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Kowai is a Gothic Rock/Metal band from Utrecht, the Netherlands. The band was founded by guitar players Arjen and Bertran, who share an interest in Japan (hence the Japanese name "Kowai") and metal. After having found a consistent line-up (Joost on drums, Rik on bass and Laura on vocals), the release of a demo "Prelude" in the fall of 2009 paved the way for Kowai’s long-awaited first live gig in November 2009. In June 2010 synth player Daphne completed the band.
Kowai’s ever evolving sound consists of melodic songs with female vocals, combined with grunts and strapping guitar riffs. The band has been compared to contemporary bands such as “The Gathering” and "Within Temptation". Kowai’s key ethos lies in self-improvement and the constant exploration of ideas. Furthermore, the band differentiates itself from others by combining musical genres such as metal, rock, symphonic, and doom, and by the haunting melancholic atmosphere the songs create.
"Prelude" reached the finals of "Demo Duel", a competition hosted by one of the largest Dutch radio stations "Radio 538", and also received airtime on Dutch radio stations such as KinkFM and UTracks. In 2010, the band conquered a spot in the semi-finals of the "Utrecht Pop Award", reached a second place in the Utrecht Metal Battle 2010, and played for KinkFM in Amsterdam pop temple "Paradiso". In 2011, the band opened for bands such as "Autumn" and "Trail of Tears", and more interesting gigs are still to come!
Currently, Kowai is working hard on their first full-length release (scheduled for mid 2012), so keep an eye on them by going to one of the numerous live gigs they have planned, or by checking out their website/facebook/hyves/twitter!
Kowai is:
Laura van Nes (vocals),
Arjen Bosma (guitar),
Bertran Zwijnenburg (guitar and grunts),
Joost Lobbes (drums),
Rik Beerthuizen (bass guitar),
Ruben Marrenga (keys).
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