Official Facebook Page. Nuwe album & DVD in 2010.
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* Initially formed as an experimental Afrikaans-language project in 2000 by vocalist Francois Breytenbach Blom & guitarist Theo Crous, South African band K.O.B.U.S.’ 1st release, kobus! - 2002, through independent label ENT Entertainment displayed a flagrant disregard for uniformity. Straying completely from the respective styles of their previous bands (Crous - Springbok Nude Girls, hard rock and Blom - Voice of Destruction, heavy metal) the album zig-zagged between moods, blending surreal comedy with dark ballads, easy listening with apocalyptic visions of despair on 12 tracks of fx & electronica meets electric guitar.
The duo harbored no hopes or illusions of mainstream success with this release. As they put it, they created the album to “pass the idle hours and entertain ourselves” and described it as “our personal hate-bomb” against Afrikaans-language music at the time. But this didn’t stop kobus! from accumilating a string of 5 star reviews or hinder the track ‘Hoenderman’ from becoming the most downloaded mp3 from the South African based website Samp3.
Huyser Burger (Battery 9) joined the group on stage on fx & samples for live performances through 2002 / 2003.
The band was nominated for a ‘Kanna’ award for best newcomer at the South African KKNK arts-festival of 2002 . Ironic in light of the fact that individually both Crous & Blom had already been successful in previous bands for over a decade.
* The 2nd release, 100% Skuldgevoelvry - 2004, also through ENT Entertainment again follows the self-indulgent, “no recipe” route, a bold companion-piece to their genre-busting debut.
Almost twice the running time of its’ predecessor, comprising of 16 tracks, this unclassifiable, unique album includes a number of heavier tracks, betraying where Blom & Crous’ true musical loyalties are rooted.
Songs are grouped into 4 sections, each section named after a part of the album-title, hinting that it might be a concept album.
New members Rob Nel (B-World) on bass and Paul Andre Blom (Voice of Destruction) on drums completed the line-up for live performances. All songs were now performed with a heavier hand, ‘metalized’ regardless of it’s sound on the studio versions.
* In 2006 K.O.B.U.S. joins the independent South African label Rhythm Records.
Their 3rd offering, the acclaimed SWAARMETAAL - 2007, sees founder members Crous & Blom comfortably and unapologetically getting back to the business of doing what they do and enjoy best, Metal.
The album is hailed as a first of it’s kind, the first real Afrikaans-language metal album.
Pierre Tredoux (Raaskopleef, The Uninvited) joins the band in Jan. 2007, replacing Rob Nel on bass.
K.O.B.U.S. has since been invited to perform at the gargantuan Magic Circle Festival in Germany. Headlined by the legendary Manowar, it featured the likes of Alice Cooper, Stormwarrior, WASP and HolyHell among many others in a truly spectacular line-up in celebration of heavy metal. The festival ran over four days in Bad Arolsen, Germany from 09 – 12 July 2008.
The music video of the title-track from the SWAARMETAAL album was nominated in the MK video awards (hosted by SA music video channel MK) in the category Hardest Video.
The SWAARMETAAL album won the SAMA award in the 14th South African Music Awards (2008) in the category Best Afrikaans Rock Album. (There is no heavy metal category, nor any hope for such in the foreseeable future)
In March 2008 Werner Von Waltsleben replaces Paul Andre Blom on drums.
Aug. 2009 - K.O.B.U.S. is currently recording their 4th album.
Official: http://www.kobusmusic.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/swaarmetaal
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/unclevinnie666
K.O.B.U.S. videos released:
2002 - Dink Jy Nou
2002 - Sondagmiddag
2002 - KOBUS! Live @ Oppiaarde Festival (‘Draadloos’)
2003 - Hoenderman
2004 - Drome Te Bestel
2005 - Die Duiwel & Die Engel
2005 - o Boereplaas
2006 - Waar die Antwoord Verskyn
2007 - Swaar Metaal
2008 - TienerAngs
2008 - Honger
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