in Black Label Society, Dario Lorina is moving to centerstage in his new band Dark Chapel. With Lorina leading the way on vocals and guitar, Dark Chapel will release its debut album, “Spirit in the Glass,” on Feb. 28, 2025, via MNRK Heavy (get it here). Also featuring guitarist Brody DeRozie, bassist Mike Gunn and drummer Luis Silva, the band has released two singles thus far, “Glass Heart” and “Hollow Smile,” and recently played its first-ever live shows, opening for Zakk Wylde’s Black Sabbath tribute band, Zakk Sabbath. And Lorina continues to be active in Black Label Society, which released the new single “The Gallows” in late 2024 and just dropped the banger “Lord Humungus.” Live Metal’s Greg Maki recently caught up with Lorina to discuss Dark Chapel, Black Label Society, starting his career at 16 playing guitar in former Warrant singer Jani Lane’s solo band and more.
LIVE METAL: We’re here to talk about this new band you’re launching, Dark Chapel, which is very exciting. You’ve been playing guitar and touring professionally for a long time now, but is starting your own band something you’ve always wanted to do?
DARIO LORINA: Yeah, definitely. I’ve had this vision for a bit, and the timing just worked out. It all came together now.
Why was this the right time for you?
Well, I had a little downtime from Black Label. I was working on it while we were touring in and out, and then I just finished the rest of the album, got the rest of the band together, and yeah, this was the year.
How long have you been working on these songs?
So half the album I recorded a few years ago, and then I ended up finishing the rest of it last year—just writing and recording the rest of it and then got it mixed last year. So yeah, it’s been a little bit of a process.
How did you find the other guys in the band? Are they guys you’ve known a long time?
Yeah, so when I recorded half the album a few years ago, those were some other friends of mine here in Vegas. Everybody in the band is in Vegas, which is where I’m located. Some of them I’ve been friends with. Some of them I found through asking around. That’s how I found Mike, the bass player. But everybody’s Vegas local.
For the songwriting, was that all you, or did you collaborate with anybody else?
Yeah, songwriting for me, my process is—actually, right here—I demo everything out. I get everything to a place where I’m digging it, then we’ll jam on it in rehearsal, and then from there, we’ll go in and record the final versions of it.
What kinds of things inspire you as a songwriter, both musically and lyrically?
I love all kinds of music. Obviously, my heart is in ‘70s and ‘80s rock and metal. That’s kind of where my love began for guitar playing. So my guitar playing is rooted in that, but I love all kinds of music. As far as inspiration, it could be from anything, whether it’s music or a book I was reading or art I saw or being in some kind of cool scenery or a movie or whatever. So it comes from all different places.
You’ve done backing vocals with Black Label, but have you ever done lead before this?
A little bit here and there but not to this extent.
Did it take some time to find the voice you wanted to use for this?
Just over time from singing, yeah. I would say, when I got to this point, “OK, cool.” Some of the other stuff I had done were some piano/acoustic stuff, which actually some of those songs are on this album, which I’m psyched about.
Yeah, I feel like on the piano ballad, “Dead Weight,” your voice really comes alive. What was it about that one that maybe made you push it a little further than the other songs?
That kind of style—that song, “Dead Weight,” which is one of my favorites, and the acoustic song that’s right after it ,“Dark Waters”—that stuff, voice-wise, is kind of right in my wheelhouse. That’s the kind of stuff that I really love singing.
You talked about the ‘70s and ‘80s guitar influences, but how would you describe your style of playing guitar?
That’s a really hard question because I like everything that has to do with guitar-driven rock. When I heard Van Halen when I was a kid driving around with my dad, it was like hearing magic coming through those speakers. I was like how can I play guitar and make it sound like that? So that was my number 1, and then I loved everything from there. I loved Metallica, Alice in Chains. Zakk was one of my guys. George Lynch, John Sykes, Johnny Winter, Warren DeMartini. That whole realm of guitar playing is where my heart lies, so I feel like that is what’s being carried through. But then I love all kinds of music. I love Opeth, and I love jazz. So I’m not really sure how to pinpoint the exact, what you call my guitar playing style, but it’s in that same wheelhouse of everything I was just mentioning.
What is your approach to solos? Are they composed ahead of time, or do you leave room for improvisation?
I’ll demo here, and then we’ll go into a studio and record everything—drums, vocal, bass, and I’ll usually do rhythm guitars in there—and then I’ll come back here and record solos, and that’s because I like to sit and I just improvise basically. Some improv gets kept, and I can listen back and go, “I wanted to go this way,” or I’m coming up with some kind of melody. Some things are written specific for the song, some is just an improv, but I like to sit with it and have a little time.
The album title is “Spirit in the Glass,” and the first single is “Glass Heart.” Is there a specific metaphor or theme you’re going for with these glass references?
“Spirit in the Glass” doesn’t actually have a connection to the song “Glass Heart.” It just happened to have “glass” and “glass.” But “Spirit in the Glass” is actually a lyric from the song “All That Remains.” It’s the first lyric of the second verse, and I thought it was a cool phrase, so I went with that.
How do you feel about the reaction to the two singles you’ve released so far? Do you like the way things are going and progressing at this point?
Yeah, definitely. I’m happy for the positive feedback—any of the feedback. I’m just digging the whole process of it all, so yeah, I’m psyched.
You’ve done solo instrumental stuff, but this is the first real band you’re launching on your own. I’m sure it’s a lot more work. How are you finding that part of the process? Do you enjoy that?
Oh, absolutely. I just look at it like it’s what I’ve always been used to. So yeah, it’s just more to work at.
You played a couple shows recently, opening for Zakk Sabbath, which seems very appropriate. How did they go? Were they the first shows for Dark Chapel?
Yeah, they were the first Dark Chapel shows. Actually, that first show in New Orleans, joining the Zakk Sabbath tour, the King of the Monstours, was Dark Chapel’s first show, and then Little Rock was the second show. But yeah, that was amazing. It was the tail end of their tour, so it was Dark Chapel, Zoso, which is an awesome Led Zeppelin cover band, and then Zakk’s Black Sabbath cover band, Zakk Sabbath. We had a blast, and it was an awesome experience.
How do you like being the frontman, the guy who’s talking to the audience? Are you comfortable with that kind of thing?
It doesn’t feel any different to me from what I’ve always been doing since I’ve been touring since I was teenager. It all feels the same.
You’ve got the record release show coming up in Vegas. As you said, you’re all based there, so I’m sure there will be a big turnout for that.
Yeah, we’re psyched. That’s gonna be at Vamp’d, which is an awesome rock club here. We’re gonna have Don Jamieson, comedian, open it up, and yeah, we’re psyched. We’re playing the album in full. We might put in a few of the songs that I have from some of my instrumental albums.
Are you planning to do more shows or a full tour coming up?
Yeah, definitely. We’re working on a ton of stuff now that the album’s almost ready to come out.
It’s tough for established bands these days, and I’m sure it’s even harder for a new band just because there’s so much stuff out there. What has been the biggest challenge in launching this band so far?
It’s all work, so I wouldn’t say there’s been any major challenges. It’s just full steam ahead. Whatever gets put in front of you, you’ve gotta handle it and keep rolling.
Your background is really interesting. You’re still in high school and then you’re on tour with Jani Lane. How does that even happen?
Yeah, I know. When I think about it at times, it’s crazy. I started playing guitar when I was 6 or 7, and that became my life. In middle school, if somebody was thinking they were gonna be a doctor, a football player, a lawyer or whatever, I was thinking I’m gonna be a guitar player. That’s how I was thinking, so whatever I could do to make that happen I was following.
MySpace was big at the time. I was 16, and I saw on the bulletin board that Jani was looking for a guitar player for his solo band. I loved all that stuff at the time, so I sent an email to the contact, and they ended up getting back to me. They had me send over some Warrant songs where I recorded and I panned the Warrant track left and my guitar on the right. I did a few of those, and then they had me come out to L.A.. I jammed with Jani in a rehearsal room. He played drums and sang Warrant songs, ‘cause he was a phenomenal drummer. So we just jammed, and he was like, “Alright, cool. We’ve got shows coming up in the next couple weeks” or whatever it was. And then that was that. All those guys in the band were awesome. I was 16 and they were obviously much older than me, so they became my big brothers, took me under their wing. It was an awesome and wild experience, but it was amazing.
Were there issues with being able to get into certain places or play at certain places due to your age?
I think that we encountered that right at the beginning at one specific place, but then it was all alright.
And then you did a couple years with Lizzy Borden, and then most of us got to know you when you joined Black Label Society. The band, over the years, has had a lot of musicians come and go, but this current lineup has been together for 11 years. Was the chemistry right there from the start when you joined?
Yeah, it was amazing right from the beginning of everybody getting in there jamming. It’s been awesome, and we’ve all had a great time. But yeah, it’s been 11 years.
I really loved that on the last album, “Doom Crew Inc.,” you were in the studio and contributing to that. That’s the first time on a Black Label album that Zakk has brought another guitarist into the studio. It must have been a big honor for you.
Oh, 100 percent, and I was psyched. Zakk and I had a blast soloing back and forth and coming up with the parts. Yeah, it was amazing.
I’m a longtime Black Label fan, and I think my favorite part of the show now is “Fire It Up” when you guys are going back and forth with the solos. That’s just so cool to see.
Oh, right on. Yeah, we have a blast doing that.
Black Label released a new song, “The Gallows,” last year. What is the status of more new music?
I think there will be some stuff on its way this year. I think next year that full album will be out.
Listening to you talk, it’s obvious you’re from Boston. The other guys in the band are from the New Jersey/New York area. I don’t know if you’re a big sports fan, but I was wondering if there’s ever any rivalry stuff going on within the band.
Oh yeah. The sports I follow are more like boxing and UFC and hockey. So I don’t get too involved in any conflicts as far as Red Sox and Yankees or Patriots and Giants or whatever.
Is there anything else you’d like to say before we go?
Just check out the album when it comes out, Feb. 28. It’ll be on vinyl, CD. You can check it out on Spotify, Apple Music. It’ll be everywhere. I’m psyched for everybody to hear the whole album.
LINKS:
Pre-order “Spirit in the Glass”
https://www.darkchapelband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/darkchapelband
https://www.instagram.com/darkchapelband/
https://www.youtube.com/@darkchapelband
https://www.tiktok.com/@darkchapelband
https://x.com/darkchapelband
https://darkchapel.ffm.to/spiritintheglass
https://darkchapel.ffm.to/spiritintheglass
