Okay, since i've finally gotten my hands on all of their material i thought i'd recreate the thread about this wonderful French band.
I'll skip the demo because i haven't heard that and i'll skip Forgotten Past EP because it only has three songs on it.

Oniric Transition: i might even go as far as calling the release blackish thrash. And no i didn't add the "blackish" because of the keys. The production isn't so good. Drums sound weird on some occasions. And their skill wasn't that good on the release either. At least their composing skill. Stuff seemed sortof like mashed together without a purpose at times. The keys were good as an atmosphere creator and their small "solo" parts didn't fall far behind either. Though some times, their entrance was totally unsuitable.
High points of the CD are: Throne of Complains, Elemental Storm. The others weren't bad songs, but those two stuck out the most.
6/10

Dying Sun: generally the most appreciated release by them. I don't fully agree with that, but it's a solid release nonetheless. The blackish influenced have been totally cast aside and apart from the vocals and occasional drumming, it's a pure thrash release. But the things i mentioned make it a thrash/death release. The riffs in the first song after the intro - Crystal Light - are a very energetic intro to the album. The only downside i can really name on the album is the clean vocals. They just don't do it for me. Too mellow behind this music. The production and creativeness is on a whole nother level though. Nothing seems out of place, but that doesn't mean it's uninteresting.
High points: Stolen Souls, Screamer (that classic feeling thrash riffing in the beginning is simply irresistable to me), Back to the Cave.
8/10

Occult Medicine: the first CD i heard of them. I didn't get into their music straight away though. I think it just "collected dust" for about a month or so before i accidentally heard Reversed World. That songs was in my favourites of death metal trascks for the following month. And yes, on this release Yyrkoon has lost 75% of their thrashiness and gone to make almost pure death metal. The 25% is still somewhat recognizable to my ear. Anyways, long story short, this CD is one of my favourites. Ranking in the top 3 of my favourite death metal releases with ease. The main thing contributing to that success is the feeling the CD creates. It's totally intense and i discover myself holding my breath more on this CD than with others. I know the next sentence has been used in at least one more place, but it's a true one: the music is like a grappling palm at your throat and it doesn't let go before the music is turned off (not exactly the same, but the picture remains). This release is just all out interesting power and i recommend it to every death metal fan (well, brutal death fans MIGHT not like it, but that's besides the point)
High points: Doctor X, Censored Project, Blasphemy...oh what the heck, every song is so damn good. The only thing i dislike about this CD is the slightly streched out intro to Occult Medicine (the song), but that doesn't stop me on my grading.
10/10 It's just a masterpiece in my eyes, especially due to the atmosphere.

Unhealthy Opera: so their newest release. Due to it's predecessor, hopes were probably sky high when it was about to be released. The music is very very similar to what was presented on Occult Medicine. A few breakdowns (if that's what they're called) were an original part. But the thing they sadly couldn't take from OM was the atmosphere. I feel almost nothing when i'm listening to UO and that of course leaves a bad mark when i listen to it after OM. Even despite the more than average musical likeness of their previous release, the CD is still a good one to listen to (so no, my critisism wasn't about how i hated the CD, which i don't). It still has power and due to the missing atmosphere which i described when i was talking about OM, it's a fairly easy listen. Something to relax to. Plus the songs are more catchy. And no, i don't concider catchy songs to be the heralds of doom.
High points: Avatar Ceremony, Abnormal Intrusion, The Book, Horror From the Sea, ...Of Madness (THE best intro Yyrkoon has ever done imo. And also the only song that i remember from the concert thanks to listening to it. Images come back to my mind)
This release seemed to depend heavily on intros and the general songs seemed to suffer a little because of that. But not too much luckily
7/10 I gave a 7, because Oniric Transition deserved a 6. This is better than OT in a way and it's not worthy of the same grade as Dying Sun, which got an 8. Thus the 7.

I think i said most i had to say in the small reviews. But if i remember some more stuff, i'll just edit it in.

I really like this band. They're definitely in my top 5 favorite French metal bands. I have Unhealthy Opera and Occult Medicine and Occult Medicine is my favorite. The songs are well-written and the vocals are great.

Love them.

Would you like to say more? F.e. what CDs you've heard/have you seen them live etc.


About the live thing, i saw em on the 30th of April and the only thing that displeased me was the sound quality. Too little of the melody was heard. The only song that i really really remember from the show is ...Of Madness. And i'm pretty sure that they played it there because when i heard it on the CD, it sortof like came to me. And not because i had heard the CD before, because i hadn't.

Heard of them, not checked them out. Will do.

Love love love this band. Topping the list of French Metal alongside DSO and Mystic Forest, they have do so much in their career. While the early material wasn't the greatest, I think it is an incredible testament to their growth and diversity.

Favorites would have to be the one's everyone else loves, Dying Sun (which literally has everything anyone could want from a metal album (except great production)) and Occult Medicine, which demolishes all those metalcore pinch harmonic addicts with ease.

I am continually surprised by how plendidly creative yet sadly underappreciated they are, despite the positive press and The End sampler appearance.

Anyway, great group.

I had The Unhealthy Opera and I thought it was decent. I saw them live too and they put on a good show. They're fronted by Aborted's guitarist and he pulls off awesome thrash metal solos. They're definitely worth a listen.

I suggest you try to get your hands on Occult Medicine. It's rather similar to Unhealthy Opera (well...the other way around, to be exact), but it has more feeling to it. I don't think you'd be dissapointed.

I downloaded their discography there a couple of days ago...I've only listened to a couple of songs but I like what I've already heard...first album I started listening to was Dying Sun...

I got 'Unhealthy Opera' today actually and really liked it. Its the only material ive heard of the band... actually i hadnt heard of the band until today, when i checked the album out in the store i didnt have to go past the first track because it impressed me so much i didnt really care what the other songs were like. Definalty glad i checked them out and got the album, i'll be looking for more of Yyrkoon's material in the future.

Only recently got into this band, definately good stuff. Like their blend of death and thrash. I originally saw a picture of the band and thought they must have been a black metal band because all their promo shots had them making distorted faces in an evil sort of atmosphere. Not what i was expecting sound wise but they are definately talented.

I love it. Good stuff, another good French Band.

I gave 'Unhealthy Opera' quite a few spins today, and I didnt get much tired of it.
Stephane Soutreyard's vocals almost reminds me of Nergal's of Behemoth in a way ... not sure if anyone else has the same opinions on that, but just the way they both have a powerful almost hollow sound to them both.
Ok this could just be me here on this .. so i'll stop hehe :

Crap! Stephane, the guitarist/vocalist from Yyrkoon, has recently said that he has lost his motivation and needs to take a break to reconsider his position in the band. I really hope they don't break up because they are one of the better death metal bands around right now. Yeah, their newest album wasn't their best, but I know that they are still capable of making quality music.

source

Thats pretty band news and puts a big dent in the future of the band then if Stephane leaves for good. Hope it doesnt result in the band breaking up and he does actually deside to stay.

@pyro: Unhealthy Opera might not been their best, but its still a very desent album IMO.

Oh yeah man, Unhealthy Opera is indeed a good album. I don't think it matches Occult Medicine, but yeah, it's still a solid album.

I hope that they don't break up. There have been bands before, that have lost an important member, but still managed to make good music afterwards. I don't think this situation is similar to Windir, where Valfar's passing away meant that the band lost it's brains...so to say...
I guess time will tell...

Listening to them now, after coming across your thread. Got Occult Medicine on my pc. This is some good stuff.

Yyrkoon is the only death metal band I've heard thus far that I've truly, truly liked.

The only album I ever heard from these guys was Unhealthy Opera and its pretty fucking awesome! Brutal and technical and it delivers...

@Sulac: Um, hello...? The old school death metal bands that helped FOUND the genre? You don't like Death? Or Obituary? Or any of them?

Such a shame that a talented band came to such a premature death, and at the apex of it's career.

I didn't care for OT that much, but their other 3 albums are all timeless works of art.

@Kap'N Korrupt. I like Death, though I've never thought of them as actual death metal. They've always felt thrashy to me. (I do acknowledge them as one of the creators of Death metal, though.)

Death has ALWAYS felt thrash to you? Even Individual Thought Patterns? Not to get off of the topic of Yyrkoon, but there are more trashy-sounded bands out there with harsh sounding vocals moreso than Death...try early Sepultura...