Merzhin

Celtic rock outfit Merzhin came together among college friends in Landerneau, France, during 1996, with Pierre Le Bourdonnec handling vocals, Stéphane Omnes on electric guitar, Vincent L'Hour on acoustic guitar, Damien Le Bras on bass, reedist Ludovic Berrou, and drummer Mathieu Person. The musicians chose the name as a nod to the Breton spelling of the celebrated Arthurian wizard Merlin, and the choice grew more fitting once the bombarde and other traditional Celtic instruments began steering the group’s ethereal sonic identity. In 1998 the band independently pressed just 200 copies of a self-titled debut EP, with partial financing from Landerneau’s Le Spleen venue. Even with its narrow distribution, the recording caught the ear of BMG’s Stormy Music imprint, which put out the follow-up Première Lune the next year. Merzhin’s debut full-length album, Pleine Lune, reached stores in 2000. Their second studio record, Adrénaline, arrived in 2002 and lived up to its name by shifting away from the earlier mystical emphasis toward direct alternative rock. An extended creative pause ensued, during which original drummer Mathieu Person departed in 2005. Once Christophe Rossini dit Tof joined on drums, the refreshed lineup finished Pieds Nus sur la Braise in 2006.