Listen to new single In the Company of Stars + watch the official lyric video at this location
After two critically-acclaimed LPs that earned them comparisons with Elder, King Buffalo and Slift, French heavy psych explorers Pelegrin are back with their most ambitious work to date, The Curse of Nephtar, to be released on Ripple Music this fall. Their signature sound, built around rich melodies, nuanced dynamics, and a dash of Arabian spices, has taken some steps towards a catchier and heavier direction. Razor-sharp riffs and powerful hooks are to be expected amid their trademark backdrop of proggy, ambient songwriting.
About the song, they say: "The album's narration, following the eons-long story of fossil fuels in the Middle East, continues with 'In the Company of Stars'. Oil is portrayed as a dark orb, born at the bottom of the deepest ocean, fighting to reach the surface and unleash its full power. In this song, while geological eras come and go, the dark orb grows conscious of its own existence. It learns how to manipulate the feeble ocean beings swimming, crawling and lurking about. Through them, the orb senses that there is more to see, more to do. Lifted upwards by massive schools of fish, carried by colossal cetaceans, it steers its way to solid ground - desolate lands in fact, with the sun and stars as sole companions."
With The Curse of Nephtar, Pelegrin has created a powerful allegory of fossil fuels and their tragic influence on modern-day events in the Middle East and beyond. The album draws inspiration from the ‘resource curse’ theory, which observes that oil-rich nations are paradoxically less peaceful, developed, and democratic than comparable countries with no such resources. Told through sound design, spoken word and incisive lyrics, the Nephtar story provides a perfect soundtrack for the chaotic times we live in. Stream the previous single "Eons" at this location!
About the song, they say: "The album's narration, following the eons-long story of fossil fuels in the Middle East, continues with 'In the Company of Stars'. Oil is portrayed as a dark orb, born at the bottom of the deepest ocean, fighting to reach the surface and unleash its full power. In this song, while geological eras come and go, the dark orb grows conscious of its own existence. It learns how to manipulate the feeble ocean beings swimming, crawling and lurking about. Through them, the orb senses that there is more to see, more to do. Lifted upwards by massive schools of fish, carried by colossal cetaceans, it steers its way to solid ground - desolate lands in fact, with the sun and stars as sole companions."
With The Curse of Nephtar, Pelegrin has created a powerful allegory of fossil fuels and their tragic influence on modern-day events in the Middle East and beyond. The album draws inspiration from the ‘resource curse’ theory, which observes that oil-rich nations are paradoxically less peaceful, developed, and democratic than comparable countries with no such resources. Told through sound design, spoken word and incisive lyrics, the Nephtar story provides a perfect soundtrack for the chaotic times we live in. Stream the previous single "Eons" at this location!
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PELEGRIN "The Curse of Nephtar" - Out September 4th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)
“This is psychedelic stoner rock of the highest order.” - Outlaws of the Sun
“This is psychedelic stoner rock of the highest order.” - Outlaws of the Sun
“Plenty of evocative and cinematic images through a blend of dynamic surges.” - Powerplay Magazine
“Songs are forever shifting with moments of ethereal beauty, bitter angst, overwhelming cheer and undying optimism.” - Astral Noize
For the typically discrete and camera-shy Pelegrin, it’s perhaps natural to let others do the talking. Located between Nantes and Paris, the band has been earning a solid reputation as a hidden gem of the heavy rock underground. After self-releasing their first two albums Al-Mahruqa (2019) and Ways of Avicenna (2023) to great critical acclaim, they caught the eye of California’s very own Ripple Music – a leading label known for discovering young talents, as well as harboring some of the world’s best heavy rock acts (Hermano, 1000Mods, Wo Fat, The Obsessed…)
Largely a studio project for their first years, Pelegrin are now also emerging as a powerful live act that has shared stages with some of the genre’s top bands (Naxatras, Ufomammut, Hippie Death Cult, Deaf Radio). Their third album The Curse of Nephtar (released September 4th, 2026 by Ripple Music) is bound to delight old fans and seduce new ones.
About the upcoming album theme, the band says: "The album depicts the tale of Nephtar, a powerful black orb that comes to life in the depths of prehistoric ocean Tethys, which used to stand above the current Middle East. Ignored for eons, it eventually uses its manipulative powers to join the surface and subdue all living things. While for a brief moment, it is hoped that using Nephtar will create an era of plenty for all, humans come to realize that the price to pay is exceedingly heavy and start fighting to break the curse."
Pelegrin is
For the typically discrete and camera-shy Pelegrin, it’s perhaps natural to let others do the talking. Located between Nantes and Paris, the band has been earning a solid reputation as a hidden gem of the heavy rock underground. After self-releasing their first two albums Al-Mahruqa (2019) and Ways of Avicenna (2023) to great critical acclaim, they caught the eye of California’s very own Ripple Music – a leading label known for discovering young talents, as well as harboring some of the world’s best heavy rock acts (Hermano, 1000Mods, Wo Fat, The Obsessed…)
Largely a studio project for their first years, Pelegrin are now also emerging as a powerful live act that has shared stages with some of the genre’s top bands (Naxatras, Ufomammut, Hippie Death Cult, Deaf Radio). Their third album The Curse of Nephtar (released September 4th, 2026 by Ripple Music) is bound to delight old fans and seduce new ones.
About the upcoming album theme, the band says: "The album depicts the tale of Nephtar, a powerful black orb that comes to life in the depths of prehistoric ocean Tethys, which used to stand above the current Middle East. Ignored for eons, it eventually uses its manipulative powers to join the surface and subdue all living things. While for a brief moment, it is hoped that using Nephtar will create an era of plenty for all, humans come to realize that the price to pay is exceedingly heavy and start fighting to break the curse."
Pelegrin is
François Roze - guitar, vocals
Jason Recoing - studio bass
Nacim Virieux - live bass
Antoine Ebel - drums, percussions
Pelegrin links
Facebook | BandCamp | InstagramJason Recoing - studio bass
Nacim Virieux - live bass
Antoine Ebel - drums, percussions
Pelegrin links
Ripple Music Links
