Both Nick and John left war-torn countries at the time. Nick Z Marino is originally from Serbia and left his home country in the mid-nineties, when former Yugoslavia was in a terrible shape, suffering a devastating civil war, and John Ivan Belousov, A.K.A. GuitarSlinger is a guitarist from Ukraine, who recently left the war zone and now stays in South California.
Gene Aaron: What brought each of you from Eastern Europe to the United States, and what opportunities did you find here?
John Ivan: Yeah, about those stories about me and Nick. So we both came here in the times when there was war in our countries and we had a talk when I was in Mexico. Nick called me, and he said, “You know what? It's kind of the same history. You can hear it. It's a war in Ukraine. And I came here, and it was, you know, war in Yugoslavia, Serbia, and it's kind of the same stuff. But sure, it's a big possibility here in America.” And that's right.
Nick Z Marino: Right through the years! Yeah, America is the best country in the world if you want to pursue your dream. This is the one and only country, and well, yeah, it's a very similar situation. Back in the nineties, there was a civil war in Yugoslavia, and I was literally forced to get out of Yugoslavia overnight. I went first to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, then I stayed up a little bit in New York, L.A., and finally got to Florida, which I like the best.
But this was a long time ago. And now I see the similarity. And if anybody understands what Ivan is going through, that's me. I also came to the Western country with very few dollars in my pockets, and with just one keyboard and a little bit of clothes, starting from scratch, from zero. I didn't have any friends, family, or help. It was just me and my girlfriend at the time. And then I got lucky. I got the green card in the lottery and ended up staying here.
And then, in a very short period of time, I got, like, really, really successful. You know, this is a story about America. As you see just recently on television, just yesterday, there was a vice presidential candidate from the Republican Party who grew up with his grandma, basically very poor and everything. He ended up being a United States senator and now he is a vice president. He's only 39 years old. So, you know, this can happen only in America.
Basically, when I came in 1995, it took about two years, and I got an audition for KC And The Sunshine Band, which is not really a rock band. But that was the only available thing in Florida. I got to tour the world and everything, and then later, I joined Yngwie and did my stuff.
Gene Aaron: You are absolutely right - America is the land of opportunity! It just takes some effort and dedication to make it happen.
There are some of your songs dedicated to war themes. One is a song actually named ‘War’, and the video for it was released in 2014, I believe. Another one, ‘Rise Above’ is from the new album The Best Of NZM and both songs' videos feature scenes from the war.
Nick Z Marino: Well, the first song that you're talking about, the one from 2014, was definitely just a warning and a reminder about the possibility of war because of the inevitable war that was looming upon us.
And the ‘Rise Above’ talks more about the hatred of what we could experience daily. The song’s title is ‘Rise Above’, so we have to rise above that hatred and actually prevent the war, but sometimes, we don't make all the effort, and still, the angels of war prevail. ‘Rise Above’ is featured on the new album as well, but it was originally released last year; it was a title track of the 2023 album “Rise Above.”
NZM Band - RIse Above
Gene Aaron: How did you two meet? John, maybe you can tell us your side of the story?
John Ivan: Yeah, first, I lived in Mexico, and I was organizing that tour for Voices of Metal in Mexico and some other parts of Latin America, and I needed to find a good keyboardist because most of the material with all these great singers, they have a lot of keyboards. So I needed a good keyboard player. Firstly I called my buddy Michael Troy, who used to play with Yngwie. He's a nice guy. And he said, “You know what? You don't need me. You need this guy. He is a singer and keyboardist of Yngwie. Check him out; he's just awesome.”
And he sent me a few videos, and I'm like, “Oh shit, this guy!” And I added Nick probably on Facebook. And we started chatting, and then he came to Mexico, and I came there first too, you know, to set the tour and stuff, and we had a few rehearsals, but we were ready to play after the first rehearsal when Nick came there.
And after we did all this stuff, going through, playing everything, and I just told him, “You know what? One of the greatest not only keyboardists but also musicians I have ever played with is you!” It's like, wow! I was so shocked! It was great from the first minute, and we became good friends on that tour.
We were walking down the street in different strange places like Juarez. We woke up, I remember, one morning in Juarez after the show, and Nick said, “Hey, did you just take a shower? Are you ready to go?” And I'm like, “Uh, yeah, I took a shower. Where to go Nick? We are here in Juarez.” And he's like, “Yeah, we're here in Juarez. We have to check it out.”
And before that, people called me, “Hey guys, if you’ll be there in Juarez, be careful like it’s a crazy city, it’s bums, it’s a lot of bad guys, mob, shootings, and blah, blah, blah,” and Nick says, “Hey let's go. Yeah, let’s go!” So we went out, and when we came back to the hotel, everybody was asking, “Where have you been?” But we were just taking a look. We were just walking down the street. They thought we were so crazy!
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Gene Aaron: That's a really crazy story! And then you brought Nick to Ukraine for touring?
John Ivan: Well, it was another idea to bring Nick to Ukraine because I have my own fans and a lot of friends, musicians, and music fans who always like asking to bring something interesting to Ukraine because not too many musicians, not too many great artists come to Ukraine. So I remember I started doing all that stuff, organizing and promoting different singers, bands, and stuff.
And I asked Nick, “Hey, do you want to go to Ukraine? Just doing the same stuff like we did, like Voices of Metal,” and he said, “Yeah, absolutely. Let's do it!“ And he was like quick. We didn't need to set anything. And it was like everything was ready. I just called my friends' promoters, and we did it really quickly, with only one rehearsal before that tour.
Nick Z Marino: And we made a video as well. You're forgetting about it. Yeah, the video was cool.
John Ivan: So these guys came to Ukraine. We did only one rehearsal, and Nick said, “You know what? We are done! We’re good! No more rehearsals, we’re great!” And the next day we did a show and everybody just wow!
Nick Z Marino: And I brought a drummer who was playing with Yngwie at the time, Brian Wilson.
John Ivan: Yeah, Brian was great!
Gene Aaron: To do all these crazy things in Ukraine with John and the guys and the whole thing, there must be quite an adventure!
Nick Z Marino: It was absolutely amazing. John and the crowds were incredible. There, you know, the venues were incredible. The people were really, really cool and supportive, which was also a lot of fun.
John Ivan feat. Nick Z Marino - Never Give up (Official Video, GuitarSlinger album)
Gene Aaron: It seems now quite logical that you two collaborated on John’s solo album GuitarSlinger. Nick, you contributed to the creation of three songs on this album, the opening track ‘Low Riders’, a progressive power ballad Gypsy Woman, and a heavy speed metal hit ‘Never Give Up'. So tell us about work on this project together.
Nick Z Marino: That's John's album, the solo album, and he asked me what it would be like if I participated? And I said, “Of course,” and I helped in every way that I could. I sang, and I played some keyboards. I think I co-wrote one of the lyrics and worked on some lyrics.
John Ivan: You did two.
Nick Z Marino: Two? I don't even know because I haven't heard this in a long time. He sent me the whole album when it was finally mastered, including the sound and everything, and I listened to the whole album with other artists as well, like Mark Boals, Neil Turbin and Elvin Rodriguez. It sounds really cool, and I like the instrumentals that John did. The whole album is really good, and the songs that we put together just sound great.
John Ivan: When we started, the first song that we recorded with Nick was actually ‘Never Give Up’. And then that story about the song, I asked him if he would work with me on that song, and he said, “You know what? Just send it to me.” And I sent it to him.
Just a few hours later, let's say, four or five hours later, he sent me back the whole song recorded with vocals and keyboard solo, and I'm like, “What? It was four hours, maybe five hours? You just did it!” And he's like, “Yeah, what do you think?” And I'm like, “Well, wow! I loved it! Come on, just don't fix anything! It's just great. Absolutely! Just send me files.” It was like, wow! He is really, really quick, and I’ve never seen anybody work so fast like Nick. You know, this guy is amazing!
Nick Z Marino: Yes, speed is my middle name!
John Ivan: Yeah. And there is a story behind the song ‘Gypsy Woman.’
Nick Z Marino: Especially ‘Gypsy Woman.’ It is my favorite.
Gene Aaron: Yes, that's my favorite too! And who is that mystery gypsy woman?
Nick Z Marino: It is a mystery; well, it could be somebody that I put up with a long time ago.
Gene Aaron: It is a little mystery here, or maybe it is just a fantasy. Who knows, right?
Nick Z Marino: Yeah, yeah. Let's leave it that way!
NZM Band - End Of Days (From "The Best of NZM")
Gene Aaron: Nick, you've been working with Yngwie Malmsteen for a long time, and how do you manage your solo career with your work as a keyboardist and a vocalist for such an acclaimed legendary artist as well?
Nick Z Marino: Well, Yngwie, he is amazing! I think he's still probably the best guitar player. He can still play the show for 90 minutes, and people are impressed. And it's a great honor to play with him, you know. For example, this year, we spent like one month in Asia, and one month in Europe, and now we're going to have a two month tour in the US.
So that's four months, and basically the other eight months, I had time to do other stuff. So it's not like sometimes you play with a band. I used to play with KC And The Sunshine Band and it was like 120 shows a year. When you do something like this, you come home and you don't want to do music anymore.
You just get tired, and you basically don't have time for anything. But in this case, I have time to do some other projects, especially with my band NZM, which is my solo project, as you call it. And here is the new album that got released recently, and it's the fifth album, which is “The Best of NZM,” and it has one new song, and then the other 11 songs are just remakes and remixes of the songs from the other albums.
I actually had a solo album back in 2010 that was published by Yngwie Malmsteen, and he had Rising Force Records back in the time, and I was the only artist except him under the record label. These songs that I usually play with NZM were not featured anywhere, so I decided to do “The Best of NZM" and add some songs to the album.
“The Best of NZM” is on vinyl and CD, and it's available on all platforms, and you can find it on Amazon.com, Apple Music, Spotify, everywhere.
Gene Aaron: It looks and sounds very good! And what about you and John Ivan? Do you plan to do more creative work together? Are any new projects coming up?
Nick Z Marino: We're definitely going to work together. He's here in the US now, and I will find the time to play with John again because he is an amazing guitar player, an amazing guy, great, super talented, and a great friend.
John Ivan with Nick Z Marino
Nick Z Marino - lead vocals and keyboards
Nick began his musical training at the age of 7, receiving classical vocal and piano lessons. His talent grew throughout his adolescence as he performed across Europe and Asia, drawing influence from legendary artists like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Dio, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, and AC/DC. In 2005, Nick joined Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, touring the USA and Japan on the "Unleash The Fury" tour. His demo material caught Malmsteen's ear, leading to the release of his solo album “Freedom Has No Price” under Yngwie’s Rising Force Records in 2009, marking the first non-Malmsteen release on the label.
In 2010, Nick formed the NZM Band, serving as the lead singer and keyboard player. He continued to collaborate with Malmsteen, featuring on the live album "Spellbound - Live from Tampa" and the DVD "Spellbound - Live from Orlando" in 2013. Nick released the NZM Band's debut album “Eternal Fire” in 2014, followed by tours in Europe. He joined the super-band "Generation Axe" for their USA tours in 2016 and 2018, performing alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi. NZM Band released the album "Alive" in 2016, and Nick continued to tour with "Generation Axe" in Asia in 2019.
In spring of 2018 Nick Z Marino joined forces with VOICES OF METAL, featuring singers such as Tim Ripper Owens, Mike Viscera, Edu Falaschi and John Ivan on guitar. In October 2018 Nick Z Marino went on a solo Ukrainian tour featuring John Ivan on lead guitar, Gorka Alegre on bass and Brian Wilson on drums. Nick’s collaboration with Ukrainian shredder master John Ivan resulted in three hit singles “Low Riders,” “Gypsy Woman,” and “Never Give Up” featured on John Ivan’s solo album GuitarSlinger, released via Bestia Records on February 14th, 2024.
NZM Discography:
*Nick Marino - “Freedom Has No Price” (Album) - 2010
NZM - "Eternal Fire" (Album) - 2014
NZM - "Alive" (Album) - 2016
NZM - "Under a Spell" (Single) - 2018
NZM - "Time's Running Out" (Album) - 2020
NZM - “Rise Above” (Album) - 2023
NZM - "No Innocence" (Single) - 2024
NZM - "The Best of NZM" (album) - 2024
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John Ivan is an internationally acclaimed progressive and thrash metal guitarist and songwriter, renowned for his virtuosic high-energy shredding style, lightning-fast heavy riffs, intricate solos, and dynamically electrifying performances. He is a creative and innovative composer, a founder of the thrash metal band BESTIA, a member of the Michael Vescera Project, and co-founder of The Voices of Metal Project.
With his successful career, John Ivan has established himself as a formidable force in the world of rock and metal music. He has collaborated with legendary rock vocalists Tim Ripper Owens, Michael Vescera, Nick Z Marino, Mark Boals, Elvin Rodriguez, Neil Turbin, and Edu Falaschi. John worked with the bassist Gorka Alegre, among other high-profile artists.
John’s latest studio album, entitled "The GuitarSlinger," showcases his immense talent and relentless dedication to his craft, solidifying his status as one of the world’s premier and most distinguished guitarists. With each note, John Ivan continues to push the boundaries of guitar-driven music, inspire and influence aspiring musicians, and leave an indelible mark on the world of rock and metal music.
