1. Hi! 12 years, 5 full-lenght albums, 3 demos, that´s something what you should be pride and something, about what we can surely speak as a history. What is history of Belenos? How did you balance about such period?

Yep that’s right, Belenos started in 1995 as a solo-project, 3 demos tapes were recorded between 1996 and 1998, then Belenos became a real band which line-up was often changing from 1999 to 2004, during this period we can quote as album: “Errances Oniriques“ (2001), “Spicilège“ (2002), “L’ancien temps“ (2004) and “Chants de bataille“ (2006), then again alone, I’ve done “Chemins de souffrance“. Belenos performs a kind of cold and fast black metal mixed with slow and atmospheric parts, clean choirs, acoustic passages, all sung in French.

2. Songs contained on this new album is divided into two parts, first chapter, „Allégorie d'une Souffrance“, which is in principle your re-recorded demo and chapter two, „Les Chemins de la Mort“, which contains your new BM pieces. Is that demo something special for you? Shall I understand it, that you found on „Chants de Bataille“those ideal sound, which exactly go together to your cease of sound and with that you continue now?

“Chemins de souffrance” (path of suffering) is the blackest album of Belenos. Each album has its own mood, “Chants de bataille” was aggressive and epic, “Chemins de souffance” is cold and black. My music is between two worlds, between fast black metal like Dark Funeral and something more melodic and varied like Enslaved. But Belenos has nothing to do with bands such as Korpiklaani, I mean my music remains dark and I feel closer to bands such as Windir, Kampfar or Helrunar. Now about the new album, I just wanted to do a kind of challenge, by gathering old songs from the third demo (which is not featured on the double CD demo-compilation “L’ancien Temps”). These 4 songs have been improved during these 10 years and I’ve thought it would be great to rerecord them with a powerful sound, real drums, some new parts and modified riffs. It seems that people is appreciating them now. The new songs were finished during the recording, so when you’re listening to the album all seems coherent, no flagrant change of style on the first part nor on the second one. All these songs I’ve gathered have a common point, they all sound dark because I wanted to do the more cold and black album of Belenos. Next album will be a bit different...

3. It´s almost incredibly, but by virtue of new production, there isn´t almost any difference between your old and new creation! Did you edit somehow composition of old tracks?

You know the same powerful sound for old and new tracks helps a lot to erase the feeling of difference. Maybe in the 90‘ the old tracks were sounding modern whereas the new ones are sounding today a bit old school.

4. On your website you mention, that style, which you present through Belenos, still hold same (high) level.How is important for you to don´t change radically the style and hold his classic standard? Did you ever think about some radical change or drift?

I don’t like radical changes like certain bands use to do, starting with black metal and turns to death-thrash 2 albums later, it’s a kind of betrayal, keeping the same band name. But I’m ok with evolution when it’s natural or well played, when the spirit of the band is still the same not always depending on the form.

5. Your fast and hard style needs experienced drummer. On „Chants de Bataille“ performed former drummer from Aborted - Gilles Delecroix. Who get artilery now?

I am behind the drums now, I play drums since 1999, playing on „chants de bataille“ was definitively too fast for me but Gilles just played the drums lines I wrote on preview tracks some months ago.

6. Integral part of your music is clear vocal tirades. How actually proceed their creation? Did you sing in them you personaly or did you invite eventually some quests?

All the voices on the last albums have been performed by myself, there are sometimes 8 different voices lines playing together. I don’t like the idea of someone else putting its own parts, but this principle would be better accepted from folk musicians, I mean I’d like to check some guests on next albums with violin or bombard for example.


7. If you were mark some your inspiration sources, which would it be? I suppose that your music style will arise from more diverse models.

For the black metal aspects of Belenos, we can quote as influences: early scandinavian acts like: Burzum, Emperor, Satyricon, Enslaved, Dark Funeral, for the rest we can feel here and there touches of doom, celtic and folk parts

8. New album coming out in Northern Silence prod. How are you satisfied with favours of this label? Did you plan cooperation with them to the future?

I’m satisfied with Northern Silence, nothing bad to say, and certainly better work than Sacral productions. For „Chemins de souffrance“ on top of the regular Cd, there is a limited edition: metal box with a patch, there are also 2 different TS/LS and soon will be released the LP version. We should work again together in a near future I think

9. What about your other musical projects? Could you introduce closely with them also unacquainted listeners?

Most of my previous projects and bands are dead now: Bereavement (death metal band from 1997 to 2000), Excavation (brutal death/gore solo project from 1998 to 2000), and Asyndess (experimental death from 1994 to 2003) and also as session member in Beer Vomit (alcoholic grind), in Despair’s tiny things (doom death) and Nydvind (pagan black) but since 2004 I’m helping my girl-friend for her band Artesia, similar to Arcana / Dark sanctuary, we have done one demo and two albums, a new one is planned.

10. While I don´t interfere,that you cooperate with cultic person former vocalist of doom group Worship, Mad Max , in which way do you bethink of this person? Did his suicide hurts you?

It’s strange because I really think that Mad max is well known everywhere except in France ! He has been a good friend for many years, we have gone on each other’s home many times for noise/music or alcoholic parties, but I have not met him several months before his death, just tragic but not surprising for people who knew him well.

11. To Belenos inherently belongs celtic theme. How did you aplicate paganism in normal daily life? Did you keep ancient rituals (e.g. at solstice), did you worship ancestral godhood?

I’m attracted by ancient french history and Celtic traditions. Also I have the chance to live in a Celtic land: Brittany, the western area of France. There are a lot of medieval towns, old castles, mighty forests, sacred hills, wild and wonderful costlines. There are even places where Celtic druids still pray the god Belenos during the solstice. According to me Paganism is above all something which has to be lived, by defending european traditions. Paganism is a different vision of the world in accordande with nature which is eternal, death is just a step and man lives into this neverding cycle of regeneration. Paganism is for me also a certain kind of freedom, there isn’t fear, good or evil. Finally I’d like to say that Paganism is above all the expression of diversity and not of the blind reign of a unique idea like a unique god.

12. Why just Belenos? By what is this god of Sun so important for you? Do you that he describe essence of your music clearly?

You know at the time, when I started the band, I had that name to my mind, black metal was already a trend in the ‘95ties, I didn’t feel inspired by the devil even if I was inspired by darkness and nature, I’ve chosen that name in harmony with my deep beliefs and roots, I feel very close to nature, sun is one element among the others also it is linked with Celtic and Gallic culture.


13. Belenos is maintain his stylishly graphic elaboration too. As I know, that you take care of most elements yours music, so that, where you get inspiration.

Most of time I try to draw my own lay-out, no deception by someone else’s work, it’s an interesting process of creation, it better reflects the music as you watch the cover for example.

14. What you and live concerts?

Well we should talk about it to the past, we have played in 26 gigs (24 in France and 2 in Belgium) between late 1998 and late 2004. I am alone again in Belenos since late 2004 and I don’t have the time nor the line-up to go back on stage, maybe later, but anyway playing live is not my priority for Belenos, it allows me on the other hand a lot of time to focus on the next albums...

15. Did you think somewhile about release split with any group? Do you have some (any) dream of group, with what you would go to joint project?

Recently swedish horde Valkyria of Northern Silence proposed me to do a split EP, I’ve never done that kind of release before, but we will see if this project can be done later, quite good idea!

16. What´s your next steps to the future?

At first “chemins de souffrance“ will be released on vinyl format just before this summer, then we should work together for some possible reeditions, like the previous work sold out of Sacral productions, and of course a new album should be finished within early 2009...

Thank you for interview!By the Teutatis!