HDK (band)
Encyclopedia
HDK is a musical project of Dutch guitarist Sander Gommans
, best known as member, vocalist and one of the main composers of the now dissolved symphonic metal
band After Forever
.
founded the band as a side project of his career as guitarist and vocalist in the Dutch band After Forever
in 2005, along with bass player Peter Vink and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek
, who is now the drummer for Epica
. Gommans' purpose was to produce music more extreme than After Forever's usual symphonic metal
, which needed a different output. Gommans' activities as art teacher and member of After Forever
and his poor health condition slowed down the creative process of the band, until 2008. With the interruption of After Forever activities, HDK was able to finally produce its first full length album System Overload
, which was released on 23 February 2009 on the label Season of Mist
.
, melodic death metal
, and modern thrash metal
, as well as other stylistic influences given by female vocals and progressive rock
elements.
Sander Gommans
Sander Gommans is a Dutch musician. He founded the symphonic metal band Apocalypse with Mark Jansen in 1995, which later changed its name to After Forever. He played guitar and did the grunting parts in the band...
, best known as member, vocalist and one of the main composers of the now dissolved symphonic metal
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...
band After Forever
After Forever
After Forever was a Dutch symphonic metal band with strong progressive metal influences. The band relied on the use of both soprano vocals and death grunts. In February 2009, it was announced that After Forever had disbanded.-Biography:...
.
History
Sander GommansSander Gommans
Sander Gommans is a Dutch musician. He founded the symphonic metal band Apocalypse with Mark Jansen in 1995, which later changed its name to After Forever. He played guitar and did the grunting parts in the band...
founded the band as a side project of his career as guitarist and vocalist in the Dutch band After Forever
After Forever
After Forever was a Dutch symphonic metal band with strong progressive metal influences. The band relied on the use of both soprano vocals and death grunts. In February 2009, it was announced that After Forever had disbanded.-Biography:...
in 2005, along with bass player Peter Vink and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek
Ariën Van Weesenbeek
Ariën van Weesenbeek is the drummer for the Dutch death metal band God Dethroned.Ariën started as a 3 year old smashing furniture with spoons and forks before discovering his dad's drum kit....
, who is now the drummer for Epica
Epica (band)
Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen subsequent to his departure from After Forever. They are known for their symphonic sound and the use of female vocals and male growls performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen, respectively. All six members write...
. Gommans' purpose was to produce music more extreme than After Forever's usual symphonic metal
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...
, which needed a different output. Gommans' activities as art teacher and member of After Forever
After Forever
After Forever was a Dutch symphonic metal band with strong progressive metal influences. The band relied on the use of both soprano vocals and death grunts. In February 2009, it was announced that After Forever had disbanded.-Biography:...
and his poor health condition slowed down the creative process of the band, until 2008. With the interruption of After Forever activities, HDK was able to finally produce its first full length album System Overload
System Overload (album)
System Overload is the first album released by Dutch After Forever guitarist Sander Gommans's side project HDK . The music of this album is heavier and more extreme than the usual style of After Forever and Gommans created HDK in order to release the album by himself. The album was released on 23...
, which was released on 23 February 2009 on the label Season of Mist
Season of Mist
Season of Mist is a record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal and death metal records, the label moved on to releasing...
.
Style
The music style is very aggressive and amalgamates elements of classic metalClassic metal
Traditional heavy metal, also known as classic metal or simply heavy metal, is the seminal genre of heavy metal music before the genre "evolved and splintered into many different styles and subgenres."- Terminology:...
, melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
, and modern thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, as well as other stylistic influences given by female vocals and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
elements.
Current members
- Sander GommansSander GommansSander Gommans is a Dutch musician. He founded the symphonic metal band Apocalypse with Mark Jansen in 1995, which later changed its name to After Forever. He played guitar and did the grunting parts in the band...
- growls, guitars - Peter Vink - bass guitar
- Arien van WeesenbeekAriën Van WeesenbeekAriën van Weesenbeek is the drummer for the Dutch death metal band God Dethroned.Ariën started as a 3 year old smashing furniture with spoons and forks before discovering his dad's drum kit....
- drums
Vocalists
- Amanda SomervilleAmanda SomervilleAmanda Somerville is an American singer-songwriter and vocal coach.- Personal life :Somerville was born in Flushing, Michigan, and attended Flushing Senior High School and the University of Michigan in Flint, Michigan...
- (clean vocals) - Andre MatosAndré MatosAndré Coelho Matos born September 14, 1971 in São Paulo, Brazil. He is the oldest son of photographer Pedro Henrique Matos and Sonia Maria Coelho. André Matos was the former vocalist, pianist and composer for the power metal bands Viper, Angra and Shaaman. Since October 2006 Andre Matos has been...
- (clean vocals) - Jos Severens - (clean vocals)
- Patrick Savelkoul - (screams/grunts)
- Paul Niessen - (raps)
- Mike Scheijen - (screams)
Instrumentalists
- Joost van den BroekJoost van den BroekJoost van den Broek was a keyboardist in the metal band After Forever. On the album After Forever, Joost had the opportunity to collaborate on the composition and production of the album alongside other band members. Van den Broek will appear on the Sinbreed album When Worlds Collide...
- (keyboards) - Arjen Anthony LucassenArjen Anthony LucassenArjen Anthony "Oswold Jr." Lucassen is a progressive metal/rock composer, singer and musician from the Netherlands, best known for his long-running progressive opera project titled Ayreon....
- (guitar solo) - Marcel Coenen - (guitar solo)
- Bastiaan Kuiper - (guitar solo)
External links
- Official website - Currently offline
- Official MySpace
- Metal-Archives Profile