INTERVIEW: Necromaniac

Necromaniac just unleashed their venomous debut album via Invictus Productions and The Ajna Offensive. As a fan of this band for several years and right after their scorching show supporting Morbid, it felt like the perfect opportunity to discuss the band in-depth with guitarist Sadistik Fornicator…

1. Greetings, please introduce yourself and the band to our readers!

Ave maniac! Sadistik Fornicator (Guitarmageddon) here answering your questions. Thanks a lot for your interest in our morbid coven and for giving us a platform to promote our sinister art. NECROMANIAC was formed in January MMXI and consists of myself, C. Howler (Throat Possessions), The One (Basstard Tremblings), and V. Pestilencia (Apocalyptic Drumonitions). We refer to the style of music that we play as Morbid Metal, and the main reason for this is our strong desire to disassociate ourselves from the many wimpy bands out there who are being labelled as Black or Death Metal these days. Our lyrics and aesthetics are deeply steeped in witchcraft, necromancy, and an overall occult and utterly macabre atmosphere, which we deem as an integral part of our art that’s just as important as the music itself. As most underground fanatics should already know, “Morbid Metal” is a song by the old Swiss band Samael included on their 1991 debut album “Worship Him”, so we thought the term would also be a fitting tribute to the ancient masters’ earlier works. Our music is very dark and aggressive, and it’s highly influenced by the 1st and 2nd generation Black and Death Metal bands of the ’80s and early ’90s. Although we are also heavily influenced by the most filthy, chaotic, and evil-sounding Thrash Metal bands from the ’80s. However, it should also be mentioned that while our main influences come from a time before some people reading this were probably even born, we are most certainly not a retro band. Instead of aping our favourite bands, we have merged those influences to create something of our own that is highly unique, slightly cinematic/atmospheric, and most definitely relevant to this modern age. Not only that, but I’ll go as far as saying that while you can clearly hear the sources of inspiration in our music, there isn’t one single band out there that sounds like NECROMANIAC.

2. Forming back in 2011, it took four years to craft your impressive “Morbid Metal” demo tape. What bloodshed, mania and frenzy went into this first offering of The Devil’s music?

There are a few major reasons for this. We always write with the aim that the full release in question that we’re working on at the time needs to be varied, flow well and feel cohesive as a whole, both musically and lyrically. This is the main reason why we always take our time with all of our releases. We don’t write “X” amount of songs and slap them together on a record like a lot of other bands do. Each recording has to feel like one long musical piece that takes you on a dark journey into the unknown, so a lot of riffs or sometimes even whole sections get discarded and/or fully reworked during the songwriting sessions if we feel that they disrupt the flow of the release in question. But on the occasion of our 1st demo tape, it also took some time to find the right people to complete the line-up, as not many musicians involved in the UK’s underground Metal milieu at that time shared my morbid vision or understood what I was trying to accomplish. I wish I could be a little more optimistic, but many years have passed since and I still think very few people here get it, there’s a far higher consensus towards usually blindly following whatever is trending in the underground.

3. Another three years pass and “Subterranean Death Rising” is sadistically spat into the world. This 7” is a ruthless and energetic cut. As above, please can you tell us about what inspired this record, how it was created and the outcome of it?

Our main sources of inspiration have always been the same from day one, but there are slight variations on each new release due to us becoming better musicians and songwriters, and also through developing our chemistry further playing together as a band. While our beginnings were perhaps a little more rudimentary, we took a bit of a step forward on this release and started experimenting a bit more by not being so shy about incorporating some of the more atmospheric and cinematic elements that we had already subtly showcased on our 1st demo. This was also our first experience recording in a professional studio with NECROMANIAC, so that was also a step forward in the right direction which helped us understand the dynamics of the band and do certain things differently on future recordings. This aided us in improving the way we work together efficiently to capture our sound in the most authentic way possible. “Subterranean Death Rising” certainly got us more attention than the “Morbid Metal” demo did, we noticed this via online reviews and through getting better offers for shows internationally.

4. Aside from a tape and a 7”, both of which proved the band to be worth hearing. You guys have played a pretty impressive array of shows with bands like Black Witchery (the first time I saw you), Adorior (the second) and Sadistic Intent (the third) among many more. What shows have been your favourite? Can you tell us some tales of fury from the road?

To be honest with you, we haven’t played that many shows over the years as we are very picky. Unless we feel an affinity with the other bands on the bill we always turn down all offers. I think every show we have played was special for different reasons. Our first show was opening for Archgoat and Qrixkuor among others back in MMXVI, so that was a baptism by fire! The show we played with Black Witchery back in MMXIX was awesome too, and we got along well with the hooded demons. The show with Possession was also pretty memorable, those guys are cool and also treated us well just like the Black Witchery guys did previously, but I have to say my favourite was when we played in Berlin at the Morbid Catacombs Fest also in MMXIX with Deathly Scythe, Beastiality, and Megathérion among others. The reaction of the German maniacs was extremely wild during our set so we hope to return there soon! As for “tales of fury from the road”, let’s just simply say that certain things are best kept private from the general public…

5. In 2024 you teased new material with a rabid new promo tape for the upcoming debut LP “Sciomancy, Malediction & Rites Abominable”. How was the response so far?

The promo was never meant to be a release for the general public, we pressed 21 copies on cassette format and gave them away for free to close associates and supporters of the band. We also put it on our Bandcamp page to generate a bit of buzz before the album release, but we didn’t want anyone to be able to own it even on digital format unless we sent it to them personally. Hence why the download price is still set at £666, and you can only listen to it 13 times on our Bandcamp page. This was a release done exclusively to commemorate the band’s 13th anniversary, so we wanted it to be very special for those who have massively helped and supported us along the way.

6. Now we can get into the album… Firstly the title and lyrics; can you put into your own words what this album means and what it sets out to do?

Our debut album simply does what it says on the tin: NECROMANIAC “Sciomancy, Malediction & Rites Abominable”. It is certainly one of the darkest, most evil, eerie, and demonic albums that you will hear this year. It took us 14 years to write it, record it, and release it and I think that shows in the superb quality of the material. As you must already be aware of, occult beliefs and practices are an integral part of our morbid coven that you’ll find unequivocally permeated all over our lyrics and concepts. Thus, we feel they are just as important as our music, and should be experienced as a whole along with the artwork and visual aesthetics of the band to get the full picture of our sinister art. Most topics presented in our album’s lyrics deal with historical & mythological figures, demons, spirits, myths, rites, and incantations explicitly related to the ancient traditions of sorcery and divination of the dead. These profane doctrines can be found in most cultures and their spiritual beliefs all across the world throughout the ages. Our vocalist C. Howler writes all the lyrics for NECROMANIAC, and he is not only well-read and versed in those subjects, but he is also a fervent practitioner of the forbidden arts. What this album sets out to do is simply annihilate all the wimpy bands out there that pass as Black or Death Metal these days and show them how it’s fucking done. No mercy… No forgiveness… No salvation… No return… MORBID METAL TO THE DEATH!


7. The artwork is fascinating. An engraved piece by Johann Wilhelm Baur from 1685. What about this appealed to you over say a painting commissioned specifically by the band?

We used 2 engravings on the album (both from the 17th century). The one shown on the cover artwork is entitled “Aeson decrepitvs fit ivnior opera Medeae”, and it’s takenfrom the book “Bellissimum Ovidii Theatrum”. A sequence of pictures illustrating Metamorphoses of Ovid. As you mentioned it was engraved by Johann Wilhelm Baur and published in 1685. The scene depicts the sorceress Medea in the foreground, casting spells and draining the blood of her husband’s father, Aeson, to rejuvenate his body with her special brew boiling in a cauldron where one of two winged demons seen flying above it is urinating. Two altars can also be seen burning with sacrifices – including a black sheep. Medea also summoned the moon, represented by the goddess Diana, who was identified by the crescent moon on her head. The other engraving shown on the insert artwork is entitled “Saul spricht mit Samuels Geist bei der Hexe von Endor”, and it wasengraved by Gabriel Ehinger in 1675. This scene depicts Saul consulting the Witch of Endor to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel with the wish to receive advice on defeating the Philistines. However, the spirit summoned delivered a prophecy of doom, and Israel’s army was defeated in battle the day after. We thought both engravings would fit perfectly with the themes of witchcraft, divination of the dead and macabre maledictions permeating the album’s lyrics.


8. Recording took place in Ireland. Can you give us the maddening insights of what recording this LP was like, what your magnificent choices in special guests and the producers involved brought to the table and any other details of crafting this beast?

I definitely felt like a mad scientist gone even madder by the time we were adding the finishing touches to this magnum opus of ancient morbidity. So much so, that I needed a break from playing any music altogether for a few months afterwards as I was completely drained, both physically and mentally. But anyway, regardless of the stress suffered after staring far too deep into the abyss on and off for over 8 months, in my humble opinion, we were very lucky to be able to work with some of the best and most passionate engineers, producers, and musicians in the current underground metal milieu. They were crazy and patient enough to take the time to follow our sorcerous vision and experiment while spending countless hours working their asses off to get the album to sound exactly like we wanted it. Our brother Am, who also plays in the local bands Grave Miasma and Eihort engineered and recorded all the vocals, synths, samples, and additional instruments at Morbisound Studios here in London. He also engineered, recorded, mixed, and mastered the last promotional demo that we released before we commenced the album recording sessions and which secured the record deal with Invictus Productions in Europe and The Ajna Offensive in North America. Shauny Cadogan engineered and recorded all the guitars, bass, and drum tracks plus the choir on “Caput Draconis” at Sound Training – Studio One in Dublin, Ireland. He also mixed the whole album and did an immensely incredible job, as mixing this beast was no easy task considering all the different instruments and layers that we recorded. Last, but not least, Greg Chandler mastered it at Priory Recording Studio in Birmingham, UK. He also did an amazingly outstanding job and managed to keep all the dynamics created by the different layers and instruments used intact without losing any of the punch.

As for the guest musicians, A.A. Nemtheanga from Primordial recorded the main voice on the aforementioned choir on “Caput Draconis”. He has a very unique voice and style of singing that are recognizable right away and which reminds me of Quorthon’s clean vocals on albums like “Hammerheart” and “Twilight of the Gods” (although obviously he has his own timbre, but you can tell the man got drunk from the Bathory well and never recovered from the massive hungover). I strongly believe this was quite a daring move on our part and I am very glad that we asked him to guest as his distinctive voice gives the album a completely different aura of uncertainty right from the get go which prepares the listener to expect a few different twists and turns throughout the whole album. Nameless Void from the mighty Negative Plane recorded the synths and bell samples on “Necromancess”. I had completely run out of ideas while recording all the synth parts myself and I didn’t know what to do on this song, although I knew it definitely needed something to make it even more grandiose and theatrical than it already was, so I sent him an instrumental version and he sent me back the end result very quickly! It definitely added a highly eerie atmosphere, and once C. Howler recorded his demonic incantation that whole passage became a portal that sucks you in straight into the deepest pits of Hell.

Lastly, the third enigmatic guest credited as A Corpse Without Soul elevated the already sinister overtones of the album with his black magical necromantic proclamations and his utterly tormented and possessed lamentations. He has one of the best throats in the underground Black Metal milieu, and we were very lucky to have his unholy blessings staining our already pretty dark art with an even blacker shade of darkness. I think it is also very important to note that every single individual who has collaborated on this album feels a huge sense of pride for having been able to contribute towards the creation of this heretical monument of untamed evilness – be it the recording or mastering engineers, the producer, the labels, the graphic designer (Alejandro Tedín aka Heresie Studio, who perfected this opus by giving it the very elegant but arcane aesthetics that it possesses), the photographer (Terry Palamara, whose macabre portraits also captured the vibe of the record perfectly) or the aforementioned guest musicians involved. That in itself is unfortunately rare and no easy task to accomplish, so it also gives us a greater sense of pride and achievement. Without them the album wouldn’t have been the same, so we will forever be grateful for their invaluable contributions.

9. As a band that feels old in spirit, what is your stance on the landscape of Heavy Metal today? Along with any scathing criticisms or words of loyalty to the underground, perhaps you can recommend some bands you enjoy these days?

I think there are far too many bands and releases out there, which makes it really hard sometimes to find the good stuff. But here’s some newer underground Black/Death Metal bands that I would recommend: Hasturian Vigil, Vircolac, Coscradh, Necromantical Invocation, Venenum, Necromantic Worship, Reversed, Callous Master, Inconcessus Lux Lucis, Infernal Conjuration, Sacrificio, Moenen Of Xezbeth, Kastiphas, Necromante, Mare, Ysengrin, Sartegos, Swallowed, Negative Plane, Funereal Presence, Death Like Mass, Cultes Des Ghoules, Doombringer, Bahratal, Trucizna, Deus Mortem, Thy Killing Hand, 13th Moon, The Ruins Of Beverast, Hexorcist, Sodality, Oath Of Cruelty, Howls Of Ebb, Invocation Spells, Mayhemic, Spirit Possession, Sortilegia, Drowned, Abhorration, Malicious, Head Of The Demon, Nekromantheon, Obliteration, Sijjin, Malokarpatan, Venefixion, Perdition Temple, Ultra Silvam, Ritual Death, Void Meditation Cult, Vorum, Nocturnal Graves, Apostasy, Initiation, Succubus Seducers, Sex Messiah, etc. Hail the real underground!

10. Of course older bands probably make a far larger part of your listening input. Which archaic masters of metallic evil do you worship most?

When it comes to Death, darker Thrash, and Black Metal my favourite bands are mostly still the same old cult acts I’ve been worshipping since my formative years (however, there are also some that I discovered much later). I’m talking about legendary acts like Bathory, Hellhammer, Absu, Samael, Slaughter, Celtic Frost, Venom, Necrovore, Nifelheim, Sarcófago, Tormentor, Infernäl Mäjesty, Vulcano, Mortuary Drape, Possessed, Slayer, Massacra, Pentagram, Vomitor, Necromancy, Varathron, Rotting Christ, Necromantia, Zemial, Imperator, Poison (Germany), Voivod, Protector, Morbid Angel, Incubus, Nocturnus, Repulsion, Mutilator, Holocausto, Impurity, Necrodeath, Morbid, Sodom, Necrophiliac, Mystifier, Varathron, Mayhem, Burzum, Sepultura, Master’s Hammer, Root, Törr, Treblinka, Tiamat, Grotesque, Liers In Wait, Xantotol, Pandemonium, Holy Death, Sadistik Exekution, Gospel Of The Horns, Bestial Warlust, Slaughter Lord, Blasphemy, Beherit, Merciless, etc. The most obscure works of these bands greatly influenced the creation and evolution of NECROMANIAC; and I think it’s safe to say that without their output and legacy, our outlook on music, in general, would not be the same. I have also been on an old occult Italian Doom listening kick lately, namely Black Hole, Death SS, Paul Chain, and Requiem. The early music of those cult acts also has the same dark aura of mystery that resonates heavily within me and therefore tends to be the type of Metal that I usually gravitate to. Other than that, lately I have been listening to some occult Psych/Prog/Rock acts like Coven, Black Widow, The Devil’s Blood, Roky Erickson, The Other Sun, the 1st Witchcraft album, and Jacula’s “In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum”.

11. Finally, what’s next for Necromaniac? Will you be touring the LP or sticking to more exclusive live shows? Give us your last words of venom and warn us of what is coming next…

Only Death is certain! But yeah, we will most definitely continue to only play exclusive concerts with some of the darkest underground Metal acts around. Those are the bands that we feel a strong affinity with. This is very important to us as we strongly believe this approach makes every single ceremony that we choose to be a part of a very special one that all the morbid acolytes in attendance will later remember for many moons to come. Our main goal when we play live is to always leave the audiences hungry for more! Thanks again for your support and for your interest in our sinister coven. May the arcane mysticism contained within the very essence of our black art mark your damned soul with the unmistakable stench of Death and darkness until the very end of times!