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Hypnosis is a rarity: a death metal/black metal outfit that has featured a female lead vocalist. Cindy Goloubkoff (who helps with the guitar playing) isn't the French band's only lead singer; she shares the lead vocals with fellow guitarist Pierre Bouthemy, who favors the sort of deep, guttural, demonic-style growl that death metal is known for. But even so, it is quite rare to hear any female lead vocals at all coming from a death metal/black metal band. For that matter, it is rare to find a woman doing anything at all in a death metal/black metal band. A woman who sings lead and plays guitar in a death metal/black metal unit is sort of like a Scottish band specializing in salsa/Afro-Cuban music; it isn't totally unheard of, but it is certainly the exception rather than the rule. Although loud, heavy, and aggressive, Hypnosis is one of the more melodic bands in the European death metal/black metal scene; their work is not an exercise in noise for the sake of noise or brutality for the sake of brutality. Valid comparisons include Khold, At the Gates, In Flames, Opeth, and Twilight Ophera; in other words, all the European death metal and black metal bands that have some sense of melody and harmony. But while death metal/black metal is their foundation, it should be noted that Hypnosis incorporates elements of industrial rock and goth rock, and shows an awareness of artists like Ministry, KMFDM, and Nine Inch Nails. And because of that darkwave/electro-metal influence, Bouthemy likes to describe Hypnosis as "cyber death metal" and "hybrid death metal."

Hypnosis (which shouldn't be confused with a ‘90s techno/rave act that had the same name) has been around since 1993, when the band was formed in Bayonne, France. But it wasn't until 1996, after some lineup changes, that things really started falling into place; that year, the core of the group became Goloubkoff, bassist Patrice Abila, and Bouthemy (whose contributions to Hypnosis have ranged from lead vocals and guitar to drums, keyboards and programming). Hypnosis had been together six years when they finally provided an album; Shadoworld was released on the Black Lotus label in 1999. That disc was followed by their sophomore album, Humanoid, which was released by H.A.R./Sacral Productions (a French indie label) in 2002. The following year, Hypnosis recorded a demo titled Evilution, but it wasn't until late 2003 and early 2004 that they recorded their third official album, Cyber Death (which the Phoenix, Arizona-based Crash Music released in the United States in September 2004). Cyber Death found drummer Jean-Michel Biscay and bassist Nicholas Fiaffé being added to Hypnosis' lineup, but they have since left the band. Abila also left after Cyber Death and was eventually replaced by bassist Régis Douilhac. ~ Alex Henderson