Artist: BRAZEN ABBOT
Album: GUILTY AS SIN (CD)

Year: 2003
Media type: CD

BRAZEN ABBOT is the solo project of the erstwhile BALTIMOORE guitarist and Bulgarian native NIKOLO KOTZEV. The resulting debut album, 'Live And Learn' first released in August 1995 in Japan by JVC Victor then picked up for Europe by USG Records, features a wealth of talent on the vocal front alone, including appearances from ex-DEEP PURPLE star GLENN HUGHES, former TALK OF THE TOWN and CANDLEMASS singer Thomas Wikstrцm and ex-MADISON, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and GLORY singer Goran Edman. The musicians in playing roles on the album comprised former EUROPE members drummer Ian Haughland and keyboard player Mic Michaeli.

BRAZEN ABBOT's 1996 'Eye Of The Storm' sophomore album also boasts vocalists Edman and Vikstrom, but enjoys the addition of ex-RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE man JOE LYNN TURNER to the roster. Hughes, although willing to participate on the second album, was forced to bow out due to pressure from his Japanese record company. This triumvirate of vocal power in Edman, Vikstrom and Turner was continued for the 1997 album, 'Bad Religion', which saw BRAZEN ABBOT delve deeper into mid 80's RAINBOW territory.

Turner promptly accompanied the band for a short German acoustic tour in the winter of 1997, which found British AOR outfit HEARTLAND playing support. Bearing in mind the obvious similarities to Turner's previous act it came as some surprise that BRAZEN ABBOT actually had the audacity to include a number of RAINBOW songs in their live set. A promotion CD, featuring an acoustic version of 'Love Is On Our Side', was given away at these gigs.

NIKOLO KOTZEV cut an ambitious solo project during 2000 titled 'Nostradamus'. Guests were the familiar faces of JOE LYNN TURNER, GLENN HUGHES and Goran Edman. Kotzev would gain production credits for SAXON's 2001 album 'Killing Ground'.

A brand new BRAZON ABBOT album 'Guilty As Sin' was announced as underway during the summer of 2002. Amongst the familiar role call of talent such as JOE LYNN TURNER, Goran Edman, Mic Michaeli, John Leven, Ian Haugland and Nikolo Kotzev would be the addition of vocalist JORN LANDE, a veteran of the YNGWIE MALMSTEEN band among others and current vocalist with MASTERPLAN.

The BRAZEN ABBOT band, featuring JOE LYNN TURNER, the SABBAT, GODSEND and BLAZE credited bassist Wayne Banks, keyboard player Lars Pollack and drummer Tomas Broman, set their first live shows for July 2003 in the Bulgarian cities of Varna, Plovdiv and Sofia. These gigs would be filmed for a documentary DVD release. That November Kotzev added to his production tally by manning the desk for German band MESSIAH'S KISS.

BRAZEN ABBOT signed to the Italian Frontiers label for the DVD release and a new studio album 'My Resurrection'. Besides the employment of a 31 piece orchestra, musicians utilised for these sessions included bassist Wayne Banks, keyboard player Nelko Kolarov and drummer Mattias Knutas with singers JOE LYNN TURNER, Tony Harnell of TNT and WESTWORLD, Erik Martensson of ECLIPSE and Goran Edman. Also on the agenda would be an August 2005 re-release of the first triptych of BRAZEN ABBOT albums through SPV Records, all featuring new artwork. During September Kotzev also found himself on the road in Germany as part of BEE GEES singer Robin Gibb's live band.

TRACKLIST:

1. One Life To Live
2. Eyes On The Horizon
3. I'll Be Free
4. Slip Away
5. Mr. Earthman
6. Like Jonah
7. Bring The Colors Home
8. Fool's Confession
9. Supernatural
10. Eve
11. A Whole Lotta Woman
12. Guilty As Sin