Métamorphose is first studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Sortilège

Sortilège (band)

Sortilège was a French heavy metal band from Paris, whose style lay between Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Regarded by many as a cult band of the French scene, the group ceased to exist in 1986.-Biography:...

 released in 1984. It was the first album released by Madrigal. In 1997 Madrigal re-released this album with English versions of Majesté, Légende, Civilisation Perdue, Cyclope De L'etang and Métamorphose as bonus tracks.

History

Following the success of their debut EP, Sortilège signed a new contract with the French record label Madrigal, however, they didn't wanted to wait for the goodwill of their label, so they went to Germany in order to record new album, Métamorphose. An important choice for Sortilège. Through their contacts in Germany they recorded an English version at the same time and released album in many countries, including Japan. The success was soon to go and Sortilège was undoubtedly one of the main leaders of the French heavy metal scene. Métamorphose continues the success of their previous release.

Musically, Métamorphose improved their musical style. The production improved, all instruments were audible, this impression is greatly enhanced by the excellent remastering of this album in 1997. Above all, Sortilège hardens tone. Less extensive and conclusive than the first EP, Zouille is much more aggressive and vindictive. Riffs were hardened and they became even more melodic. Lyrics were still based on fantasy. Sadly, since Augustin's singing on English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 wasn't as good as on French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, English version haven't sold at all anywhere except in Japan.

Videos were made for songs D'ailleurs and Métamorphose. Song Le Cyclope De l’Etang from this album is on the compilation album Metal Warriors (released by Ebony Records), a best-of best songs of heavy-metal circuit in the 80s. This song also appears on a compilation album Raise Your Axe - Le sampler collector d'Axe Killer a various artist compilation album published by Axe Killer.

Song Métamorphose from this album, alongside songs from other artists, including Slayer

Slayer

Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

, Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, Trouble

Trouble (band)

Trouble is an American doom metal band noted as one of the pioneers of their genre, alongside bands such as Candlemass and Saint Vitus. The band created a distinct style taking influences of the British heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, and psychedelic rock of the 1970s...

 and Venom

Venom (band)

Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...

, appears on a compilation album Banzai Axe published by Banzai Records

Track listing

Re-release bonus tracks

Personnel

• Christian Augustin - vocals
• Stéphane Dumont - lead guitar
  Lead guitar
  Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
  
  
• Didier Demajean - rhythm guitar
  Rhythm guitar
  Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
  
  
• Daniel Lapp - bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• Bob Dumont - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  

External links

• http://metal.nightfall.fr/index_609_sortilege-metamorphose-1984.html