Parabellum (French band)

Parabellum is a French alternative rock and punk band that formed in 1984. Originally active from 1984 to 1991, the band split up in 1991, re-formed in 1998 and resumed touring until the death of Schultz, singer and original member of the band, in 2014.

Origin of name
The name of the band comes from the Latin adage Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war).

Influences
The music used in the song Saturnin (1988), in the Parabellum compilation, and reused in the song Lies (1997) is from the band Cock Sparrer.

One can also compare Anarchie en chiraquie (1988) to Rock You Like a Hurricane (Scorpions, Love at First Sting, 1984).

Legacy
Parabellum is considered one of the leading groups of the French punk rock scene because of its longevity, the caustic, claimant, anarchist and humorous character of its texts mocking politics and society ("Anarchy in Chiraquie", "Osmose 99", Welcome to Paradise" ...). Musically, Schultz defined Parabellum as "the most punk of rock'n'roll bands and the most rock'n'roll of punk bands". Parabellum was known for their rock interpretation of some popular French or French-language songs like Amsterdam by Jacques Brel (now Ilot Amsterdam), A Saint-Lazare by Aristide Bruant or Cayenne.

Schultz is known to have been in parallel with Parabellum, guitarist of Los Carayos, a band formed by François Hadji-Lazaro, Manu Chao and Alain Wampas. Géant-Vert was also lyricist of Les Rats, where Roland Chamallow was a bassist.