Lofofora is a French
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
band from
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. The band's name is taken from the
peyote cactus'
scientific name, ''Lophophora williamsii''.
History
Originating from the French alternative scene, Lofofora was formed in 1989 in Paris.
The band has been considered one of the pioneering acts of the "crossover" (or "fusion") genre in France. Rooted in the
punk subculture, their sound blends
rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables.
History Origins and earl ...
,
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
, and
heavy metal.
Lofofora's "target" is intolerance; Wangermez said, "Only sheep need a shepherd".
They write songs of protest and denounce some of the failings of the French society.
For example, the problems in the underdeveloped outskirts, the "hypocrisy of the politics of the French extreme right leagues", racism, liberalism, individualism, "stupidity" and the "colonization of minds by the media".
Wangermez's lyrics, which he sang in his native language, are social chronicles, saying that he "fights to provoke thought or to stir up trouble. Hit the bull's-eye rather than shooting buckshot". Among their titles are "Buvez du cul" (English: "Drink some ass") and "No Facho".
Lofofora has participated at concerts to support the defense of the poorly housed people, undocumented migrants,
AIDS orphans international Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) is a charitable organization created to house and educate orphans and abandoned children. In response to the crisis facing orphaned children around the world, former investment bank employee Jim Luce founde ...
and the
anarchist federation.
The band played concerts in France as well as in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' mentioned Lofofora in a feature about the French hardcore scene.
Lineup
Current members
Source:
*Reuno Wangermez – vocals (1989–)
*Phil Curty – bass (1989–)
*Daniel Descieux – guitar (2001–)
*Vincent Hernault – drums (2009–)
Past members
*Karl – guitar (1989)
*Erik Rossignol – drums (1989–1992)
*Pascal Lalaurie – guitar (1990–1994)
*Edgar Mireux – drums (1992–2001)
*Farid Tadjene – guitar (1995–2001)
*Pierre Belleville – drums (2001–2009)
Discography
*''L'Oeuf'' (1993)
*''Lofofora'' (1994) 5 tracks
*''Lofofora'' (1995)
*''Holiday in France'' (1995)
*''Peuh!'' (1996)
*''Dur Comme Fer'' (1999)
*''K'' (1999) Single with Kabal (two songs)
*''Double'' (2001) CD live + cover CD
*''Le Fond Et La Forme'' (2003)
*''Lames de Fond'' (2004) CD Live + DVD
*''Les Choses Qui Nous Dérangent'' (2005)
*''Mémoires de Singes'' (oct 2007)
*''Monstre Ordinaire'' (2011)
*''L'épreuve du contraire'' (2014)
*''L'épreuve du concert'' (2015) CD live
*''Simple Appareil'' (2018)
*''Vanités'' (2019)
References
External links
*
Musical groups from Paris
French hardcore punk groups
Musical groups established in 1989
{{France-band-stub