Interview with TENTATION

The Band: Tentation

Country: France

https://www.facebook.com/tentationfrance

Interview by Vpower

Tentation is a French band playing old school Heavy Metal, great compositions, awesome guitars, it’s like a travel back to the 80s. Thay have released an Ep, “Tentation”, and I had the pleasure to talk to them a little.

Hello guys, , tell us a little about the origin of the band

The band was born in 2012, at Torreilles, a little village in south of France with Patrice (drums), Guix (bass) and Guillaume (guitar). We only want to play music for fun and begun to write Heavy Metal song in french because it’s a fucking great style. We worked on two tracks before changed line up and included Laurent as a drummer.

  

This year you have released your first recording, the EP “Tentation”. How long had you been working on it?

We try to work without pressure and every members have a job. So, it’s difficult for us to rehearsal every week. Thereby, there are been two years to write and records the EP.

When listening to Tentation’s songs I have the feeling of being back in the 80s, top old school Heavy Metal. Did you live the 80s or you discovered them later and you are kind of a tribute band to that sound? From you pics i cannot guess your age hahaha and the band was created in 2012…

It’s exactly what we want to do and we have to thanks Cochise Studio for that. Laurent and Patrice live the 80’s. We have around fourty. It was a fantastic decade with plenty of creative energys. Guix and Guillaume are fucking young but know what is good in Heavy Metal music ! 

And if you have to choose a musician from the 80s, that would be...?

Christian “Zouille” Augustin the singer of the French heavy metal band Sortilege ! His lyrics are incredible and very impressive and inspiring singing.

There are only 6 songs for now, but with compositions like L’épreuve du Sang we can expect the best from Tentation. It’s raw, fast and with awesome guitars. What is more important for you the melody or the aggresiveness?

Thanks, we really appreciate too Guillaume’s work on guitar. This young have a good feeling. Aggressiveness is important for bang heads and melody for touch hearts ! We really need of this 2 aspect in our songs.

The influence of French bands such as Sortilege or H-Bomb is clear, even you have included a cover from the last. How did you chose it and why?

Simply because every body in the band like this band and specially this track.

  

Are you writing more songs? When we will have a full-length album in our hands?

Very hard to know… May be but it will be difficult. We are very impressed by bands arriving to produce albums, make promo, give shows, etc. That’s take a lot of time and work ! Actually, we work on two new tracks. Hope to put them in a split EP end of 2016.

I also want to drop some words about the cover art. It has that magic darkness from bands like Witchfinder General, Satan, Witchfynde, etc. That was your source of inspiration? What did you want to express with it?

Thanks ! Mylène aka “Blacksshark” did a very great work on it. The cover came like a flash to the singer. He explained it at Mylène and she did the work. The cover mean the tentation of the evil, just behind the girl (Charlène) who try to keep the good way with pray.

I must say that I got in contact with your awesome music thanks to Jeremy, guitarist of the French group Iron Slaught. That means, as we already knew, I think, that the word of mouth works quite well. Do you consider yourselves, in the France scene, an underground band?

Yes, totally ! And we don’t want to leave this state ! We play music only for heavy metal fans, those who like other bands than those who appear in big magazines, those who support bands and fanzines by purshasing their stuff,  those who go to shows to have fun with friends and musicians. We read your good interview with Iron Slaught. They did a great job with their EP. Total support !

And, after that, what other new French bands have impressed and you will recommend? How healthy is the French underground scene?

Since few years, we can see really good bands in France like Hexecutor, Herzel, Iron Slaught, Evisceration, Manzer, Electric Shock, Cadaveric Fumes, Demonic Oath, Sepulchral Voices, Affliction Gate, Necrowretch, Sanctuaire, Skelethal, Perversifier, etc. Also, we have some other, more ancients, like Lonewolf, Hürlement, Vulcain, Killers, ADX, Blasphème, Mercyless, etc. The underground scene is better as few years ago.

Have you made some gigs around promoting your Ep?

Two gigs are planed for 2016, in Rennes, the Impious Desecration label town and Lyon, a show organise by some friends.

Internet has changed everything, every group is accessible, but there is also much more information than before. Is this better or worse than the situation back in the 80s?

It’s totally good ! Very easy to buy stuff directly from bands and now you can ear before buying ! It’s also amazing to discover old forgotten bands. We really like it.

You chose to play classic Heavy Metal, but it could be possible to find Tentation playing Thrash, Power Metal or another style? You consider yourselves a band in constant evolution or you are more the Anvil type of band?

We will stay in a classic Heavy Metal style for sure !

You have chosen to sing in French, that means you are focused on the domestic market and you don’t care that much about the international scene?

Bands who sing in english are welcome in France !  Language is not a problem for those who support traditionnal metal.

The end of the year is around. What are you wishes and intentions for the 2016?

Keeping feeling, inspiration and play with more fun than ever to fuck off terrorists !

Thank you very much for your time, guys

Thanks a lot for your interest ! We take this opportunity to say that all members of Tentation are also in the Pyrenean Metal association and we organise in september a festival called Pyrenean Warriors Open Air. Take a look here > http://www.leshordesmetalliques.com/pwoa/

Thanks !