KALISIA IN BRIEF
KALISIA is a french Progressive and Melodic Death Metal band formed in 1994. They released a demo in 1995 called "Skies" described as a the death metal version of Dream Theater. They played a few gigs (Emperor, Samael, My Dying Bride, Therion...) and then started working on an ambitious concept album, "Cybion" consisting of one and only song that took the band about 10 years of work to fulfill.
DISCOGRAPHY
• Cybion (2007 ?)
• Skies (1996) MCD Limited Edition
• Skies (1995) Demo Tape
Current and Previous Side Projects :
• Auspex - Mysteries of the Stars
• Auspex - Resolutio
• Bliss - Bliss
• Chrysalis - Between Strength and Frailty (Adipocere Records)
• Eilera - Facettes
• Eilera - Precious Moment (Spinefarm Records)
• Eilera - Fusion (Spinefarm Records)
• Eyeless - The Game of Fear (Season of Mist Records)
• Fairlight - Le Bal des Eternels
• Hegemon - Chaos Supreme (Dysphorie Records)
• Hegemon - By This, I Conquer (Sacral Productions)
Guest Appearances :
• Bomb Scare Crew - Reign of the Sharks (Musicast)
• Diaclase - En Patience
• Drop of Blood - Resurgence
• Malmonde - Malmonde (Osmose Records)
• Malmonde - Eva (Musicast)
• Megadeth - United Abominations (Roadrunner Records)
• To-Mera - Born of Ashes
• To-Mera - Transcendental (Candlelight Records)
Tribute Albums :
• A Vision of... - A Tribute to S.U.P. (performing as The K-Light Project v3.3 with members of Fairlight)
• Megaded - A Tribute to Megadeth
SOME REVIEWS OF SKIES
• French Rock Hard Magazine nominated Skies twice in their "Ideal Metaltheque" (list of 50 best albums ever), for "Death Metal" and "Progressive Metal" categories and has named "Cybion" as "Hope of the Year for 2007".
• The Kronics (Fr) : This is not a promising demo or something like that, this is 32 minutes of pure anthology, nothing less (...). An essential monument of the death-metal history.
• Disposable Underground (USA) : An unbelievable demo of progressive death... incredible musicianship and top-rate packaging and production. The Best !
• Elegy (Swe) : This is the best new demo I've ever heard ! It's a masterpiece
• Gallory of Judgement (USA) : ... a beautiful masterpiece of avant-garde death metal... they are the best that I have ever heard ! 10.0+
• Hammerhead (USA) : This is one of the best demos I have gotten in my hands on in years
• Humania Vomitoria (Bel) : This is most definitely one of the best bands ever formed in France... buy this piece of virtuosity and brilliancy !!! 95/100
• Dark Vibrations (Fr) : You've never seen this before ! An irreproachable demo.
• Electro-Shock (Fr) : Attention : chef d'oeuvre !.. Without any hesitation, I think it's the best demo that has arrived to the ELECTRO-SHOCK editorial staff !..
• Go ! More (Fr) : "Attention : chef d'oeuvre !". This is the sticker that should ornament the casing of this demo tape... if Melodic Progressive Death Metal is your bedside book, then Skies will be your bible.
• Le Boeuf (Fr) : ...the complexity of the tracks reminds us DREAM THEATER or CYNIC, of whom KALISIA kept the agreeable side only.
• Mystifier (Fr) : It is simply excellent. Note that this is the best French metal bands that Ive ever heard (!!!).
BIOGRAPHY
Skies 1994 - 1997
KALISIA's founding members (Brett - guitar and vocals ; Laurent P. - keyboards ; and Loic - guitar) met in May 1994 when they joined the drummer of a local band (INSANITY). Rapidly becoming aware of musical divergences, they decided to leave this band and form their own. They were joined by Laurent B. (drums, ex RANDOMIZE TIMER) in August, and, 2 months later, by Thibaut (bass, ex BLOODY RITUAL), thus sealing KALISIA's line-up.
The band, now complete, began to play a kind of Death Metal both melodic and progressive (hence the length of some songs), often described as a mix of DREAM THEATER and CYNIC, where the lyrics have a great importance. KALISIA entered the studio to record their first demo, "Skies", in September 1995, after a year of existence. The 500 copies of this demo tape were quickly sold out, thanks to the promotion done by the band itself. Adipocere then proposed them to re-edit their demo on CD limited to 1500 copies (of course, sold out since then), and in November, the next year, the CD was finally released (a track featured on magazine Metallian's CD "Metal Explosion Vol.2").
Reviews were unanimous, the band is the French revelation and appears in several referendums of the specialized French press in the "best French band" category. KALISIA's arrival in front of the French scene had got such an impact that it gave birth to many bands. KALISIA is proclaimed leader of a new style, the progressive death, which had many followers in France (FAIRLIGHT, DEMENTIA, etc...). KALISIA also attracted the spotlights onto the nice and diversified scene of its hometown, Montpellier. The band toured sporadically with bands such as EMPEROR, SAMAEL, MY DYING BRIDE, THERION, ELDRITCH, CREMATORY, BAL-SAGOTH, SADIST, MISANTHROPE...
Cybion 1998 - who knows...
Everything seemed to be going great, but the band decided to disappear from the front of the line to concentrate on their first album, an ambitious concept-album consisting of one and only song. Oblivious to rumors, KALISIA's members decided to pursue their goal, at their own speed and despite many obstacles, in secret, knowing that the ambition and amplitude of this project explain solely the time needed to achieve the composition and recording of such a project.
Meanwhile, FAIRLIGHT, who became very close friends with KALISIA, decided to call Brett in 2000 to produce a promo-CD. Members of those bands were united in "The K-light Project v3.3" on the tribute to SUP(URATION). After the band's split, Brun's, who was the only original FAIRLIGHT member, asked Brett to officially join the band. On the side, Loic formed with Aurelie (a local singer) BLISS, a project mixing electronic music, metal and female vocals. The compositions being a little chaotic, BLISS turned, after 2 demos, into EILERA. Their first album "Facettes", mixing experimental pop, Celtic atmospheres and rock/metal, was released in 2003. During this time, several female singers were unsuccessfully auditioned for KALISIA, but two of them (Corinne, then Celine) worked with the band for a while before leaving it. In 2002, the French magazine Rock Hard asked the band to record, for its sampler, a medley-teaser of the forthcoming concept-album. The magazine was released in July.
The year 2003 set a milestone for KALISIA. Indeed, its members finally started recording the concept album they've been dreaming of for so many years. Despite several technical problems (who's talking about a curse ?), the band kept going. At the end of 2003, drums, bass, violins and almost all of the guitar tracks were done. The band also contacted two illustrators from Montpellier expert in 2D and 3D, Ultime Atome, and began working with them on the CD's artwork : tens of magnificent illustrations are in progress.
2004 was the year of all the developments. In July, Loic officially announced his departure from the band, and rumors said his successor would be none other than Brun's from FAIRLIGHT... The concept-album continued to grow with final guitar tracks and the vocal tracks.
At the end of this year, Brett, in Grenoble to produce the second album of MALMONDE, met Elodie during an AUSPEX concert, band in which she's the lead singer. Brett asked her immediately to record the female vocal tracks which were done in a matter of days (along with some flute and saxophone)... finally ! Misfortune struck again (professional obligations, family matters etc...), as only the keyboards were left to record, and delay was inevitable.
Unless bad luck has some more mishaps in store for KALISIA, keyboards should be done by the end of 2005. Mixing and finding a label should be the last obstacles standing in the way in order for the band to release, 10 years after "Skies", their album... To be continued...
KALISIA'S MYSPACE TOP RELATED FRIENDS
• Tower Studio •
• Auspex
• Bomb Scare Crew
• Christophe Godin
• Eilera
• Eyeless
• Hegemon