Paralleles De Montsegur

Paralleles de Montsegur formed in France in the late 1990s, led by Jean-Hervé Péron. Their music often drew from Péron's interest in occult and esoteric themes, which gave their work a distinct character from the start. Their first album, "L'Étoile d'Ishtar," came out in 1997 and set the tone with its mix of electronic sounds and medieval-inspired melodies.

They followed with albums like "Le Vampire de Paris" and "La Chambre des Sorciers," which were sometimes grouped with darkwave or neofolk scenes. One of their better-known songs is "Divin Marquis," a track that references the Marquis de Sade with atmospheric vocals and droning instrumentation. Other songs in their catalog include "Fils De Rien Fils De Mandrin" and "L'islamique."

The band's lineup changed at times, with Péron as the consistent member. Éric Bourdelier played keyboards and Gwendal Saillour was on drums for some of their work. Their subject matter occasionally touched on topics like witchcraft, which drew some criticism, but they kept making music that blended ancient mysticism with modern electronic elements.