Tragos is a French death metal band determined to deliver something unique within the extreme metal scene. With their debut album Bellicum, released through Fetzner Death Records, the band combines brutality, dark atmospheres, and a strong vision inspired by violence, war, and old-school death metal roots. In this interview, Tragos discusses the creation of Bellicum, their influences, the French death metal scene, and what lies ahead for the band.
Asmoth: Bellicum is your debut album — what was your main vision when creating it, and what message did you want to convey through this record?
François (Bass): First of all, thank you for this interview !!!! We wanted to release a Death Metal album that doesn’t sound like 99,99% of the other albums, something special, something unique and l think we achieved this goal !!!!
Laurent (Drums): We wanted an album that represents our vision of death metal. The message revolves around violence and war.
Asmoth: The title Bellicum clearly evokes war — is this a central concept throughout the album, and how is it reflected in both the lyrics and the music?
Kevin (Vocals): It's not really a central concept of the album. Each song reflects something different, and the record can be listened to however you like. But there's a certain belligerence in the music. It makes you want to fight.
Laurent: War is the central theme of this album. This is musically translated into a riff harmonie coupled with death metal. The dark lyrics speak of confrontation and death, all presented with brutality.
Asmoth: How did the songwriting process unfold for this album? Was it a fully collaborative effort, or driven by specific members?
Kevin: It was a bit of a shared effort. Cédric suggested some poems that I adapted for certain songs, notably Scherzo Patibul and Labor Delusiv, but for most of the other lyrics, I wanted to write them myself.
Laurent: If we're talking about the result of this album, it's obviously a collective effort. But it's Cédric who brings the basic general idea. We want certain changes where we think they can make a difference, and we discuss them all together.
Asmoth: What are your main influences, and how do you try to stand out from them?
Kevin: My personal influences are voices like Glenn Benton, George Fisher, Erik Rundqvist. I also draw inspiration from Chuck Shuldiner regarding the best way to articulate lyrics.
François: My main influence as a bass player is Derek Boyer from Suffocation !!!! But l’m also a huge fan of Dying Fetus, Slayer, (old)Sepultura, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Death, anything Steve Di Giorgio is involved in & many more !!!!
Laurent: Personally, I'm influenced by a lot of things, everything that's old in death metal, and by quite a few other styles as well; classical music also plays an important role.
Asmoth: How did your collaboration with Fetzner Death Records come about, and what has this partnership brought to the release of Bellicum?
Kevin: The collaboration with Alexander went very well. It brought a professional touch to our work. And it also means to us that what we're doing isn't so bad if a label was willing to take us on.
François: I sent a 3 track demo to 4 different labels on a Sunday afternoon and got 3 positives responses the next morning….of course, out of the 3, we chose FDR….and l’m sooooo glad we did so !!!!
Laurent: Fetzner signing us is a true musical recognition for us and a joy to be associated with this label. They allow us to showcase our album.
Asmoth: The French death metal scene is diverse and active — how do you see your place within it, and what’s your perspective on the current scene?
Kevin: We're carving out our place. We're known in our region, Normandy, and now we're aiming for the whole of France. The Death Metal scene is indeed diverse and varied, but above all, it's rich and full of talent.
Laurent: There's a real death metal scene in France with some excellent bands, but unfortunately, it doesn't get enough exposure in my opinion. For our part, we bring our baroque style to the death metal genre as we envision it.
François: The Death Metal scene in France is growing up but, as Kevin said, it does NOT get enough exposure sadly….but we are definitely proud to be a part of it !!!!
Asmoth: What were the biggest challenges you faced during the recording of Bellicum?
Laurent: The main challenge was to translate that energy into each track. It was also necessary to work on a sound that reflected the darkness of this album.
Asmoth: Now that your debut album is out, what’s next for Tragos? Should we expect an evolution in your sound, or a continuation of this brutal and straightforward direction?
Laurent: Looking ahead, we already have some events scheduled and others coming up to promote our first album. We're continuing to work on new ideas, but the most challenging aspect is maintaining our identity so that Tragos is recognizable with each release !!!!
François: A new and huge chapter is awaiting for us !!!! Keep an eye on TRAGOS, you might be surprised very soon !!!!
