Positivity in Black Metal Music: Warlock Asylum Interviews The Necronomicon Band

Necronomicon is so much more than a fictional tale, a grimoire, or some secret society. Known for their intense pioneerhood of the black metal genre, Necronomicon has built a tomb of fame in the prophesies that can be heard in their music. Necronomicon is a legendary band that hails their slew of thrashing melodies from here to Canada.

 

Recently, I got a chance to vibe the Necronomicon band leader, Rob “The Witch.” I think you will enjoy some of the insights in store.

Warlock Asylum: It is really an honor to speak with a master in the genre of Black Metal music. While some of our subscribers are familiar with your work, could you give us a brief introduction of the band for some of our new readers?

Rob “The Witch”: Necronomicon formed in Canada. We’ve been around since 1988, but started to hit the road in 1990 or so. There was not many bands doing what we do during that time. Most of them were more accentuated towards satanic and depressive themes. At first, Necronomicon was more oriented towards Lovecraftian themes. But not long after the ”seriousness” of what we believed in took over, we started talking about the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation in interconnection with the universe. The term, necronomicon, meaning “things related to death, practices, customs, and laws”, that have been roughly translated as book of the dead. And yes, that makes us a band that spread a positive and empowering message.

Warlock Asylum: Your talent is greatly respected. I mean the vibe you guys are able to create is incredible. Here we have Rob “The Witch” on vocals and guitars, Rick on the drums, and Mars on bass.  How did the three of you come together as Necronomicon?

Rob “The Witch”: I started the band in 1988 with different members (in Saguenay region northern Quebec province) relocated in Montreal in 1993/94. I met Rick at the end of the 90’s while he was still playing with his previous band. I produced their CD. When the band split, Rick took a break but joined Necronomicon about year later. He’s been the longest running Necronomicon member since. Mars joined the band in 2013. We were on tour and had to hire a session bass player because the previous one refused to go on that specific tour. While on tour, I kept in contact with him and at one-point I told him why don’t you join the band and he said hell yeah. That’s pretty much it.

Warlock Asylum: Can you tell us a little about Necronomicon’s creative process? Who takes the lead in coming up with ideas for songs, and etc?

Rob “The Witch”: I write the music at home on my computer. I mean, I do a rough draft of the entire album, guitar, bass, drums and the basic of the orchestration. Everything but the vocal. Give it to the guys and they learn the songs. Rick may add a little twist sometimes, but not always. We go in the studio and record the album when we think we are ready. It’s as simple as that.

Warlock Asylum: Based on some of the interactions I’ve seen in your videos, it looks like you guys have a really tight bond.  After working with each other for so long, is it really like family or just business?

Rob “The Witch”: Well, we don’t really spend time together besides the band. Especially Mars, he is living in his own world lol! Me and Rick have lived a lot of things though together for the last 15 years, and we knew each other before that. So of course we had time to see that we get along. Even so, we don’t hang out THAT much. We are both really busy anyway.


Warlock Asylum: Stepping a foot deeper into the light of the artistic world, let’s talk about The Pharaoh of the Gods album. This is one of the Top 5 Black Metal albums in the world! The energy behind the whole album is absolutely amazing!  What did it take mentally and spiritually to create this album? What obstacles did you have to overcome to keep it available for fans?

Rob “The Witch”: Well the engineer and the studio we were working with were the biggest obstacles lol! These people had no vision among other things and did get what we were doing so it didn’t help at all.

I just wanted to go where I was feeling my music should go. But, I still feel the album could have been way more if I had the technological things we have these days. Back in the days it was really taking longer to do something like that, not just recording, but in experimenting and trying to get the ambiance and vibe I was looking for. It was really demanding. These days it is way more easier and faster, so I can get to result I want and in that way keep my focus. It’s hard to keep focus when things don’t go your way and you are forced to make compromises.

Spiritually it was the start of where i wanted to go with the previous releases, ” The Silver key”. Separate ourselves from the HP Lovecraft stories and context, with Pharaoh I was doing it at 100%. The Silver key was the line drawn to separate that, so the next album had to be something that was to be what Necronomicon was about to become, our sound, our vibe, our story. That album touched something that is much more deep and large! It’s something that changed the game. And we are still today, on the same path that we was when we did that album.

Warlock Asylum: I lot of your fans, myself included, are really enjoying the bands new albums, the artwork, and everything. It seems like Necronomicon has finally found a home with the Season of Mist record label. How did this alliance occur?

Rob “The Witch”: Well, we were finishing ”Rise of the Elder Ones” album and we ran into some problems with our previous record label. JF Dagenais from Kataklysm, who was mastering the album (the new one too,) simply said we should move to Season of Mist, that they were the label for us and they had a really good reputation. I contacted someone I know in France to put me in contact with Michael there, since I didn’t knew anyone there. The rest is history. We have two albums now with them and are doing good. We will see for the future.

Warlock Asylum: Looking back at the catalogue of work you guys have published so far, do you have any favorite album above the rest?

Rob “The Witch”: Of course I will say the latest one! Advent of the Human God is by far the most complete and precise depiction of what and how we wanted a Necronomicon album to be. Return of the Witch was scoring high, but the production is a disaster from a producer’s point of view. So it finishes dead last.

Warlock Asylum: Over the past 20 years, it seems like a Necronomicon Consciousness is starting to rise. We see it in the arts, magic, and music. Recently, the New York Times used the term in conjunction to an opinion on the upcoming presidential election.  What do the occult and social aspects of a Necronomicon Consciousness mean to the band Neronomicon?

Rob “The Witch”: Well, Necronomicon has always been about that! It’s not growing. It’s more direct, to the point now, less subtle. No time to use terms and mumbo-jumbo, we say things the way they are. I’m not really aware of what’s happening in politics because it’s one of the subjects I never talk about. But this is a farce, from my point of view. The people need to get over that and turn themselves towards what and who they are. Wake up and be conscious of what they are and stop being what the system dictates them to be. That goes for the metal heads too by the way. Be what you are, what you really are! Don’t limit yourself to this or that. We really live in an era of mediocrity. People are lazy and want everything right now and are slaves to the social media. Pathetic.

Warlock Asylum: What should we fan of Necronomicon expect to see of the band in the near future? Any new projects coming up?

Rob “The Witch”: We are just back from being on the road for two months, but some projects are already getting in place. Might start to write some new music and other things, we will see. But there’s much going on just now.

Warlock Asylum: This is definitely a historical moment for Warlock Asylum International News as we finally get to hear from the band that carries the name of our founding grimoire in spirit. What advice would you give to practitioners of magical arts associated with the term Necronomicon?

Rob “The Witch”: Well, always remember that the real meaning of the word necronomicon and the wisdom it carries. Also never forget that there’s no good or evil in using the dark art. Its goes with the vibe of the person that uses it. You are the one making it good or evil, so be careful of what you do. Be safe because what goes around comes around.

Warlock Asylum: Thank you so much for making the time to do this interview! I mean this is really a special moment. What final message would you like to send to fans of Necronomicon and our subscribers?

Rob “The Witch”: Many blessing to all readers. keep the spirit alive.