Ave maniac! First of all thanks a lot for your interest in Necromaniac and for giving us a platform to promote our morbid coven in your blog. HAILS TO OCCULT BLACK METAL 'ZINE!!! We've been quite busy spreading the plague since the EP got released back in September after a ridiculous 8-month long wait at the pressing plant, plus we've also been working on and off on new decompositions for our debut full-length album. Other than that, we've got a new vocalist/lyricist who joined the sinister congregation back in April, and we're booked to desecrate London in January MMXIX with Possession from Belgium, Ultra Silvam from Sweden and Deitus from the UK. It's surely going to be an impious night to remember! BEWARE!
2. Recently you have released a new EP, what are some of the things you feel you have done differently musically with this recording that you were not able to do on your previous demo?
Recording-wise the main difference is the fact that the demo tape was recorded in two home studios, whereas for the EP we recorded all the drums, guitars and bass tracks in a professional studio, and it shows. Decomposition-wise I think the songwriting on the EP is a lot more mature and dynamic than that of the songs we included on the demo tape. I personally think the EP songs are also way more sinister and aggressive, something which has been pointed out by quite a few acolytes outside of the morbid coven too. Overall, we're very satisfied with both releases and we firmly believe we worked to the absolute best of our capabilities on both of them, so we're confident we have crafted material that's strong enough to withstand the test of time.
3. You refer to your music as 'Morbid Metal', can you tell us a little bit more about the term?
Being ever the iconoclasts, we've chosen the "Morbid Metal" moniker to describe our music due to a variety of reasons. First of all, it is a statement of intent to distance ourselves from a lot of bands, labels, promoters, booking agents, fans and journalists that comprise a big part of the current Black and Death Metal scenes. We feel a lot of the people involved are here just to make money by making the music more commercial, safe and palatable to the masses; and their only intent is to selfishly exploit whatever is trendy at the time for the glory of the mighty Dollar before quickly moving on to the next trend. Unfortunately, the current scene is also full of hipster journalists that tend to overlook underrated or obscure killer acts and instead hype generic bands or labels that include friends within their ranks or are otherwise endorsed by way of paying for ads, reviews and features in their poser infested websites and magazines. Then there is also tons of pathetic bands completely devoid of integrity and so desperate for exposure that they're willing to pay greedy promoters, bands and booking agents big bucks to get support slots at the most hyped festivals and tour packages in order to try and gain the 5 seconds of fame they so desperately crave. Alas, a lot of the so-called Black and Death Metal fans attending such events are nothing but scene tourists with no real background ties, knowledge or commitment to the Metal underground. This posers have expiry date tags attached to them so transparently obvious that any purist would be able to spot them from a hundred miles away. To top things up, a lot of bands being labelled as Black or Death Metal in today's climate are acts which we cannot relate to or feel any affinity whatsoever with due to their profuse lack of authenticity and their complete disregard and unawareness of the genres' history and traditions. These people will never understand the foundations and attitudes that the ancient underground bands and fans professed during the early gestation periods of those genres and will never share the passion, dedication, enthusiasm, and convictions that the true fanatics of this type of music possess. These are the main reasons why we don't want to be associated with a lot of the things that fall under those categories in this day and age. "Morbid Metal" is of course also the name of a song by the legendary Swiss band Samael. So we felt the term was not only apt and self-explanatory of the sinister overtones we convey within our music, visual aesthetics, and lyrical concepts; but we also decided to use it in order to show our deepest veneration to the old Swiss masters. Last but not least, our music is deeply rooted in the ancient Black, Death, Thrash, Doom and Heavy Metal traditions, and since we are strongly influenced by a lot of the established acts that helped create, define and develop all of those different genres, we'd much rather avoid being confined within the restraints and boundaries that playing just one of them would bring to our decompositions. Hence the desire to use a tag that defies those confinements and gives us the freedom to include a wider array of influences within our music.
4. All of the music is very heavily rooted in the past, do you feel extreme metal has lost a lot of raw aggression over the years with the overproduced sound and the bands focusing less on a darker imagery?
If you look at the more mainstream side of Metal then definitely, but there have always been raw and aggressive bands with dark themes lurking in the blackest of shadows, you just have to get your fingertips dirty by digging deep underground if you want to exhume such blasphemous acts.
5. Your lyrics cover a lot of Occult and Blasphemy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
As true purveyors and perpetrators of the purest Morbid Metal, it is quite logical that some of our strongest influences come from different sources outside of the music realm. Thus, we take inspiration from all that is born of iniquity and exudes the sulphurous stench of death and darkness; be it either drawn from personal experiences, ancient manuscripts, visual art or literary form. We are fascinated by the inherent mysticism emanating from arcane practices of sorcery and divination of the dead which are used as gateways to enter otherworldly spiritual planes outside of the physical realm. That which dwells in those planes can only be contacted or experienced by the living through trance-like altered states of consciousness or with the aid of strong hallucinogenic drugs. Our lyrics deal mainly with necromantical themes portraying the most sinister aspects of death and the mysteries which can be found in all the folktales, myths, occult sciences, ceremonies and rituals from different cultures all over the world that have been surrounding it throughout the centuries. These practices have been around since the very first civilizations arose at the dawn of ancient times; and our ultimate aim is to perpetuate all these obscure beliefs and traditions through our music, lyrical concepts, and visual aesthetics. Needless to say, such themes are likely to be found too upsetting for the average person with a monotheistic religious background; and should, therefore, be considered to be of an overall dark, macabre, blasphemous, and lugubrious nature.
6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Necromaniac'?
A necromaniac is someone who is obsessed with death and/or the dead. The band name was taken from the old Hellhammer/Celtic Frost fan club (Necromaniac Union), and also, from the Mortuary Drape song of the same name included on their "Secret Sudaria" album. Thus, being obviously chosen not just due to its meaning fitting the band's ethos; but also, to pay tribute to this extremely influential cult acts. HAIL THE ANCIENT HORDES!!!
7. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the EP cover?
The artwork was done by a German artist named Karmazid and I'm proud to say our EP cover is my absolute favourite work of his thus far. We sent him the music and lyrics for the two songs that we were planning to include on the EP and gave him total freedom to come up with his own visual representation of these songs. He sent us a very rough sketch with detailed descriptions of what he had in mind and we gave him our unholy blessings to go ahead with it. Needless to say, when he sent us the finished piece we were completely blown away by the sinister atmosphere that it evokes, to say the least! I personally find his versatile ability to master different styles to be the forte of his art, as opposed to a lot of other artists out there who paint album covers for different bands which, in my opinion, end up looking way too similar to each other due to the one-dimensional stylistic limitations of its creators.
8. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far we have only desecrated the stage once opening for Archgoat in London back in April MMXVI (Qrixkuor, Valkyrja, and Scythian were also on the same bill). The show went well and we received a good response from the Morbid Metal disciples who attended this unholy event. Our old vocalist moved back to Spain not long after completing the demo recordings so we had to decline quite a few gig offers. We were also booked to support Revenge in London back in April MMXVII but due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, the promoter cancelled the event so we couldn't play this show. Now we've got a new vocalist who's also based in London, so hopefully, we'll have the chance to desecrate a few more stages to promote the morbid coven in the near future. However, we don't intend to play lots of gigs or do many tours since we all have full-time jobs which take up most of our time and we want to keep such events special and memorable. Our stage performance includes the use of dark lights, smoke, bones, bullets, spikes, leather, and chains paired with our very own brand of Morbid Metal played in its loudest and crudest form!
9. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
As I've already mentioned we're booked to desecrate London in January MMXIX with Possession from Belgium, Ultra Silvam from Sweden and Deitus from the UK. At the moment there are no other live profanations booked, but promoters are always welcomed to get in touch if they've got any serious offers playing with bands that we can relate to and feel an affinity with.
10. The new EP was released on 'Iron Pegasus Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
This year has marked the 20th anniversary of Iron Pegasus Records, so every single self-respected underground Metal maniac should be aware of this cult label by now! What can I say? Costa is an absolute gentleman and has been totally dedicated to the underground Metal scene since back in the early 90s when he started publishing his now long deceased Tales Of The Macabre 'zine. We're very happy to be working closely with him as he's not only given us complete artistic freedom but thus far, he has also met almost every single one of our demands and suggestions. He really believes in the bands that he signs as first and foremost he is a fan of the music. He is definitely not some business guy who's into it just for the money, and that's proven by the fact that he's vehemently stuck to his guns and never followed any trends since day one! He releases quality over quantity and he's still extremely passionate about new bands that carry forth the old Metal traditions even after all the decades of being actively involved in the underground scene. To top things up it is also an absolute honour to be signed to a label that has absolutely fucking killer bands on its current roster such as Pentacle, Sadistic Intent, Eurynomos, Mortem, Force Of Darkness and Sabbat (Japan); and which has also released records in the past by total cult acts like Zemial, Agatus, Messiah, Deströyer 666, Pentagram (USA), Hadez, Mortuary Drape, Desaster, Beherit, Massacre or Poison (Germany), to name but a few examples. We truly feel at home here... HAIL THE TRUE OLD UNDERGROUND SPIRIT!!!
11. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black, death and thrash metal?
We're still a largely unknown entity in the underground scene, so we haven't received a lot of attention thus far since the EP got released back in early September. However, having said that, so far I have only read and heard positive comments and reviews, so those who have heard it seem to really like our new music. Ultimately, what is of utmost importance to us is that we are proud of every single recording we release. If other people outside of our inner circle like what we do then that's an added bonus but is definitely not the main reason why we do this.
12. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Indesinence has now been dead and buried for a few years, so our old vocalist (Thanatophilia R.G.) is now only involved with Binah as far as I'm aware. They've just released their 2nd album on Osmose Productions and it's a total ripper so make sure you get a copy if you're into dark and eerie Death Metal! He's also been recently involved in composing and recording the soundtrack of a film, but I'm afraid I don't have any other information regarding that new venture of his. I am definitely curious to hear it that's for sure! The One has just reissued "I, Master" to commemorate its 10th anniversary on Amor Fati Productions, so make sure you get a copy of this Black Metal masterpiece too as the first pressings go for ridiculously high prices! There is also something planned in the near future for Macabre Omen but nothing I can disclose at the moment as it is meant to be a surprise. The One was also involved in Razor Of Occam, which right now is on ice as far as I'm aware. Matt Razor told me a while ago he has lots of new material written but as far as I know, there hasn't been any rehearsals. Plus Shrapnel left London to move back to Australia and is now playing in Nocturnal Graves, so no idea if he's still in the band but I'm assuming he is not since he also left Deströyer 666 before relocating. Hopefully, Matt Razor can get a new band together and do a new record but he's been keeping himself busy playing with Gospel Of The Horns these past few years, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Our new vocalist is also involved in a few other interesting bands but my lips are sworn to secrecy for the time being. As for the rest of us, neither me (Sadistik Fornicator) or our drummer (V. Pestilencia) are involved in any other musical projects outside of Necromaniac.
13. When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We're still working on new decompositions and the plan is to start recording the album towards the end of next year and release it in MMXX, but then again nothing ever goes according to plan in this band so we shall see. As for our future musical direction, you'll just have to wait and see. It will still be dark and aggressive that's for sure but it will also carry a few surprises... Expect nothing but Morbid Metal at its finest!
14. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I'm still influenced by the same old cult acts I've been worshipping since my formative years: Bathory, Hellhammer, Absu, Samael, Slaughter, Celtic Frost, Venom, Necrovore, Nifelheim, Sarcófago, Tormentor, Vulcano, Mortuary Drape, Possessed, Slayer, Massacra, Pentagram (Chile), Vomitor, Imperator, Poison (Germany), Voivod, Protector, Morbid Angel, Repulsion, Mutilator, Necrodeath, Morbid, Sodom, Necrophiliac, Mystifier, Varathron, Mayhem, Sepultura, Master’s Hammer, Sadistik Exekution, Merciless, etc, etc. The most obscure works of these bands were a huge influence on the creation of Necromaniac; and without their output and legacy, our outlook on music in general just would not be the same. This music is in my blood so this type of riffs just come out naturally whenever I'm working on new music. As for newer stuff I've been listening to, the following records have gotten regular plays as of lately: Sacrificio "Guerra Eterna", Moenen Of Xezbeth "Dawn Of Morbid Sorcery", "Forever Rotting Winter" and "Ancient Spells Of Darkness...", Mørketida "Panphage Mysticism", Necromante "The Magickal Presence Of Occult Forces", Mare "Ebony Tower", Ysengrin "To Endotaton", Matterhorn "Crass Cleansing", Deadly Frost "The Nightstalker", Malokarpatan "Stridžie Dni" and "Nordkarpatenland", Sartegos/Balmog split 7", Necromantical Screams "Deadly Frost", Vomitor "Pestilent Death", Mortem "Deinós Nekrómantis", Ram "Svbversvm", Necromaniac "Subterranean Death Rising" and Inconcessus Lux Lucis "The Crowning Quietus". In the past months I have also been listening to older records by timeless classics such as Necromantia, Black Sabbath, Dead Can Dance, Blasphemy, Judas Priest, The Exploited, Jacula, Paradise Lost, Kraftwerk, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Jean Michel Jarre, Rotting Christ, King Crimson, Coven, Sisters Of Mercy, Motorhead, Tiamat, Candlemass, Vangelis, Nirvana, Death SS, Der Blutharsch, Holy Death, Scorpions, Darkthrone, Fields Of The Nephilim, Dead Kennedys, Richard Wagner, Eskorbuto, Bobby Beausoleil, Kreator, Adelbert Von Deyen, Axegrinder, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Antonius Rex, Christian Death, Anti Cimex, Trouble, G.I.S.M., Tangerine Dream, Discharge, Laibach, Basil Poledouris and lots of Iron Maiden among countless others. The list goes on and on and keeps on growing every passing day...
15. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Hails again for the support and keep up the good work with your 'zine. May the arcane mysticism contained within the very essence of our dark art mark your damned soul with the unmistakable stench of death and darkness until the very end of times. To all the Morbid Metal disciples who wish to stay up to date regarding all band-related news, live desecrations and forthcoming releases you can follow us on Facebook and Bandcamp. You can also subscribe to the Iron Pegasus Records newsletter or follow their Instagram and Facebook pages. Alternatively, you can contact me directly via email at sadistikfornicator@gmail.com
Sinister emanations,
Sadistik Fornicator on behalf of Necromaniac.
MORBID METAL TO THE DEATH!!!
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