Esmée van Sinderen (Van Sinderen)
Dutch Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Guitarist, Songwriter & Luthier
Biography & Musical Career
Born October 11, 2000, in the north of the Netherlands, Esmée van Sinderen is a Dutch guitarist, composer, and custom guitar builder. Beginning her musical journey at age 16, she honed her signature melodic sensibilities playing for several years in a Thin Lizzy tribute outfit, developing a lifelong passion for classic dual-harmony guitar counterpoint and punchy 1970s and '80s hard rock riffs.
She gained international prominence upon joining the heavy metal band Cobra Spell, touring across Europe alongside acts like Enforcer, Ross The Boss, and Evil Invaders. She contributed lead and rhythm guitar tracks to their acclaimed EP Anthems of the Night (recorded at Madrid's PKO Studios). Van Sinderen subsequently co-founded the classic heavy rock duo Gramophone with Swedish multi-instrumentalist Mattis Karlsson (ex-Dynamite) and teamed up with Sebastian "Spyder" Silva (Unto Others, ex-Cobra Spell) to launch the 1980s-inspired metal project Neon Black. In 2026, she launched her self-titled solo project, Van Sinderen, collaborating with various guest vocalists while writing all compositions, lyrics, and guitar arrangements herself.
Musical Instrumentation, Style & Luthier Skills
- Twin-Guitar Harmonies & Melodic Lead Phrasing
- Deeply rooted in the melodic twin-guitar traditions of Thin Lizzy, Gary Moore, and European heavy metal, combining singing vibrato, pentatonic blues runs, and fast neoclassical runs.
- Rhythm Chops & 1980s Metal Riffing
- Tight alternate picking and classic palm-muted heavy metal rhythms, utilizing Blackstar St. James amplifiers (official artist endorsement).
- Lutherie & Custom Guitar Crafting
- Trained as a professional restoration painter, she designs, modifies, and customizes her own electric guitars alongside working on vintage American muscle car restorations.
Band Associations & Projects
- Van Sinderen (2026–present)
- Her eponymous solo project where she retains complete creative control over songwriting and composition, featuring guest vocalists for each release.
- Cobra Spell (2021–2022)
- International 1980s-revival heavy metal outfit founded by Sonia Anubis; Van Sinderen served as guitarist during their breakthrough European tour cycle.
- Gramophone (2022–present)
- An old-school hard rock two-piece collaborative outfit formed alongside Swedish musician Mattis Karlsson.
- Neon Black (2022–present)
- A classic 1980s heavy metal collaboration formed with guitarist Sebastian "Spyder" Silva.
Selected Discography & Key Releases
Solo Releases as Van Sinderen
- "A Book I'd Burn But Never Close" (Single feat. Simon Bildt) (2026)
- The debut release under her solo moniker Van Sinderen. Co-produced with Nico Outhuijse, the track is a personal, haunting melodic rock anthem exploring grief and childhood memory, pairing her driving guitars with Simon Bildt's vocals, Colin Boonstra's bass, and Chris Auckenthaler's drums.
With Cobra Spell
- Anthems of the Night (EP) (2022)
- Recorded at PKO Studios in Madrid, featuring driving 1980s metal lead work on tracks like "Addicted to the Night" and "The Midnight Hour."
With Gramophone
- Debut Studio Material / Singles
- Recorded and mastered at Sweden's Pama Studios, featuring analog-style heavy rock arrangements co-written with Mattis Karlsson.
Van Sinderen - A Book I'd Burn But Never Close (feat. Simon Bildt)