Apparently France did have a metal scene
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 06/19/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Originally released in 1986, Larmes de Heroes was the second full-length album from French heavy metal band Sortilege. I know what you're thinking, but yes, France did actually have a few noteworthy metal bands, and Sortilege was probably the best (though I also dig H-Bomb). Sortilege might as well have been made an honorary member of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), as their sound was quite similar to bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon and Angel Witch.
Sortilege softened their sound a bit for this album, so it is a more melodic and refined album than 1984's Metamorphose, but Larmes de Heroes is still a powerful and hard-hitting heavy metal album. It's very much inspired by Iron Maiden and has an overall epic and dramatic feel. It feels like the halfway point between the NWOBHM and early European power metal. The lyrics are sung in French, but Christian Augustin's voice is so powerful and emotional that you quickly forget about the language barrier.
Unfortunately, Larmes de Heroes proved to be Sortilege's final album, and the band split up shortly after its release. It remains an overlooked piece of metal history. Fans of the NWOBHM and related bands like Overdrive, Ded Engine and Wings of Tomorrow-era Europe will get the most out of Larmes de Heroes, but it is an album that any serious 80's metal fan should hear.
Edition Notes: Axe Killer reissued Larmes de Heroes in 2007. Their version features digitally remastered audio (and really good remastering at that), expanded liner notes and four bonus tracks. The bonus tracks all come from the English version of Larmes de Heroes, titled Hero's Tears. They're cool additions, but I'd rather have seen the whole Hero's Tears album remastered and reissued."
