Bio

With over 1100 shows in more than 40 years Marcel has played a lot. Come and find out what he did and with whom he played on stage through all the years.

Award winning rock-guitarist MARCEL COENEN was born in The Netherlands in 1972. Started playing guitar when he was 10, he learned a lot of guitar related techniques, theory and improvisation from different teachers and from a lot of self-study. All this contributed to making him the guitarist he is today. Currently Marcel is active in a few bands (details below) and works as a guitar teacher and producer. Throughout his career Marcel has been asked by several musicians to play together with them on tours, worked on recordings and song writing. You can find the details at this website.

PLEASE CHECK OUT

Facebook official: www.facebook.com/MarcelCoenenOfficial
Bandsintown: www.bandsintown.com/MarcelCoenen
YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/mcoenen
Webpage official: www.marcelcoenen.com

UPCOMING

2024 – Live Video Marcel Coenen (now available in the Shop) and as streaming music on most platforms

MARCEL’S INFLUENCES

Musicians: Dimebag Darrell, Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Scott Henderson, Greg Howe, Gary Moore, Brian May, Paul Gilbert, Mike Oldfield, John Petrucci, Steve Vai, James Hetfield.
Bands: Crimeny, Haji’s Kitchen, Queen, Dream Theater, Pantera, Meshuggah, Alice In Chains, Rush, Racer X, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy.

MARCEL’S ENDORSEMENTS

Cort Guitars and Basses Benelux

Marcel is proud to have an endorsement with Cort Guitars and Basses Benelux. He uses the X-models and some other models in his studio.
>>> www.cortguitars.com

LONG BIO

Marcel Coenen was born on September 21, 1972 in Sittard, the Netherlands. Marcel started playing guitar at the age of 11. He learned the main topics of music theory and guitar techniques very early on, and at the age of 13 Marcel started playing in bands.

One of the better known bands that Marcel started playing in when he was only 15 years old was the band Speedica. Marcel has often performed on stage with this band and released a CD in 1989. Later the band name of this group changed to FORM. A CD was also released under this band name in 1994 (I Choose My Own).

Around 1993 Marcel started the progressive band AURA, this band changed the band name in 1996 to LEMUR VOICE, in 1996 the CD “Insights” was released through the American record label Magna Carta. In the same year Marcel also played on an American tribute CD for the Canadian band Rush, called “Working Man” together with John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Steve Morse, Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Billy Sheehan (Mr Big) and many more big names in the progressive rock world.

In 1998 Marcel took part in the Dutch Guitar Championships (NGA), Marcel ended up in the final and became 4th, in the style “rock” Marcel came out as first, on top.

LEMUR VOICE released another CD in 1999 called “Divided” and the band decided to split up a year later.

Around 1998/1999 Marcel also started the band Stormrider, this is a metal cover band, with this band Marcel played as support act for bands such as Laaz Rockit, Sepultura, Death Angel, Exodus and Testament and played three times at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium.

Marcel founded the progressive metal band SUN CAGED in 1999, the band released its debut album in 2003 through the Finnish Lion Music, mixed by Arjen Lucassen (Star One / Ayreon). The band then did many successful performances in The Neteherlands and abroad, including support for Queensryche in the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam and at the well-known Sweden Rock Festival in Sweden.

SUN CAGED released their second CD “Artemisia” in 2007 and in 2011 their third CD “The Lotus Effect” was released which enjoyed critical acclaim worldwide. The band broke up in 2013.

In 2003 Marcel’s first solo album “Guitartalk” was also released through Lion Music. This CD is completely produced and recorded by Marcel and shows 12 instrumental songs ranging from rock ballads to fusion and metal. In 2006 the second CD “Colour Journey” was released on which Marcel collaborated with a range of guest musicians. In the same year a Live DVD of Marcel Coenen & Friends was released, recorded at the CD presentation of the second CD. In 2015 “Disambiguation” was released, an EP containing 4 old songs by Marcel in a newly recorded version. This is available through online streaming websites such as iTunes and Spotify. In 2020 Marcel started to re-record Guitartalk with real musicians, this album with the title “Guitartalk 2021” has been released in 2021 and brought two singles as well.
In 2023 Marcel released his third soloalbum “Resurrection“, this album went into a little bit different style while it had some bluesy elements as well. Marcel’s 2006 album “Colour Journey” got a remix and remaster in 2024 and was released only online at most streaming platforms.
Also Marcel released a live video of his show he did with his friends in Weert in 2024, it is available in the SHOP section of this website.

Marcel also made a guitar instruction DVD in 2006, which was recorded in Taiwan where Marcel has performed in both Taiwan and Thailand called “Speed Up”. In 2011 Marcel also released an instructional DVD in which he explains his song “Moyra” completely. These are also available in the SHOP section.

Since 2008 Marcel has also been a guitarist in the Christmas Metal Symphony project in which he has played with musicians such as Chuck Billy (Testament), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Udo Dirkschneider (UDO, ex-Accept), Jorn Lande (Jorn), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Joey Belladonna (Anthrax), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Christina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) and more.

In 2010 Marcel was asked to act as a guest guitarist with the Belgian band Channel Zero and played with Channel Zero at their 6 sold-out shows in the AB in Brussels and on the main stage of Graspop Metal Meeting 2010 in front of 50,000 people. Marcel also played with the band in 2014.

Since 2014 Marcel has also been working on The Art Of Pantera, a Pantera tribute band with which he honors the deceased Dimebag Darrell. As a highlight, The Art Of Pantera plays at Graspop Metal Meeting in 2015 for 15,000 metalheads.

Marcel is also active in the Dutch band GODSCUM since 2013 and an album has been released in 2020 called “The Zodiac Horrorscope”.

Marcel also occasionally participates in Ayreon, Arjen Lucassen’s project. Marcel can be heard and seen in the live recordings “The Theater Equation”, “Ayreon Universe” and “01011001“where he worked with people like James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz), Mike Mills (Toehider), Eric Clayton (Savior Machine), Marcela Bovio (Stream Of Passion) and Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering). He also plays a solo on the Ayreon album “The Source”, released in 2017 in the song “The Dream Dissolves”.

Here is a list of musicians Marcel played with throughout his career: