Yyrkoon

Yyrkoon is a French group of Death metal technical and brutal.

History

The first album

Originating in France, the group was created in 1995 by the four founding members: Stephan Souteyrand (guitar & keyboard), Laurent Harrouart (battery), Paul Banas (song & guitar) and Sebastien Charon (low). As of the beginning, they adopted a personal style of music, mixture of influences Black and Heavy. The main themes approached by the group are the occultism, the fantastic horreur/le as well as philosophy specific to the members of the group.

One year later (1995), YYRKOON decided to record its first demonstration on cassette in self-production: " Oath, Obscure, Occult… " contains 5 titles. They enriched texture by their sound with female song, violin and flute. This cassette enabled them to be discovered by the underground medium, to take down dates in.liaison.with other groups and to exchange demonstrations within the community metal Frenchwoman.

The demonstration was sent to various French labels and one of them was interested to work with YYRKOON: Velvet Music International (Northern Blut Aus, Wallachia, Mundanus Imperium…) with the group a contract proposed to leave their first album. The group accepted the terms of the contract and started to compose its first album. At that time, the motivation seemed not to be the same one for each member of the group and a light conflict led to a change of line-up. That arrived during the recording of the album, Paul Banas (the singer) and Sebastien Charon (the bass player) decided to leave the group and were replaced by novel members: Jerome Barouin (guitarist of session) and Kristofer Lorent (low). Stephan Souteyrand decided to put himself at the song and put forward the idea that it would be good to find somebody to play of the keyboard in concert. Stephan asked Jeff Gautier, an old friend, to join them to ensure the parts of keyboard within YYRKOON for the concerts like in studio. After these changes, the group was fine loan to record its first album " Oniric Transition" in 1998 in Walnut grove studio with Amiens (France). On this album, the style remained the same one as that of the demonstration but it gained in maturity and technique. Stephan added lines of clear song on the refrains what all the more personalized the music. The magazines in general chroniquèrent this album as being of Dark Metal because of the various influences and the large variety that one finds there; atmospheric solos heavy, parts, fronts death metal and rhythmic black metal. One could find many extracts of this album on various compilations CD (" Encyclopedia Pestilencia" - France -, " Asgaarden" - Norway -…).

One year passed, during which the group was put in the search of another label, and during which Jerome Barouin (guitarist of session on the first album) left the group to devote himself to his own project.

The second album

In 2000, YYRKOON recorded a new MINOR ROAD 2 titles entitled " Forgotten Past" in the same vein qu'" Oniric Transition" in order to return in contact with the labels. It was recorded in the same studio, in Amiens, by Axel Wursthorn (member of Carnival in Coal). The topics approached remain the same ones, and Stephan (song & guitar) then composed the unit of the music and the texts.

The group then remained approximately 7-8 month without second guitarist to ensure the concerts. After a difficult research, they met François Falempin (guitarist) and took it with the test within the group. But the problems of line-up were not ready to stop… YYRKOON preferred congédier Kristofer Lorent (low) after a small dispute having for reason the motivation and mainly the musical orientation of the group. A new departure, a new research. This search was not finally as long as the preceding one and the group met Victo Villchez, which joined the group immediately. YYRKOON then played with various groups such Septic Flesh, Natron, Avulsed, Misanthrope, Aborted, Gojira, Scarve, Mercyless…

After a concert with new the line-up in Paris in 2001, YYRKOON met Stephan Brulez (the manager of the label Anvil Prod) in order to discuss the possibility of signing a contract for two albums. This one showed interest for the group and YYRKOON thus signed on Anvil Prod, then all young label, for which the group was the very first production.

Anvil Prod made it possible YYRKOON to record their second album with the Emma Studios in Paris at the end of 2001. Musicalement, the compositions are a little different from what one could find on the other recordings. In fact, the approach is centered on the influences old school thrashy/{heavy of the group. The keyboards were done less present and became much more discrete in the songs. That leads to " Dying Sun" , second album left in April 2002. The chronicles were really good at its exit, in spite of the surprise generated by the change of style. Anvil Prod found abroad partners to distribute the album (with the Japan, in Russia…), which made it possible the group to reach a higher level of notoriety.

The turn 100% Death Metal

2003, YYRKOON recovers to work on new titles, and starts to evoke the recording of their 3rd album. The evolution of the group led once again to the need to make choices; on a side, the play of guitar of François did not completely any more satisfy the other members of the group, and in addition, Stephan (song & guitar) wanted to return to a rougher metal, without keyboard… followed from there the departure of François (guitar), Jeff giving up the keyboard to deal with the 2nd guitar. The new compositions were then more brutal and cold that before. That leads to a mixture of death metal and thrash metal…

YYRKOON then chooses to go to record in Denmark with the studios Jacob Hansen (Invocator, Ancient, Aborted, Illdisposed…). But it is that at that time, Laurent Harrouart (battery) knows personal problems and démotive at a point such as it is not able to ensure the meetings of recording. But the studio being reserved, the group must find a solution. Dirk Verbeuren (amongst other things beater of Scarve and Soilwork) is then contacted by Stephan with an aim of ensuring the session studio with YYRKOON, and it accepts. The group thus left for the Denmark in November 2003 and remained 3 weeks over there to record to them 3rd album entitled " Occult Medicine". With their return in France, the group sent copies of " Occult Medicine" with several labels and the contract with Anvil Prod. broke

After two weeks, YYRKOON accepted positive returns of French labels, and finally the group decided to work with Osmose Productions and signed a contract for two albums (including " Occult Medicine"). The album left officially on October 11th 2004. Laurent Harrouart (battery), continuing to know personal problems, left the group and YYRKOON then associates the services of a beater of session (for the concerts) while waiting to integrate new.

Returns given to " Occult Medicine" were really very good, that it is in France as with the international one. Unfortunately, apart from a small European round in company of Impaled Nazarene and Phazm, the group could not turn enormously to defend this album on scene. It was necessary to await the exit of " Unhealthy Opera" in 2006 (he also, very received) and the return of Laurent Harrouart to the battery so that the group can plan to turn over to defend its albums on scene. It amongst other things did it at the sides Nile, Detonation, Psycroptic or Kampfar. At the beginning of 2007, the activity of the group is temporarily suspended due to lack of motivation.

(source: mainly translated and adapted previous model of the biography of the group, before available on their official site)

Line-up

Current Line-up

Geoffrey (" Jeff") Gautier - guitar
Stephan (" Proton") Souteryrand - guitar and song
Victorien (" Victo") Vilchez - low
Laurent (" Mickey") Harrouart - battery

Ex-members

Paul Banas - guitar and song
Sebastien Charon - low
Jerome Barouin - guitar
Kristofer Lorent - low
François Falempin - guitar
Dirk Verbeuren - battery

Discography

1995 : Oath, Obscure, Occult… (demonstration)
1998: Oniric Transition
2000: Forgotten Past (MINOR ROAD 2 titles)
2002: Dying Sun
2004 : Occult Medicine
2006 : Unhealthy Operated

External bonds

Official site
official Forum
American Forum

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