Les Legions Noires: Mütiilation

France's current black metal scene is one of the most exciting--and diverse--of our times. From avant-garde bands like Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord, to the more raw, explosive style of Antaeus and Aosoth, to brutal black/death bands like Arkhon Infaustus and Temple of Baal, to the industrial black metal of Blacklodge and NKVD, to post-black metal like Alcest and Amesoeurs, France's black metal scene is one of my favorites. However, it wasn't always this way. France really had no scene to speak of--except for obscure bands like Ixion and Skullface--until the emergence of a cadre of bands that eventually dubbed themselves the Black Legions ("Les Legions Noires" in French--sometimes abbreviated LLN).

The roots of the LLN go back to bands like Chapel of Ghouls and Zelda (a band which itself sprang from the remains of Chapel of Ghouls). That being said, the most prolific, most famous, and most important band of LLN is MÜTIILATION, from the region of Occitanie in the south of France. While many musicians have come and gone through the ranks of Mütiilation, it is mostly associated with dark mastermind Meyhna'ch (born one Willy Roussel).

Mütiilation's Meyhna'ch

Formed in 1991, Mütiilation's name misspelling is on purpose. Meyhna'ch himself has said that it was spelled 'wrong' because Mütiilation is a "'wrong' project for 'wrong' people in a 'wrong' world." Meyhna'ch was one of the earliest people involved in the circle of bands known as LLN, and, in fact, was the person who came up with the name. LLN were always shrouded in secrecy and mystery---and Mütiilation was no exception. Much of the information we have about LLN and Meyhna'ch was revealed secondhand or after the LLN collapsed in on itself in 1996.

Mütiilation's style--as well as that of most of the LLN--can be characterized as some of the rawest, most vile, most necro sounding black metal ever conceived. The goal of LLN seemed to be to take the extreme aesthetic elements of black metal and push them as far as possible. Even some black metal fans have characterized LLN's music as noise. As a result of this extreme sound, it's tough to hear any influences in Mütiilation's style, per se, but Meyhna'ch has expressed admiration for Bathory, Venom, and Darkthrone.

This version of "Desecrate Jesus Name" is from a 1993 demo

In terms of output, the official releases put out by Mütiilation were extremely rare and difficult to find. This was partly due to the fact many of them were only circulated among the members of LLN, and the wider black metal listening public only became aware of some of this music through leaked bootlegs. That being said, it was one of Mütiilation's official releases--1994's Hail Satanas We Are The Black Legions--which helped spread the name of the LLN wider and further in the black metal scene at large. This is a truly iconic release in the history of underground black metal, and French black metal specifically.

"Black Wind of War" comes from that classic 1994 EP, Hail Satanas We Are The Black Legions

The years 1994-1995 were probably the most fruitful for LLN. Many of the releases associated with LLN bands began to trickle out in to larger swaths of world black metal fandom, and the only officially sanctioned studio album of the movement was released: Mütiilation's 1995 album, Vampires of Black Imperial Blood. This album was clearly a continuation of the vile and raw sound that Mütiilation had become known for, and even though it was an actual studio album, it is still too extreme in its sound for some black metal fans.

"Transylvania" might be Mütiilation's most famous song

While this album was a milestone for LLN and underground French black metal, trouble was on the horizon. Meyhna'ch and the other members of LLN seemed to have differing goals regarding their black metal. Meyhna'ch wanted to focus on the music more, while many of the other key members of LLN were interested living an elitist black metal lifestyle (including living in the woods like "the Manson family," according to Meyhna'ch himself). Additionally, there was in-fighting among the LLN about the fact that some of their releases were spreading far and wide, contrary to their elite ethos. Meyhna'ch left LLN in 1996 and dissolved Mütiilation; the LLN didn't officially last too long after that.

"Suffer the Gestalt" comes from 1999's Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul

Rumors began to circulate that Meyhna'ch had killed himself, but he clarified in later years that it was a metaphorical death, meant to express his intentions regarding Mütiilation. Nevertheless, around the turn of the millenium, Meyhna'ch resurrected the band as a solo project, independent of Les Legions Noires. With a compilation album featuring material recorded in 1993-1996 (the 1999 album Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul), Mütiilation was in full swing again. Before folding again in 2009, Meyhna'ch put out several well-received albums. Since the demise of his primary project, he has been a part of black metal bands such as Hell Militia, Gestapo 666, Sektemtum, and Doctor Livingstone.

Select Discography: 

Rites Through the Twilight of Hell (demo) (1992)

Ceremony of the Black Cult (demo) (1993)

Hail Satanas We Are the Black Legions EP  (1994)

Black Imperial Blood (demo) (1994)

Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (full-length album) (1995)

Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (compilation) (1999)

Black Millenium (Grimly Reborn) (full-length album) (2001)

Majestas Leprosus (full-length album) (2003)

Rattenkönig (2005)

Sorrow Galaxies (2007)

Next time: EMPEROR