Kurban (band)

Kurban

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1995
Headquarters	Istanbul , Turkey
Products	Albums, singles

Kurban was a Turkish heavy metal ensemble established in 1995, consisting of members Kerem Tüzün, Burak Gürpınar, Deniz Yılmaz, and Özgür Kankaynar.

The group gained recognition for opening performances for Metallica in 1999 at Ali Sami Yen Stadium and for Megadeth during RockIstanbul 2005. Following a short disbandment in 2005, they regrouped by late 2006 and subsequently released the album Sahip in 2010.

Career

Initially formed under the name Outside in 1995, the band focused on performing covers of international rock songs before adopting the name Kurban in 1997. That same year, they secured third place at the Roxy Music Awards. Their first album, titled Kurban, was launched in January 1999. After their opening act for Metallica, guitarist Umut Gökçen relocated to the United States, leading to Özgür Kankaynar joining as the new guitarist. In 2000, Kurban contributed tracks to the soundtrack of the film Beans, featuring Haluk Bilginer.

Continuing their trajectory within Turkey's heavy metal scene, the band released Sert in 2004 and İnsanlar in 2005. After supporting Megadeth at RockIstanbul 2005, Kurban dissolved in June of that year. The members engaged in various other musical endeavors: Deniz Yılmaz joined Panik; Burak Gürpınar became part of Athena; Kerem Tüzün collaborated with Demir Demirkan; and Özgür Kankaynar performed with So Loud and several French groups.

On December 31, 2006, Kurban reunited and delivered numerous concerts across Istanbul and İzmir before pausing activities for fifteen months due to Deniz Yılmaz’s mandatory military service. Their fourth studio album, Sahip, was unveiled on March 23, 2010, marking their first release after reuniting. The band also shared stages with prominent rock performers such as Limp Bizkit and Motörhead.

In response to the 2011 Van earthquake disaster, Kurban joined forces with leading Turkish artists for a benefit concert held at Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park to aid relief efforts. They released singles including "Usulca" (2012), "Nafile" (2014), and "İyi Ol" (2015).

Due to personal challenges faced by Deniz Yılmaz, Kurban disbanded once more in November 2017; however, they issued their final single "Gülümse" in August 2022, which had initially been announced in 2018. Additionally, "Damla" was released on October 7, 2022, promoted by band members via social media ahead of its digital debut.

Former Members

• Deniz Yılmaz – vocals, guitar (1995–2005, 2007–2017)
• Özgür Kankaynar – guitar, backing vocals (1999–2005, 2007–2017)
• Kerem Tüzün – bass guitar, backing vocals (1995–2005, 2007–2017)
• Burak Gürpınar – drums (1995–2005, 2007–2017)
• Umut Gökçen – guitar (1995–1999)

Albums

Year	Album Information	Chart Rankings
		TR	US	UK
1999	Kurban Label: Raks Müzik Format: CD	-	-	-
2004	Sert Label: GRJ Format: CD	-	-	-
2005	İnsanlar Label: Pasaj Müzik Format: CD	-	-	-
2010	Sahip Label: Favela Records Format: CD	-	-	-

Note: "—" denotes albums that did not chart.(None of Kurban's albums have appeared on major music charts)

Kurban (Raks Müzik, 1999)

1. Intro
2. Gelme (Don't Come)
3. Ben Değilim (It's Not Me)
4. Yalan (Lie)
5. İstersin (You Only Want)
6. Yalaka (Lackey)
7. Sorma (Don't Ask)
8. Kurban (The Victim)
9. Yemen Türküsü (Yemen Ballad)
10. Dur Gitme (Wait Don't Go)
11. Son Söz (The Last Word)
12. Wonderful Tonight
13. Outro

Sert (Hard) (Ece Müzik, 2004)

1. Intro
2. Sarı Çizmeli Mehmet Ağa (Mehmet Agha with the Yellow Boots / John Doe)
3. Namus Belası (Trouble of Purity)
4. Ağlama Değmez Hayat (Don't Cry This World Isn't Worth It)
5. Hayvan (Animal)
6. Yalan (Lie)
7. Yosma (Coquette)
8. Haberin Yok (You Don't Know)
9. Lambaya Püf De (Puff the Lamp)
10. Zorba (Bully)

İnsanlar (People) (Pasaj Müzik, 2005)

1. A Bir (A1)
2. Suç Bende (It's My Fault)
3. Yine (Again)
4. Uyut Beni (Put Me to Sleep)
5. Cennet (Heaven)
6. Zor Güzel (Stiff Beauty)
7. A
8. Yok (Away)
9. İnsanlar (People)
10. Sus (Hush)
11. Sakın Söyleme (Don't You Dare to Tell)
12. Ben (I)
13. Ağla (Cry)
14. Göç (Migration)

Sahip (Master) (Favela Records, 2010)

1. Hakim (Judge)
2. İfrit
3. Güneş (Sun)
4. Soykıran (Genocider)
5. Sahip (Master)
6. Yobaz (Bigot)
7. Son Emir (The Final Command)
8. Das Motiv (The Motif)
9. Mesih (Messiah)
10. Misafir (Guest)
11. Ateş Var Mı? (Do You Have a Lighter?)

Singles

• 2012: Usulca
• 2014: Nafile
• 2015: İyi Ol
• 2022: Gülümse
• 2022: Damla