Mindlag Project is a french metal band created in 1999 around the brothers Julien and Manu Martinez, in the town of Vitrolles, near Marseilles . The band was at first a side-project of their former project called Scarecrew, founded in 1996, that was a mix of Thrash and Heavy metal. This band was componed of Richard Mariette (Bass), Vincent Druinot (chant), Charles Picone (guitare), Manu Martinez (guitar/vocals), and Julien Martinez (drums). The original Mindlag Project’s lineup kept the rythm section of Scarecrew, but a new singer, Nicolas « Nemo » Molina bring a deathmetal note to the band.
On Mars 11th 2000, the band takes part to « Class’Rock », a quite famous rock contest, and it will be the first gig of the band under the name Mindlag Project. During this day, they meet another band from their city, called Hybride, and will be crucial for subsequents events… Indeed, a strong friendship is born, and the will soon share the same rehearsal room. Manu is now playing bass guitar in Hybride too.
As Nemo decides to quit the band, it will be replaced by Nicolas Bory (Ownslaugth, The Thrid Memory…) a short lap of time, then it’s naturally Mathieu, who plays drums for Hybride, that ensures singing. The band feels the need to add another guitar in order to have a greater depth in the composition, and they first recruit Michel Pourrieres, who will soon be replaced by Nicolas Prud’homme-Lacroix (Ownslaught, Curtiss).
Manu is now playing bass guitar in another band called Links, and the three bands decides to create a metal collective, under the leadership of Julien Melero, guitarist from Hybride and Mathieu’s brother. They now organize several concerts, and especially the famous Hybride Festival, in which the best french metal band will play (Gojira, Dagoba, Eths, Lofofora, Black Bomb A, Klone, Trepalium…)
In 2001, Vince Gross, that plays guitar for Links, is recruited to ensure guitar in the band. Then, as Richard decides to left the band, it’s Gilles Gautier, Link’s drummer, that will replace him.
The band has finally found a stable lineup, and so they decide to write their first album.
The band contact Christian Carvin, because the sound of the album of Scornless, that he just produced, has strongly interested them.
During summer 2002, Karybda, the first album of the band is born, with the idea to build a dyptich around the myth of Charybdis and Scylla. The band is strongly attached to this conceptual way of writting, and they start to tell the story of a mad man, kind of a serial killer…
Karybda will be released in 2002 as selproduction and distributed by Musicast. It will meet an encouraging reception, and so the band start writting the second part of the dyptich, while they start playing more often in all the venues of their district.
In 2004, They record Skylla, always produced by Christian Carvin, and it will be released by customcore, a new label from Marseilles. The album has a better distribution, Overcome records for france, and The great white north records for America. The band starts to find his own audience, as it often opens for famous bands like Hed(PE), Gojira, Eths, Dagoba, Black Bomb A…
In 2006, the band decides to composed their first real LP, and to really deepen their concept, because they have the impression that this one is not as important as it should be. And above all, they want to create their own way of sounding, and they are ready to spend more time in studio to experiment different methods, even if it takes more time, and more money…
They are conscious to be at the foot of the mountain, so they decide to release a Maxi single album, with one song that will play a transitional rôle between their past and their future. That’s why they call it « De Charybde en Scylla… ». The remain of the album is compound of an unrealeased track that was supposed to be on Skylla « Take on the strike back », and a three live songs.
This release will allow them to take the time they need to work on their album. And they start recording it September 4th 2006, always with Christian Carvin. The band add an new instrument in their music, a Cello, and it Romain Dallier that now plays it.
On October 2008, the album is ready to be released, and the band organize a release party, with a short-film as an introduction, that deals with the childhood of their dear friend Jon De Grimpclat. It will be a success, The band played their whole new album in front of 500 persons. This album is released on march 2009 by Pervade Productions, et is distributed accross Europe by Socadisc. The band signs a contract with Believe digital for the worlwide digital distribution of the album.
At this time Vince decide to leave the band, and Sylvain Cantrel will ensure the guitar.
To defend this album, the band first made a french tour, and then a european one with Six Feet Under and Illdisposed. They meet a warm audience in eastern europe, and realise their music can be exported, even if they sing in French most of the time.
As Sylvain decides to leave the band, Manu is now the only guitarist of the band, but he soon feels that it’s not the way the band must sound, and Romain, who played Cello, is now playing guitar too.
On December 2012, in order to celebrate the ten years of their first album, the band record a live DVD. By now, Mindlag Project are still working on it, as they work on a brand new album too.
In 2013 Gilles decides to leave the aventure too, and it’s finally Florent Marshall that plays bass with the band. After a long time without being on the stage, the band make their comback with its new lineup on May 2015.
