New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Classic and Progressive Rock

Necromandus. They Could Have Been Black Sabbath?

NecromandusNecromandus. A name to conjure with eh. They were/are what you might call a pre-NWOBHM band flaming out just before the “movement” took off. And perhaps they really could have been Sabbath….

Why? Because as the fledgling Necromandus were finding their feet, the Sabbath connection was strong having developed a relationship with the Sabs including being signed to the same label and managed by Tony Iommi himself.

That connection and backing, a tight bunch of musicians and a remarkably guitarist in Baz Dunnery – what could possibly go wrong. Especially with a musical style mixing doomy Sabs-style riffs with a bit of Budgie, early Rush and even a bit of Yes they had plenty to offer.

It looked great too for a while however a combination of Iommi’s Sabbath commitments and the unexpected decision by Dunnery to quit meant the end for Necromandus before they’d properly begun.

Such a shame. Had they remained in shape it’s not hard to imagine them going onto big things and having a big say in the “classic” NWOBHM era and beyond.

Now we can all enjoy what a fine band Necromandus were and marvel at the jaw-dropping guitar pyrotechnics. Powerful yet fluid.

Check out Don’t Look Down Frank for example – a blinding riff driving everything strongly and a wicked solo thrown in as the cut throbs along.  Listen to this!

I’ve Been Evil and Limpet Man also being find showcases of the band’s talent and Dunnery’s remarkable virtuosity.

It says much when you consider that after Necromandus split in the mid-1970s, the Sabbath connection remained with Ozzy Osbourne seeking to get things moving again and co-opt them in to an embryonic line-up of Blizzard of Oz. That didn’t work out either…………..

The album is excellent indeed. What a pity that Necromandus didn’t get the breaks all those years ago. Don’t let it pass you by now. A most recommended addition to your collection.

>> NECROMANDUS AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON HERE <<

Footnote: Dean Newton got in touch to say: “just letting you know that the Necromandus article you posted
is great. However, the link to the album you posted is the brand new studio album recorded by the new line-up in 2017. It is in fact me playing the guitar. Not Baz Dunnery, as he passed away a few years ago. More info can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/NecromandusMusic/ – thanks to Dean for pointing this out as I wasn’t aware of it. And you must agree he’s quite some guitarist!”

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