Anorexia Nervosa

Emerging amid France’s unforeseen ascent to extreme metal prominence in the 2000s, Anorexia Nervosa originated in 1995 when vocalist Stéphane Gerbaud, guitarists Stefan Bayle and Marc Zabe, bassist Pierre Couquet, and drummer Nilcas Vant assembled the group from the remains of the prior death metal act Necromancia. The ensemble quickly secured a contract with Seasons of Mist, which issued their conceptual debut Exile in 1997, yet soon departed the roster and swapped Gerbaud and Zabe for frontman RMS Hreidmarr alongside keyboardist Neb Xort. Shifting toward a self-described “dark nihilistic metal” aesthetic, the band delivered the 1999 album Sodomizing the Archangel through France’s Osmose Productions, where they stayed for the subsequent releases Drudenhaus in 2000 and New Obscurantis Order in 2001. During that span they crisscrossed Europe alongside Cradle of Filth, Rotting Christ, and Agressor, solidifying their reputation as a potent symphonic black metal outfit. After a three-year break the group resurfaced in 2004 via new imprint The End with Redemption Process, appearing in formal attire, faces painted white like penguins, and delivering their signature black metal assault once more.