Treponem Pal

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Treponem Pal (named after the bacteria that causes syphilis) was a French industrial metal band formed in 1986. They were influenced by industrial (The Swans, Young Gods), electronic (Kraftwerk), groove, metal and hardcore.

Their first (self-titled) and third (Excess and Overdrive) LPs were produced by Franz Treichler (Young Gods); their second, Aggravation, by Roli Mosimann (Swans, Wiseblood). This album probably represents their most focused achievement, combining Neves' bleak worldview and gift for striking lyrics and the band's controlled aggression, most comparable to US bands The Melvins and Prong. Live performances were extraordinary affairs: their policy of employing two bass players rendered their sound massive, Michel Bassin was a very gifted guitarist (he played with Ministry on one of their US tours) and Marco Neves a physically imposing performer.

They maintained this style up until Higher, by which time the focus had shifted towards sampling and electronics, giving that album a more techno feel. Last album "Higher" was produced by Sascha Konietzko from KMFDM.

The band is no more, 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.