Gothic Metal - France
Throughout the 2000s, THE OLD DEAD TREE made a name for themselves on the European metal scene, performing almost 200 concerts and releasing three albums, creating a unique universe combining extreme music and dark rock-pop, sublimated by Manuel Munoz’s exceptional and versatile vocals.
Just as the band had released their first EP, The Blossom, in 1999, drummer Frédéric Guillemot took his own life. The shock profoundly scarred the other three members of the band, and formed the basis of the concept for their debut album, The Nameless Disease.
Following its release in 2003 on the Season Of Mist label, the immediate success of this seminal album led the band to hit the road with PARADISE LOST, OPETH and KATATONIA, introducing their music to metalheads across Europe.
Two critically acclaimed albums followed, The Perpetual Motion (2005) and The Water Fields (2007), making THE OLD DEAD TREE a pillar of the French metal scene and a reference point for progressive metal in Europe.
By the end of 2008, just as work had begun on a fourth album, the wear and tear of the necessary personal investment proved too much for some of the band to bear. THE OLD DEAD TREE officially split up in 2009.
Over the following years, the musicians moved apart geographically and became involved in other musical projects (PENUMBRA, ARKAN, OMMATIDIA, LUX INCERTA…), but their indefectible friendship never wavered.
In 2013, THE OLD DEAD TREE briefly reunited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their album The Nameless Disease with a mini European tour that included stops at HELLFEST and MOTOCULTOR.
In late December 2019, THE OLD DEAD TREE will announce the unexpected release of an EP of previously unreleased material, The End, featuring tracks begun in 2008. An extensive headlining tour and dates with LACUNA COIL are scheduled. Nevertheless, the pandemic thwarted these plans, and they were canceled one by one, with the exception of the band’s Paris date, which had sold out months in advance and was postponed until the end of 2022.
For a while, the members of THE OLD DEAD TREE were considering scrapping their return to the stage altogether, but finally settled on the last concert still to be announced, so as not to disillusion the hundreds of people who had already bought tickets. After months of waiting, and with the world in a state of questioning after the pandemic, the band finally decided to write a new song. In the spring of 2023, the popularity of the new single Terrified and the band’s high-profile appearance at HELLFEST paved the way for THE OLD DEAD TREE‘s long-lasting comeback.
On December 6th, 2024, the release of Second Thoughts, the band’s 4th album, opened a new chapter in the tormented history of one of France’s leading progressive metal bands.
As the embers of yesterday cast long shadows, THE OLD DEAD TREE strides forward, bearing the torch of their latest creation, The Lightest Straw—a gritty tale of resilience and the weight of unexpected downfalls.
THE OLD DEAD TREE returns to confront our deepest fears with unparalleled sincerity and intensity.
Returning like a phoenix from the ashes, French dark progressive metal band THE OLD DEAD TREE unveil the harbinger of the upcoming album Second Thoughts — the soul-stirring single, Unpredictable. Unpredictable delves into the chaotic maelstrom of life’s twists and turns. Musically as hauntingly beautiful as it is merciless, a mirror reflecting the unpredictable nature of existence. The morning dawns, casting light on the twisted ruins we wake up to every day. But on Unpredictable, the light is more than just the break of day; it’s a call to arms. With lyrics bleeding raw emotion and riffs that cut through the white noise of apathy, THE OLD DEAD TREE summons us to embrace the chaos that life throws our way. “No one really knows what life will bring; it’s just unpredictable,” Manuel Munoz sings with an urgency that demands you to hear the ticking clock of existence. Carrying the band’s signature weight—the amalgamation of progressive extreme music and dark rock-pop—Unpredictable captures the essence of living on the edge. It’s a powerful reminder to seize the moment, to rise against the constraints of rationality and be prepared for the unplanned, the unexpected. The haunting vocals and relentless rhythms pull you under and lift you out, breaking through the frame of what was once seen as possible.
French dark metal outfit THE OLD DEAD TREE are now streaming their EP ‘The End’ in full. With this final chapter, the band is closing their career by paying one last tribute to their long-lost friend. The EP includes a bonus DVD containing an extensive documentary on the bands’ career.
French dark metal outfit THE OLD DEAD TREE are now releasing a new track and album details of their upcoming opus ‘The End’, which will be released on December 6, 2019. This final chapter, containing 5 never released tracks, was already written in 1999, a few days before the tragic loss of drummer Frédéric Guillemot. With this final chapter, the band is closing their career by paying one last tribute to their long-lost friend. The EP includes a bonus DVD containing an extensive documentary on the bands’ career.
