I Am A Curse - Prequel for an Unforgiving Wreckage : Barren Lands

The Wreck by I Am A Curse

epic hardcore band I Am A Curse (website) needs only 5 songs to make a release that comes across as perfectly fulfilling. Nearly continuously playing their style of of heartfelt yet dissonant down-tempo punk rock music, the band builds momentum to the point of near oversaturation, only to break it down again. Dark and eerie music of exponentially epic proportions, reminding of Down Tempo Post-Hardcore bands from their respective country of origin. As well as hints of dark Hardcore Punk (not unlike Birds In Row, unless that’s a biased assumption).
Last Fm tags as screamo, crust, hardcore, le mans, french

you can find an online copy for sale by clicking the image above, or contacting the band at http://www.iamacurse.com/ink.html

Hourvari – 2011 EP

I by Hourvari is half of the EP, so it should give you a good impression

With members from french titans As We Draw as well as Birds In Row, Hourvari (bandcamp) depicts a style of dark music that seems more like the culmination of those projects, in stead of a compromise in between. Trespassing the usual limits of ambient elements in extreme music, this release goes slower, darker and deeper than extreme bands rarely dare to go, with great succes. With droning elements, slowly building up to the point where down-tempo hardcore bands usually start, this is a journey far beyond the confinements that had been set up for a band in that ‘scene’. Moving the touchstone for this style of music miles from where it had rested for a long ass time. Pioneers they are, I tell you!
Last fm tags as post-rock, ambient, post-hardcore, post-metal, french 

check the bandcamp to give them some much deserved support!

Neige Morte - Neige Morte

listen to Need Some Air by Neige Morte from their self-titled album and let it speak for itself.

BWOOOOAAAAAHHHHH))))

Last fm tags this as  noise, black metal, experimental, ambient,french

click the image above to buy this release from the Aurora Borealis record label!

12XU - The SIngle Series 1+2+3+4

 listen to La Rouille by 12XU

12XU (as in the Minor Threat song) (Blog) is a french (pop) punkrock band –with a hint of emo- that features members of Daïtro. Entirely sung in french, the catchy melodies make up for the fact that I don’t understand one iota of the words.  With very distinct and crystal clear yet crunchy sounding guitars and straight-forward groovy percussions , this band’s foremost asset is the tight and earnest songwriting. How else could they have me singing along to words I don’t comprehend?

Note to self: look for translations of the lyrics

Last fm tags as emo, punk rock, punk, french, 90s emo

click the image above to e-mail the band and directly order merch or records from them

Le Pré Ou Je Suis Mort

 listen to Une Fois De Plus by Le Pré Ou Je Suis Mort

French/Swiss band Le Pré Ou Je Suis Mort(Myspace) ,that had the same name as a french dub of a The X-Files episode, is probably the most 'active' band within the french screamo sound. they excell in building ambient elements to an equally smooth climax, only with a lot more oomph superimposed on the already harmonic yet layered sound. a mix of post-rock and french screamo that portrays the very best of what both have to offer.

they joined La Dispute on that band's first European tour btw!

click the image above to buy the cd from Denovali Records!

Celeste - Pessimiste(s) (remastered 2010)

 listen to Diluons nos souvenirs d'enfance by Celeste

Celeste (Facebook page) is an eclectic band that rose from the ashes of french Screamo masters Mihai Edrisch. they play a coherent mix of diverse influences, from screamo to post-metal to downtempo black metal and a broad-minded range of hardcore music. they have released 4 albums which always had the most incredible artwork, and recently remastered and then repressed the first of those releases. when you place their records alongside eachother, their individual sounds are also very coherent. maybe not enough variation for some, but I'd prefer a straight forward decent band over a band that juggles between beneath average and above average songs any day.
on another note, I would like to mention that this band is probably the coolest band I've ever seen live. they have this gimmick, in which they make the room pitch black, use a stroboscope, an overabundance of smoke from a fog machine and a faint miner light attached to their foreheads. when you add that up you get the eeriest and most alien visual display.  it's the raddest thing ever, especially in combination with this pitch black music.
Last fm tags as screamo, sludge, post-hardcore, black metal, french

click the image above to order records or merch directly from the band!

for this certain release, check the site of denovali records

Selenites - Jeder Für Sich Und Gott Gegen Alle

 listen to Voleurs by Selenites

Selenites (website) is a quirky band from France, that delivers face-melting Post-hardcore with Post-metal build-ups. which basically boils down to up to 6min songs that are 3/4th chaotic hardcore madness and 1/4th epic and breathtaking downtempo music. so, as they pound the 9 sounds into your ear, to the point where it oozes out the other 40 minutes later, there really is no time for regaining one's breath. yet before you know it, this record has reached its end and leaves you with the urge to play it all over. there are a handful of bands that play this model of eclectic music, but I feel each of them stands out in either the chaotic uptempo parts, or the downtempo ones. this band absolutely NAILS both.

Last fm tags as post-metal, post-hardcore, french, post metal,hardcore

click the image above to support this band

Amanda Woodward - La Decadence De La Decadence

 listen to On est un con by Amanda Woodward, as a preview to this album

To this day, this is probably my favorite record. Amanda Woodward (Myspace) was a French band, with members that went on to form the wonderful Aussitot Mort and Karysun, and is still the climax of the brilliant French Screamo sound. instrumentally they create an amazing atmosphere with twinkly guitars, a jazzy bass that holds its own and breathtaking vocals with political lyrics (or so I'm told, my french is horrid) tamed by thight drums to make it harmonious. I have allways kept a good eye on other French bands in the genre and have seen genious arrengements in it come and go, but still find that this single release tops them all. and that's saying a lot.
Last fm tags as  screamo, hardcore, french, emo, real screamo

buying the record somewhere will be no easy task, nowadays... sorry.

Birds In Row - Cottbus

listen to Words Of Astaroth by birds in row, as a preview to this album


Birds In Row, from France, (Website) is no easy listening. Awkward to me, at first listen of previous releases, I now believe this band has molded the blueprint to its own sound 100% succesfully. dark and eerie sounding with surprising structures, this is no longer a band you can pick out what obvious bands you want to compare them with. too raunchy be 'just' a pawn in the breed of passionate hardcore bands and too heartful to be a mentioned beside straight-forward metalpunk, you need to hear it (all the way through), to believe it.
Las fm tags as hardcore, screamo, hardcore punk, french, emo

click above picture to be redirected to your opportunity to buy this record!