Necronomicon (band)  Necronomicon is a German thrash metal band. Necronomicon was founded in 1983 by band leader Volker "Freddy" Fredrich, Axel Strickstrock and Lars "Lala" Honeck. The band originally made punk rock, so in 1981 "Freddy" founded "Total Rejection". This early Necronomicon phase was affected by bands including Discharge, The Exploited and GBH. Through the influence of Motörhead, Metallica and Slayer, their musical style soon would turn more into heavy metal. In 1985, the quartet signed their first record contract at "GAMA Records". That was one year before guitarist Jürgen "Jogi" Weltin was engaged. The band released their debut album "Necronomicon", still dressed in punk outfits on the cover. With a mixture of hard thrash with strong punk rock influences, they gained notoriety in the underground scene. In 1987, the second album, "Apocalyptic Nightmare", was put on the market. On an Eastern Bloc tour that began in Austria and Hungary, the former Czechoslovakia to Russia, Necronomicon gained a large following. In the late 1980s the German thrash metal reached its peak period. Bands such as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction with "Freddy's" childhood friend Schmier attended national and international sensation. But Necronomicon had less success in this regard due to some major setbacks: After 1988, when the third album was released at Escalation GAMA Records, it came to financial inconsistencies on the part of the label. Necronomicon then separated from the management. As the label threatened with a legal dispute, the band agreed to give up their complete rights to the songs along with the band name for ten years. Necronomicon has also been forced not to sign any other record contract. In 1993 Necronomicon was able to re-sign a new record deal. The blocking time over ten years, which was declared by GAMA Records, now successfully had been challenged. But the joy of the new contract, now at "D&S Records", lasted only briefly. Although the album "Screams" was still mixed in 1994 under new management, "D&S Records" surprisingly reported insolvency in the same year and broke all contact with the band. In addition, a fire destroyed the rehearsal room and a large part of the equipment.