Their lyrics are mainly about fantasy.
They've recorded a few full albums:
Sortilège - 1983
- Métamorphose - 1984
- Larmes De Héros - 1985
- Sortilège 1983-1986 - 2004 (Best-of compilation)
- Phoenix - 2021
these albums are also available with English lyrics.
- Metamorphosis
- Hero's Tears
Group was formed in 1981
Current status: split-up
Chuck Shuldiner (Death, Control Denied) frequently cited them as his personal favorite metal group.
The band refused to reform in 2007 when asked to play the Paris Metal France Festival with other reformed French heavy-metal legends such as ADX, Blasphème or Still Square.
In 2012 their singer, Christian 'Zouille' Augustin, released an album along with Satan Jokers' Renaud Hantson under the name Zouille & Hantson , simply called Zouille & Hantson .
Légende
Sortilège Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pleine de mystères et encore inconnue
Nous partîmes jeunes et vieux
Bravant la tempête et les climats ardus
Sur notre frêle goélette
Dans un brouillard froid et pénétrant
Nous vires soudain des silhouettes
Appaissant comme par enchantement
émergeant des fosses de l'océan
D'un aspect mi femme mi démon
Les créatures entonnent leurs chants
Enlevant aux hommes toute vision
Croyant un message des Dieux
Mes compagnons se prosternèrent
Et quand ils rouvrirent les yeux
Ils ne revirent plus jamais la mer
Depuis ce jour de cauchemar
On peut entendre dans les tavernes
Les rumeurs de cette histoire
Qui rendit la vie de ces hommes terne
émergeant des fosses de l'océan
D'un aspect mi femme mi démon
Les créatures entonnent leurs chants
Enlevant aux hommes toute vision
Légende
The lyrics of Sortilège's song Légende depict a seafaring adventure full of mystery and wonder, but also of dangers and consequences. The singer sets the scene on a vast and unknown blue expanse, where people of all ages set sail on a fragile sailing boat in the face of stormy weather and difficult climates. The imagery evokes a sense of bravery and curiosity, but also vulnerability and uncertainty.
As the voyage progresses, the sailors encounter a surreal and eerie phenomenon: the emergence of half-woman, half-demon creatures from the depths of the ocean, singing enchanting songs that bewitch and blind the men. The scene is both mesmerizing and terrifying, conveying a sense of the unknown and the supernatural. The sailors, believing to have received a message from the gods, bow down and close their eyes, only to find themselves stranded and disconnected from the sea forever.
The aftermath of the encounter is marked by rumors and legends that circulate in taverns and ports, recounting the fate of the sailors who lost their sight and their sense of orientation after encountering the mystical creatures. The story becomes a cautionary tale about the dangers of seeking the unknown and yielding to the seduction of otherworldly forces.
In summary, the lyrics of Sortilège's Légende capture the epic and fantastical dimension of a sea voyage gone awry, highlighting the themes of curiosity and conquest, danger and fascination, and the consequences of meddling with the supernatural.
Line by Line Meaning
Sur cette grande étendue bleue
On the vast blue expanse of the ocean
Pleine de mystères et encore inconnue
Full of mysteries and yet unknown
Nous partîmes jeunes et vieux
We, young and old, set out
Bravant la tempête et les climats ardus
Braving storms and harsh climates
Sur notre frêle goélette
On our fragile sailing ship
Dans un brouillard froid et pénétrant
In a cold and penetrating fog
Nous vîmes soudain des silhouettes
We suddenly saw some silhouettes
Apparaissant comme par enchantement
Appearing as if by magic
émergeant des fosses de l'océan
Emerging from the depths of the ocean
D'un aspect mi femme mi démon
Looking partly like women and partly like demons
Les créatures entonnent leurs chants
The creatures sang their songs
Enlevant aux hommes toute vision
Depriving men of all sight
Croyant un message des Dieux
Believing it to be a message from the Gods
Mes compagnons se prosternèrent
My companions prostrated themselves
Et quand ils rouvrirent les yeux
And when they opened their eyes
Ils ne revirent plus jamais la mer
They never saw the sea again
Depuis ce jour de cauchemar
Since that nightmare day
On peut entendre dans les tavernes
One can hear in the taverns
Les rumeurs de cette histoire
The rumors of this story
Qui rendit la vie de ces hommes terne
Which made these men's lives dull
Légende
Legend
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.