Treponem Pal is a French industrial metal band formed in Paris in 1986 by Marco Neves (vocals), soon joined by Michel Bassin (guitar), David LeBrun (drums) and Geoffroy Dalmassy (keyboards, samples). The band's name refers to Treponema pallidum, the bacterium responsible for syphilis, reflecting their taste for dark, provocative atmospheres. Their debut album, Treponem Pal, was released in 1989, attracting attention for its fusion of metal, industrial rock and electronic sounds. They were initially produced by Roli Mosimann (Swans), then collaborated with Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM). After the 1991 album Aggravation, the follow-up Excess & Overdrive (1993) is considered a milestone in European industrial metal. The band continued with Higher (1997), produced by Marco Neves with Ted Parsons (ex-Swans, Prong) on drums, then took a break for a few years. Returning in 2008, a year after the release of the Furytales compilation, Treponem Pal released Weird Machine, featuring musicians such as Ted Parsons and Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Ministry, who died shortly after recording). The band then released Survival Sounds (2012), the remix album Evil Music for Evil People (2013), and Rockers' Vibes (2017), half of which is made up of covers paying tribute to the band's influences and highlighting its dub and industrial electronic facets. Among the names claimed are those of Thin Lizzy, The B-52's or Slade. The band has undergone several changes of musicians around Marco Neves, the central figure and only constant member. Guitarist Laurent B. returns alongside new members Nicky Tchernenko (bass) and Bastien Amy (drums). Signed to independent label At(H)ome, Treponem Pal released the album Screamers in 2023, followed by World Citizens in 2025.
