by Niklas Göransson

As Necropolis widened its scope, the foundations began to fracture. New alliances formed a crucible where vision collided with human frailty – a chapter defined both by rise and ruin.

 

PAUL TYPHON: Most early signings grew out of personal relationships. Musicians like Blackmoon and IT helped preserve Necropolis’ philosophy – the darkness at black metal’s core. At the same time, expanding beyond that became essential; survival demanded it.

After four years of focusing on distant scenes – mainly Scandinavian bands who didn’t even perform live – Paul began to see the limitations of building momentum around non-touring acts. Broadening the label’s reach was, in part, an attempt to strengthen its domestic presence.

PAUL: USURPER had just recorded a mini-album when we started talking. I was already a huge fan of “Diabolosis…” – as a lifelong CELTIC FROST fanatic, these riffs and vocals echoing Tom G. Warrior grabbed me immediately. I told Metalion, ‘I’m hoping to sign these guys, and I’d like your blessing.’

Chicago’s USURPER formed in 1993. Two years and one demo later, they released their debut, “Diabolosis…”, through Norway’s Head Not Found – the label run by Slayer Mag editor Metalion.

PAUL: He said, ‘Go for it. These guys deserve more exposure.’ That’s Metalion for you – always putting his bands first, never himself. After I signed them, USURPER sent us some artwork, which a designer tweaked until everything looked right. At the time, it became my favourite Necropolis release.

“Threshold of the Usurper”, Necropolis’ first American title, came out in January ‘97.

PAUL: Bringing an internationally respected American band into the fold felt like a huge win. USURPER embodied everything we’d been looking for; these guys fully lived the metal lifestyle. When they visited us, everyone was strutting around in leather pants and boots under the California sun – total dedication.

 

PAUL: One day, a staff member told me, ‘Sterling Von Scarborough is calling the customer line.’ <laughs> INCUBUS is one of my all-time favourites, so I picked up – and sure enough, it was him. ‘Hey, I’ve resurrected my old band and wanted to reach out.’ From there, we spoke for hours.

Back in 1986, Sterling ‘Von’ Scarborough dissolved his death metal band INCUBUS, moved from Georgia to Florida, and joined MORBID ANGEL on bass. He immediately clashed with Trey Azagthoth, so when co-founder and drummer Mike Browning left, Sterling followed. After recruiting Gino Marino on guitar, they revived INCUBUS and recorded their 1987 demo.

INCUBUS burned brightly but briefly. The three-song demo remains their sole surviving document – Sterling refused to let rehearsals be recorded and would threaten violence at anyone who tried. Tensions soon flared: a drunken brawl between him and Gino sealed the band’s fate. Browning went on to form NOCTURNUS, while Sterling drifted back to Georgia, where several attempts to restart INCUBUS fizzled out.

PAUL: Super intense guy – deeply into the dark arts, constantly studying and evolving. In that sense, he reminded me of Jon Nödtveidt. Sterling felt out of place with his bandmates and wanted to relocate to the Bay Area, so I offered him a job at the warehouse.

How long did that last?

PAUL: A week or so <laughs>. It wasn’t going to work. My experience mirrored how Mike Browning described him: brilliant, but volatile. Nonetheless, just having Sterling – one of the true originators of death metal – on Necropolis was exciting.

 

In 1992, Scarborough managed to resurrect INCUBUS with original drummer Rich Fuscia – only to discover the name was no longer available, courtesy of a Californian rock band formed the year before. They rebranded as USURPER and recorded a demo before disbanding again.

After returning to his home state of North Carolina, Sterling assembled a new lineup and revived USURPER – just in time to see Necropolis announce a Chicago band using the same name. He then decided to change the moniker to ANUBIS and contact the label.

According to an April 1997 Necropolis news post, the two parties agreed on “Engulfed in Unspeakable Horror (Aeons of Darkness)” – a compilation featuring remastered versions of the INCUBUS and USURPER demos alongside new ANUBIS material.

PAUL: We gave him studio money for an ANUBIS recording, and Sterling sent over some songs, liner notes, logos, and so on. Unfortunately, during that period, he started drinking heavily – calling the office, threatening my staff, just spiralling. I’m all for giving people chances, but once behaviour crosses certain lines, I pull back.

By all accounts, things only deteriorated after Necropolis and ANUBIS parted ways. No new releases saw the light of day, and Sterling ended his life hanging from a noose in 2006.

PAUL: I don’t know, man… maybe Necropolis really was cursed <laughs> because these situations kept happening. Still, I always liked Sterling. I respected him deeply and thought he was a brilliant musician – someone destined for far greater things. Rest in peace.

 

The same April 1997 news post announced another new signing: RHIANNON, a piano-driven project by Alexandra Balogh, then girlfriend of IT from ABRUPTUM and OPHTHALAMIA. She composed and performed the outro, “No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep”, on DISSECTION’s 1995 album “Storm of the Light’s Bane”.

PAUL: That decision drew a lot of inspiration from Cold Meat Industry, because Roger Karmanik was doing something truly unique. Had it been up to me, Necropolis would’ve signed Mortiis. My connection with Roger went back to the SATANIC SLAUGHTER layout.

Cold Meat Industry, founded by Roger Karmanik of BRIGHTER DEATH NOW, was a groundbreaking Swedish label for dark ambient, industrial, and neoclassical music. Beyond the roster, Roger’s pioneering work in digital layouts and design gave C.M.I. a distinct aesthetic profile.

PAUL: From there, he and I traded extensively. We made a real effort to promote Cold Meat in the US through Necropolis’ distribution network. The Norwegians were all getting into ambient music around then, so I imagine IT wanted to try something in that direction as well.

During this period, IT had several side-projects – VONDUR, RAVENWING, HOST – all of which ended up on Necropolis. After releasing VONDUR’s bewildering 1996 debut, “Striðsyfirlýsing”, Paul began considering the next step.

PAUL: I’d already invested in building up the band, so I didn’t want that going to waste. I always paid attention to what others were doing, thinking about how Necropolis could apply similar ideas. At the time, Osmose had just put out BEWITCHED’s “Encyclopedia of Evil”.

BEWITCHED formed in 1995 as a side-project of two Swedish underground veterans: KATATONIA’s Blackheim and Vargher from ANCIENT WISDOM. Osmose issued their debut, “Diabolical Desecration”, in the summer of ‘96, soon followed by “Encyclopedia of Evil” – a mini-CD of mostly covers.

PAUL: I asked IT, ‘Hey, how about doing some covers?’ I knew JUDAS PRIEST were among his favourite bands – back then, everyone in Sweden would cite “Sad Wings of Destiny” as one of the most influential records ever. My thinking was that people who didn’t like VONDUR might still enjoy their interpretations, and that could draw them in.

A cunning plan, no doubt – as this is precisely what happened with “Encyclopedia of Evil”, which featured reverent takes on classic songs by VENOM, BATHORY, MERCYFUL FATE, CELTIC FROST, and BLACK WIDOW.

 

VONDUR’s attempted equivalent, “The Galactic Rock N’ Roll Empire”, took a different route. Instead of crowd pleasers, they selected two of BATHORY and JUDAS PRIEST’s least popular tracks – “You Don’t Move Me (I Don’t Give a Fuck)” and “Rocka Rolla”, respectively – with “Red Hot” by MÖTLEY CRÜE and Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” thrown in for good measure.

PAUL: When I first suggested it, my aim was to generate buzz – get the band noticed, see them in magazines, and hear people say, ‘Hey, have you heard VONDUR’s killer BATHORY cover?’ I sent them to Abyss this time; I knew Peter Tägtgren as an amazing producer who could push musicians to deliver stronger performances.

Another reasonable plan – Abyss would’ve seemed like a step up from the living room of IT’s childhood friend, where VONDUR recorded the debut. Alas, given that they used the same drum machine as on “Striðsyfirlýsing”, I doubt any studio producer could’ve made this racket sound good.

PAUL: Honestly, that release summed up the Necropolis curse – half bad luck, half self-inflicted pain <laughs>. I kept putting weight behind bands who insisted they’d tour or actually do something serious, only to discover it was just cash-grabs or projects done for the hell of it.

 

Simultaneously, All and IT had a considerably more serious undertaking: OPHTHALAMIA. In 1997, soon after Necropolis released the “To Elishia” anthology, they entered Abyss Studio to record “A Long Journey” – a re-envisioning of their 1994 debut.

PAUL: According to IT and his sister, who managed him, they hated the original recording and felt it hadn’t been captured properly. “A Long Journey” had enough new elements to make me want to invest. All’s presence, especially – he’s easily one of the top ten black metal vocalists ever.

All was OPHTHALAMIA’s original singer, but after a falling-out with IT, Jon Nödtveidt handled vocals for the debut, “A Journey in Darkness”.

PAUL: Avantgarde Music released the original version – so, out of courtesy, I asked Roberto for permission. He agreed, which was really cool of him. MONUMENTUM signed with D.S.P. back in the day, so Roberto understood the importance of a label like Necropolis establishing its own identity.

Roberto Mammarella is the founder of Obscure Plasma and Avantgarde Music. His band, MONUMENTUM, had originally signed to Deathlike Silence for their debut “In Absentia Christi”. Euronymous died before the album was finished, so it ended up being released by Misanthropy.

PAUL: Something like that would never happen today – not with how possessive labels have become about their catalogues. Back then, it felt like we were all part of a bigger movement, working together to get this music heard. And to be honest, I think the re-recording turned out far better.

I concur. The material is brilliant – but as Dan Swanö explained, “A Journey in Darkness” suffered from Unisound’s early drum-trigger setup.

The trigger module added a ten-millisecond delay between the snare hit and the sample firing – an eternity in rhythmic terms – giving the drums a strangely detached, almost mechanical feel. Worse, the acoustic snare bled into the cymbal and tom mics, creating an even more disjointed drum timbre.

PAUL: I’m proud to have facilitated that record, but “A Long Journey” didn’t really sell. Same with “To Elishia” – it was a passion project driven by my desire to promote musicians I respected. Not the smartest business move if you’re trying to run a sustainable label, because Abyss Studio wasn’t cheap.

For whatever reason, OPHTHALAMIA were perpetually overlooked throughout their entire existence.

PAUL: Well, from an industry perspective, the band name was always the biggest problem. To this day, I’m convinced ninety percent of people on this planet are stupid; they wouldn’t even be able to pronounce OPHTHALAMIA. You’re better off giving them something easily digestible – like WAR.

 

Back in November 1995, DARK FUNERAL and NECROPHOBIC guitarist Blackmoon accompanied IT to Abyss Studio, where the latter was set to record ABRUPTUM’s third album. After what Blackmoon later described as ‘the usual procedure of torture sessions and piles of blood’, they got hammered with studio producer Peter Tägtgren. From that drunken haze surfaced a band idea: WAR, the antithesis to the rising wave of symphonic black metal.

As was known to happen with Swedish side-projects, they signed to Necropolis.

PAUL: As the owner of an underground label, you couldn’t really ask for more: Peter Tägtgren producing and playing, Blackmoon and IT on guitars, and All’s vocals tying everything together. This was also the first time we tried something new – a booklet that unfolded into the shape of an inverted cross.

A full year later, WAR reconvened at Abyss to record a mini-CD titled “Total War”, with Tägtgren’s HYPOCRISY bandmate Mikael Hedlund stepping in on bass.

IT and Blackmoon wrote three songs each and then collaborated on one. The result sounds almost like a rawer, stripped-back precursor to “Panzer Division Marduk”, which arrived two years later.

PAUL: The production was phenomenal, and the songs Blackmoon wrote were especially strong. Going back to the old NECROPHOBIC demo and early DARK FUNERAL, I’d always admired his songwriting. And the photos, layout, overall design – it all turned out great, in my opinion.

Nevertheless, I’m sure you’ll agree that this release is mostly remembered for “I Am Elite”.

PAUL: Mm. We needed the promos sent out in time, so it made sense to ship the master from Abyss directly to the plant in Austria, where the layout waited. So, the first time we all heard that recording back at Necropolis HQ would’ve been a tape or CD version after the fact.  I think it was Joker who noticed the lyrics first.