Band of the Year: Necroknight

When I started thinking about who deserves the title Band of the Year, it was clear to me that there is only one candidate: Necroknight.

Now, it is generally difficult to explain more or less objectively why you are highlighting befriended musicians to such an extent. In this case, however, it is quite easy: Necroknight exemplify everything that is important in the underground.

1. Necroknight are original. There are countless bands in the underground that are likeable but unfortunately completely interchangeable. Anyone who has seen Mirco (vocals), René (guitar), Kilian (guitar), Jens (bass) and Simon (drums) live on stage will not forget them. The guys put a lot of thought into their appearance – whether it's their outfits or their stage acting, the audience is presented with a completely coherent package that qualifies Necroknight for larger stages.

2. Necroknight are a live force. I see a lot of concerts over the course of a year – some shows are nice, but nothing more. Necroknight always go all out live. Mirco is an extremely charismatic frontman who interacts with the audience throughout the show. And with a sword in your hand, you're doing everything right anyway... René plays one awesome riff after another, Kilian is completely in his own world, Jens' thundering bass lays waste to the venue and Simon has such a punch that I almost feel sorry for his drum kit. At this point, I would like to appeal to all bookers: Check out Necroknight! Hire them – and do yourself and your audience a big favour.

3. Necroknight are ambitious. There are bands that go public with boring, sometimes cheaply made merch or not fully elaborated, carelessly produced releases. The quintet from the Münsterland region is different: both the merch and the excellent debut The Skullthrone are of high quality: patches, shirts, tapes, CDs and vinyls – the motto for all of them is: value for money. Many big names in the genre, who have completely other financial resources, could learn quite a lesson from this – or simply go and hide in shame because they are simply ripping off their fans.

4. Necroknight are reliable and helpful. Flashback: On 7 September, the festival From Albion to Attica, organised by Metal im Pott and the Epic Metal Blog (to some extent the predecessor of this platform), took place. Necroknight made a very significant contribution to making this event a success. The guys not only sold a lot of tickets, they were also an invaluable partner in all conceivable aspects of organising and running the festival. Anyone who has ever worked with Necroknight will say with 100% certainty: We'll repeat that! If every band in the underground had this work ethic, our scene would be much more vibrant.

5. Necroknight are grateful and generous. For me, it is self-evident to support bands within my modest means if I like their music. I don't expect anything in return. From day one, Necroknight were extremely gratefully when I reviewed their songs or interviewed them. That was much more than the usual thank you (which, I would like to emphasise, is also quite enough for me) – I don't even know how often René and Mirco have given me a cold drink when I was in the Sputnikhalle in Münster over the last two years or so. A bulging merch bag also found its way into my apartment. After the release of their debut The Skullthrone, the five guys outdid themselves and gifted me all three formats: vinyl, tape and CD. No, I don't expect that from anyone, but this generosity says a lot about the character of this band.

6. Necroknight are politically impeccable. In Germany, federal elections are coming up at the end of February. Unfortunately, it is to be assumed that the right-wing extremist AfD will become the second largest party in Germany. The social climate is characterised by hostility towards foreigners, nationalism and reactionary views. Against this background, it is important to take a stand and fight for a free, open-minded society. I avoid clubs that give a stage to far-right bands, as well as artists who show sympathy for the ideas of parties like the AfD or are obviously indifferent to them, in order not to alienate any fans. Necroknight are openly left-wing, progressive and anti-fascist – like the rest of the metal scene, which regularly gathers in the Sputnikhalle in Münster.

As you can see, there are many reasons why Necroknight are my band of the year 2024. I'm not giving too much away when I say that Metal im Pott and this platform will do everything in our power to put on another concert evening with these fantastic guys soon. If the world is fair, Necroknight will become a permanent fixture in the underground, gradually filling larger and larger clubs. Let's stay Necro - and alerta alerta!