The Zen

THE ZEN was formed in september 2010, in Barcelona, Spain. To find some reference prior to its foundation, first we should go back to 2004, when some teenagers from Esplugues del Llobregat, a neighbor town west of Barcelona, created a punk-rock band, just for fun, a non-ambitious project. That young band was "Skizoss", and its members were Albert Tolosa, Xavi Diví, Aleix Costa, Albert Gabarró & Josep Grau. Everything ended by themselves after a few months, specially when some members as Josep, Albert T. & Albert G. quit the band; fortunately, due the teenage friendship and all the funny rehearsals, Aleix & Xavi decided to follow their musical way and still rocking around their hometown, so, in 2005, another punk-band was founded: "Asfixia". Was at that moment when another new guy joined the crew, a band members close friend, the bassist Nico Bassó. At the same time, another band was born in Barcelona, "Assalt 43", with Josep at drums, Albert G. at bass and Xavi leading guitars as well. The next years were, overall, lucky for the A43 crew when in 2007 was recorded & officially released the first full-length album ever, "Nuestro Camino", followed by some national & European gigs and tours and a notable success within the national hardcore punk scene. Meanwhile, the "Asfixia" guys were in crisis due personal troubles in some band members. Few months later, the band finally separated. But again, Nico, Aleix & Xavi were still anxious and unsatisfied, so they founded "Urban Hell", a metal-hardcore project. In the course of its trajectory, the band recorded a non-edited single, "Sense Escapatoria", released and promoted during 2006. Afterwards, and due to the increasing inactivity period the band was immersed in, Urban Hell finally separated in 2008. Meanwhile, three of the original founding members (Nico, Aleix & Josep) created "Enok", a project more orientated to hardcore audience, which stood active during an entire year, till the first demo was recorded but non-released, when finally ended fall 2008. Assalt 43 fell in a long-time period of non-stop rehearsing after a radical change in the band's style and conception about music composition. Was then when Aleix Costa joined the band. Being more metal and less punk-rock, the renovated crew, started to compose new and more complex songs, trying to mix more styles in the right mesure and always between the hardcore & heavy metal parameters. An EP called "Hellcore" was recorded & released in 2009. It wasn't till 2010, when Albert Gabarró, a long time friend & bandmate, left Assalt 43, attempting to focus more on another things but music. Though this was hard for the other bandmates, this gave the band the opportunity of re-invent themselves, being this the end of Assalt 43, after losing three original founding members and a style full-change. Was the time to reset, so the band decided to re-join Nico on their rows, being this the first time since 2004 those bandmates were together again. THE ZEN was born on September 2010. The last member arrived on 2011, the vocalist Toni González (former Karlahan member), giving the band a new dimension on the growl vocal subject, and leaving clean backing vocals to Nico & Xavi. Unfortunately, and after several years working together, the bandmate and close friend Josep Grau left the line-up on september 2011 due to personal reasons, and leaving the drums section empty for very first time in years. So, the band joined another band's friend, Jordi Farré, a young talent drummer from Abrahel & Karlahan, completing again the band line-up. THE ZEN approaches a different sense of music compared to anything created before by all their members, showing an increasing evolution through the tracks timeline, being more melodic, but at the same time faster, harder and progressive. Nowadays the band is working on his first studio record, attempting to release it fall 2011. This is a conceptual full-length album, called SOMEWHERE ON EARTH, a 12 track story about the passing of the human soul, being this a traveler, through the death ways, levels and dimensions. THE ZEN are: Toni González (Vocals) Xavi Diví (Lead Guitars & Vocals) Álvaro Clemente (Rhythm Guitars & Backing Vocals) Nico Bassó (Bass & Choirs) Jordi Farré (Drums) "SOMEWHERE ON EARTH" available now at BANDCAMP! http://thezenmetal.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-on-earth Also, you can listen some of our tunes at the official youtube channel! http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14E7374530A31086&feature=mh_lolz