Les Legions Noires
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Les Légions Noires (also known as the Black Legions) was a French group of black metal bands that is now defunct. This black metal 'scene' only really kicked off around 1993/1994. The bands limited their releases to very small numbers; most were handnumbered to 88 or fewer. Because of this, Les Legiones Noires (commonly abbreviated as "LLN") releases have become extremely obscure, expensive, and 'kvlt' classics. Most of the copies of these releases that circulate eBay and other internet auction sites are bootlegs.
Every single LLN release was either a demo or a split between two bands, except for the sole full length Vampires Of Black Imperial Blood which was released in 1996 by Mütiilation. The better known and central bands in the LLN were Vlad Tepes (named after the 15th Century Wallachian prince), Belketre, Mütiilation, Torgeist, and Moëvöt. The rest of the bands affiliated with the LLN were mainly solo projects or side projects of members of the aforementioned bands. These included Seviss, Vermyapre Kommando, Satanicum Tenebrae, Aakon Keetreh, and Dvzlarv. There are between 20 and 30 "bands" that are LLN, and quite a few bands who are often mistaken for LLN. It is a common mistake to label Vermeth as LLN, as it involves people who played in bands involved with the LLN; however, the LLN disbanded in 1998, and the band was not around at that time or prior.
Mütiilation are the only band that was in the LLN and is still going, and they were removed from the LLN in 1996 due to issues pertaining to Willy Roussel (Meyhna'ch).
Many of the LLN bands are rumoured to have existed, though many people cast doubt upon this. Boreb for example, have been discussed a lot and there are rumours that the few Boreb tracks that exist were made later on as a joke and involve no members of LLN. The fact that copies of the "rumoured" demos by many of these bands don't seem to have surfaced is one of the main reasons for people questioning their existence. Another example of this is the band Trörkrvisätänsrökrëh. A demo of theirs has been circulated via the internet with people claiming the band belonged to the LLN, but this is definitely false, since the demo contains a cover of a Mütiilation song that wasn't released until 2001 (this rumor hadn't been spread by the Trörkrvisätänrökrëh's fundator Drüdh Saalg, but by web surfers). Persistent rumours hold that half of the LLN bands are still making music, but only distributing it to other LLN bands.
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[edit] Rumors and Bootlegs
Because the LLN was (and still is) such a fetishized group, a lot of rumors arose about them. The prime one is that they lived and recorded in a castle. This myth is often debunked by saying that the castle was simply Meyhna'ch's house, which is 'to an extent' correct. It is a "Castle" in the sense of old housing - like a Manor. It was his parents house. Yet another is that LLN project Mogoutre recorded their sole demo by inserting a microphone into a rat. There are endless rumours circulating, simply the conceptions of misconception and misinterpretations.
LLN bands are arguably the most bootlegged out of any black metal bands, particularly Vlad Tepes who have a large quantity of bootlegs of varying quality. Many of the more renowned recordings have been bootlegged several times. Noktu, who was in Brenoritvrezorkre and Vagézaryavtre, has tried to battle this by re-releasing albums (such as Torgeist's demos) on his Drakkar label.
[edit] False Bands and Releases
Due to many internet pranks surrounding The Black Legions and their validity as a serious group, false projects and rumors were created. Many of the 'Black Legions Projects' (compilations and collaborations between members) have been fakes, including recordings of rock and ska songs with poor sound quality. The only real Black Legions Projects appear on the CD-r 'Black Legions Projects Compilation' (Project Chaos, Necro Paris Catacombs and Vladre). As well, poor quality parody black metal bands with absurd quasi-Satanic lyrics have been considered actual Black Legions bands through internet mp3 trading. Also, some bands including Black Legions members, Noktu (owner of Drakkar Productions), and obscure French bands have been mistaken for Black Legions bands.
Vermeth is a band with Black Legions members that have been mistaken to be a part of the Black Legions. The band Chambre Noire is a black metal parody (one of possibly dozens circulating on the internet). Celestia and all post-Black Legions bands involving Noktu are not part of the Black Legions. Mutiilation after 1996 was not a part of the Black Legions. Zelda and Chapel of Ghouls are projects preceding Belketre that predate the Black Legions. Projects Beraebtrel, Bvolarimnambdel, Clarion, Errance & Tristesse, Medieval Spectral, Sadie mae Glutz, are yet to be confirmed.
[edit] Bands
- Aäkon Këëtrëh
- Amaka Hahina
- Belketre
- Belathuzur (pre-Satanicum Tenebrae)
- Black Murder
- Boreb
- Brenoritvrezorkre
- Dzlvarv
- Moëvöt
- Mogovtre
- Mütiilation
- Satanicum Tenebrae
- Seviss
- Susvourtre
- Torgeist
- Vagézaryavtre
- Vérmyapre Kommando
- Vlad Tepes
- Vzaeurvbtre
[edit] Projects
An additional 16 projects exist.
- Projet Beraeabtre
- Projet Bvrolarimnambde
- Projet Chaos
- Projet Clairon
- Projet Dvnaebkre
- Projet Errance & Tristesse
- Projet Medieval Spectral
- Projet Necro Paris Catacombes
- Projet Psyche
- Projet Qratènöbltlbe
- Projet Sadie mae Glutz
- Projet Torture
- Projet Valerie
- Projet Vampire
- Projet Vladre
- Projet Vrueamte
- Projet Vzakpre Vemekr
[edit] External links
- Metal-Archives Info on some of the LLN bands.
- Street Metal Forum Forum based on Les Légions Noires.
