Necromandus

Necromandus are an English rock band from Egremont, Cumberland, England. 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.

Necromandus
OriginEgremont, Cumbria, England
Genres
Years active1970–1973; 2016–present
LabelsVertigo
MembersJohn Marcangelo
Frank Hall
Banjo Cunanan
Dean Newton
John Branch
Past membersBarry Dunnery
Dennis McCarten
Bill Branch

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 ear of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, who began managing the group.[5]

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.[6] Necromandus continued to receive praise and support, with Ozzy Osbourne initially wanting Necromandus's guitarist, bassist and drummer for his Blizzard of Ozz project.[7] Dennis McCarten, Barry Dunnery, and Frank Hall were in fact the Original Blizzard Of Ozz with Osbourne in 1977.

Dunnery and Hall founded the cover band Nerves, with Dunnery leaving to join the ELO offshoot Violinski in 1976.[8] Dunnery and Hall also played together in the new wave of British heavy metal band Hammerhead, although Dunnery's stint was brief.

The only surviving member of the original lineup of Necromandus is Frank Hall: Dennis McCarten died of a kidney illness in December 2004 at the age of 54,[9] and Barry Dunnery (the elder brother of Francis Dunnery) died of cancer on 29 May 2008 at the age of 56.[10] Bill Branch died in June 1995 at the age of 45. [11] [12]

In 2016 the band was reformed with a new line-up to record a new album, based on recordings the band made in 1975. It was released in 2017. [13]

Style

Hailing the band as "the second Sabbath" but with a prog edge, Melody Maker called Necromandus "a sort of Black Sabbath play Yes' greatest hits".[3] The band's music has been classified as hard rock,[1][2] heavy metal,[3][4] proto-metal,[14] progressive blues,[14] doom metal[15] art rock,[2] folk jazz[2] and progressive rock.[2]

Line-up

Current members
  • John Branch – vocals (2016–present)
  • Dean Newton – guitar (2016–present)
  • Paul Spedding – bass (2017–present)
  • John Marcangelo – keyboards (2016–present)
  • Frank Hall – drums (1970–1973, 2016–present)

Former members
  • Bill Branch – vocals (1970–1973; died 1995)
  • Barry Dunnery – guitar (1970–1973; died 2008)
  • Dennis McCarten – bass (1970–1973; died 2004)

Discography
  • Quicksand Dream (1991, alternative version of Orexis of Death)
  • Orexis of Death (1999, recorded 1973)
  • Necrothology (best of, 2005)[16]
  • Live (2005)
  • Orexis of Death Plus... (reissue, 2005)
  • Orexis of Death / Live (reissue, 2010)
  • Necromandus (2017)

References
  1. Fricke, David (14 October 2010). "Necromandus: Heavy Seventies Rock, Lost and Found". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Orexis of Death/Live Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. Everley, Dave (18 July 2017). "How did everything go so wrong for Necromandus?". Louder. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  4. Sleazegrinder (March 2007). "The Lost Pioneers of Heavy Metal". Classic Rock.
  5. "Necromandus". Archive.today. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012.
  6. "Cumbrian Bands & Groups of The 60's". Fenderstrat.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  7. "We should have been as big as Ozzy".
  8. "Nerves". Archive.today. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012.
  9. Doc Rock. "2004 July to December". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  10. Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2008 January to June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  11. Entry at FamilySearch for William J Branch: born 21 Mar 1950, died Jun 1995.
  12. "News & Star | Features | People | We should have been as big as Ozzy". Newsandstar.co.uk. 25 March 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  13. "Necromandus Music". Facebook.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  14. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Necromandus Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  15. 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 Burning Witch."
  16. Eduardo Rivadavia. "Necromandus | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 July 2014.

Bibliography
  • Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8
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