Nikolo Kotzev's Nostradamus

Thanks, will check 

Hmm, this is difficult to pigeon-hole... Sounds like artsy AOR with some shredding and orchestral arrangements. I'll post the suggestion for the Crossover Team. 

friso wrote: Hey there! I was quite surprised that one of the best concept-albums and combination of classical music an progressive rock of all times wasn't listed in the archives! Nikolo Kotzev's Nostradamus Rock Opera is a great symphonic rock album with a real orchestra, rock arrangements, classical influenced compositions, great guitar solo's and some amazing violin solo's and outstanding vocal performances. Most of the compositions have progressive rock leanings, and some of them are even ground-braking! some songs from this album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tc8J2CPT3Y&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWkVxMUKj1Y&feature=related So.. let's add it to the archives!

Hi Friso

Edited by Chris S - November 03 2010 at 13:57

And on allmusic.com:

review of the album:

There was a time in the '70s when rock operas were all the rage. Since then they have been pretty scarce, and many times with good reason. This rock opera is quite possibly the most successful attempt at the genre to have ever come around. The awesome results are probably greatly related to the fact that the CD's creator (Kotzev) is not only a rock composer, but also an accomplished classical composer. The result is a CD that combines prog metal work, progressive rock, and plenty of classical/operatic leanings to achieve a very potent mix. Kotzev also recruited a considerably impressive cast to fill out the roles in his creation. That cast includes such names as Alannah Myles, Sass Jordan, Glenn Hughes, and Joe Lynn Turner. The work is very powerful, emotional, and inspiring.

Biography of Nikolo Kotzev:

Born in Bulgaria, Nikolo Kotzev has lived in Finland since 1989. He is a brilliant guitarist and violin player. He worked for many years as a session musician. He was involved in the rock group Baltimoore, which was just him and Bjorn Lodin. That group released two albums, 1992's Double Density and Thoughts for Food the following year. In 1995, he recorded under the name of Brazen Abbot, releasing Live and Learn. The second Brazen Abbot disc, Eye of the Storm, was released in 1996. 1997 saw the release of Bad Religion under the same moniker. The next year, Kotzev started working on his most ambitious project, the double-disc rock opera Nostradamus. That album did not get released until 2001

Also interesting:
Nikolo Kotzev is working on his next project "Nikolo Kotzev's Draconia". The work is still in progress, but samples can already be listened to at http://draconia.nostramusic.com/ .

Bio at wikipedia:

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 cover band. 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).
Brazen Abbot was put on hiatus when Kotzev started working on a rock opera about Nostradamus. Due to a string of setbacks, including scheduling conflicts and Kotzev's record company, USG Records, going bankrupt, the album wasn't completed until 2000 and was finally released as Nikolo Kotzev's Nostradamus in 2001 on SPV Records. The album featured most Brazen Abbot members, in addition to singers Jørn Lande (Masterplan), Alannah Myles and Sass Jordan.
Kotzev resumed work with Brazen Abbot in 2002, releasing Guilty as Sin in 2003. The line-up was mostly the same as for Bad Religion, with Lande replacing Vikström. Michaeli, Levén and Haugland departed Brazen Abbot to rejoin Europe. Temporary replacements filled in during a short tour in Bulgaria, recordings of which were released on the live album A Decade of Brazen Abbot (2004). My Resurrection followed in 2005, and featured four singers: Edman, Turner and new members Tony Harnell (TNT) and Erik Mårtensson and a new backing band consisting of bassist Wayne Banks (ex-Sabbat, Blaze), organist Nelko Kolarov and drummer Mattias Knutas.
In addition to being a recording artist, Kotzev has also produced and mixed albums by other bands, such as Saxon, Molly Hatchet, Rose Tattoo and Messiah's Kiss.