Les Légions Noires

Les Légions Noires, also called The Black Legions, are a collective of French Black Metal musicians and groups located in different cities in France including Brest, Bordeaux, and Montpellier. The collective, whose most famous representatives are Mütiilation and Vlad Tepes, Torgeist and Belketre, was mainly active between 1993 and 1997.

The collective was probably created in the late 1980s and early 1990s in response to the Norwegian Black Metal scene. According to an edition of Terrorizer magazine published in 2005 regarding the history of black metal, “several corpsepaint characters, supposedly drawn by Mütiilation, Torgeist and Vlad Tepes themselves proclaiming themselves ‘Black Legions’ in honour of the members of the Norwegian ‘mafia’ Darkthrone and Burzum who were supposedly ready to terrorize Christians a few years earlier. » The first songs by LLN members were published in the early 1990s, and their influence is known in the same edition of Terrorizer.

From his point of view, Wlad Drakksteim of Vlad Tepes speaks, in an interview with Petrified magazine, about Hellhammer and in particular Bathory: “Every true black metal horde should play in the old style of Bathory3. » Regarding the Norwegian black metal mafia, he explains: “The Norwegian mafia has done ‘bad’ things in this world. After the disappearance of Euronymous, MAYHEM definitely died out, and it’s better that way knowing that black metal can return to darkness. He [Euronymous] can rest peacefully, so I won’t complain about it. And regarding Varg Vikernes (BURZUM), I have nothing to say. We have OUR opinions, and he must undoubtedly know them well. »

In an interview with Vice magazine, British music critic Dayal Patterson doesn’t think LLN still exists: “…And there will never be anything like it, in my opinion. No one could remain so secretive and anonymous today. In any case, it would be very difficult. There are some great photos of these groups in the book. »

Influence
Among the musicians who claim to be part of the Black Legions is Thurston Moore, guitarist for the alternative rock group Sonic Youth. In an interview with Vice for the music documentary Bleu Blanc Satan, he stated that his album Offerings was “directly influenced by Mütiilation and Vlad Tepes”. In 2018, this connection allowed the Invisible Festival to invite Thurston Moore to Brest, luring him with the promise of meeting Wlad Drakksteim7.

Notable groups
Notable groups that are members of the Black Legions include Aäkon Këëtrëh, Amaka Hahina, Belketre, Belathuzur, Black Murder, Boreb, Brenoritvrezorkre, Moëvöt, Mütiilation, Satanicum Tenebrae, Susvourtre, Torgeist, Vagézaryavtre, and Vlad Tepes.

Studio Albums

1995: Vlad Tepes / Belketre – March to the Black Holocaust
1995: Mutilation – Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
1996: Vlad Tepes / Torgeist – Black Legions Metal

EPs and demos

1994: Vlad Tepes – War Funeral March
1994: Mütiilation – Hail Satanas We Are The Black Legions
1994: Torgeist – Devoted to Satan
1995: Torgeist – Time of Sabbath
1996: Belketre – Ambre Zuèrkl Vuordhrévarhtre
1997: Vlad Tepes – The Dead Moon