Sortilege - Sortilege

\r\nSortilege is part of group of bands that started playing heavy metal in France in the early 80s. The band was founded at that time by the Dumont brothers (guitars and drums) under the name “Blood Wave” and when Christian “Zouille” Augustin joined them as a lead singer, they took the name Sortilege (which means spell). Around 1982 they had already made a name for themselves in Paris’s metal scene, by releasing their first demo tape which included 4 songs, two of which where early versions of “Sortilege” and “Metamorphose”, as well as an incredible version of “Delire D’Un Fou”, in which Augustin keeps climbing the notes without even catching his breath. The demo starts with the band’s same named song and shows it has a pure influence in it’s metal music by the Lords of the scene; such as Priest and Maiden and a definite characteristic the band has even for the years to come is Zouille’s unbelievable vocals.
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\r\nIn 1983 Sortilege signed with the Dutch Rave On Records and released maybe one of the best EPs a heavy metal fan could wish for, since all 5 songs are the absolute best the scene has to offer throughout all the 80s. The EP opens with “Amazone”; a song which is full of riffs and reminds us a lot of Hellion/Electric Eye and it allows Augustin to show us his intentions from the very beginning. It continues with “Progeniture” a mid-tempo song, but even there Augustin steals all the thunder even from Dumont’s and Demajen’s melodic lines. The first side closes with “Gladiator” which moves in the same rhythms as the previous song. Moving on to the other side, we find “Sortilege”, as the first song – or should I say; “Sor-ti-leeeeeege!!!” – which in my opinion needs no introductions since the metal priest Augustin offers us his heavy metal blessings once again. The EP closes with the very Priest-ish “Bourreau” with Augustin once again leaving us speechless with his vocal abilities. Of course, besides his abilities and voice, I have to pay tribute to the great guitar twins Dumont/Demajean, as well as to Sortilege’s composing skills, which gave this great singer a stepping stone to unravel his talent.
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\r\nAfter the EP, Sortilege released two impressive albums and actually released them both in French and English versions; in which Augustin sang the songs in English. Some people think that Sortilege weren’t so popular because they stuck to the French lyrics an some people think the opposite. It’s a fact though that whether someone listens to English or French version for the first time, they will definitely lose the earth fro under his feet with this group’s adequacy and abilities.
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\r\nThe EP was quite hard to find until 1997 when the French Axe Records re-released it in CD with plenty of bonus tracks which are the English versions of the songs that are included in the EP and the LP “Metamorphose” and specifically from the EP; “Blade Killer (Bourreau)”, “Gladiator (Gladiateur)” and “The Amazon Warriors (Amazone)” and from “Metamorphosis”; “Allien (D’ Allieurs)”, “Death Hymn (Hymn De La Morte)” and “Delirium Of a Madman (Delire D’Un Fou)”. The band slit up unfortunately after the release of their last LP; “Larmes de Heros”, and rumor had it that they might make a reunion this year, but they fell through since Augustin denied that recently. The fact is that even though they only released two LPs and one EP, they gained a huge amount of respect and love from their fans, one of which was Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.). Chuck also meant to do a project with Augustin, but unfortunately he didn’t make it, throughout the years though he had been naming Sortilege as his all – time favorite band and that is proved easily just by listening to Death’s “Evil Dead” and “Amazone”.
\r\nBYE OR DIE!!!
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\r\nLambros “Witchfynder” Tennes
\r\nTranslation: Iro Kapeloni\r\n

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