Nikolo Kotzev
| Nikolo Kotzev | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Николо Коцев |
| Birth name | Nikolo Kotvev |
| Born |
June 6, 1961 Pazardzhik, Bulgaria |
| Origin | Bulgairan |
| Genres | Hard rock, Rock opera |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1982 - present |
| Associated acts | Impulse, Baltimore, Brazen Abbot, Kikimora |
Nikolo Kotzev (Bulgarian: Николо Коцев) (born 1961) is a Bulgarian guitarist, violinist, song writer and producer, perhaps most famous for his 2001 rock opera Nostradamus and his band Brazen Abbot.
Kotzev was born in Pazardzhik and started taking violin lessons at the age of five. While in his teens he took an interest to rock music, and started playing the guitar.
Nikolo worked as a session musician and played the guitar in a Bulgarian rock group Impulse. While touring with the band in Europe in the late 80s, Nikolo met Swedish singer Björn Lodin. When Nikolo relocated to Mariehamn, Åland, Finland in 1989, he joined Lodin's band Baltimoore, with whom he recorded two albums: Double Density (1992) and Thought For Food (1994).
Creative differences led to Kotzev's departure in 1994, at which point Nikolo started working on a solo project under the Brazen Abbot moniker. The result was Live and Learn (1995), which featured singers Göran Edman (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen), Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple, ex-Trapeze) and Thomas Vikström, keyboard player Mic Michaeli (Europe), bassist Svante Henryson and drummer Ian Haugland (Europe). Kotzev played the guitar, produced, mixed and wrote all the songs for the album.
The follow-up album, Eye of the Storm (1996), featured mostly the same people, with Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Rainbow,ex-Deep Purple) replacing Hughes and John Levén (Europe) replacing Henryson. The same line-up also released Bad Religion (1997).
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