Mayan (stylized as MaYaN) is a Dutch

symphonic death metal Symphonic metal is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars ...

band founded by vocalist

Mark Jansen Markus Hubertus Johannes Jansen (born 15 December 1978) is a Dutch guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. A prominent figure in the symphonic metal subgenre, he is known for his work with the bands After Forever (1995–2002), Epica (2002–pr ...

, guitarist Frank Schiphorst, and keyboardist

Jack Driessen Jack Driessen (born 11 July 1980 in Roermond, Netherlands) is a Dutch keyboardist, songwriter and arranger. He is co-founder and former member of the Dutch symphonic death metal band MaYaN. Furthermore he is known as the first keyboardist of th ...

. The band features many different vocalists (either full-time members or guests) in a mix of clean vocals,

growled vocals The death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Sometimes death growl vocals are criticized for their ...

, and screams, supported by an

instrumentation Instrumentation is a collective term for measuring instruments, used for indicating, measuring, and recording physical quantities. It is also a field of study about the art and science about making measurement instruments, involving the related ...

combining both heavy metal and

symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars ...

elements. Created in 2010, the band has released three studio albums to date, ''

Quarterpast ''Quarterpast'' is the debut album by Netherlands, Dutch metal supergroup MaYaN (band), MaYaN. It was released on 20 May 2011 in Europe. The title ''Quarterpast'' was suggested by a fan as part of a competition to decide the band's name, but was e ...

'' in 2011, ''

Antagonise ''Antagonise'' is the second album by Dutch metal supergroup Mayan (band), MaYaN. It was released on January 31, 2014. The 11-song CD, recorded at the Sandlane studio with producer Joost van den Broek, features guest appearances by Floor Jans ...

'' in 2014 and ''

Dhyana Dhyana may refer to: Meditative practices in Indian religions * Dhyana in Buddhism (Pāli: ''jhāna'') * Dhyana in Hinduism * Jain Dhyāna, see Jain meditation Other *''Dhyana'', a work by British composer John Tavener Sir John Kenneth ...

'' in 2018. The name was chosen by Jansen out of his fascination for the ancient

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writin ...

. Lyrical themes include religion, politics, and world events, as well as philosophy, meditation, existence, and inner struggles.

History

On 6 September 2013,

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...

released a press statement that confirmed that Laura Macrì and Henning Basse, who were guest and tour members for the first album, have become full-time members. In October 2013,

Isaac Delahaye Isaac Delahaye (born 9 January 1982) is a Belgian guitarist and composer, best known as the lead guitarist of Dutch symphonic metal band Epica since 2009. Prior to that he was lead guitarist in the Dutch death metal band God Dethroned. Dela ...

left Mayan to focus on other projects. On 16 December, the band announced

Merel Bechtold Merel Bechtold (born February 27, 1992) is a Dutch guitarist. She was born in Blaricum. She started playing guitar in 2007 at the age of fifteen. Half a year later she founded the band Purest of Pain, in which she played lead guitar until its di ...

as Delahaye's successor for the upcoming two release shows of new album in late January 2014. After these shows, she was made a permanent member. In 2015, Rob van der Loo left the band to focus on Epica and an upcoming new project. Roel Käller took his place as the bassist. Next to that, George Oosthoek (ex-

Orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...

) joined the band as growling vocalist. On 21 June 2017, it was announced that

Marcela Bovio Marcela Alejandra Bovio García (born October 17, 1979) is a Mexican singer and violinist who is currently a member of the Dutch symphonic metal bands Stream of Passion and MaYaN. In 1995, she joined Hydra, a Mexican metal band, singing and ...

, former singer of

Stream of Passion Stream of Passion is a Dutch progressive metal band with symphonic and gothic influences founded by guitarist and composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen and Mexican singer, violinist, and lyricist Marcela Bovio. They have released four studio albums. ...

and a regular collaborator of the band since 2013, was now a full-time member. Vocalist Henning Basse departed the band on July 31, 2018, citing scheduling conflicts, while remaining a recurring guest. Adam Denlinger, who started touring with a band in 2017, became the new clean vocalist. On 27 July 2018, MaYaN announced the third album, ''Dhyana'', which was released on 21 September 2018. On 16 July 2022, MaYaN announced their tenth-anniversary show, which took place on 8 September 2022 in

Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...

Band members

;Current *

– growled and screamed

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

(2010–present) *Frank Schiphorst –

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

s (2010–present) *Ariën van Weesenbeek –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

, growled vocals (2010–present) *Laura Macrì – clean vocals (2013–present; session: 2011–2013) *George Oosthoek – growled vocals (2016–present) *Roel Käller –

fretless bass A fretless bass is an electric bass guitar whose neck lacks frets and thus is smooth like traditional string instruments, and like the neck of an acoustic double bass. While the fretless bass is played in all styles of music, it is most common in ...

(2016–present) *

– clean vocals (2017–present; session: 2013–2017) *Adam Denlinger – clean vocals (2018–present; session: 2017) *Roberto Macrì – keyboards (2019–present) ;Former *

– keyboards, screamed vocals (2010–2019) *

Sander Gommans Sander Gommans (born 15 August 1978) is a Dutch musician and songwriter. He founded the symphonic metal band Apocalypse with Mark Jansen in 1995, which later changed its name to After Forever. He played guitar and performed the vocal grunting ...

– guitars (2010) *

– guitars (2010–2013) * Rob van der Loo – fretted bass (2011–2015) *

– guitars (2013–2023) ;Session *

Floor Jansen Floor Jansen (; born 21 February 1981) is a Dutch singer and songwriter. She is the third and current lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Jansen first became known as the lead vocalist of symphonic metal band After Forever f ...

– clean vocals (2011–2014) *

Simone Simons Simone Johanna Maria Simons (born 17 January 1985) is a Dutch singer. She is best known for being the lead singer of Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, which she joined at the age of seventeen, releasing nine studio albums and touring the world ...

– clean vocals (2011) *

Jeroen Paul Thesseling Jeroen Paul Thesseling (born 13 April 1971) is a Dutch fretless bass player, most famous for his work in the German progressive death metal band Obscura and the Dutch progressive death metal band Pestilence. Biography ;Early life Jeroen starte ...

– fretless bass (2010–2011) *Henning Basse – clean vocals (2011–2013, 2018–present); full time member: 2013–2018) *Arjan Rijnen – live guitars (2018–present)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2011) * ''

'' (2014) * ''Dhyana'' (2018)

EPs

* ''Undercurrent'' (EP, 2018) * ''Metal Night at the Opera'' (EP, 2018)

Singles

* ''The Rhythm of Freedom'' (single, 2018)

References

External links

*
Interview with Mark Jansen by Iain from CackBlabbath.co.uk
{{Authority control Dutch symphonic metal musical groups Dutch progressive metal musical groups Dutch death metal musical groups Musical groups established in 2010 2010 establishments in the Netherlands Mixed-gender bands