L'Âme Immortelle | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Vienna, Austria |
Genres |
Gothic metal Industrial metal Electro-industrial Dark wave Neue Deutsche Härte |
Years active | 1996–present |
Labels | MOS Records/Supersonic/Trisol Music Group (current) |
Associated acts | Persephone, Nachtmahr, Siechtum, Whispers in the shadow, Coma Divine |
Website | Official website |
Members | Thomas Rainer – vocals, keyboards Sonja Kraushofer – vocals |
L'Âme Immortelle (French: the immortal soul) is an Austrian darkwave duo. Many of L'Âme Immortelle's songs feature melancholy or lovelorn lyrics in German or English, and juxtaposed harsh male and emotional female vocals. In 2004 they switched label to the now defunct Supersonic Records (a subsidiary of Sony BMG) and their work moved away from the band's electronic roots to the heavier Neue Deutsche Härte (New German hardness) genre. In 2008 they went back to their former label Trisol and they returned to their musical roots.
L'Âme Immortelle was formed in 1996 in Austria by friends Thomas Rainer and Hannes Medwenitsch. Soon vocalist Sonja Kraushofer, a former classmate of Rainer, joined and the band sought a record contract. They released their first album, Lieder die wie Wunden bluten in 1997 on MOS Records in Liechtenstein, which became popular in the underground German dark culture.
In 1999, L'Âme Immortelle switched to Trisol Records (part of Trisol Music Group GmbH). From 1998 through 2001, L'Âme Immortelle released another LP yearly, each bringing the band greater popularity. In 2002, Medwenitsch left the band Kraushofer and Rainer recruited Ashley Dayour (from the Austrian band Whispers in the Shadow) as a guitarist and the re-formed L'Âme Immortelle released a new single, Tiefster Winter in November 2002. In 2003, L'Âme Immortelle released Als die Liebe starb, as well as Seelensturm, a collection of re-issued and re-mixed early material.
In 2004, the band switched labels again, this time to major label Supersonic, a subsidiary of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The first issue following the switch was a collaboration with Oomph! on the initially non-album (it was later inlided on a re-edition of the album Wahrheit oder Pflicht) single "Brennende Liebe" (released as Oomph! feat. L'Âme Immortelle); they also appeared in the video. Following that, L'Âme Immortelle released a new album, Gezeiten, which includes some of their most popular songs like "5 Jahre", "Stumme Schreie" and "Fallen Angel". A significant change in L'Âme Immortelle's style is evident now that the band is on a major label, notably the electronic instrumentation of earlier work was less prominent in Gezeiten.