Introducing: Joe La Truite

Creeping out of the dungeons somewhere near Marseille we discover the intriguing psychedelic punk-metal sound of Joe La Truite, who introduce us to the concept of Zguen.

The band began in guitarist and vocalist Julien Liphard’s dBd Studios, where they evolved a sound that emits pure Zguen energy – which means powerful metal music energy, as termed by their metal label Full Zguen Records. Julien was joined by bassist and vocalist Charl Roussel, who was in one of his previous bands, and drummer Martin Denquin, and the trio set off on a journey to create “impulsive and ultra-efficient” psychedelic punk-metal songs. However, there’s no Joe La Truite in sight, with the name coming from a character in some of the band’s songs.

On the sound they’ve crafted, the band told us: “We don’t like to be limited by one specific genre. We like everything with powerful energy, heavy riffs, melodies, and great choruses. We try to have a unique ambiance on each song, to remain coherent inside the songs, but in the end, within each album, it’s a complete trip. Our forthcoming album, Ultimate Ninja Storm2: Full Zguen, due later this year, was conceived as a video game concept, so we wanted Bad Death City to be stage one, like Streets of Rage in a dark and dirty city.”

As alluded to, our latest taste of the Joe La Truite sound is Bad Death City, which was released at the start of this month. It opens up with funky vocals over light guitars and drums, big guitar chords come in and the vocals intensify before dropping into a heavier riff supporting big cries of “Welcome to bad death city.” Another cool verse sees layered vocals give way to the big chunky riff and chorus, which is followed by a crazy little lick then a heavy riff and driving drums. The vocals intensify and a psychedelic guitar lick brings the track to a conclusion.

On the track, the band told us: “Our die-hard fans are loving it, and we are gaining new people every day joining us after hearing the song. Even people who are not into metal-based music are commending the song’s arrangements and sound. We are pretty happy with that.

“Julien had this mysterious-sounding guitar riff that reminded us of the detective atmosphere in Gotham City or Sin City, so it became the basis of the track. Bad Death City, literally translated as Mallemort, the village where Julien lived when he was young; we also wanted the verses to be rapped, to give the track a street and ghetto feel.”

The track is Joe La Truite’s first music for five years, but there’s plenty to get your teeth into to get a taste for what’s to come. We especially love the sound of Purple Flame, the opening track of their 2017 EP, which you can check out below:

The Joe La Truite sound has been inspired by the likes of Faith No More, Primus, TOOL and Maximum The Hormone, as well as fellow French band Gojira for their work ethic and recent success. “The biggest influence now is the energy we get writing and performing together,” the band told us. “The world is getting crazier, and it can drain your energy. Writing songs is a release from all the stuff inside our heads. And then when the songs come together (we are all three inclusive in the process), when it clicks, that gives us so much energy back.

“We call it Zguen… And that keeps us coming back to write more. We already have two more albums written to record after the release of Ultimate Ninja Storm2: Full Zguen. So we have a very busy schedule. Our songs are based on characters who are not too tightly wrapped, of mind nor soul. A warrior brought back to life, a city planet, a 24/7 nightclub, a missing super hero, a cult of evil children, cosmic vegetables, a trout on the brink of dying.”

Joe La Truite have two more singles planned for release by May with their debut album Ultimate Ninja Storm2: Full Zguen coming out on 13 June. They also have plenty of gigs planned across the south of France with an eye on touring further afield, including Germany, Italy and the UK.

The band told us: “We need to keep building the exposure and get our music into the ears of music fans and metal-heads to know when and which direction that will take on. We invite everyone to jump on and have a listen and tell us what you think. Bad Death City is only our first taste of the album, and Light Speed is a completely different part of the journey. And if you all love it, let the Zguen begin.”

You can follow Joe La Truite on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.