Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Alann: Sentinelles is a two man project, composed by Nicolas and I. It was formed in Winter 2011, when we decided to creat a band reflecting our rural lifestyle, and the influence of Nature, landscapes, on us... We recorded our first album, L’envol, in summer 2012, with Yohann "aktivist” (Malysteria, Les Chants de Nihil, Belenos, AntiCorpse) at Sven (AntiCorpse, Malysteria)’s studio, DreamBox. He also participate to the album, doing the chorus.
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
Alann & Nicolas: We play Black Metal, with some elements like chorus, acoustic guitars, some Britton lyrics and piano. Some people have compared us to Windir and other band in the same kind, but obviously, we are not at the same "level”.
Bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, Belenos, Burzum and Drudkh inspire us everyday, and not only in a music context. Authors like Rimbaud, Verlaine, Maupassant and Charles Le Quintrec are important in our lives, and the lyrics are influenced by their respectives works. There are some music structures, sentences in "L’envol”, that honor these artists.
Why should a metalhead buy your albums?
Nicolas: Even if "L’envol” is "traditionnal” Black Metal, elements in lyrics and music are, I hope, original. The music structure is not common, if you are musician you could understand... And we put "celtic” riffs in the album, there is no so much band who play this kind of BM.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media? Nicolas: Our first album is available, limited to 100 copies. Part has been sold, with positives reviews from the people. It’s too early to talk about media reviews, there are coming so we can’t analyse the criticizes.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
Alann: We can’t and we don’t want to do live shows. I actually live in Russia, and Nicolas in our beloved Brittany. I want to quote Protector, of Summoning: ”No, we never thought to play our music live. Firstly, we believe that our music is just not made to be played live, but rather is meant to be listened quietly at home and not dance to it or it pogotte above.”
What sould labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
Nicolas: L’envol is our first production, we never realease other material before it. At the consequence, nobody know us, and we promoted a little in France/Europe. Some webzines in Eastern europe are interessed, we wait ad see… We look for a label. So if people are interessed… I think that in binome we are more creative than «true» bands, beacause we share the same spirit, and we wan’t to tell the sames stories, to show the same contemplations... I think you can understand this when you listen to "L’envol”.
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
Alann: Well, the next album is already in my head, it will be different in music compositions, but we will conserve the same message, the same spirit, and this next album will be more contemplative, and i hope the debut of a trilogy.
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Nicolas: We have a full track and a preview of or album on youtube.com. To buy our stuff, you can write to sentinelles.blackmetal@gmail.com, or contact us on our facebook page : facebook.com/sentinelles.bm
We are going to create a website, and it will be annouced on facebook.
Sorry for this bad english, and thank you.
November 2012