There are many legends among the German thrash heros from the early eighties, but no need to name them all here, right? Instead of clinging to the stuff we all know anyway, it's time to turn our attention to one more underground gem some of you might have heard about: Necronomicon. Doesn't ring a bell? Well, life could have been so much different ... If, yes, if Necronomicon had had the better luck with their first record deal in the mid-1980s. The second Necronomicon longplayer "Apocalyptic Nightmare was originally released on Scratchcore in 1987, and even though it was largely ignored hereabouts, "Apocalyptic Nightmare" was loved internationally, especially in all Scandinavian countries, the US and South America - places where the people with the really good taste in music live, right? Vocalist Freddy easily bears comparison with Destruction's Schmier, and Necronomicon's guitar sound has sometimes been compared to that of the mighty (early) Celtic Frost. Volker also had that ultimate crunch in his guitar playing, due to some remarkable coincidence: "I had borrowed an amp from Mike of Destruction because my own amp was not working at the time we wanted to record the first album. It was possibly this what made it all so special." Where once a pretty obscure label failed in supporting a young and hungry band, High Roller Records are going to make up for this. The present for Necronomicon marks the de luxe re-release of their second album "Apocalyptic Nightmare". An odyssey of uncertainty and suffering has come to and end. Or as guitarrist Volker puts it: This time, it was "pure luck. Or call it destiny." - Ulrike Schmitz / Matthias Mader
