Whenever one mentions UK Black Metal, the uninitiated immediately talk about Venom (who, yes, helped kick-start the genre). True as that may be, Venom remained effective but very much conventional Metal artists. What was to come later in the Scandinavian Black Metal realms bore little resemblance to Black Metal or At War with Satan, and it was those mighty bands of the early 1990s that carved out the Black Metal aesthetic which stamped the blueprint down hard for decades to come.

 In these sceptred isles we call Great Britain, very little real ‘Black Metal’ emerged for quite some time. Attempts by Cradle of Filth (Dani Filth was a friend of Euronymous), Hecate Enthroned, Ackercoke and Anaal Nathrak were, on balance, weak affairs and certainly no match for Darkthrone, Mayhem or Beherit. Later, we produced some decent enough bands: Wode. Winterfylleth, Wodensthrone and Code all produced creditable recordings and live shows replete with that dark soul of the Necro Kvlt. But, at least for me, they lacked that malign Satanic black flame energy that this music needs to really come alive and grab you by the throat mercilessly, unremittingly.

But in the subterranean abyss acts like Swine, Temple Moon, Skaldic Curse, Barshasketh and Wulfhere simmered menacingly with their raw, unpolished releases that reflected their primordial, anti-modernist worldview. And so it was that the UK Black Metal world was given a more authentic, primal, devilish sense of urgency.

Newcomers Necroligion are far from unpolished; their self-titled debut EP is well produced and packs a heavy, Death Metal punch. But they are the real deal and have laid down four original Black Death compositions that set new standards for this music in our country. Originally formed two years ago by Aaron Moore (guitars), Bruno Clay (drums and bass), and Russell Barron (vocals), Necroligion create archetypal Black Death Metal that bleeds Marduk, Gorgoroth and Emperor.

Birthed in the ‘fog-draped moors’ of the English West Country, this EP begins with an emergency SOS signal ambient composition that harbingers the greater social chaos to come, before kicking into opening track ‘2’ with its relentless blast beats and overwhelming wall of fury. While Necroligion pay homage to their influences, the sonic brilliance and the brutal attack are all theirs. No fucking about here, from the Goat and Pentagram cover to the fiery swirling guitars, this is as uncompromising as it is ruthless.

Released by Eggy Tapes on cassette and Wulfhere Productions, the Necroligion EP will endure as a vital and timeless milestone in the annals of UKBM. With a new live lineup augmented by Jaime Matas (guitar), Ben Szczemenski Waller (bass), and Rob Taylor (drums), expect live fire, brimstone and pure necro live energy real soon.

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