Métal Urbain (meaning ''urban metal'') was one of the first French

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

groups, formed in 1976 in Paris.

Career

They were heavily influenced by

the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

and

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

on one hand, and on the other by an electro approach related to ''

Metal Machine Music ''Metal Machine Music'' (subtitled ''*The Amine β Ring'') is the fifth studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed. It was recorded on a three-speed Uher machine and was mastered/engineered by Bob Ludwig. It was released as a double album i ...

'' by

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

. They relied on heavily distorted guitars and replaced the traditional rock rhythm section of bass guitar/drums with a synthesizer and drum machine, a then-unique approach that foreshadowed the experimental possibilities that were explored by later

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

bands such as

Big Black Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded first as a solo project by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band became a trio with an initial lineup that included guitarist Santiago Dur ...

. They were also known for their radical image (the

color scheme In color theory, a color scheme is a combination of 2 or more colors used in aesthetic or practical design. Aesthetic color schemes are used to create style and appeal. Colors that create a harmonious feeling when viewed together are often u ...

of albums always being a stark black, white and red), and subversive lyrics sung in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

. They were met with some enthusiasm in the

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, particularly by

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

and the

Rough Trade Rough Trade may refer to: *Rough Trade (shops), London record stores *Rough Trade Records, a record label from the stores *Rough Trade Books, a publishing house from the label *Rough Trade (band), a Canadian new wave rock band * "Rough Trade" (''Am ...

label. (Métal Urbain's single "Paris Maquis" was Rough Trade's first release.). In 1977, their first single "Panik" was named "Single of the week" by ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a " rock inkie", the ''NME'' would become a maga ...

''. They had an enthusiastic but small audience in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, receiving little exposure. The punk rock scene was not as popular in France as it was in the United Kingdom, and they did not interest the French

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as British bands like Sex Pistols did. As a result, singer Clode Panik left in December 1978, though the band continued to gig and record with Eric Debris on vocals, and also recording with spin-off bands Metal Boys, and Doctor Mix and the Remix, until 1980, when guitar players brothers Schwartz and Lüger left to form the short-lived band Desperados. Métal Urbain had focused their efforts on singles, and only produced one album, ''

Les hommes morts sont dangereux ''Les Hommes Morts sont Dangereux'' () is the only studio album by the France, French electro-punk rock band, band Métal Urbain. The album was originally released in 1981 on vinyl record, vinyl. Songs on the album are a compilation of the group ...

'', during their first period of activity. However, several compilation records were released, gathering their singles with additional material such as

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

sessions and

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

recordings. Their electro approach was very innovative for its time, and the group are a reference point for such groups as

the Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...

Bérurier Noir Bérurier Noir () was a French punk rock band active from 1983 to 1989. The band reformed from 2003 to 2006. The band is associated with anarcho-punk. Materials related to the band were donated to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France The ...

, and the producer

Steve Albini Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...

. The band reunited in 2003 to tour in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and had since toured consistently in France and the rest of Europe. Métal Urbain recorded their second studio album, '' J'irai chier dans ton vomi'', in 2006, produced by

Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Init ...

in San Francisco; a follow-up mini-album, '' Crève Salope'', was issued in 2008.

Band members

Current band members

Éric Débris Éric eʁikis a French masculine given name, the equivalent of English Eric. In French-speaking Canada and Belgium it is also sometimes unaccented, and pronounced "Eric" as English with the stress on the "i". A notable French exception is Erik Sat ...

(Éric Daugu): singer, programming (since 1976) * Hermann Schwartz (Jean-Louis Boulanger): guitar (since 1977) * Vott : guitar (since 2003) * Jérôme Solo : programming (since 2004)

Former band members

* Clode Panik (Claude Perrone): singer (1976–1978) * Rikky Darling (Éric Feidt): guitar (1976–1977 / 1984–1987) * Pat Lüger (Patrick Boulanger): guitar (1977–1980) * Zip Zinc (Jean-Pierre Zing) : programming (1976–1977 / 1984–1987) * Charlie H (Charles Hurbier): programming (1979–1980 / 1984–1987 / 2003–2004) * T.G. Parker : programming (2004)

Discography

Albums

* 1981 - ''

'' (Celluloid Records, re-released vinyl 25th anniversary 2006, and 30th anniversary 2011 Seventeen Records) * 1985 - ''L'âge d'or'' (

fan club A fan club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity. Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the pers ...

compilation, double LP 24 tracks New Rose Fan Club Records) * 2003 - ''Chef d'œuvre'' (French double CD compilation 35 tracks Seventeen Records) * 2004 - ''Anarchy in Paris!'' (US single disc compilation includes 24 tracks from Chef d'oeuvre issued under licence from Seventeen Records) * 2006 - '' J'irai chier dans ton vomi'' (full-length album, produced by Jello Biafra, Exclaim Musique France) * 2008 - '' Crève Salope'' (8 re-recordings of Métal Urbain classic songs + 8 videos, Archambault Musique France) * 2008 - '' Anthologie 77-79'' (full length triple CD box set Seventeen Records / FGL)

Singles

* 1977 - "Panik"/"Lady Coca Cola" (Cobra) * 1977 - "Paris Maquis"/"Cle De Contact" (Rough Trade) * 1978 - "Hystérie Connective"/"Pas Poubelle" (Radar Records) * 2016 - "Panik"/"Lady Coca Cola" - issued on vinyl 7" for the first time in the US (Alternative Tentacles)

References

External links

Métal Urbain official siteMétal Urbain official 1976-1978 siteJohn Peel Sessions - InfoSeventeen Records - Métal Urbain reissues label"Panik"
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metal Urbain Alternative Tentacles artists French punk rock groups Musical groups established in 1976 Radar Records artists Rough Trade Records artists 1976 establishments in France Musical groups from Paris Electropunk musical groups French post-punk music groups French noise rock groups