From the region of Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany come Necronomicon, a Thrash Metal band that saw the light of day in 1984. As so many bands back then, Necronomicon were influenced by their big examples (Slayer, Metallica) and newer German bands. In the mid‑1980s, German Thrash Metal was still mutating: raw, confrontational, and unpolished by design. While bands like Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction were carving out the genre’s most violent edges, Necronomicon emerged from the same underground with a sound that was equally aggressive but slightly more structured, hinting at a broader musical vocabulary even in its earliest form. The two demos recorded in 1985, ‘Total Rejection’ and ‘Blind Destruction’, capture a band in the act of becoming: feral, ambitious, and already distinct.
The ‘Total Rejection’ demo is pure first‑wave German Thrash Metal: fast, abrasive, and unapologetically crude. Recorded as a trio, the material leans heavily on speed‑driven riffing and punk‑inflected urgency. Songs like ‘Genocide’ and the title track charge forward with relentless momentum, driven by sharp, palm‑muted riffs and barked vocals that sit somewhere between early Destruction and Motörhead’s street‑level aggression.
What sets this demo apart is its sense of songcraft beneath the chaos. Tracks such as ‘Woman’ and ‘Rebel’ introduce melodic lead breaks that betray a traditional Heavy Metal influence, while ‘Wehrt Euch’ adds a distinctly German political edge, grounding the band firmly in its cultural context. The production is thin and raw, but that only amplifies the urgency; this is Thrash Metal as protest music, recorded with more conviction than concern for fidelity.
Later the same year, ‘Blind Destruction’ reveals a noticeable leap forward. With the addition of a second guitarist, Necronomicon’s sound becomes denser and more deliberate. The riffs are heavier, the arrangements more layered, and the atmosphere darker overall. The brief intro sets an ominous tone before launching into ‘Iron Charm,’ a track that balances speed with a more controlled, almost sinister pacing.
Songs like ‘Possessed by Evil’ and ‘Insanity’ show the band experimenting with structure, shifting tempos, and more expressive lead work. There’s a clearer sense of identity forming here: still rooted in Thrash Metal, but flirting with the darker aesthetics that would later define parts of Death Metal and Black Metal. The title track ‘Blind Destruction’ stands as the demo’s centerpiece: longer, more dynamic, and unmistakably confident.
Taken together, these two demos document Necronomicon’s rapid evolution within one single year. ‘Total Rejection’ is reckless and confrontational; ‘Blind Destruction’ is heavier, more refined, and more ominous. Neither demo is polished, nor should they be; this is underground metal in its most honest form, created at a time when ambition mattered more than perfection.
For listeners interested in the roots of German Thrash Metal, these recordings are essential. They don’t just show where Necronomicon came from; they capture the volatile energy of a scene still defining itself, where every riff felt like a declaration of intent. And therefore Vic Records had both demos extensively remastered and added the two compilation tracks from the ‘Break Out – German Metal Tracks No. 2’ Compilation LP 1986 (Metalworks). The music sounds crispy, fresh, brutal and unpolished as it withstood time very well. If you take into consideration that the band continued after their first three albums and keeps releasing new albums regularly until today.
Both the first albums have already been remastered/remixed on several occasions; now it was time for the demos so the early teutonic discography from the band can be reserved. Contact Vic Records directly or through Bandcamp for a copy.
