Treponem Pal

Treponem Pal is a French industrial metal band formed in Paris in 1986. The current line-up of the band consists of Marco Neves (vocals), Polak (guitar), Didier Bréard (sampler), Mathys Dubois (drums) and Syn-Anton (bass). The band went through multiple line-up changes with Neves being the only constant member. The band is named after treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. The band's music was described as a mixture of "aggressive metal and a hint of industrial" similar to Godflesh and The Young Gods.

Treponem Pal formed in France in 1986. Their first ('Treponem Pal') and third ('Excess & Overdrive') albums were produced by Franz Treichler (The Young Gods). Their second, 'Aggravation', was produced by Roli Mosimann (Swans, Wiseblood). It was their third album, however, which was to prove most popular with fans. Live performances were notable due to their policy of employing two bass players which gave them a massive sound. They maintained this style up until fourth album 'Higher', by which time the focus had shifted towards sampling and electronics, giving that album a more techno feel. 'Higher' was produced by Sascha Konietzko from KMFDM. 

 

The band then broke up, though vocalist Marco Neves and several other members formed a new band called Elephant System, which released one album produced by On-U Sound's Adrian Sherwood. This reflected Neves' longstanding interest in Jamaican and European dub as well as his work as a DJ and MC with the Dub Action Sound System and his involvement with the Hammerbass record label. Bass player Goran Juresic went in a more industrial dub direction with the band Lab° while drummer Didier Serbourdin formed the ultra-aggressive band Fast Forward which combined hardcore techno beats with powerful metal guitars. 

Treponem Pal returned with a new album in March 2008, entitled 'Weird Machine'. The album featured Ted Parsons (from Swans and Prong) on drums and Paul Raven (from Killing Joke, Ministry and Prong) on bass, though tragically Raven suffered heart failure and died while collaborating with the band on the French-Swiss border. The album combined their earlier aggressive sound with more "rock" pieces as well as some "industrial ballads". The album was produced by David Weber and mastered by Maor Appelbaum. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]