Celtic rockers Merzhin formed in Landerneau, France, in 1996 -- college friends Pierre Le Bourdonnec (vocals), Stéphane Omnes (electric guitar), Vincent L'Hour (acoustic guitar), Damien Le Bras (bass), reedist Ludovic Berrou, and drummer Mathieu Person named the group in honor of the Breton name of the renowned Arthurian magician Merlin, and as traditional Celtic instruments like the bombarde (a type of flute) began to dominate the band's otherworldly sound, the moniker proved increasingly apt. In 1998 Merzhin self-released 200 copies of their self-titled debut EP, funded in p...