1.Hello for accepting this interview. First of all, I have to admit that the only (generally) association with your country is already (unfortunately), Negura Bunget. I have a question related to this - has this band overshadowed the others? What is your opinion?
Octav Necrosis: Negura Bunget earned their legacy. They have a solid run of albums and some of them deserve their legendary status: “'n crugu bradului” and “OM” for example should get even more praise if you ask me. Can’t say I agree with the statement that it overshadowed others.
Those curios about other bands from Romania can jump on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RomanianBlackMetalElite
It includes a wide variety of materials, old and new, raw or experimental. They are selected by me and Robert from Grohot. Of course, I suggest checking out my bands – Akral Necrosis, Wormgod and Grohot.
2.Returning to your band, who am I talking to, what is your role in it and give us a brief history of the band and why this genre?
Octav Necrosis: My main band is Akral Necrosis. I’m the vocalist. We started in 2006 after another band I was in broke up. The initial one was a death metal one, but I really felt more attracted to black metal and the possibilities it offered for artistic expression and music. That’s when I met Victor and Akral Necrosis was born.
Some years later I also did the vocal part for Wormgod’s first demo. Later the 1st album and now it is also a live band.
Some 2 years ago I also joined Robert in Grohot and we also started a small underground label together, Romanian Black Metal Elite. We are doing limited runs of high-quality tapes.
Since 2011 I am also a part of Cavalleria Events which is a booking agency, but we also organize festival and shows in Romania.
3.Your inspirations, ideas for riffs, ideas for lyrics - what is your method? Do you draw ideas from old bands or do young ones also give you power and blackness?
Octav Necrosis: I don’t compose the music, that is done by Victor, SoYoS or Damian, but I do create the vocal lines and lyrics. Everyday life is my main source of inspiration, but books, sometimes movies also play a part in this.
I am always on the lookout for new bands that push the genre forward without cutting its roots or severing ties with the very important ideology black metal has, but I try to avoid getting inspired by other bands. When I work on new songs, I avoid listening to extreme metal of any kind.
4.You've been around for 18 years, 3 full albums, the last album 5 years ago. My question is: why such gaps and so rarely?
Octav Necrosis: Well, we don’t feel we are in a race to deliver as many materials, nor do we have deadlines, maybe just self-imposed ones. I’d rather take some time to create music that feels like an evolution for the band. So quality is more important than quantity.
On the other hand, we have always been plagued by line-up changes. Just since 2020, there have been 5 line-ups and probably the toughest period for the band, but we managed to come back stronger each time, kept up with live activities and put out a killer live album. But changing members always slowed us down.
5.Let's get back to the country: what is the metal scene like in your country, how often are concerts, is the fans' interest in music still the same as it was or is it maybe greater?
Octav Necrosis: We have an atypical scene, but great bands covering all genres which are becoming more and more efficient at touring, promoting themselves and what not. We always had problems with the scene infrastructure, but hopefully that will change. There’s also a new generation coming along that shows passion for metal and are doing new bands, zines and such.
6.Geopolitical question: elections behind you, new president, new plans for the country, war on the border. What is your opinion and can it affect metal in Romania?
Octav Necrosis: As long as the current status quo holds, there is no effect. We have freedom of speech while also being ignored. I don’t think politicians care about underground scenes or too much about culture in general. Well, unless it serves a purpose.
What might change is that we will probably get a load of extra taxes which will make people less able to attend shows. You know how it is; culture or music are “non-essential” and that’s where you cut when you need to.
7.The band: upcoming plans, when will the new album be released, how much will the style change, concert plans, maybe a new publisher?
Octav Necrosis: We are set to release our 4th album in 2026 to coincide with our 20th anniversary. We are indeed looking for a label to put the album out on several formats. The music itself shows a clear evolution of our sound while the defining pieces are still there.
We are still on the lookout for a new live drummer, since our former relocated back to his country, unfortunately. Until a permanent one is found, we are thinking about session drummers.
But 2026 is still far away. There might be an intermediary release this year, to cover the gap.
8.Finally, thank you for the interview, your precious time, a few words to the fans. What would you like to tell them at the end,
maybe a message like an echo from the dark lands of Transylvania. Hail to Akral Necrosis. -
interview conducted by: Seducer 2025y.
Octav Necrosis: Spread the plague! Support real underground black metal!
