KARELIA
site Band
- Matthieu Kleiber - vocals
- Erwan Morice - guitar
- Jack Ruesch - guitar
- Gilles Thiebaut - bass
- Loïc Jenn - drums
Former members
- Bertrand Maillot - keyboards
Discography
Demos
Albums
Karelia is a French electro goth band created in 2000 by Lionel Vest and Matthieu Kleiber.
Karelia first released a self-titled demo in 2000.
Their first full-length album Usual Tragedy was released in 2004
on the German label Drakkar Records. It includes many orchestral
arrangements which are the reason why the band's music is often called
symphonic heavy metal or simply symphonic metal. Lyricwise, Usual
Tragedy is a concept album about a man who crossed both World Wars,
lost his father during the first one, lost his beloved one during the
second one, witnessed the violence and the madness of men, eventually
lost his own sanity and died alone and anonymous in an hospital.
Their second studio album, Raise, released in 2005 on Drakkar
Records as well, is not as orchestral as Usual Tragedy but has dark,
melancholic atmospheres that could already be heard on the first album
as well and that seem to be the band's trademark; that's why Karelia's
music is also sometimes called gothic metal. The lyrics deal with
various themes such as blinding and misleading of people by a
charismatic leader ("Raise"), religion wars ("Cross and Crescent"),
childhood ("Child Has Gone", "Unbreakable Cordon"), depression
("Breakdown").
In January 2007, keyboardist Bertrand Maillot left the band, and Jack Ruesch joined the band as second guitarist.
In June 2007, the band finished the recording of its third album
Restless. It was first expected to be released in September/October
2007 (as stated in January 2007 on their still-working then website),
but Karelia later announced on its MySpace that it would be released
through the French label Season Of Mist; the label's website displays
April 21st 2008 as the release date. The cover artwork hasn't been
revealed yet. Restless will show new musical orientations, featuring
industrial elements, as can be heard in the samples available on the
band's MySpace.
In fall November 2007, Karelia opened for the well-known German hard rock band Scorpions for three of their shows in France.
Influences
According to Karelia's frontman Matthieu Kleiber, the band
members have various influences, citing, among others, classical music
as well as hard rock bands like Guns N' Roses and Aerosmith for himself
and ex-keyboardist Bertrand Maillot, hard rock such as Whitesnake for
bassist Gilles Thiebaut, symphonic heavy metal bands for guitarist
Erwan Morice and drummer Loïc Jenn.
______________________
1. The birth of KARELIA
1999 has born KARELIA with a deep wish to bring something new to
a saturated Heavy Metal scene: in this aim Lionel Vest (guitars/
keyboards) and Matthieu Kleiber (guitars/ vocals) tried to implement a
Metal band including classic musicals… but quickly realized that the
concrete working of such a structure was much complicated.
Then, in order to keep a symphonic side in their music, they
had no choice but to use some classical samples complemented with
electronic drums and bass. Bertrand Maillot (Keyboards) joined the
band, bringing many good points as a composer. Sebastien Fellmann, took
in charge the lead guitar. This line-up released a demo (recorded and
mastered in the Lionel Vest’s home studio). The band was pleased to
notice that, in spite of these poor means… and certain blunders… some
people found in that a kind of new trend, as KARELIA music could not be
strictly assimilated to another Metal band. 400 copies of that maxi
single were sold… and some people are still trying to buy it as the
band do not want to produce more copies!
2. Radical changes in line-up and growing interest from labels
Live concerts (with KAMELOT, AT VANCE, VANDEN PLAS, DYSLESIA...
notably) and contacts with production companies put forward the need to
play with a "real” rhythmic section. Then, a casting began among
Eastern-France musicians and KARELIA finally enlisted in summer 2001
two gifted and practised musicals coming from a Heavy Metal band called
JERICAN: Loпc Jenn (drums), and Erwan Morice (guitars). Sebastien
Fellmann left the band. Lionel Vest, launched in some classical
projects, only kept the technical part of his job in KARELIA (that's to
say the orchestral arrangements direction).
3. Real symphonic Metal needs huge means...
After such changes in the line-up, Matthieu Kleiber and Bertrand
Maillot, the music composers of KARELIA, are warily keeping all the
same the original spirit of that melodies... but realize that, a great
financial support was necessary in order to get a chance on the
international scene. Thanks to the relative and local success of the
former line-up and the interest from some labels, KARELIA got the
opportunity to sign up an edition contract with Studios Blue Bird in
the beginning of year 2002. The band took benefit that way from huge
production means (symphonic arrangements, the assistance of some
chorists from the well-known "Opйra du Rhin”, a mix by Renaud Hebinger,
ex-colleague of Colin Richardson on productions like FEAR FACTORY,
MACHINE HEAD).
With such means, KARELIA had the incredible opportunity to
record a debut album full of symphonic influences which found
immediately proposals from numerous labels. The band decided to work
with Drakkar/BMG and now hopes that "Usual Tragedy" will surprise all
the Metal fans… So, keep a watch on that new KARELIA first album...
Current Line-Up: Matt Kleiber – Vocals Bertrand Maillot – Keys Erwan Morice – Guitars Loпc Jenn – Drums Gilles Thiebaut – Bass
Previous members: Lionel Vest – Guitars (on "Karelia”) Seb Felmann – Guitars (on "Karelia”) |