CORPUS DELICTI

"All is quiet, the motion's cold. I face the wind as I'm taking the road."

In the shadowed corridors of gothic rock, there are names whispered like incantations—legends that burned briefly yet left scars that refuse to fade. Corpus Delicti, born in Nice in 1992, carved such a mark. With Sébastien’s spectral voice, Franck’s serrated guitars, Chrys’s pulsating basslines, and Roma’s relentless drums, they conjured a sound that was both fierce and fragile, melodic and merciless. Their debut Twilight (1993) was no mere record—it was a beacon in the night, a benchmark that secured their place beside the eternal giants of the genre.

Though their flame seemed to dim in 1997, time only deepened the shadows around them. While other names flickered out, the cult of Corpus Delicti grew stronger, sustained by faithful devotees across the globe. Revered as France’s dark emissaries in a pantheon dominated by Bauhaus, The Cure, and Joy Division, their legacy survived in whispers, reissues, and the trembling hands of collectors.

Then, like revenants breaking through the veil, they returned. The year 2022 brought resurrection: sold-out halls from Cannes to Mexico City, voices united from continents apart, the past colliding with the present in a wave of devotion. Streaming numbers soared, festivals opened their gates, and the once-broken silence was filled again with haunting grooves that had never truly died.

Now, three decades after Twilight, Corpus Delicti rise once more—armed with new songs (Chaos, A Fairy Lie), a forthcoming album ‘Liminal’, and the same unwavering spirit that first set their darkness ablaze. They are no relics of the past, but living proof that shadows, once summoned, never truly vanish.

At Peek-A-Boo Magazine, we have the pleasure of delving into the depths with the band, to speak of their past, their resurrection, and the echoes yet to come.

Hello to you all—Corpus Delicti united once again, and with us today. Let us close our eyes and wander back to Nice in 1992, when darkness first whispered its call—how did you, as companions in the night, meet each other, and what omens led to the birth of Corpus Delicti?

[Chris]: We weren't very many at that time to listen to this kind of music. At that time, I was working in a record store, which allowed me to spot people who had good musical taste. I met Franck like that; I had then seen his band, he played bass, and one day I told him to join Corpus, but he had only been playing guitar for a few months. I told him it didn't matter, he said okay! We met Sebastien in the same way; he had a great look (except for his Smiths t-shirt which had slightly put me off), very charismatic, he sang well, without imitating anyone, that was cool. Personally, I had been in a relationship with Roma for some time, so there you go, the band was complete.

[Franck]: Corpus Delicti already existed before I joined the band. It was a trio. We all knew Chris from this record shop he was working for. Once I opened for one of their gig with my ex band, and the day after he asked me if I was interested in joining the project. First I thought he was kidding me, and when I realized he was serious, it took me 2 seconds to accept the offer.

All is quiet, the motion's cold. I face the wind as I'm taking the road. These opening lines from your song Twilight, the title track of your 1993 debut, immediately evoke something special, like an inner solitude. Focusing on your debut album, could you share with us—and your fans—how the album came to life? Was it truly a passage into the cold wind, a path through darkness?

[Franck]: He came to life in the rehearsal room most of the time. We started to compose from a Chris baseline idea or a guitar riff or even drums pattern, and we developed it together. Then, after every single show, we used the money straight away to go in studio to record one or two songs

[Chris]: Creation is a strange thing; it mainly happens thanks to the chemistry within the group. Some things are more thoughtful than others, some more instinctive. Everyone adds their stone to the building, and the result is sometimes more interesting than we initially thought.

[Sebastien]: You’ve got it right — text-wise, it’s an album about solitude. At the time, I was a very young man who had found himself in complicated romantic relationships. I had made it a point of honor not to use the word “love” in any of the songs on that album. It only appeared later, on the following one...

There is a technique in surrealist photography that creates images by deconstructing and reconstructing them. If I understand correctly, this approach even inspired your band name, reflecting the artistic vision you embody. With that in mind… imagine a dark, surreal TV series, where the world is depicted through this technique and each episode revolves around Corpus Delicti’s artistic vision. Each of you is given a leading role—how would you portray yourselves?

[Franck]: Like a Snake … Even if I’m scared about this animal (haha).

[Chris]: Bassines are so melodic, so I just have to fit the guitars between the vocals and the bass with my sound, and the drums for the rythms obviously.

[Sebastien]: I could see myself as the male counterpart of a Laura Palmer–type character: lonely, complex, tortured, fragile.

Building on this subject, one more question: your album, single, and EP covers carry a dreamlike, often unsettling quality. Were there any particular surrealist photographers, filmmakers, or artworks that inspired these visuals?

[Franck]: all kind of arts and design are important to us. We always looked for a beauty , expressive, sensitive artworks I guess.

[Sebastien]: Of course, there are entire worlds that inspire us, artists through their works… I think that in the ’90s, Lynch had a strong impact on my creativity. A series like Twin Peaks, films like Lost Highway — they completely changed the way I conceived art. In painting, Mossa’s universe also had a significant influence. In any case, we always tried to avoid the clichés of the genre in the visuals we used.:

We’ve now touched on the visual side, but what about the music itself? Which artists or bands have influenced Corpus Delicti, and are there particular musicians that each of you personally looks up to or draws inspiration from?

[Franck]: Many but originally, I would say Bauhaus, Tones On Tail, The Cure, The Sound, Cocteau Twins, Chameleons.

[Sebastien]: Bowie for sure, The Cure, Slowdive, Echo And The Bunnymen, Joy Division, The Smiths.

[Chris]: The great classics like Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, Stranglers, New Order… But before I really liked the punk from '77, early ska and reggae.

Turning to your second album, Sylphes, which followed the path you began with Twilight and features gems such as ‘Patient’ and ‘Noxious (The Demon’s Game)’, can you tell us about the creative process behind this album? Were there new directions, ideas, or challenges that shaped its sound in 1994? Any special memories you’d like to share?

[Chris]: I think we knew each other better back then, and above all we never set any limits when it came to creation. Of course, we had our influences, but they specifically told us not to copy them but to use them to create what we wanted.

[Sebastien]: For me, that’s my favorite period. There was such amazing energy in the band — we were confident after Twilight and ready to explore new territory. I have a very vivid memory of creating Saraband during rehearsal: Chris came up with his bass part, Jérôme immediately added that strange, sinuous guitar, and Roma brought in that bouncy, distinctive drum rhythm. The melody came to me easily, and after a few tries we were really excited. But I kept saying to them: “It’s very pop, isn’t it??” I felt like we were almost doing Blur … Well, looking back, it wasn’t really that at all.

Recently, you performed at incredible venues such as La Maroquinerie in Paris, The Forge in London, Madrid, Ittre in our very own Belgium, and Mexico City (with a 3-hour fan signing session), bringing your music to devoted fans around the world. But looking back at the numerous shows you played in the 90s, are there particular moments from that era that still stand out to you today?

[Franck]: It was hard times (haha) lots of driving, really underground scene, I remember a fest in St. Niklaas where the stage was built with beers boxes. Mad.

[Chris]: Of course, the tour in the USA organized by William Faith in 1994 from Los Angeles to New York remains a great memory, especially if one remembers how easy it was to go play there at that time!!

[Sebastien]: Yes, USA, that was crazy…I was 20 years old, incredible. One of the greatest one for me was the one we did in 1995 at The Marquee in London. Such iconic venue.

Gothic rock is a genre that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, defined by its dark atmospheres, melodic intensity, and often introspective lyrics. While some bands embraced being labeled as such, others preferred not to be. How do you, as Corpus Delicti, relate to the Goth label? What does it mean to you, both as a band and as individual musicians?

[Chris]: I believe that we sometimes struggle with this label, because this term has become a bit diluted over time; we put anything and everything under this term, especially the non-specialized media but unfortunately not only them. It encompasses metal bands or shock rock groups with which we do not really have a connection, and sometimes we don't want to be associated with them or be stuck in clichés. So I would say that Corpus Delicti is gothic, is new wave, is post-punk, is rock; it is whatever you want it to be.

[Franck]: I love dark, cinematic, dreamy, ethereal , or sharp atmospheres and introspective lyrics. So we might be Goths I suppose. Personally It’s just about art, I don’t think to be a dark person, I love the sea, the sun, the heat, but I love cold music.

The 1995 album Obsessions, a record that many fans still consider a high point in your discography, was the last studio album you released before your flame dimmed in 1997. Not counting the excellent live album From Dust To Light released in 2024, it’s been over 30 years since a full studio album. What reignited that flame and brought you back together in 2022, and how does it feel to be releasing a brand new album very soon after all this time?

[Franck]: We’ve been back in 2022 because of the fans … only for them. We decided to do it and have a maximum of fun, but being 100% involved. We had to be true, not faking. We met many fans around the world, and it always been intense, touching. After 2 years of touring, it became quite obvious to record some new material. When we realized we still have our signature it became really exciting to make a new album.

[Chris]: To be completely honest, we did not imagine the extent that our return would take, we didn't think we would do so many concerts, and therefore it was not planned to create new songs. Then the desire returned quite quickly, we started to receive a lot of requests from fans for new songs, but we wanted to do things right, not to be a caricature of our past. We wanted to take our time and be very demanding of ourselves to ensure we were completely happy and proud of the result. And now that it is done, we are really happy to have made this new album, and we can't wait to play the new songs on stage.

Have you guys ever heard of The Phantom Phial Bat? He is the one who takes on the duties of the Genie in a Bottle when the moon casts its shadow over a world cloaked in darkness. Now imagine The Phantom Phial Bat approaching you on such a macabre night, and each of you is allowed three wishes. But there’s a cursed turn: each wish carries a dark unknown consequence, though you have the option to make only one wish so you can undo its sinister side effect. What would you choose, and what would that one—or three—wishes be?

[Franck]: No one hahaha. Who wants to have more problems in its life?

Back to our present reality: on November 28th, you are set to release your brand new album, Liminal. Already preceded by tracks like ‘Chaos’ and ‘A Fairy Lie’, what can you share with us and your fans about it?

[Franck]: We evolved, matured as human being, but we still have our identity made of intensity and sense of melodies and atmospheres. I love the entire album, love the cover.

[Sebastien]: We are very proud of this record. It carries the spirit of the band, but we are looking toward the future — we don’t look back. It’s a varied album; we move through different atmospheres, as we’ve always loved to do. For us, it’s not just another album — it’s one that truly has meaning. We would never have released these songs if they weren’t good enough. We’ve been playing together again for five years now, but this record is only coming out now because it had to be the right moment, with the right songs, without rushing things.

Alright guys, on behalf of Peek-A-Boo Magazine, we’d like to sincerely thank you for this wonderful interview. Before we let you go, would each of you like to share a final word with your fans? Here’s to a journey that continues to carry forth dark melodies and a bat-tastic future!

[Franck]: I wish this new album will be part of their journey. Recognizing themselves in it, enjoying it for their own reasons.

[Chris]: In this increasingly crazy world, stay united by the love of music, defend it, respect it, be strong!

[Sebastien]: We hope this record will take you on a bit of a journey… We really need it right now.

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Hayley CLX
27/09/2025