Necrophagist
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Muhammed Suiçmez |
| Defunct | 2016 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Technical death metal music |
Necrophagist () was a German band specializing in technical death metal, founded and fronted by guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez. Their music uniquely integrated elements inspired by baroque music with the intense drumming characteristic of extreme metal.
1999–2004: Onset of Putrefaction and Epitaph
The band's first album, Onset of Putrefaction, initially went out of print and originally featured drum machine beats. A reissued version replaced the programmed drums with samples performed by Hannes Grossmann, while preserving the original guitar, bass, and vocal tracks. This release also incorporated two songs from their 1995 demo tape, recorded under the guidance of longtime producer Christoph Brandes at The Iguana Studios and mastered by Bob Katz at Digital Domain in Orlando. Distributed in 2004 by Willowtip in North America and Relapse internationally, the album established Necrophagist’s presence within the technical death metal scene. They also appeared multiple times at the Brutal Assault festival between 2001 and 2010.
2004–2008: Touring and lineup changes
On 10 February 2006, guitarist Christian Münzner departed due to scheduling conflicts and was succeeded by Finnish guitarist Sami Raatikainen (also known from Codeon). That year, Necrophagist embarked on the "Carving North America's Epitaph" tour across North America, sharing the stage with bands such as Arsis, Alarum, and Neuraxis. Subsequently, they supported Cannibal Corpse during a U.S. tour that included Canadian performances.
Following California Metalfest in 2007, drummer Hannes Grossmann left due to touring obligations; he was replaced permanently by Marco Minnemann. Necrophagist headlined the 2007 Summer Slaughter Tour alongside acts like Decapitated, The Faceless, and Cattle Decapitation. In April 2008, drummer Romain Goulon joined the lineup, taking over from Minnemann, who continued collaborating with Suiçmez on side projects.
Between August and September 2008, Necrophagist took part in the "Pillage the Village Tour" with death metal groups Dying Fetus and Beneath the Massacre, as well as appearances by Carcass, Suffocation, 1349, and Aborted.
2008–present: Hiatus
In 2008, work began on a new album featuring drummer Romain Goulon. Speculated titles included "The Path to Naught" and "Death to the Faithful." Founder Muhammed Suiçmez intended to incorporate seven-string guitars, including a custom Ibanez Xiphos equipped with 27 frets; meanwhile, guitarist Sami Raatikainen endorsed Ibanez's 7 String RG-Series instruments.
On 11 September 2013, Goulon confirmed that Necrophagist remained active and was progressing on the album but did not provide a release timeline. By 4 April 2016, he announced that the band had effectively disbanded, stating they were "looking for a coffin to mourn the death."
Members
Final lineup
- Muhammed Suiçmez – guitar, vocals (1992–2010)
- Stephan Fimmers – bass (2003–2010)
- Sami Raatikainen – guitar (2006–2010)
- Romain Goulon – drums (2008–2010)
Former members
- Jochen Bittmann – bass (1992–2001)
- Jan-Paul Herm – guitar (1992–1995)
- Matthias Holzapfel – guitar (1995–2000)
- Raphael Kempermann – drums (1992–1995)
- Daniel Silva – drums (1995–1998, 2001–2003)
- Shahram Naderi – drums (1998–2001)
- Mostafa Karami – guitar (1998–2001)
- Mario Petrovic – guitar (2000–2001)
- Slavek Foltyn – drums (2000–2001)
- Björn Vollmer – guitar (2001–2002)
- Julien Laroche – bass (2001–2003)
- Christian Münzner – guitar (2002–2006)
- Heiko Linzert – bass (2003)
- Hannes Grossmann – drums (2003–2007)
- Marco Minnemann – drums (2007–2008)
Recorded Works
Full-length albums
- Onset of Putrefaction (1999)
- Epitaph (2004)
Demo recordings
- Requiems of Festered Gore (1992)
- Necrophagist (1995)