Necronomicon (band)

Necronomicon
Background information
GenresPunk rock (early),[1] thrash metal
Years active1983–present
MembersVolker "Freddy" Fredrich
Rik "Roundcat" Charron
Marco Lohrenz
Glenn Shannon
Past membersAndreas Gern
Jürgen "Jogi" Weltin
Andreas Nagel
Bernhard Matt
Benjamin Rogg
Klaus Enderlin
Michael Lohrenz
Websitehttp://www.necronomicon-online.de/

Necronomicon is a German thrash metal band founded in 1983.

History

Necronomicon was founded in 1983 by band leader Volker "Freddy" Fredrich, Axel Strickstrock and Lars "Lala" Honeck.[2] The band originally played punk rock, so in 1981 "Freddy" founded Total Rejection.[3] This early Necronomicon phase was influenced by bands including Discharge, The Exploited and GBH.[1] Their style would become more metal due to influence from Motörhead, Metallica and Slayer.

In 1985, the quartet signed their first record contract at GAMA Records. One year later, guitarist Jürgen "Jogi" Weltin was recruited. The band released their debut album Necronomicon and gained notoriety in the underground scene.

In 1987, the second album, Apocalyptic Nightmare, was released. They went on an Eastern bloc tour through Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Russia.

In the late 1980s, the German thrash metal reached its peak period with bands such as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction with "Freddy's" childhood friend Schmier. Necronomicon had less success due to some major setbacks: After 1988, when the third album was released at Escalation GAMA Records, Necronomicon separated from GAMA due to financial inconsistencies on the part of the label. As the label threatened with a legal dispute, the band agreed to give up their complete rights to the songs along with the band name for ten years, and furthermore to not sign with another label.[4]

In 1993, the ten-year embargo was successfully challenged, and Necronomicon signed a new record deal with D&S Records. Although the album Screams was still mixed in 1994 under new management, D&S Records unexpectedly went bankrupt in the same year and broke all contact with the band. In addition, a fire destroyed the rehearsal room and a portion of the equipment, almost causing Necronomicon to break up.

In early 2000, a thrash revival broke out on the international music scene. Bands such as Destruction and Exodus went on tour again and produced new albums. Necronomicon also benefited from this revival, signing with Remedy Records of Hamburg in March 2004 and releasing the CD Construction of Evil.[5] Before the release, guitarist Jogi had to leave because of his tinnitus.

In 2007 Necronomicon signed a contract with the Spanish label Xtreem Music and released Revenge of the Beast. The CD was recorded as a special edition with a rougher mix of classic 1980s thrash in Neuenburg am Rhein.[6] The European Tour in 2009 went through Greece, Spain and Russia. Drummer and founding member Axel Strickstrock resigned and was replaced by Klaus Enderlin.

By the end of June 2013, Necronomicon was looking for permanent guitar and bass players, recruiting Benjamin "Ben Jay" Rogg and Marco Lohrenz to complete their line-up. In this new formation Necronomicon played a successful first concert in the Czech Republic at the Aggressive Music Fest 2013.[7]

On 27 November 2015, the band released their album Pathfinder... Between Heaven and Hell on German label Trollzorn Records.[8] Then came the album Invictus, which won the title of "Album Of The Month" on the Metallian.com webzine.

Musical style

Necronomicon started as a punk rock band, reflected in the demo Total Rejection.[1] Due to the influence of Motörhead, Metallica and Slayer, a synthesis of the old style and the new metal influences was created.[1] The band's style in the mid-1980s was described by the online magazine Metalize.Me as a mixture of Hellhammer and Sodom. In 1987 "Freddy" reported disappointment with the album Apocalyptic Nightmare: "The songs are good, but the musicians weren't mature enough to implement it adequately".[1] Construction of Evil (2004) was described by Martin of heavy Metal.de as "...fairly classical old school Heavy Metal and up-tempo power metal without prolonged double base-storm...".[5] The seventh album, Invictus (2012), combines the 1980s style with contemporary elements. Metalize.Me said it sounds "...charmingly like rumble metal, but it does not rumble anymore...it's now played accurately...“.[9] Martin of heavy Metal.de said that "Freddy's" rough vocals are a specific feature of the band which lets Necronomicon stand out of the mass of power and heavy metal bands in Germany."[5]

Discography

Studio albums

  • 1985: Necronomicon
  • 1987: Apocalyptic Nightmare (Gama-Records)
  • 1988: Escalation (Gama-Records)
  • 1994: Screams (D & S Records)
  • 2004: Construction of Evil (Remedy-Records)
  • 2008: Revenge of the Beast (Xtreem Music)
  • 2012: Invictus (Massacre Records)
  • 2015: Pathfinder... Between Heaven and Hell
  • 2018: Unleashed Bastards (El Puerto Records)
  • 2021: The Final Chapter
  • 2023: Constant to Death

Demos

  • 1985: Total Rejection
  • 1985: Blind Destruction
  • 1992: Lucky Strikes
  • 2000: Possessed Again!

Splits

  • 1986: Break Out - German Metal Tracks No.2

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Christian Wachter: Necronomicon. Kompromissloser Reifeprozess. In: Legacy (music magazine), Nr. 76, p. 38f.
  2. ^ Ralf Siedek (11 January 2005). "Interview mit Necronomicon". Metalstorm. Retrieved 23 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ "Imer noch voll im Saft". Metalstorm. 3 February 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  4. ^ "Necronomicon - Biografie". Metal-Inside.de. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Martin (17 August 2004). "Das Buch des Bösen". Heavy-Metal.de. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  6. ^ Hans „Hans of Steel“ Dammann. "Necronomicon - Interview mit Bandleader Freddy!". Igel Metal. Retrieved 23 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ "[sic] Agressive Music Fest 2013 - All Metal Festivals". Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Trollzorn - Label für Pagan/Viking und Folk Metal". Trollzorn.de. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Media". Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
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