Eyesburn

Eyesburn
Industry	Music
Founded	1994
Headquarters	Belgrade, Serbia
Products	Studio albums, live albums, singles

Eyesburn is a Serbian musical group known for merging elements of hardcore punk, crossover thrash, and reggae.

1994–2007

Established in 1994, the founding members featured Nemanja "Kojot" Kojić—previously guitarist for Dead Ideas—handling guitar and backing vocals; he also played trombone with Del Arno Band and bass in Sunshine. The lineup included vocalist Nenad Živić, Aleksandar "Alek" Petrović on drums (formerly of Bloodbath), bassist Vladimir "Laza" Lazić from Urgh!, and Aleksandar "Gile" Radulović. The band adopted the name Eyesburn as a statement against Serbian television programming.

Their first release, Freedomized, was captured live at Belgrade’s KST venue. Initially concentrating on regional gigs, Eyesburn soon commenced studio sessions for Dog Life. After the departure of vocalist Živić just before recording, Kojić took over lead vocal duties. This album contained songs in English and included a rendition of Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus, featuring guest musician Jovan Matić from Del Arno Band.

Kojić broadened his contributions by adding trombone, guiding the group toward reggae, dub, and drum & bass styles. On the compilation Korak napred 2 koraka nazad, they performed a cover of Haustor's Šejn. Their sophomore album, Fool Control, marked the addition of guitarist Ninoslav "Nino" Filipović and was produced by Saša Janković. Tracks such as No Free Time, Foolin' I & I, and Warning Dub demonstrated a blend of contemporary rock, metal, and breakbeat reggae influences.

2000s

In 2001, the album "Fool Control" and the song "Rizlu imaš, ličnu kartu nemaš" were featured on the soundtrack of the film Munje!, where Eyesburn appeared performing as a club band. Their growing acclaim earned them spots on pre-election tours titled "IT'S TIME" and "USE IT (your brain)". Expanding their reach throughout the former Yugoslav territories, Eyesburn became one of Serbia’s most prolific live acts. They also appeared at the EXIT festival in Novi Sad during both 2001 and 2002.

Later in 2001, Dejan Utvar "Uti" joined the ensemble, leading to the release of Gabau!, a CD featuring eight tracks including live versions of "No Free Time" and Foolin' I & I. Collaborators on this record included Will Parker from Disciplin A Kitschme, percussionist Leša, and Oliver Nektarijević from Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša. In 2002, they worked remotely with Jamaican dub poet Ank Steadyspear to produce Cool Fire – Eyesburn meets Ank Steadyspear. Subsequently, they toured alongside Ank Steadyspear as an opening act for Lee Scratch Perry.

The 2003 release Solid, again produced by Saša Janković, marked a shift toward a stronger hardcore punk sound and is regarded by some as surpassing Fool Control. By year’s end, saxophonist Dušan Petrović joined, impacting their musical direction on future projects. Their increasing prominence led to an invitation from Max Cavalera to collaborate on the track "Moses" for Soulfly’s album Prophecy and participate in the 2004 Prophecy Europe Tour. Additionally, Kojić contributed vocals to Soulfly's song "Innerspirit" from their Dark Ages release.

In March 2005, after personnel changes with Lazić and Filipović leaving, Vukašin Marković (trombone, backing vocals) and Dalibor Vučić (bass) joined the lineup. Kojić concentrated solely on guitar. This formation—comprising Kojić, Vučić (bass and clarinet), Aleksandar Petrović (drums), Marković (trombone), and Dušan Petrović (baritone saxophone)—recorded How Much for Freedom? at M Studio in Novi Sad and Cameleon Studio in Zemun under producer Boban Mulunović. The album featured a cover version of Bob Marley & The Wailers' "So Much Trouble In The World" and was released through PGP-RTS in Serbia as well as in Austria.

In 2007, Eyesburn entered a period of inactivity while Kojić embarked on solo endeavors.

2011

During the spring of 2011, Eyesburn reunited with the lineup consisting of Aleksandar Petrović "Alek" on drums, Vladimir Lazić "Laza" handling bass, Nemanja Kojić "Kojot" providing vocals and trombone, Dušan Petrović on saxophone, Aleksandar Nikić "Lale" playing guitar, Zoran Đuroski "Đura" also on guitar, and Vukašin Marković contributing trombone and backing vocals. Their reunion performance took place on 17 June 2011 at Belgrade's SKC venue as part of the Jelen Top 10 Tour. Later that autumn, they introduced three new tracks—Juvenile, Dance, and My Friend—via YouTube.

2012–2014

In early 2012, drummer Alek departed and was succeeded by Dejan Miljković "Boske". Between 2012 and 2014, Eyesburn maintained a vigorous live schedule, playing over 60 concerts throughout Serbia and neighboring countries. August 2012 saw the release of their single Sudden Fall. On 15 September that year, they appeared at the Warrior's Dance festival in Novi Sad, an event organized by The Prodigy in collaboration with Exit Festival. That autumn, the band entered the studio to work on a new album. December brought out the single Hold This Way, which quickly became a crowd favorite during live shows.

In late June 2013, the band unveiled the single and accompanying video for Frontline. Shortly after, their seventh studio album titled Reality Check was released. This album featured previously released songs including Dance, My Friend, Sudden Fall, Hold This Way, and Frontline. Production was handled by Miloš Mihajlović with mastering by Jens Bogren. In March 2014, Eyesburn toured Slovenia. By July of that year, Vukašin Marković had left the group. The official video for the track Peaceful War followed in August. December marked a milestone celebration with a 20-year anniversary concert at SKC featuring guest appearances from former members, alongside the release of a compilation entitled XX Years: Coming to You Live & Direct from Creation, which included rare and previously unreleased material.

2015–2016

A new lineup emerged in winter 2015: Nemanja Kojić "Kojot" continued on vocals and trombone, Zoran Đuroski "Đura" remained on guitar, joined by Slobodan Đukić "Jimi Triple-B" on bass and backing vocals, and Boris Usanović took over drumming duties. This change saw Vladimir Lazić, Aleksandar Nikić, Dejan Miljković, and Dušan Petrović depart, ending the band's saxophone presence after an 11-year tenure. Musically, this transition signaled a return to a heavier style reminiscent of their debut album. In December 2015, they released the single Dream is Over.

In July 2016, Kojić announced that Eyesburn would be pausing activities. Their final performance before this hiatus occurred at the 50th Gitarijada festival in Zaječar and featured Alek on drums, Laza on bass, Kojot handling vocals, guitar, and trombone duties, with Lale joining for select guitar parts.

2019–2024

Towards the end of 2018, Eyesburn declared their reunion featuring the lineup from 2016: Aleksandar Petrović "Alek" (drums), Vladimir Lazić "Laza" (bass), Nemanja Kojić "Kojot" (vocals and trombone), and Aleksandar Nikić "Lale" (guitar). They re-recorded the track War Control and released it as a music video in March. Their first live performance following the reunion took place at Hala sportova Ranko Žeravica and included guest musician Vukašin Marković. Throughout the year, Luka Matković occasionally substituted for "Lale" on guitar.

In late 2020, a remastered vinyl edition of their album Fool Control was issued to commemorate its 20th anniversary. July 2021 featured a recording session for Balkanrock Sessions during which they performed five songs and discussed their career journey. In September of that year, Eyesburn received their inaugural official tribute album titled Only We Can Solve This Problem, showcasing Serbian bands such as Discord and Downstroy; it was made available online through Serbian Metal Portal.

Their sixth studio album, Troops of Light, was released by Mascom Records in July 2022 with "Aware (Bam Bam)" serving as its lead single. The band experienced a roughly nine-month pause in live performances due to illness among members. In March 2023, Mascom reissued the album Solid on vinyl for its twentieth anniversary; this was followed by a double LP re-release of Reality Check in July to mark its tenth anniversary.

In December 2023, Eyesburn embarked on a concert series promoting Troops of Light, performing nearly all tracks except for "Back in the Days," "News Noise," and "Movin' On." The group's thirtieth anniversary concert held in March 2024 featured special guests Nenad Živić and Wacko. After numerous shows during this period, another hiatus was announced in June due to illness-related cancellations of upcoming gigs. Since then, Eyesburn has remained silent publicly amid speculation about an indefinite break.

2025–present

In February 2025, the mini-album Dream is Over was digitally launched through Croatian label Geenger Records, featuring six tracks originally recorded by the 2015-2016 lineup. Although these songs were previously unreleased Eyesburn material, the project was issued under the Cold Burn moniker due to the participation of two musicians from the Serbian sludge metal group In From the Cold—bassist Slobodan Đukić and drummer Boris Usanović—alongside Coyote and Mysterious. Throughout 2025, the ensemble returned to performing live, appearing at multiple concerts and festivals.

Studio albums

Dog Life (1998)
Fool Control (2000)
Gabau! EP (2001)
Solid (2003)
How Much for Freedom? (2005)
Reality Check (2013)
Troops of Light (2022)

Live albums

Freedomized (1995)

Singles

Dream is Over (2015)

Collaborations, compilations, and tribute albums

Cool Fire (with Ank Steadyspear) (2002)
XX Years: Coming to You Live & Direct from Creation (2014)
Only We Can Solve This Problem (Tribute to Eyesburn) (2021)
Dream is Over (as Cold Burn) (2025)

Other appearances

"Silence Of The Twilight" (from Witness Of The 1st Discussion, 1995)
"Šejn" (featured on Korak napred 2 koraka nazad, 1999)
"Rizlu imaš, ličnu kartu nemaš" / "Fool Control" (included in the soundtrack for the film Munje!, 2001)
"Junglezburn" (appeared on compilation Metropolis 2002, 2002)

References

EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006, Janjatović Petar;

External links