Supuration, also known as S.U.P. (Spherical Unit Provided) is a progressive death metal / doom metal band from Wallers, France, formed in 1990. They changed names a few times over the years to reflect the change of topics tackled in their albums.
While Supuration delivers more powerful riffage and death metal-oriented material, S.U.P. displays more darkwave-oriented influences alongside doom metal. In each case, the band succeeded in suggesting its own unique atmospheres, resulting of innovative and hypnotic riffage, and an ambitious blend of traditional cavernous death metal vocals and clean vocals.
One of many particularities of this seamy band is their ritual of first writing a story in plain French, then transformating them into English lyrics from which the actual music is composed. Thus, every Supuration / S.U.P. album relates a story, inspired by the hypothetical after-death in the case of Supuration; more about Science-Fiction when the S.U.P. aspect is concerned.
They are considered one of the most influential bands of French death metal, inspiring successful French acts such as Carnival in Coal, Division Alpha, Gojira and Kalisia.
Chronology:
Supuration put out its first album Sultry Obsession in 1990, autoproduced and limited to 1000 copies. In 1991, they recorded 8 tracks, that would eventually end up on various EPs, and would be compiled later on the still autoproduced 9092, limited to 500 copies with 3 tracks recorded in 1992, and also appeared on the Obscurum per Obscurus compilation.
In 1992, September, Supuration signed with Reincarnate Records, leading to the release of the first full-length album The Cube in February 1993. It was followed in April 1994 by a “Maxi” named Still in the Sphere, including an infamous doom-metal cover of Shout, by Tears for Fears. Meanwhile, the band was contacted for the soundtrack to the movie Jacques le fataliste, without any further distribution.
Then started an European tour side to side with Suffocation, and the first broadcast of the track The Crack, on MCM.
Fall 1994, free from its previous contracts, Supuration signs on PIAS France. In July 1995, Supuration releases its second album Anomaly, switching name to Spherical Unit Provided (S.U.P.) for the occasion. They begin touring France co-headlining with Coroner. In April 1996, the maxi Transfer was released, containing various tracks from Anomaly reprocessed into acoustic / electro / demo versions.
In 1996, the contract with PIAS records expired, allowing to sign with Holy Records. Then began a great collaboration, eventually leading to three more albums:
Room Seven (1997), the vision of an autistic person through his dreams
Chronophobia (1999), the coldest album, which unveils the story of twins separated at birth through time and space. A deadly countdown which will bring them together forever. The band claims that it isn’t a pessimistic way of seeing life, but merely an original fiction via a claustrophobic musical experience.
Angelus (2002), well received in both the international and national press. It questions the origin of Man and his religions.
Holy Records also released a live album, To Live Alone (2001), two re-releases of The Cube (1998), and Anomaly (2000).
This successful career led to a series of concerts throughout Europe with Anathema from Dec. 1999 to January 2000, then in France with Gloomy Grim and Division Alpha in April.
In May 2002, the band made a second attempt at an original soundtrack, for the short movie Insanity, by Fabrice Lambot. It was shown in various international festivals (Buenos Aires, Belgrade, London, Toronto) and was released in January 2003.
From 2002 to June 2003, they performed many concerts and festivals, becoming an emblematic figure of French Metal which still seduces and surprise album after album.
At the end of 2003, the group takes back its former identity, Supuration, to write Incubation, a worthy follow-up to the extremely renowned The Cube.
Incubation plunges both the band and their fans in nostalgia, the ideal moment to re-release 9092, with a DVD as bonus in 2004, and mark the end of a cycle. Time has come for Supuration to let S.U.P. reappear: S.U.P. proposes Imago, at the perfect time to see the chrysalis turn into a stunning Butterfly.
In 2007, S.U.P. delivers its last release to date: a live DVD Traces Part 1, with a number of previously released tracks, and covers (notably from Division Alpha).
Line-up:
Ludovic Loez - guitars, vocals
Fabrice Loez - guitars, vocals
Thierry Berger - drums
Frederic Fievez - bass
Official webpages:
http://www.supuration.fr
http://www.facebook.com/sup.supuration
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