Necronomicon (band)

Necronomicon
Background information
GenresPunk rock (early),[1] thrash metal
Years active1983–present
Websitehttp://www.necronomicon-online.de/
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

Necronomicon is a German thrash metal band.

History

Necronomicon was founded in 1983 by band leader Volker "Freddy" Fredrich, Axel Strickstrock and Lars "Lala" Honeck.[2] The band originally made punk rock, so in 1981 "Freddy" founded Total Rejection.[3] This early Necronomicon phase was affected by bands including Discharge, The Exploited and GBH.[1] Through the influence of Motörhead, Metallica and Slayer, their musical style soon would turn more into heavy metal.

In 1985, the quartet signed their first record contract at GAMA Records. That was one year before guitarist Jürgen "Jogi" Weltin was engaged. The band released their debut album Necronomicon, still dressed in punk outfits on the cover. With a mixture of hard thrash with strong punk rock influences, they gained notoriety in the underground scene.

In 1987, the second album, Apocalyptic Nightmare, was put on the market. On an Eastern Bloc tour that began in Austria and Hungary, the former Czechoslovakia to Russia, Necronomicon gained a large following.

In the late 1980s the German thrash metal reached its peak period. Bands such as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction with "Freddy's" childhood friend Schmier attended national and international sensation. But Necronomicon had less success in this regard due to some major setbacks: After 1988, when the third album was released at Escalation GAMA Records, it came to financial inconsistencies on the part of the label. Necronomicon then separated from the management. 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. Necronomicon has also been forced not to sign any other record contract.[4]

In 1993 Necronomicon was able to re-sign a new record deal. The blocking time over ten years, which was declared by GAMA Records, now successfully had been challenged. But the joy of the new contract, now at D&S Records, lasted only briefly. Although the album Screams was still mixed in 1994 under new management, D&S Records surprisingly reported insolvency in the same year and broke all contact with the band. In addition, a fire destroyed the rehearsal room and a large part of the equipment. Necronomicon almost broke up.

In early 2000, an unexpected thrash revival broke out on the international music scene. Bands such as Destruction or Exodus went on tour again and produced new albums. Also Necronomicon succeeded in March 2004 when the band completed a contract with the label Remedy Records (Germany) from Hamburg and the new CD named Construction of Evi" was brought to the market.[5] But before that, the long-standing collaboration with guitarist Jogi had to be stopped because of his tinnitus.

In 2007 Necronomicon signed a contract with the Spanish label Xtreem Music. The album Revenge of the Beast appeared. The CD was recorded as a special edition with a rougher mix of classic retro 1980s thrash in Neuenburg am Rhein.[6] The European Tour in 2009 led to Greece, Spain and over to 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 members playing the guitar and the bass. Benjamin "Ben Jay" Rogg and Marco Lohrenz completed Necronomicon. In this new formation Necronomicon played their first gig in the Czech Republic at the Aggressive Music Fest 2013 which was a full success for the new line-up.[7]

On 27 November 2015, the band released their album Pathfinder... Between Heaven and Hell on German label Trollzorn Records.[8]

Musical style

Originally Necronomicon was a punk rock band, so the first demo recording Total Rejection is held in that appropriate style.[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. Published in 1987 "Freddy" is unhappy with the album Apocalyptic Nightmare: „...The songs are good, but the musicians haven't been mature enough to implement it adequately...".[1] Construction of Evil (2004) was described by Martin of heavy Metal.de as "...fairly classical Heavy Metal of the old school and up-tempo power metal without prolonged double base-storm...". Musically, the band had remained faithful.[5] The seventh album Invictus (2012), combines the 1980s 's style with contemporary elements. Metalize.Me said it sounds "...charming to 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 and because of that Necronomicon stands 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

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

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

References
  1. 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.
  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. 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.
  7. "Agressive Music Fest 2013 - All Metal Festivals". Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  8. "Trollzorn - Label für Pagan/Viking und Folk Metal". Trollzorn.de. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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