1997, Amiens, France.
There are few chances that Arno Strobl (voices) and Axel Wursthorn (instruments) had a slight idea of the monster they were raising when they released their first demo (Sramik) under the moniker of Carnival In Coal. Having played together since 1989 in two ordinary bands, their only intention was to have fun and try to be the missing link between Mr Bungle and Pan-Thy-Monium, along with the strong will to blow away the limits of good taste with a lyrical bottom line around several sexual deviances.
It was said things had to become much more serious than that. Against all odds, the incredible response leads a young French label (the now vanished War On Majors Records) to bet their life on the bands first effort Vivalavida (1999). Warmly welcomed by international press as well as in their homeland, they soon release French Cancan (1999), a cover album featuring some can-u-believe- this versions of classic songs originally recorded by Genesis, Morbid Angel, Ozzy Osbourne, or Jerry Rafferty. But most of all, the album presents a sympho black metal version of the disco tune Maniac (from the Flashdance original soundtrack), and an easy listening cover of Panteras Fucking Hostile thats hard to believe.
2005.
Its been four years since the most bizarre duet of the extreme scene had left its audience without a clue nor new material. After their 2001 Fear Not Carnival In Coal album, still totally nuts and keeping the same musical direction (that is to say : towards everywhere and beyond), they felt like needing some time to let their 12 years collaboration breathe and gather some fresh air before coming back weirder than ever.
2004 saw them ink a multi-album deal with Elitist / Earache. Collection Prestige is the first step of the Franco British alliance, a step that will definitely count in Carnival In Coals career. When most of alternative bands call maturity their lack of inspiration, Axel and Arno are more than ever walking on the thread between eccentric musicality and psychiatric emergencies.
Written and engineered along the last six months of 2004 in Axels Walnut Groove Studio, Collection Prestige displays the widest range of musical landscapes the band had offered so far. From the scary prelude of Party At Your House until the stressing yet moronic introspection of Promenade, the Frenchies show sharp abilities for playing with the listeners nerves.
Would you ever had imagined musical genres such as extreme metal and West Indian dance music melting to tell the story of an obese gothic teenager invited at a Caribbean party (Ohlala) ? Did you ever dare to dream of a Jamiroquesque disco tune featuring gore lyrics (Cartilage Holocaust) ? Thought it would be cool to feel like having 11 albums in one ? Collection Prestige was made for you !
September 2007.
After four albums and a dozen of gigs in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Czech Republic, CARNIVAL IN COAL eventually calls it a day... Stay tuned, get well, and keep on shaking your bullet belts :) ...
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