Nokturnal Mortum

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.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The band currently have moved away from their racial/political stance and lyrical themes.

Nokturnal Mortum
Nokturnal Mortum at Hell Fast Attack 2015
Background information
Origin	Kharkiv, Ukraine
Genres	Symphonic black metal folk metal pagan metal
Years active	1994–present
Labels	No Colours Nuclear Blast Oriana Music
Associated acts	Temnozor Aryan Terrorism Astrofaes Drudkh Hate Forest Khors
Website	www.nokturnal-mortum.com
Members	Knjaz Varggoth Bairoth Rutnar
Past members	Saturious Haarquath Munruthel Jurgis Wortherax Sataroth Karpath Vrolok Alzeth Odalv K Astargh Aywar

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.

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 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."

Underground artist Igor Naumchuk (Lucifugum) had close ties with Nokturnal Mortum—who dedicated the album To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire to him—until all relations ceased due to ideological disagreements. Despite this, both bands are still likened to one another.[11]

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;[12] however, the band played live at the far right festival Asgardsrei in December 2016,[13] and have played at several other right wing festivals since.

Controversies and Nazi ideology

Initially, the band described their music as "lunar black metal".[14] On the demo Lunar Poetry—later released as an album—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.[15][16][17]

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 NSBM 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.[18] Knjaz Varggoth, in one of several side projects, also voiced support for the so-called "racial holy war" idea.[19] Nokturnal Mortum's NeChrist featured the song "The Call of Aryan Spirit", which included anti-semitic lyrics and glorified pogroms. The album included a swastika design consisting of four AK-47's.[6][15][16][20][21]

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][21] Statements and texts show neo-völkisch as well as neo-paganist ideas, and a tendency to ariosophy.[15][16]

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"—despite the group at the time continued to support the right-wing Azov Battalion.[22][23] In 2014 the group again stated that the band had severed ties with NSBM ideologies and political themes,[24] 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[25][26][27][28][29], in collaboration with the NSBM label "Militant Zone".[30][31][32][33][34][35] In July, 2018 the band resumed releasing leftover anti-Semitic merchandise, however an enclosed message accompanied every order that the intent of selling these products was for their fans to burn and destroy the items.[36][37]

Discography

Albums

• 1997 – Goat Horns
• 1998 – To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire
• 1999 – Нехристь (NeChrist)
• 2004 – Мировоззрение (Myrovozzrieniye, Worldview)
• 2005 – Weltanschauung (Worldview)
• 2009 – Голос сталі (Holos stali, The Voice of Steel)
• 2017 – Істина (Istyna, Verity)

Live albums

• 2009 – Live in Katowice
• 2011 – Коловорот

EPs

• 1997 – Return of the Vampire Lord
• 1997 – Marble Moon
• 2003 – The Taste of Victory
• 2017 – Orathania / Kolyada

Demos

• 1995 – Twilightfall
• 1995 – Black Clouds Over Slavonic Lands
• 1996 – Lunar Poetry

Splits

• 1996 – Veche (split Lucifugum)
• 1997 – Path of the Wolf / Return of the Vampire Lord (split Lucifugum)
• 2007 – Eastern Hammer (split Graveland, North, Темнозорь)
• 2016 – The Spirit Never Dies (split Graveland)

Compilations

• 2001 – Return of the Vampire Lord / Marble Moon
• 2004 – Eleven Years Among the Sheep
• 2016 – 22 Years Among the Sheep

References

1. "На фестиваль в Минск приезжает языческая, антихристианская группа из Украины — верующие выступают против". M.nn.by. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
2. "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. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
4. Marc Dazy. "Rockenblog | Du grabuge avant le concert de Nokturnal Mortum". Leprogres.fr. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. "Groupes néo-nazis, saluts hitlériens... SOS Racisme demande une enquête sur les invités du Ragnard rock festival | Le Huffington Post". M.huffingtonpost.fr. 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. Sonia: http://www.firegoat.com/eng/?id=3&d=16
10. Aaron McKay: The Genesis of the End. CoC interviews Andreas Katsambas of The End Records. Chronicleofchaos.com
11. "Lucifugum - Encyclopaedia Metallum". Metal-archives.com.
12. "As well as a person who has many-sided... - Nokturnal Mortum". Facebook.com. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
13. "ASGARDSREI V – Nokturnal Mortum, Peste Noire, M8L8TH, Kroda (Kiev, 18.12.2016)". Militant.zone. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
14. "Nokturnal Mortum - "NeChrist" CD Review - in Metal Reviews". Metalunderground.com. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
15. The Music Sound. Author: Nicolae Sfetcu
16. Reichsrock: The International Web of White-Power and Neo-Nazi Hate Music. Author: Kirsten Dyck
17. Nokturnal Mortum, album: NeChrist. 2000
18. Aryan Terrorism, album: WAR
19. Album cover: Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra
20. Thrashnkill, Joe. "Too Scared to Attend Unite the Right? Try Asgardsrei 2018 – The Toilet Ov Hell". Toiletovhell.com. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
22. Asgardsrei festival 5, line-up
23. "Nokturnal Mortum Interview Frostkamp Magazine". Frostkamp.wordpress.com. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
24. https://toiletovhell.com/too-scared-to-attend-unite-the-right-try-asgardsrei-2018/
25. https://www.foiaresearch.net/event/asgardsrei-festival
26. https://osmoseproductions-label.com/nokturnal-mortum-at-asgardsrei-2018/nokturnal-mortum-asgardsrei-2018/
27. http://nokturnal-mortum.com/en/news/:169/
28. https://toiletovhell.com/too-scared-to-attend-unite-the-right-try-asgardsrei-2018/
29. http://militant.zone/category/assaults/
30. http://militant.zone/category/assaults/
31. https://www.foiaresearch.net/event/asgardsrei-festival
32. https://osmoseproductions-label.com/nokturnal-mortum-at-asgardsrei-2018/nokturnal-mortum-asgardsrei-2018/
33. http://nokturnal-mortum.com/en/news/:169/
34. https://toiletovhell.com/too-scared-to-attend-unite-the-right-try-asgardsrei-2018/
35. http://militant.zone/category/assaults/
36. https://shop.season-of-mist.com/nokturnal-mortum-nechrist-cd-box-t-shirt-men
37. http://nokturnal-mortum.com/en/media/:198/