Elvaron - Biography
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2005-
Biography
1993
All starts in September 1993. Matt has just left its first band : Night Feast which play rock'n'roll as the French band "Noir Désir". Julien is a young bass player and friend of Matt. This September, they spend their time in Julien's room to jam together with a rhythm machine under the name of Skeletons Of Hell. Influenced by Iron Maiden, Metallica and Overkill, they write their first songs : Sad Death and Degradation. Very quickly, they recruit a young drummer and settle in the attic of the "Archives Départementales" to play. The test is not very conclusive and Matt and Julien benefit largely from the drums to polish their songs. Matt then decides to call upon the past drummer of Night Feast, Rodolphe, which readily agrees to try the blow, even if it is not very attracted by metal. The name of Skeletons Of Hell is then abandoned for Elvaron which is rolist's name of Julien during our endless AD&D games. Elvaron settles then in the basement of a nursery to play. The band has 4 songs : Sad Death, Degradation, Repent and Reborn Again. These songs are for the moment instrumental, since the band is in the search of a singer...
1994
Elvaron plays every saturday in front of many friends. The repetitions are recorded on tapes or are filmed. By spite, Matt benefits from an amplifier and a microphone on the spot to try to sing. The exercise remaining rather difficult, Degradation will remain instrumental as well as the new song : Dream. The words come slowly and Elvaron decides to make some covers so that Matt is involved to sing and play at the same time. The band tries to cover Metallica (Nothing Else Matters), Iron Maiden (Be Quick gold Be Dead) and... Red Hot. With much of personal work, the voice is set up and the new compositions are more and more violents : Time To Speed, Thrash Zone, Spell & Swords and Wake Up Dead. A first demo is recorded on March 27, 1994 (bass, guitar and rythm machine). In April Elvaron recruits a singer in the person of Damien Cheminant but his gaps in the language of Shakespeare do not enable him to keep his place. May 22, 1994, Elvaron gives its first concert in Monéteau during an open air festival. The public is not there but the band obtains its first very eulogistic newspaper cutting. The test being conclusive, Matt and Rodolphe decide to organize a concert in Auxerre on June 30. Their efforts are rewarded ; the 5 bands playing that night will attract more than 300 people. The following day, Elvaron opened for Chris Savourey in Appoigny. Hard blow this July 1994, Julien must move in Metz for the following school year and Elvaron is thus found without bass player... Julien joined then the speed metal band of Metz: Skydancer.
1995
Michael Peusch is officially the new bass player of Elvaron and makes his first steps on stage on February 18, 1995 in Jussy. Year of the A level, the repetitions are rare and only 2 new compositions are born : Hellvaron and No Fate, No Hope. The band also cover Bad4Good's Felony and (most difficult) Blue Powder of Steve Vai. Elvaron plays on June 3 during the festival "Sonic Day 3" in Parly. June 21, for the "fete de la musique", Julien joined the band on stage to play a few songs. This concert will be the last with Rodolphe and Michael since Matt leaves for Nancy in September. The things are pinned well since Julien will be also in Nancy ! The summer 1995 will be put at contribution to record the first official demo of Elvaron : Necromantia. Thanks to economies, the band buys an 8 tracksYamaha and some microphones. Julien and Matt are locked up during one month in the Skorka's garage in St Julien-lès-Metz. In the absence of Rodolphe, it's Matt who will play the drums. Of these sessions, only one new composition is born : SatanLaughs which marks the entry of Elvaron in the era of progressive music. During this recording, Julien and Matt exhumed an old ballade : Raistlin's Farewell and Matt wrote 2 instrumental interludes : Requiem and Nordic Song. The Necromantia demo will be copied to 25 specimens. Matt integrates officially Skydancer in August. In September, Elvaron begins the search of his new drummer... without success. Matt becomes a true professional in the programming of drum machines. In 3 months, not less than 4 compositions are recorded with the 8 tracks : Exhumation... Not So Sad, Immortal, Battlefield and Foredoomed. In the absence of a drummer, the technicality of the songs is accentuated as their durations.
1996
Elvaron is invited on January 20 to the radio broadcast of Nancy : Death Top. It's the occasion to meet the main actors of the nancy scene : Mortuary, Scarve, Depraved. The reception is rather cold ; the musical shift seems to be hard to manage. Elvaron starts to fear ; no drummer agrees to play so complicated compositions (Mike Portnoy is then a perfect unknown for the Nancy drummers). It is only in March 1996 that Fred awakes and says to Matt that he is a drummer and that it wants to try to play (Matt and Fred are together in the CMCN since September 1995;-)). By chance, Fred can read music scores which accelerates the things considerably. May 7, 1996, the new line-up gives its first show at the "Acropole" in Dijon. During May, the band is locked up 2 weeks in Étival Clairefontaine to record its second demo : Exhumation. Finally, the band regards this experiment as a good startup before going in a true studio. The recording sessions of Mages Battle begin in October at the Lillebonne studio in Nancy. Elvaron will remain 2 weeks working with Laurent Steffen to record this first own-produced album. Certain Nicolas Colnot, studying in the same class as Matt, point regularly his nose in the studio ; he becomes absolute fan of the band. In order to finish the concept of Mages Battle, Elvaron composes and records Sustenance in the tread. The master of the album is available in December but the band is only at the beginning of its surprises since at that time, Elvaron does not have anymore money ; all the money passed in the studio...
1997
Mages Battle is recorded but the pressing implies several things : protect the songs, reproduction rights, protection of the name, realization of the glass master, expenses of computer graphics for the booklet and pressing. After several months of hell on earth and some shows, the missing money is joined together to press Mages Battle with 1000 specimens. It's Julien who will carry out the sleeve illustration. Hard blow from Fred, May 1997, constrained to leave Nancy, leaves Elvaron. Matt and Julien find themselves once again to two and then plan to ensure the promotion of Mages Battle with a rhythm machine. The album comes out officially on August 27, 1997 and, for the occasion, the band organizes one evening of launching in the apartment of Matt. A question is then raised : how to sell 1000 albums without any distribution? Elvaron starts to make the turn of the record dealers and is confronted with the hard reality of the market. Without the support of a label, the album will not be available everywhere. Matt and Julien organize themselves and undertake to research themselves as well for the promotion as for the distribution. Elvaron becomes acquainted with the bands Hades and Woozy Memories (in which a certain SeeK officiates) ; it is the beginning of a long friendship between the majority of the members. Hades and Elvaron will give 4 gigs together this year. An appearing on local TV in September and an excellent review in Hard Force in November 1997 will give a true dash. The orders for Mages Battle flow; the 'zines and the radios contact the band for interviews and reviews. Elvaron receives its first play lists. In December, the album is available in the majority of the distribution networks VPC as in Fnacs of the Great East. Since November, Matt & Julien play with Tormented Souls' drummer and guitarist to integrate them in Elvaron. In december, the band gets its first review on a webzine : Agony online.
1998
The reviews of Mages Battle start to appear in the ' zines as well as the rare interviews granted to Elvaron. The year seems to start very well but the new line-up does not hold, in February Matt and Julien once again find themselves alone. This small break is made profitable to compose and record a new composition : The Five Shires. The piece is written in 1 month, it lasts 29 minutes and separates in 7 parts. Elvaron thinks whereas this title can be used as a basis for a possible second album by associating it with existing songs (Bloodstone Lands and The Rope). In March, Julien and Matt beg Fred to join the group, he comes back with joy. Some days later, Elvaron were playing at the Malgrange school in Jarville. Top of this year, the band is seen proposing to open the show of Iron Maiden in the Zenith of Nancy on April 27, 1998. One unforgettable day with Maiden and... Helloween! Elvaron starts to be accepted in Nancy. In May, the band plays several times, in particular with Mortuary, Carcariass or Unscarred. In August, Hard n' Heavy publishes an eulogistic review of Mages Battle and Elvaron is interviewed by the ' zine Underground Investigations. Elvaron is selected for the "printemps de Bourges 1999" but looses against Ace and Redrum. The final taking place the evening of halloween, Elvaron played masked... In December, Elvaron obtains its first foreign review in the Japanese ' zine Occult Grinder.
1999
The year begins auspiciously; Elvaron wins the audition to play at the Ramdam festival in Nancy and the band sees itself proposing to play at the Terminal Export with Unscarred and X-Vision. In spite of an enormous effort for the promotion of this concert, the bands will not attract more than 120 people this evening. Elvaron works on 2 news compositions: The Rope and Bloodstone Lands in order to integrate them in a final way in the set. In parallel, Matt, SeeK and Julien create a cover band named "Harlock Generation" (playing old manga's songs with a metal sound). In March, Elvaron plays under the "chapiteau de la pépinière" in Nancy for the Ramdam festival. To this occasion, SeeK will go up on stage to play " Captain Future". The legend was born here!!! It is in July 1999 that the decision is made to integrate SeeK on the keyboards, the choice of a second guitarist was finally less judicious... The songs are rearranged for keyboard. Repetitions are going well but the band have to leave is HQ of Houdemont... Elvaron is constrained to repeat in St-Dié in a pal's room. Soon, Elvaron is back in Nancy to repeat. SeeK makes his first official appearance on stage in Wassy in November (concert that will be ended into a brawl!!). Matt, SeeK and Julien start to compose for the next album and three news compositions are born: The Tower Of Palanthas, Beyond The Gate and The Quest For Alifaar's Door. The lyrics will be based from now on on the novel written by SeeK : The Call Of the Black Dragon.
2000
The year begins in a dead calm; Elvaron repeats for the recording of The Five Shires. The adopted process is then to record a demo being used as a basis for a future production but especially useful to contact the labels. The recording sessions start in May in the home studio of Matt. A new composition comes out of the SeeK's head : Killianor' s Sight. Officially, The Five Shires will have 7 songs for one 70 minutes duration. The demos are ready in September and are sent to many labels. A new turning in the life of Elvaron, Julien decides to leave the band. Matt accepts this decision with difficulty and decides then to throw in the sponge if the band is not signed before the end of the year. The answers of the labels start to arrive: negative response for Holy Records. The label Furtive Records proposes a contract of coproduction what implies to inject much money (that Elvaron does not have). Moreover, the label does not have any distributor and Elvaron declines the offer. In October, Matt is contacted by Laurent Bocquet of the label Thundering Records which proposes to sign the group. The contracts are made this same month and the distribution will be ensured by Musea. Elvaron will have to carry out 2 simultaneous missions: to find a new bass player and to deal with the coming out of The Five Shires. Elvaron strats to re-record and mix the album in the home studio. The first bass players point their noses... without success.
2001
The most insane forecasts announce the coming out of The Five Shires for April what leaves 4 more months to Elvaron to find a new bass player. At the beginning of March, the band begs Nicolas Colnot (friend and fan of the band) to play the bass guitar. He is officially a new Elvaron member on March 11. Will follow, on the same month, a photograph session on the hillock of Mousson (last remnants of the old castle of Mousson) by Béatrice Bigel. There's only small problem with Nico, he has neither bass, nor amplifier... Elvaron thus draws from its reserves to buy the material. The repetitions are productive because Nico can quickly read on partitions. The Five Shires comes out at the beginning of May on the label Thundering Records. Will be followed from there a promotion assured by the label (interviews, radios, chronicles, publicity) and some gigs with other bands of the label. In April, the band decides to change is HQ of repetition, this one having become too unhealthy and wet. It is the band Guardian Angels which will agree to rent their HQ located in the surroundings of Nancy. From June to August, 8 chronicles appear in various fanzines. They are all eulogistic excepted the one published in Metallian zine which for still unknown reasons does not want to support Elvaron .. This summer, Elvaron will play in the mythical room "L'Araignee au plafond" and will take part in the second edition of the "Myrtistock Festival". The album is sold rather well; Elvaron makes its first official Tee-shirts and the band appears on 2 compilations distributed to more than 2000 copies each. A series of 7 chronicles appear between September and December in Hard rock, Progressia and Rock Hard (noted 9/10 by Phil Lageat + file on the concept albums by Bruno Bages). Thanks to "Divine Union association", Elvaron will give a new concert to "L'Araignee au plafond" in October.
2002
The beginning of year is particularly cold in France and Elvaron escapes from a car crash while returning from a rehearsal. Nico, Matt and Seek are writing new songs for the third album; long growth which will last until June. In February, the band go to Strasbourg for an unforgettable concert with Hachoir and Naked Scarecrow. The reviews of The Five Shires continue to come out and Elvaron opens for Blaze at the After Club of Metz. At this time, the band seems in a good way to acquire a small notoriety and starts to be pissing of guys... A concert in Pompey quickly landed them back on earth (the band headed a festival and played in front of?. Almost nobody). Elvaron apologize online and comes back to a cooler way of life. To mark this, Elvaron decides to play the "fete de la musique" in all simplicity in Auxerre, birth place of the band. In June, Elvaron begins the recording sessions of the third album in their home studio. Summer break and a third participation at the Myrtistock Festival with the exceptional presence of Time Curve Symmetry. While recording the third album, Elvaron decides to re-record The Five Shires completely so that the album has finally the production which it deserves. This initiative comes rather well since The Five Shires is sold out. The mixing of this new version starts in October with Christophe Heyrend. The year 2003 will be the 10 years anniversary of the band and on this occasion, Elvaron decides to add an extra 20 minutes new song making the link between The Five Shires and the third album to come...
2003
This year 2003 is rather studious because it's the last year of high school for Matt, SeeK & Nico. Nevertheless, the repetitions are going on even if no gigs are programmed. Fred's motivation is exhausted more and more and the band considers another alternative: Fred will play the rhythm guitar and drums will be sequenced. This seems to be fine because everybody can now work at home, at his rate. But, the band remains without any news of Fred during several months... The mixing of the new version of The Five Shires comes to an end at June, the mastering is given to the sound design agency: Tékitizi. In July, Elvaron is invited to take part in a music contest in Golbey in the Vosges. The band sees itself refusing the victory because it has already 2 studio albums... the jury preferring to award a band without any discography! Bombshell in September, SeeK announces his leaving of the band! An ultimate concert is given with him on September 20, 2003. Nico and Matt begin the search of new musicians. In November, it is Frederic Renaut who will be the new drummer and Nicolas Marékovic will play keyboards. The booklet of The Five Shires will be done by Matthieu Vidal of Fresh Garden Design Agency. The album includes a bonus CD containing a 20 minutes new song and will be available in 2004... The new Keybords player does not seem really motivated and leaves Elvaron. Since December 2003, Elvaron works with a singer for her integration within the band.
2004
After some rehearsals with Lindsay on vocals, Matt doubts on her future as a singer in Elvaron. Her voice is appropriate for a commercial register but gives finally a "pop" side to the songs. Moreover, the time of "female metal singer" is over and the band decides not to continue in this direction. Nevertheless Lindsay being a pianist since many years and the place is still vacant She works then on the friend's keyboard and rehearse with Fred and Nico. In March she knows all the songs of Elvaron. The band is on tracks again and more ready than ever! It is this same month that The Five Shires new version comes out, following then the promotion with plenty of interviews and reviews. After two months of intensive rehearsals the first concert with the new line-up is given in Nancy. In July, the recording sessions of the third album The Buried Crown begin. The drums are recorded at Fred's, the keyboards at Nico's and vocals, bass and guitars in Elvaron' s Lair. Summer break: Elvaron plays on the Place Stanislas on July 11. Huge scene, monstrous sound; the band plays 3 titles in front of an enthusiastic Nancy public. Another concert is given at th Conservatoire of Nancy on July 23 during the Nancyphonies. Matt will be invited to give a conference on the influence of the classical musical works in metal. The mixing The Buried Crown is again given to Christophe Heyrend (the fifth man) and begins in October. In parallel, Matt works actively on the booklet of the disc. At the beginning of December, Christophe and Matt then go to La Source Mastering (Dolly, Mass Hysteria, Silmarils, Gojira) for the post-production and the creation of the master CD. The come out of The Buried Crown is planned for the end of March on the label Manitou Music; the distribution will be delegated to Socadisc Europ Ditribution.
2005
The Buried Crown is out of the factory in January but the album will only be available at the end of March, time required for the label to set up the promotion. Elvaron organizes a launching evening with the band MoXiD in opening on March 19 at the Artiste Cafe in Golbey. The first albums are sold. The Buried Crown comes out officially on April 1 and the first reviews praise the album. Elvaron will give many interviews and gives a double page interview in Rock Hard France. Several radios invite the band to be talk about the new album and do not hesitate to diffuse the longest titles (One Last Season, King of Thylia). The presence of classical musicians on The Buried Crown is unanimously greeted. After a summer break, Elvaron begins the writing of the fourth album. The decision is made to stop the history of the Alliance du Dragon Noir to develop a brand new anticipation/SF concept in close cooperation with a French author. The music, always strongly anchored in the progressive metal, are focused on diversity in particular by the contribution of Fred and Lindsay ideas. At the end of the year, Elvaron has 6 new compositions out of the 8 envisaged. Thomas "SeeK" Letscher, former keyboard player of the band, also takes part in the writing again. The realization of the booklet has already been given to Stephane Martinez from Art Of Darkness.
All starts in September 1993. Matt has just left its first band : Night Feast which play rock'n'roll as the French band "Noir Désir". Julien is a young bass player and friend of Matt. This September, they spend their time in Julien's room to jam together with a rhythm machine under the name of Skeletons Of Hell. Influenced by Iron Maiden, Metallica and Overkill, they write their first songs : Sad Death and Degradation. Very quickly, they recruit a young drummer and settle in the attic of the "Archives Départementales" to play. The test is not very conclusive and Matt and Julien benefit largely from the drums to polish their songs. Matt then decides to call upon the past drummer of Night Feast, Rodolphe, which readily agrees to try the blow, even if it is not very attracted by metal. The name of Skeletons Of Hell is then abandoned for Elvaron which is rolist's name of Julien during our endless AD&D games. Elvaron settles then in the basement of a nursery to play. The band has 4 songs : Sad Death, Degradation, Repent and Reborn Again. These songs are for the moment instrumental, since the band is in the search of a singer...
1994
Elvaron plays every saturday in front of many friends. The repetitions are recorded on tapes or are filmed. By spite, Matt benefits from an amplifier and a microphone on the spot to try to sing. The exercise remaining rather difficult, Degradation will remain instrumental as well as the new song : Dream. The words come slowly and Elvaron decides to make some covers so that Matt is involved to sing and play at the same time. The band tries to cover Metallica (Nothing Else Matters), Iron Maiden (Be Quick gold Be Dead) and... Red Hot. With much of personal work, the voice is set up and the new compositions are more and more violents : Time To Speed, Thrash Zone, Spell & Swords and Wake Up Dead. A first demo is recorded on March 27, 1994 (bass, guitar and rythm machine). In April Elvaron recruits a singer in the person of Damien Cheminant but his gaps in the language of Shakespeare do not enable him to keep his place. May 22, 1994, Elvaron gives its first concert in Monéteau during an open air festival. The public is not there but the band obtains its first very eulogistic newspaper cutting. The test being conclusive, Matt and Rodolphe decide to organize a concert in Auxerre on June 30. Their efforts are rewarded ; the 5 bands playing that night will attract more than 300 people. The following day, Elvaron opened for Chris Savourey in Appoigny. Hard blow this July 1994, Julien must move in Metz for the following school year and Elvaron is thus found without bass player... Julien joined then the speed metal band of Metz: Skydancer.
1995
Michael Peusch is officially the new bass player of Elvaron and makes his first steps on stage on February 18, 1995 in Jussy. Year of the A level, the repetitions are rare and only 2 new compositions are born : Hellvaron and No Fate, No Hope. The band also cover Bad4Good's Felony and (most difficult) Blue Powder of Steve Vai. Elvaron plays on June 3 during the festival "Sonic Day 3" in Parly. June 21, for the "fete de la musique", Julien joined the band on stage to play a few songs. This concert will be the last with Rodolphe and Michael since Matt leaves for Nancy in September. The things are pinned well since Julien will be also in Nancy ! The summer 1995 will be put at contribution to record the first official demo of Elvaron : Necromantia. Thanks to economies, the band buys an 8 tracksYamaha and some microphones. Julien and Matt are locked up during one month in the Skorka's garage in St Julien-lès-Metz. In the absence of Rodolphe, it's Matt who will play the drums. Of these sessions, only one new composition is born : SatanLaughs which marks the entry of Elvaron in the era of progressive music. During this recording, Julien and Matt exhumed an old ballade : Raistlin's Farewell and Matt wrote 2 instrumental interludes : Requiem and Nordic Song. The Necromantia demo will be copied to 25 specimens. Matt integrates officially Skydancer in August. In September, Elvaron begins the search of his new drummer... without success. Matt becomes a true professional in the programming of drum machines. In 3 months, not less than 4 compositions are recorded with the 8 tracks : Exhumation... Not So Sad, Immortal, Battlefield and Foredoomed. In the absence of a drummer, the technicality of the songs is accentuated as their durations.
1996
Elvaron is invited on January 20 to the radio broadcast of Nancy : Death Top. It's the occasion to meet the main actors of the nancy scene : Mortuary, Scarve, Depraved. The reception is rather cold ; the musical shift seems to be hard to manage. Elvaron starts to fear ; no drummer agrees to play so complicated compositions (Mike Portnoy is then a perfect unknown for the Nancy drummers). It is only in March 1996 that Fred awakes and says to Matt that he is a drummer and that it wants to try to play (Matt and Fred are together in the CMCN since September 1995;-)). By chance, Fred can read music scores which accelerates the things considerably. May 7, 1996, the new line-up gives its first show at the "Acropole" in Dijon. During May, the band is locked up 2 weeks in Étival Clairefontaine to record its second demo : Exhumation. Finally, the band regards this experiment as a good startup before going in a true studio. The recording sessions of Mages Battle begin in October at the Lillebonne studio in Nancy. Elvaron will remain 2 weeks working with Laurent Steffen to record this first own-produced album. Certain Nicolas Colnot, studying in the same class as Matt, point regularly his nose in the studio ; he becomes absolute fan of the band. In order to finish the concept of Mages Battle, Elvaron composes and records Sustenance in the tread. The master of the album is available in December but the band is only at the beginning of its surprises since at that time, Elvaron does not have anymore money ; all the money passed in the studio...
1997
Mages Battle is recorded but the pressing implies several things : protect the songs, reproduction rights, protection of the name, realization of the glass master, expenses of computer graphics for the booklet and pressing. After several months of hell on earth and some shows, the missing money is joined together to press Mages Battle with 1000 specimens. It's Julien who will carry out the sleeve illustration. Hard blow from Fred, May 1997, constrained to leave Nancy, leaves Elvaron. Matt and Julien find themselves once again to two and then plan to ensure the promotion of Mages Battle with a rhythm machine. The album comes out officially on August 27, 1997 and, for the occasion, the band organizes one evening of launching in the apartment of Matt. A question is then raised : how to sell 1000 albums without any distribution? Elvaron starts to make the turn of the record dealers and is confronted with the hard reality of the market. Without the support of a label, the album will not be available everywhere. Matt and Julien organize themselves and undertake to research themselves as well for the promotion as for the distribution. Elvaron becomes acquainted with the bands Hades and Woozy Memories (in which a certain SeeK officiates) ; it is the beginning of a long friendship between the majority of the members. Hades and Elvaron will give 4 gigs together this year. An appearing on local TV in September and an excellent review in Hard Force in November 1997 will give a true dash. The orders for Mages Battle flow; the 'zines and the radios contact the band for interviews and reviews. Elvaron receives its first play lists. In December, the album is available in the majority of the distribution networks VPC as in Fnacs of the Great East. Since November, Matt & Julien play with Tormented Souls' drummer and guitarist to integrate them in Elvaron. In december, the band gets its first review on a webzine : Agony online.
1998
The reviews of Mages Battle start to appear in the ' zines as well as the rare interviews granted to Elvaron. The year seems to start very well but the new line-up does not hold, in February Matt and Julien once again find themselves alone. This small break is made profitable to compose and record a new composition : The Five Shires. The piece is written in 1 month, it lasts 29 minutes and separates in 7 parts. Elvaron thinks whereas this title can be used as a basis for a possible second album by associating it with existing songs (Bloodstone Lands and The Rope). In March, Julien and Matt beg Fred to join the group, he comes back with joy. Some days later, Elvaron were playing at the Malgrange school in Jarville. Top of this year, the band is seen proposing to open the show of Iron Maiden in the Zenith of Nancy on April 27, 1998. One unforgettable day with Maiden and... Helloween! Elvaron starts to be accepted in Nancy. In May, the band plays several times, in particular with Mortuary, Carcariass or Unscarred. In August, Hard n' Heavy publishes an eulogistic review of Mages Battle and Elvaron is interviewed by the ' zine Underground Investigations. Elvaron is selected for the "printemps de Bourges 1999" but looses against Ace and Redrum. The final taking place the evening of halloween, Elvaron played masked... In December, Elvaron obtains its first foreign review in the Japanese ' zine Occult Grinder.
1999
The year begins auspiciously; Elvaron wins the audition to play at the Ramdam festival in Nancy and the band sees itself proposing to play at the Terminal Export with Unscarred and X-Vision. In spite of an enormous effort for the promotion of this concert, the bands will not attract more than 120 people this evening. Elvaron works on 2 news compositions: The Rope and Bloodstone Lands in order to integrate them in a final way in the set. In parallel, Matt, SeeK and Julien create a cover band named "Harlock Generation" (playing old manga's songs with a metal sound). In March, Elvaron plays under the "chapiteau de la pépinière" in Nancy for the Ramdam festival. To this occasion, SeeK will go up on stage to play " Captain Future". The legend was born here!!! It is in July 1999 that the decision is made to integrate SeeK on the keyboards, the choice of a second guitarist was finally less judicious... The songs are rearranged for keyboard. Repetitions are going well but the band have to leave is HQ of Houdemont... Elvaron is constrained to repeat in St-Dié in a pal's room. Soon, Elvaron is back in Nancy to repeat. SeeK makes his first official appearance on stage in Wassy in November (concert that will be ended into a brawl!!). Matt, SeeK and Julien start to compose for the next album and three news compositions are born: The Tower Of Palanthas, Beyond The Gate and The Quest For Alifaar's Door. The lyrics will be based from now on on the novel written by SeeK : The Call Of the Black Dragon.
2000
The year begins in a dead calm; Elvaron repeats for the recording of The Five Shires. The adopted process is then to record a demo being used as a basis for a future production but especially useful to contact the labels. The recording sessions start in May in the home studio of Matt. A new composition comes out of the SeeK's head : Killianor' s Sight. Officially, The Five Shires will have 7 songs for one 70 minutes duration. The demos are ready in September and are sent to many labels. A new turning in the life of Elvaron, Julien decides to leave the band. Matt accepts this decision with difficulty and decides then to throw in the sponge if the band is not signed before the end of the year. The answers of the labels start to arrive: negative response for Holy Records. The label Furtive Records proposes a contract of coproduction what implies to inject much money (that Elvaron does not have). Moreover, the label does not have any distributor and Elvaron declines the offer. In October, Matt is contacted by Laurent Bocquet of the label Thundering Records which proposes to sign the group. The contracts are made this same month and the distribution will be ensured by Musea. Elvaron will have to carry out 2 simultaneous missions: to find a new bass player and to deal with the coming out of The Five Shires. Elvaron strats to re-record and mix the album in the home studio. The first bass players point their noses... without success.
2001
The most insane forecasts announce the coming out of The Five Shires for April what leaves 4 more months to Elvaron to find a new bass player. At the beginning of March, the band begs Nicolas Colnot (friend and fan of the band) to play the bass guitar. He is officially a new Elvaron member on March 11. Will follow, on the same month, a photograph session on the hillock of Mousson (last remnants of the old castle of Mousson) by Béatrice Bigel. There's only small problem with Nico, he has neither bass, nor amplifier... Elvaron thus draws from its reserves to buy the material. The repetitions are productive because Nico can quickly read on partitions. The Five Shires comes out at the beginning of May on the label Thundering Records. Will be followed from there a promotion assured by the label (interviews, radios, chronicles, publicity) and some gigs with other bands of the label. In April, the band decides to change is HQ of repetition, this one having become too unhealthy and wet. It is the band Guardian Angels which will agree to rent their HQ located in the surroundings of Nancy. From June to August, 8 chronicles appear in various fanzines. They are all eulogistic excepted the one published in Metallian zine which for still unknown reasons does not want to support Elvaron .. This summer, Elvaron will play in the mythical room "L'Araignee au plafond" and will take part in the second edition of the "Myrtistock Festival". The album is sold rather well; Elvaron makes its first official Tee-shirts and the band appears on 2 compilations distributed to more than 2000 copies each. A series of 7 chronicles appear between September and December in Hard rock, Progressia and Rock Hard (noted 9/10 by Phil Lageat + file on the concept albums by Bruno Bages). Thanks to "Divine Union association", Elvaron will give a new concert to "L'Araignee au plafond" in October.
2002
The beginning of year is particularly cold in France and Elvaron escapes from a car crash while returning from a rehearsal. Nico, Matt and Seek are writing new songs for the third album; long growth which will last until June. In February, the band go to Strasbourg for an unforgettable concert with Hachoir and Naked Scarecrow. The reviews of The Five Shires continue to come out and Elvaron opens for Blaze at the After Club of Metz. At this time, the band seems in a good way to acquire a small notoriety and starts to be pissing of guys... A concert in Pompey quickly landed them back on earth (the band headed a festival and played in front of?. Almost nobody). Elvaron apologize online and comes back to a cooler way of life. To mark this, Elvaron decides to play the "fete de la musique" in all simplicity in Auxerre, birth place of the band. In June, Elvaron begins the recording sessions of the third album in their home studio. Summer break and a third participation at the Myrtistock Festival with the exceptional presence of Time Curve Symmetry. While recording the third album, Elvaron decides to re-record The Five Shires completely so that the album has finally the production which it deserves. This initiative comes rather well since The Five Shires is sold out. The mixing of this new version starts in October with Christophe Heyrend. The year 2003 will be the 10 years anniversary of the band and on this occasion, Elvaron decides to add an extra 20 minutes new song making the link between The Five Shires and the third album to come...
2003
This year 2003 is rather studious because it's the last year of high school for Matt, SeeK & Nico. Nevertheless, the repetitions are going on even if no gigs are programmed. Fred's motivation is exhausted more and more and the band considers another alternative: Fred will play the rhythm guitar and drums will be sequenced. This seems to be fine because everybody can now work at home, at his rate. But, the band remains without any news of Fred during several months... The mixing of the new version of The Five Shires comes to an end at June, the mastering is given to the sound design agency: Tékitizi. In July, Elvaron is invited to take part in a music contest in Golbey in the Vosges. The band sees itself refusing the victory because it has already 2 studio albums... the jury preferring to award a band without any discography! Bombshell in September, SeeK announces his leaving of the band! An ultimate concert is given with him on September 20, 2003. Nico and Matt begin the search of new musicians. In November, it is Frederic Renaut who will be the new drummer and Nicolas Marékovic will play keyboards. The booklet of The Five Shires will be done by Matthieu Vidal of Fresh Garden Design Agency. The album includes a bonus CD containing a 20 minutes new song and will be available in 2004... The new Keybords player does not seem really motivated and leaves Elvaron. Since December 2003, Elvaron works with a singer for her integration within the band.
2004
After some rehearsals with Lindsay on vocals, Matt doubts on her future as a singer in Elvaron. Her voice is appropriate for a commercial register but gives finally a "pop" side to the songs. Moreover, the time of "female metal singer" is over and the band decides not to continue in this direction. Nevertheless Lindsay being a pianist since many years and the place is still vacant She works then on the friend's keyboard and rehearse with Fred and Nico. In March she knows all the songs of Elvaron. The band is on tracks again and more ready than ever! It is this same month that The Five Shires new version comes out, following then the promotion with plenty of interviews and reviews. After two months of intensive rehearsals the first concert with the new line-up is given in Nancy. In July, the recording sessions of the third album The Buried Crown begin. The drums are recorded at Fred's, the keyboards at Nico's and vocals, bass and guitars in Elvaron' s Lair. Summer break: Elvaron plays on the Place Stanislas on July 11. Huge scene, monstrous sound; the band plays 3 titles in front of an enthusiastic Nancy public. Another concert is given at th Conservatoire of Nancy on July 23 during the Nancyphonies. Matt will be invited to give a conference on the influence of the classical musical works in metal. The mixing The Buried Crown is again given to Christophe Heyrend (the fifth man) and begins in October. In parallel, Matt works actively on the booklet of the disc. At the beginning of December, Christophe and Matt then go to La Source Mastering (Dolly, Mass Hysteria, Silmarils, Gojira) for the post-production and the creation of the master CD. The come out of The Buried Crown is planned for the end of March on the label Manitou Music; the distribution will be delegated to Socadisc Europ Ditribution.
2005
The Buried Crown is out of the factory in January but the album will only be available at the end of March, time required for the label to set up the promotion. Elvaron organizes a launching evening with the band MoXiD in opening on March 19 at the Artiste Cafe in Golbey. The first albums are sold. The Buried Crown comes out officially on April 1 and the first reviews praise the album. Elvaron will give many interviews and gives a double page interview in Rock Hard France. Several radios invite the band to be talk about the new album and do not hesitate to diffuse the longest titles (One Last Season, King of Thylia). The presence of classical musicians on The Buried Crown is unanimously greeted. After a summer break, Elvaron begins the writing of the fourth album. The decision is made to stop the history of the Alliance du Dragon Noir to develop a brand new anticipation/SF concept in close cooperation with a French author. The music, always strongly anchored in the progressive metal, are focused on diversity in particular by the contribution of Fred and Lindsay ideas. At the end of the year, Elvaron has 6 new compositions out of the 8 envisaged. Thomas "SeeK" Letscher, former keyboard player of the band, also takes part in the writing again. The realization of the booklet has already been given to Stephane Martinez from Art Of Darkness.