It’s that time of year where we set out to interview as many of the Sophie, New Blood, and Jager bands as we can in the lead-up to one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, Bloodstock. Answering our questions here are Hybridize who play the SOPHIE Stage on Sunday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Loosely, we all grew up around the rural Northwest of England. Although now we are spread further apart from one another around the North of England; Chester, Manchester, Sheffield and York more specifically. We continue to rehearse in Manchester.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
We began Necronautical as a recording project around ten years ago. We began working as a live entity around five years ago when Slugh ed the band, just after we released “The Endurance at Night” through Cacophonous is 2016. Although we did play a couple of shows around 2013 with our former drummer Paul.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Necronautics is a term meaning “the exploration of the plain of death and the underworld”. We happened upon this obscure institution known as the International Necronautical Society, which I think is some sort of collective committed to charting the underworld through near death experience and the like. So I guess we kind of lifted it from that, mercifully the INS don’t seem to mind, or maybe they’re all dead by now.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our music evokes the atmospheres of classic Blackened Metal, but executed in a modern way by integrating influence from Death Metal, Prog and Classical Score, and topped by a distinctive approach to exploratory conceptualisation and lyricism. Whilst we look at each song and release as its own entity, everything we do is focused towards creating a rich, dark atmosphere. Every aspect of the compositions bent towards placing the listener in the world of our creation, subtlety embellishing them with motifs and soundscapes that combine with the lyrical and visual concept we have chosen for the piece. We are absolutely a maximalist project, with every element used to serve the music’s emotional content. Our musical ambition is the creation of total inertia for both ourselves and for the listener.
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What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Our live show is again built to be immersive, with a stage setup that we feel enhances the atmospheres created through our music. We like to perform in mist and candlelight. For Bloodstock we have scaled up our stage production and our lineup as well. Unfortunately due to an injury temporarily preventing him from playing bass, The Anchorite will be performing a choral arrangement throughout the set alongside our esteemed guest soprano vocalist Victoria Harley, who lent her incredible vocals to our latest release. We will have our friend Darianth from Hungarian Black Metal horde Andartar stepping in on bass whilst Anchorite recovers. So what we are offering at Bloodstock is a full production with a live choral section, as well as a broad visual production. This show will be unique for Necronautical as well as the attendees at Bloodstock. Where else that weekend will you see a full force extreme metal show with a live opera? Don’t miss it!
Have you played Bloodstock before? If so, when?
Necronautical has never performed at Bloodstock before. This years Bloodstock falls just one week before the release of our new record “Slain in the Spirit”, so timing has never been better for our debut at the festival, it means a lot to us to be there as we have attended the festival many times in our past. I (Naut) have performed at the festival in 2015 as frontman for my former band Ethereal, and I will also be playing my first show as the guitar player for Winterfylleth on the SOPHIE stage on the Saturday of this years festival. Our drummer Slugh has also previously performed with his band Foetal Juice, who will be playing on the main stage on the Friday this year.
How/when did you find out that you’d be playing the SOPHIE stage?
The festival ed us at the beginning of July to ask if we would replace our labelmates in Blasphemer, who unfortunately could not perform at the festival because of this pandemic.
What sort of setlist can we expect?
We will perform songs that have never been heard before from our new record “Slain…”, as well as songs from “The Endurance at Night” and “Apotheosis”, which will be given a new twist through our temporary life as a six piece band, in that we have devised a live choral arrangement for these songs as well.
Which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Judas Priest.
What are you working on at the moment?
We are currently devoted to preparing for Necronautical’s return to the stage and the release of our new record on the 20th of August. By the way, it is available to pre-order through both our bandcamp page and via our label Candlelight Records.
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What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I saw a young Set Teitan (at that time the guitar player for Dissection) explore the contents of his left arm with a large knife whilst watching a young Watain open for Dissection in 2004. I was 17 years old, it was in many ways the most extreme and overwhelming concert I’ve ever witnessed. As for our own antics we’re not engaged with any subversive debauchery or shock factor. Our shows and our music are complex and they require our utmost focus and preparation.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
Sometimes we like to have a beer or some wine before the stage but not too much, just to loosen up a little if I need. Though I have to say nothing fires me up like a nice room temperature glass of water.
Necronautical: facebook | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
