The Nekromantix

The Nekromantix

The psychobilly band, Nekromantix, began back in 1989 and was founded by Kim Nekroman in Copenhagen, Denmark. At that time Kim had just left the Royal Danish Navy after being deployed on a submarine for 8 years. After a couple of local danish shows, the band appeared at a big music festival in Hamburg, Germany, just a mere six months after their first rehearsal session. This landed them a record deal and their first album, Hellbound.

At this time the psychobilly scene was dominated by brit bands, and psychobilly fans world-wide welcomed the new and different style of Nekromantix. The music is described as being like “Elvis meets the Wolfman”, add a little punk attitude and spice it up with monster movies lyrics. Kim’s wildness on stage and his well known coffin bass have proven that likes to have fun with the music.

The Nekromantix released Curse of the Coffin in 1991, after heavy touring in Europe. A low budget video with the same title was shown several times on MTV’s “Alternative Nation”. This album was to become a classic and an influence for many new bands for the following years to come.

A follow-up album titled Brought back to Life, in ’94, resulted in the only psychobilly band ever being nominated for a Grammy Award, and was followed up by a tour in Japan. Brought back to Life is considered by many as their masterpiece and as a perfect album.

Their fourth album, critically acclaimed and also controversial, Demons are a Girls Best Friend, was released in 1996. At the same time the Nekromantix appeared in the news on Danish national Television, and was followed by several European festival appearances and tours.

Their fifth real album was the long awaited live album, Undead’n’Live, this album includes all of the on stage favorites. In 2001, Kaptain Zorch said, “they obviously care about their music, and go to great pains to reproduce their recorded sound live on stage.”

Return Of The Loving Dead, their sixth album,was produced and released in the USA. This was the band’s first album to be widely distributed in the U.S. and helped make them part of the emerging psychobilly movement on the west coast which was centered around the Hellcat label along with bands such as Tiger Army.

Why the USA ? It’s still a mystery to some, while others have their own idea about it. Maybe a “successful career achievement” parody, or maybe just to not do like the Stray Cats did. Unless, of course, it was just a good deal for them, but who knows ? Even the band doesn’t know!

All their albums have been low budget recordings released on small independent labels, and despite the fact that absolutely no money was spent promoting, the Nekromantix have achieved a world-wide acceptance and have been touring Japan, USA, Great Britain, Germany, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, France, Spain and Denmark.

In 2004, the Nekromantix are back with their seventh album, Dead Girls Don’t Cry, again produced and released in the USA.

In 2007, their eighth album, Life Is a Grave & I Dig It!, was released. Soon after in 2008 Franc joined as permanent and current guitarist. On January 11, 2009 Andrew Martinez, their then current drummer, was killed in an automobile accident. One month later it was announced that Lux, their now current drummer and the first female member to enter the band, would take his place.

The band’s line-up has changed a few times throughout the years but two things remains the same, Kim Nekroman as the sole constant member and the philosophy is still the same, “have fun and hold nothing sacred.”

The current line-up consists of Nekroman, guitarist Franc, and drummer Lux.