Anorexia Nervosa (band)

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Anorexia Nervosa is a French symphonic black metal band from Limoges, formed in 1991. They are currently "on hold" due to the departure of vocalist RMS Hreidmarr.

Anorexia Nervosa (full name Anorexia Nervosa the Nihilistic Orchestra) was formed in 1991 as Necromancia, with a line-up consisting of Stéphane Bayle (guitar), Marc Zabé (guitar), Pierre Couquet (bass), Nilcas Vant (drums) and Stéphane Gerbaud (vocals).

They left the label after the release of Exile, and replaced Gerbaud and Zabé with new singer RMS Hreidmarr and keyboardist Neb Xort.[1] They then pursued a new, self-described "dark nihilistic metal" direction featuring a very fast, hysterical and powerfully orchestrated sound, with second album Sodomizing the Archangel, recorded at the band's own Drudenhaus Studio and released by Osmose Productions in 1999.^[1] They followed this with the Drudenhaus album, which was released in March 2000, and proved to be a huge success for the band.

Further evolving the style was their 2001 release, New Obscurantis Order, which involved even faster tempos, more polished orchestrations and an all-around more violent sound. They toured all over Europe with the likes of Cradle of Filth, and Rotting Christ, by now an established symphonic black metal band.^[1] Anorexia Nervosa then went on hiatus for three years, returning with a new album, Redemption Process in 2004, now on Listenable Records.

Approximately one year later, the band released The September E.P. which features a director's cut of Sister September, three cover tracks, and four live tracks. The EP was released to be a "goodie" from the band until they are ready to record their next studio album.

On 20 December 2005 vocalist Rose Hreidmarr quit the band. His statement on the matter reads as follows:

"Leaving Anorexia Nervosa was definitely not the easiest thing to do as we've shared so much during our time together as this band had become a vivid part of my daily life. For seven years, the band has been giving me so many opportunities on a musical and human level and has heavily contributed to become the person I'm today. Still, I honestly thought I had reached the end of a personal era with the album 'Redemption Process' and I now feel the need to take a different path. I'm also absolutely proud of what I have been able to achieve with the rest of the band members who will always remain my best friends and I wish them the very best for the future."^[2]

Soon afterwards, the remaining band members held auditions for a new singer, but failure to find a replacement has caused guitarist Stéphane Bayle to put the band in "stand-by" mode, fearing the group may become "some sort of parody" of itself. A decade following the start of their hiatus, their future still remains unclear.

Since his departure from Anorexia Nervosa, Rose Hreidmarr has been singer for The Cosa Nostra Klub, a black/industrial metal band. In 2018, he also became the singer for the White supremacist black metal group Baise ma hache.^[3]

Stéphane Bayle and Neb Xort also participated in Jensara Swann and Ben Notox's band The Veil, both on their first album Sleeping Among Serpents, released in 2006 and as session musicians for their first concerts. Neb Xort is still involved with the band as producer, and engineered The Veil's second album Vestige in 2008, and Ad Inferna's Trance N Dance in 2009.^[4] Bayle produced The Cosa Nostra Klub's second album, L'Hymne la Joie, in 2007.^[5]

In the band's early days as Necromancia, the band played

The band's debut, Exile, a concept album, based itself on themes of neurosis and experimentation on madness. Violence and depression would largely feature as the main source of the band's lyricism. However, Redemption Process is a concept album that focuses on lyrics about finding redemption.

• Stéphane Bayle: guitar (1995–2005)
• Nilcas Vant: drums (1995–2005)
• Pier Couquet: bass (1995–2005)
• Neb Xort: keyboards (1998–2005)

• Marc Zabé: guitar, keyboards (1995–1998)
• Stéphane Gerbaud: vocals (1995–1998)
• Nicolas "R.M.S." Saint-Morand: vocals (1998–2005)

Timeline

• Exile (1997)
• Drudenhaus (2000)
• New Obscurantis Order (2001)
• Redemption Process (2004)

• Sodomizing the Archedangel (1999)
• The September E.P. (2005)

• The Garden of Delight (1993)
• Nihil Negativum (1995)

• Suicide Is Sexy (2004)

• Disturbed (2009)

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