History & Biography Necronomicon were one of the early German speed/thrash metal bands together with Kreator, Sodom, Assassin, Tankard and Destruction. Necronomicon, however, had started as a punk band and was called Total Rejection. The early line-up was Volker “Freddy” Fredrich, Lars “Lala” Honeck, Juergen “Jogi” Weltin and Axel Strickstrock. The band was formed in 1984 and after two demos, Total Rejection (named after the early monicker) and Blind Destruction, signed a deal with Wave/Gama International Records in 1986, a label formed by Geoff Jukes, the manager of Camel. The cooperation was not amicable at the end and band and label had to go through a legal process for the band to regain its name and be free. It was a challenging position to be in to be unable to use one’s name or sign a new deal for ten years!
The band next signed with D&S Records that went out of business. Moreover, the band’s rehearsal space was burnt in a fire. There were no recordings between 1994 and 2000. This was after the release of Screams. A demo appeared in 2000. Construction Of Evil from 2004 was the band’s first album in 10 years. The group appeared on a Saxon covers’ album in 2005. The German thrashers issued a double-CD called Revenge Of The Beast through Xtreem Music in late 2008. This was the band’s first record on a non-German record company. It commemorated the band’s 25th anniversary. Jürgen ‘Jogi’ Weltin switched to bass in 2008 before leaving the act after 25 years. He had tinnitus. The seventh studio album from the band, entitled Invictus, was out through Massacre Records in 2012. It was recorded at Arson Music Studio, and mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler (Primal Fear, Sinner, Brainstorm and Headhunter).
Necronomicon toured as part of the Total Metal Over Europe trek in 2016 and 2017. The band signed a deal with Into The Limelight Records in 2017. The band visited Argentina in June 2017. Necronomicon released a new album, called Unleashed Bastards, through El Puerto Records in September instead. Into The Limelight had gone into the shadows. Necronomicon appeared at the SinFest in Malta in May 2018. Germany-based thrash metallers would re-release Invictus through Metal Scrap Records in June 2020. Necronomicon‘s 2021 album The Final Chapter was out through Total Metal Records. The band had international members now and featured Rik Charron (ex-Exciter) on the drums and Glen Shannon on lead guitar. Charron’s Dark Ministry was also on Total Metal Records. The same label re-issued Invictus on vinyl at the beginning of 2022.
Total Metal Concerts presented The Final Chapter Tour, including Necronomicon, 3000AD (New Zealand), Stonecast (France) and Strident (Israel), in Europe in 2022. The first two bands toured together in 2020. Germany-based Necronomicon had a video for the song They Lie. It was taken from the Constant To Death album, which was released through El Puerto Records. It was recorded by the band and mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler.
Reviews NECRONOMICON - INVICTUS - TOTAL METAL 
Invictus is a 2020 re-release of the Germans' 2012 album. Other than main man Freddy this album features members that are no longer in the band. None of Andy Gern, Andi Nagel or Klaus Enderlin seems to have been up to much since leaving Necronomicon shortly after 2012. The opener is the title track. A spoken word section gives way to thrash metal as good as any (German) band can deliver. Simple speedy riffing entertains without delivering a surprise or modern innovation. Keeping in mind that Necronomicon has been around since the inception of the style this is expected. Unleashed is an extension of the song before it. Divine Intervention era Slayer riffs are one sound-alike and Sodom is another. Bloody Bastards features a political theme and again has a few Slayer elements. Thoughts Running Free has a more dated feel. Unconquered brings in just a bit of Motorhead to Invictus. Upon Black Wings has an effective horror intro but horror seems to have little to do with the Megadeth inspired song itself. Face To The Wall draws inspiration too, this time from South Of Heaven. Pandora's Box has a few pure heavy metal elements. Before The Curtain Falls is the almost ballad that an album such as Invictus probably doesn't need. Possessed By Evil 2011 is a rework of the song first featured on Necronomicon's self-titled 1986 debut. It is aggressive, thrashing and evil! Possessed Again (Unplugged) is a bonus track and is a version of a song that was originally heard on 2004's Construction Of Evil. Why Unplugged? Perhaps only Freddy can answer, perhaps. – Anna Tergel
Interviews
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