Ever since forming in 2015 KOZEN has set out to expand the boundaries of 'genre' through the virtue of diversity. Everything about the band - from it's personnel to it's music - is quintessentially Torontonian, with the members (Maxwell Aka, Jericho Leal, Sidone Harrison, Jeremy John, Jared Leal) hailing from musical backgrounds as diverse as Metal, Gospel, R&B, Pop, and Prog Rock, and tracing their heritage to places as diverse as Okinawa, St. Lucia, Jamaica, St. Vincent, and the Philippines. Founded on this principle of diversity, the band brings a truly multi-cultural and multi-textured dynamic to progressive music.

KOZEN's first release - a double EP called "Swimming To The Stars" - showcased two sides of lead singer Maxwell Kozen's songwriting style, one softer and one heavier. After switching a few band members, KOZEN teamed up with producer Justin Meli (Crown Lands, Excuses Excuses) and went in a heavier and more focused metal direction with their single Barricade. This single also ended up being the band's first music video, produced by The Trenches Inc. 

In a short period of time the band has managed to play alongside artists like Romancer, Bird Problems, Polarity, Rebelle, Poeta, and We Were Sharks, among many others. In 2017, they toured with Quebec experimental hardcore group We Throw Flowers, playing shows from Windsor, ON, to Quebec City, and also participated in Indie Week 2017 in Toronto.

On June 5, 2019, the band played the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in downtown Toronto in celebration of their new album, "A Fearful Wonder," which they co-produced with Stephen James Kerr (Afterwake, Golden Gate Graves), who also mixed and mastered the album. They were joined by Talking Violet, Afterwake, and Polarity for a diverse and musically adept evening. Two days later, the album was released. It saw the group building upon the musical and lyrical themes of their previous work, embracing a more refined and focused sound and slightly less esoteric lyrics.

In a post-genre era of music, where heavy bands are going melodic, pop artists are playing with darker aesthetics, and stylistic crossovers are becoming more and more common, KOZEN is a band worth paying attention to. The future of rock music will be created by bands that can transcend labels and categories, defying limitations and discovering new possibilities. Rock is not dead, but it must evolve.

KOZEN is: 
Maxwell Kozen [Vocals, Guitars]
Sidone Harrison [Keys, Vocals]
Jericho Leal [Guitars]
Jeremy John [Bass]
Jared Leal [Drums]