Blending heavy metal with the lore of Conan and the Hyborian Age, Nemedian Chronicles have been steadily defining their identity since 2017. In this interview, the band reflect on how it all began and where their journey is taking them next.

Interview

TheNwothm: To start us off, would you like to introduce yourselves, who plays what in the band, and what part of Toulouse you each call home?

N.C: Right now, the band is composed of a studio-driven power trio : Alexandre (lead singer) Guillaume (bass) and Sergio (guitars) the other parts (drums) are handled by session musicians. We’ll see how it evolves after our second album comes out. 

TheNwothm: How did the idea of forming Nemedian Chronicles first take shape back in 2017, and what brought the founding members together at that moment in time?

N.C: The idea took shape because Guillaume had written several Heavy / Power metal songs about Conan and the Hyborian Age and realized that creating a band dedicated to the Hyborian Ages would be amazing. Nemedian Chronicles was born, and Guillaume immediately got support from his life partner, Katia, to take charge for the management. 

TheNwothm: Your name immediately signals a love for Robert E. Howard’s world. What made Nemedian Chronicles feel like the right banner for your music rather than any of the other corners of the Hyborian Age?

N.C: Every Conan story, whether in novels, movies, or comics, begins with a text from fictional chronicles of Conan’s era, written by the Nemedians. You might recognize the famous line: ‘Know, oh Prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis…’ and so on. That’s why we chose this name—to sound familiar to everyone who knows Conan and the Hyborian Age. It has nothing to do with the kingdom itself, though. In Conan’s world, we’d actually rather be Aquilonians! 

TheNwothm: Toulouse has its own character, rhythm and artistic spirit. In what ways has living and creating in Occitanie influenced the way you approach heavy and power metal?

N.C: Actually, only Guillaume and Sergio live in Toulouse, while Alexandre lives in Pau. Toulouse is a truly wonderful place—probably one of the most pleasant cities to live in France in 2026. It’s a vibrant, artistic city, and we’re proud of it! But honestly, it has little to do with our artistic approach, as most of the songs on our first album were written, or at least partially written, before Guillaume and Katia moved here.  

TheNwothm: France has a long history of metal scenes that vary from region to region. What aspects of your local culture or upbringing do you feel naturally seep into your sound or attitude, even if unintentionally?

N.C: Let’s be honest: creating a Heavy/Power Metal band in France these days is a pain in the ass, since the country leans more towards extreme metal like Death Metal, Metalcore, and so on. So, if French culture has influenced our music at all, it’s very much “unintentional”, as you said.   

TheNwothm: Any particular French heavy metal acts you are listening to right now?

N.C: Right now, Alexandre has been listening to BOISSON DIVINE, an excellent Folk Metal band that sings in the local language of Gascony. Guillaume’s favourite French band is ADX and he often listens to them. 

TheNwothm: Your first release, the EP “Nemedian Chronicles” from 2020, introduced listeners to your world. When you look back at that period, what were you trying to capture or express with those early songs?

N.C: All four of those songs are also featured on our first album. Basically, we mainly tried to show what the band was all about: Heavy/Epic Metal inspired by the Hyborian Age. We chose four very different songs to highlight the variety of what the band would go on to release in the future: a ballad, a slow and heavy track, a very fast track on the opposite end, and finally, a long, epic one. 

TheNwothm: In 2021 you released the single “Death Dealer”. What drew you to that particular story or moment and how did you approach shaping it into a standalone track?

N.C: Death Dealer was actually one of Guillaume’s older tracks, originally written for his other band, Lorraine Cross. But when he realised how perfectly its Sword & Sorcery vibe fit Nemedian Chronicles, we knew we had to use it. So, we dropped it as a single to keep the hype alive before our debut album. Why leave it off the album? Well, 12 tracks were already enough. And the Death Dealer is not a character from the Hyborian Age. 

TheNwothm: Your full-length “The Savage Sword” arrived in 2024. What was the spark that set this album in motion, and which part of its creation challenged or surprised you the most?

N.C: From the start, releasing this album was the goal. As we mentioned earlier, several songs had already been written even before the band was formed. Guillaume and Alexandre then collaborated to create enough additional tracks to complete a full-length album. We can’t really say that anything in particular surprised us. As for the challenges, they were the same ones that many other bands face: recording the different instruments took time, and mixing and mastering also required patience. But it was worth it!

TheNwothm: Many fans of Conan discover the stories at very different points in life. Do you remember when Robert E. Howard’s writing first hit you, and what stayed with you from that first encounter?

N.C:The idea to focus on Conan, Red Sonja, and the Hyborian Ages comes from Guillaume and he first fell in love with that universe as a kid thanks to the COMICS. So, even if Howard is the real father of all this, it has also lots to do with MARVEL, John BUSCEMA and Barry WINDSOR SMITH actually. 

TheNwothm: Outside of music, what personal interests or hobbies feed into the atmosphere of Nemedian Chronicles? Are there books, films, games or even outdoor places that help you recharge or spark ideas?

N.C: Sure! You won’t be surprised to hear that, as Heavy/Power Metal musicians in a band dedicated to Conan, we’re also total geeks. We play a lot of video games, including fantasy ones like Skyrim or Diablo IV. We’re also big fans of the Game of Thrones universe and recently discovered the TV series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, for example. Right now, Guillaume is reading the second novel in James Silke’s Death Dealer series, and before that, Alexandre lent him the Kull the Conqueror novels. As you can tell, Heroic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery aren’t just in our music—they’re in our lives too. As for outdoor activities… well, we’re either too busy or just too lazy—take your pick! 

TheNwothm: For musicians who dream of building a world as rich and consistent as yours, what advice would you offer about storytelling, patience or staying true to a vision?

N.C: The answer is in your question: Stay true to your vision. Time passes, fashions change. These days, there’s a trend to reimagine and deconstruct classics in order to ‘adapt them for a modern audience.’ Don’t do that. Stay faithful to the original source. Because in ten years’ time, new fashions and trends will arise. In the ever-changing world of art and culture, only the works that are genuine and true to their core will stand the test of time.