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Necromandus

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Necromandus were a rock band from Cumberland, United Kingdom. They were formed in 1970 and were discovered by Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath in 1972. After recording one album in 1973, they split up. The album was not released until 1999. In 2007 they were mentioned in an article in Classic Rock magazine.[1] Author, Ian Christe, has cited the band as one of the earliest doom metal groups.[2]

History

In 1968 two West Cumbrian bands, Jug and Heaven, broke up. Members from both bands, Barry "Baz" Dunnery (lead guitar), Dennis McCarten (bass), Frank Hall (drums), and singer Bill Branch, formed a heavy progressive blues outfit they called Hot Spring Water. They were briefly renamed Taurus before settling on Necromandus after a radio show asked their audience for name suggestions. In 1972, after extensive gigging and a failure to release a record, they caught the eye of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, who began managing the group.[3]

In early 1973 Necromandus, under Iommi's guidance, recorded the album Orexis of Death at London's Morgan Studio. Iommi also added some guitar to the title track. A deal was arranged with Vertigo and the band began opening for Sabbath as well as Tony Kaye's Badger. Dunnery left the band in 1973, and as a result the album was shelved by Vertigo.[4] Necromandus continued to receive praise and support, with Ozzy Osbourne initially wanting them for his Blizzard of Ozz project.[citation needed]

Dunnery and Hall founded the cover band Nerves, with Dunnery leaving to join the ELO offshoot Violinski in 1976.[5] Hall and Dunnery also played together in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band Hammerhead, although Dunnery's stint was very brief.

The only surviving member of Necromandus is Frank Hall, as Dennis McCarten died in 2004 and Barry Dunnery (the elder brother of Francis Dunnery) died in 2008. The date of Bill Branch's death is currently unknown, though it is known he died sometime between the years 1980 and 2001.

Style

Hailed as "the second Sabbath" but with a prog edge, Melody Maker called Necromandus "a sort of Black Sabbath play Yes' greatest hits".[citation needed]

Discography

  • Quicksand Dream (1991)
  • Orexis of Death (1999)
  • Necrothology (best of, 2001)[6]
  • Live (2005)
  • Orexis of Death Plus... (reissue, 2005)
  • Orexis of Death / Live (reissue, 2010)

Notes

  1. ^ Sleazegrinder (March 2007). "The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal". Classic Rock.
  2. ^ Christe (2003), pg. 345, "Beginning with the overlooked Lucifer's Friend and Necromandus in the early 1970s, doom crawled through the 1980s with Trouble, Witchfinder General, the Obsessed, Candlemass, Pentagram, and Saint Vitus, then into the 1990s with Cathedral, Sleep, and Buring Witch."
  3. ^ http://www.btinternet.com/~fenderstrat2/Necromandus.htm
  4. ^ Alastair Duncan, John Fisher "Cumbrian Bands of the 60s and 70s"
  5. ^ http://www.btinternet.com/~fenderstrat2/Nerves.htm
  6. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:w9fwxq85ldae

References

  • Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0380811278
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