Nokturnal Mortum

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Nokturnal Mortum
Nokturnal Mortum.jpg
Nokturnal Mortum at Hell Fast Attack 2015
Background information
Origin Kharkiv, Ukraine
Genres
Years active1994–present
Labels
Members Knjaz Varggoth
Wortherax
Kubrakh
Surm
Karpath
Past membersSaturious
Haarquath
Munruthel
Jurgis
Sataroth
Vrolok
Alzeth
Odalv
K
Astargh
Aywar
Bairoth
Rutnar
Website nokturnal-mortum.com

Nokturnal Mortum are a Ukrainian black metal band from Kharkiv. They were one of the founders of the Ukrainian black metal scene and pioneers in the early National Socialist black metal ("NSBM") scene, although have since been vocal in distancing themselves from National Socialist ideology. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

History

Nokturnal Mortum was originally formed as a death metal band called Suppuration in 1991, [8] then turned to black metal and changed name to Crystaline Darkness but "had to change the name back in 1993/94 to Nocturnal Mortum because there already existed a band with that name in Western underground". [9] They have stated this about the current name and spelling: "We changed a letter so that we wouldn't find a band with the same name again like it was the case with Crystaline Darkness". [9] Nokturnal Mortum gained recognition in the underground Black Metal genre with the release of their debut album Goat Horns , which had two keyboardists play on the album (often on the same song) and for mixing traditional Ukrainian folk influences with BM. They focused heavily on atmospheric BM with themes common in classic nature-romanticism, often inspired by regional or local ancient folklore, mythology or journeys set in pagan landscapes. Early album art usually always depicted vast forests, swamps, sunsets, desolate mountains in wintery nights, and so on.

Nazism views

The band's first albums were released through The End Records and (as licence pressings) by Nuclear Blast, [10] but the label and the band separated at the time of the album releases of NeChrist and Lunar Poetry , both releases suddenly containing political support to neo-Nazi and White supremacist causes. The band began to change from being in the more popular extreme metal scenes to becoming one of the leading groups in the National Socialist black metal (NSBM) scene in Eastern Europe. Varggoth himself said about the conflict with the label: "We had a contract with The End Records but it was broken. We have different points of view. They didn't like our policy, we didn't like the way they do business. They owe us some money. That was enough for a conflict."

In autumn of 2014, band frontman Knjaz Varggoth published a statement declaring that he and Nokturnal Mortum had begun to distance themselves from politics in order to avoid rumors concerning his personal views and band ideology; [11] however, the band played live at the Neo-Nazi festival Asgardsrei in December 2016 and 2018, [12] [13] and have played at several other white supremacist festivals since. Nokturnal Mortum's music was once available on the music platform Spotify, but the team has since removed and blacklisted the band from the platform due to their associations with the NS movement. [14]

Controversies and Nazi ideology

Initially, the band described their music as "lunar black metal". [15] On their 1996 demo Lunar Poetry the band advocated for the killing of Christians, the destruction of churches, and Slavic paganism, along with describing Jesus as a "crucified hippie". Later, when releasing their EP Marble Moon and also the Nechrist and Lunar Poetry albums, they included anti-Semitic lyrics with neo-Nazi and white supremacy messages and imagery. [16] [17] [18]

As the more popular non-political black metal scene (including many shops and concert events) began distancing themselves from their ideology, the band instead became prominent in the early Eastern European National Socialist black metal scene, and is today often considered as one of the groups that shaped the Slavic subcultural NSBM movement. [1] [2] They also began using swastikas in their logo, on albums, during shows, and praising the Third Reich and the Holocaust openly in various side-projects. [19] Knjaz Varggoth, in one of several side projects, also voiced support for the so-called "racial holy war" idea. [20] Nokturnal Mortum's album Нехристь (Nechrist) features a song called "The Call of Aryan Spirit", which includes anti-Semitic lyrics and the glorification of pogroms. The album's original release included a swastika design consisting of four AK-47's. [6] [16] [17] [21] [22]

In interviews, appearances, merchandise and on their website, the band showcased neo-Nazi opinions but their music style itself was described as "pagan black metal". [2] [22] Statements and texts show neo-völkisch as well as neo-paganist ideas, and a tendency to ariosophy. [16] [17]

In 2008, the band's vocalist and guitarist, Knjaz Varggoth, claimed that he had no interest in political tendencies and that he had, "never viewed Nokturnal Mortum as a political band". [23] [24] In 2014 the group again stated that the band had severed ties with NSBM ideologies and political themes, [25] but at the same time and in the following years, they remained active in white supremacist circles and has played live at neo-Nazi and far right shows, [26] [27] [28] [25] [29] in collaboration with the NSBM label "Militant Zone". [29] [26] [27] [28] [25]

Members

Current

Former


Discography

Albums

Live albums

EPs

Demos

Splits

Compilations

Related Research Articles

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National Socialist black metal is a political movement and a subgenre within the black metal music scene that promotes neo-Nazism, neo-fascism, and white supremacist ideologies. NSBM artists typically combine neo-Nazi imagery and ideology with ethnic European paganism, Satanism, or Nazi occultism, or a combination thereof, and vehemently oppose Christianity, Islam and Judaism from a racialist viewpoint. NSBM is not seen as a distinct genre, but as a völkisch movement within black metal. According to Mattias Gardell, NSBM musicians see this ideology as "a logical extension of the political and spiritual dissidence inherent in black metal".

Yevhen Hapon, also spelled Eugeny Gapon and Ievgen Gapon, better known by his stage name Knjaz Varggoth, is one of the foremost figures in Eastern European black metal and far-right musicians. He is also known to Russians as Yevgeny Gaponovich Gaponovskiy or Genka for short.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graveland</span> Polish pagan black metal band

Graveland are a Polish neo-Nazi pagan black metal band which was formed in 1991 by Rob Darken. They began as a black metal band before adopting a pagan and Viking metal style. The lyrics and imagery of Graveland are strongly inspired by European mythology, nature, winter and war. Their early work focused on Celtic and Slavic mythology, while their later work focuses on Norse mythology and Wotanism.

Absurd is a German National Socialist black metal band that has been classified as a "right-wing extremist" group by the Thuringian Landesbehörde für Verfassungsschutz.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horna</span> Finnish black metal band

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<i>Lunar Poetry</i> 1996 demo album by Nokturnal Mortum

Lunar Poetry is the third and final demo by Ukrainian black metal band Nokturnal Mortum. It was released on cassette tape in April 1996, through Morbid Noizz and MetalAgen Records.

<i>The Voice of Steel</i> 2009 studio album by Nokturnal Mortum

Голос Сталі is an album by the Ukrainian black metal band Nokturnal Mortum, released in December 2009. The album was mixed at M.A.R.T. Studio, Kharkiv, during August and October 2009. Mastering took place in the Mana Recording Studios, Florida, in November 2009. The album was remixed and remastered in 2014 through Heritage Records.

<i>Goat Horns</i> 1997 studio album by Nokturnal Mortum

Goat Horns is the debut studio album by Ukrainian black metal band Nokturnal Mortum. It was released on cassette tape in July 1997, through Morbid Noizz Productions.

<i>To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire</i> 1998 studio album by Nokturnal Mortum

To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire is the second album by Ukrainian symphonic black metal band Nokturnal Mortum. This album was dedicated to Igor Naumchuk of Lucifugum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khors (band)</span> Ukrainian metal band

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References

  1. 1 2 "На фестиваль в Минск приезжает языческая, антихристианская группа из Украины — верующие выступают против". M.nn.by. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Черная кузница Слобожанщины. Как начинался украинский black metal". Amnesia.in.ua. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "En Rhц╢ne-Alpes, un nouveau concert de black metal nц╘onazi". Rue89lyon.fr. February 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Marc Dazy. "Rockenblog | Du grabuge avant le concert de Nokturnal Mortum". Leprogres.fr. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "I Just Found 37 White Supremacist Hate Bands on Spotify". Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Groupes néo-nazis, saluts hitlériens... SOS Racisme demande une enquête sur les invités du Ragnard rock festival | Le Huffington Post". M.huffingtonpost.fr. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  7. ↑ И.Симоненко Между молотом и наковальней. Гид по Хард-року и Метал-музыке Украины (p. 20)/ Игорь Симоненко. - Винница : Нилан : Rockinbooker Publishing, 2015. - 167, [25] с. : фот. - ISBN   978-966-924-116-0
  8. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Nokturnal Mortum – Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Interviews (Nokturnal Mortum)". Firegoat.com. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Aaron McKay: The Genesis of the End. CoC interviews Andreas Katsambas of The End Records. Chronicleofchaos.com
  11. ↑ "As well as a person who has many-sided... - Nokturnal Mortum". Facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  12. ↑ "ASGARDSREI V – Nokturnal Mortum, Peste Noire, M8L8TH, Kroda (Kiev, 18 December 2016)". Militant.zone. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  13. ↑ Mortum, Nokturnal (14 August 2018). "Asgardsrei 2018 in Kyiv". Nokturnal-mortum.com. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "In Response to Our Article, Spotify Is Removing Neo-Nazi Hate Bands". Digitalmusicnews.com. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  15. ↑ "Nokturnal Mortum – "NeChrist" CD Review – in Metal Reviews". Metalunderground.com. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 The Music Sound. Author: Nicolae Sfetcu
  17. 1 2 3 Reichsrock: The International Web of White-Power and Neo-Nazi Hate Music. Author: Kirsten Dyck
  18. ↑ Nokturnal Mortum, album: NeChrist. 2000
  19. ↑ Aryan Terrorism, album: WAR
  20. ↑ Album cover: Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra
  21. ↑ Thrashnkill, Joe (14 August 2018). "Too Scared to Attend Unite the Right? Try Asgardsrei 2018 – The Toilet Ov Hell". Toiletovhell.com. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  22. 1 2 "A Very Dirty Lens: How Can We Listen to Offensive Metal? - PopMatters". Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  23. ↑ Asgardsrei festival 5, line-up
  24. ↑ "Nokturnal Mortum Interview Frostkamp Magazine". Frostkamp.wordpress.com. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  25. 1 2 3 "Too Scared to Attend Unite the Right? Try Asgardsrei 2018". Toiletovhell.com. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  26. 1 2 "Asgardsr/ei festival | FOIA Research". Foiaresearch.net. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  27. 1 2 "Nokturnal Mortum – ASGARDSREI 2018" . Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  28. 1 2 Mortum, Nokturnal (5 August 2016). "Asgardsrei V". Nokturna=mortum.com. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  29. 1 2 "Assaults". Militant.zone. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
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