Abut us
The Name
A powerful dark
presence of an intense nature, connected with the local nature and with its
spirit, ascending and descending, shaping through the clouds of the present.
You can sometimes feel it is there, but you cannot grab it. Only your clean
mind and soul can came close of its presence. From the very beginning we
shaped ourselves into relating with it, so that is now part of us. That’s
how we understand Negura Bunget.
Negura Bunget is a black fog coming from a deep dark dense forest.
The name tries to picture somehow the kind of atmosphere, both musical and
spiritual we’d want to create through our music. It has also a symbolical
nature, standing for the inexpressible parts of our ideology. The two words
are also from the Tracic substrate of the Romanian language (the oldest one,
containing about 90 words) as the interest for our local history and
spirituality is something of crucial importance and meanings for us as a
band.
The Story
Immortally rising from the
spirituality of immortal lands, Negura
Bunget began their journey through
the universe of Black Metal in early 1995, with Hupogrammos
(guitars/vocals/keyboards) and Negru (drums). The duo’s first demo,
From Transilvanian Forests, was recorded at Magic Sound Studio in
Bucharest, November 1995, and released at the end of the same year, under
the band’s original name, Wiccan Rede. The release of this demo was
preceded by the band’s first live performance, in Buzau (June 1995) and was
then followed by concerts all around Romania.
Once their conceptual perspective shifted towards the exploration of the
universe and spirituality of their ancestors, the band’s name changed to
Negura Bunget. The new approach became clearly evident on the debut
album, Zîrnindu-sa, released by the newly founded Romanian label
Bestial Records (late 1996).
December 1998 brought Negura Bunget’s second release, Sala Molksa,
a mini-album also released by Bestial Records. Sala molksa
introduced the band’s third official member, Spurcatu, on
guitars/bass. The 4 tracks unveil a much more straight-forward sound,
complex, aggressive, atmospheric, fast - The Music of Transilvanian
Spirituality.
Maiastru sfetnic
is the third opus of Negura Bunget. The album was released by
Bestial Records in 1999 in a special digipak format (designed and
handmade by Negura Bunget). More than 56 minutes, yet only 6 epic
tracks, united in haunts, evilness, descent, atmospheres, speed and
aggression… displaying the band’s vision on how a Black Metal-based world
should have looked like.
Maiastru sfetnic
also brought the band a 3-album contract with Italian label code666
Records. A new track was recorded specially for code666’s
compilation Better Undead Than Alive, and the band’s first video was
shot for the same track (Vazduh) in the mountains of Transilvania.
‘N crugu bradului
album, the first one to be released by code666 Records, can be seen
as a spiritual endeavor though the essences of the Transilvanian traditional
spirituality. Just 4 tracks, symbolizing the evolution of a year’s 4
seasons, yet 54 minutes of conceptual Black Metal. The album was released in
February 2003, and got positive reviews all over the media, making the band
better known on the international scene.|
2005 saw the release of the limited edition Inarborat Kosmos MCD.
With lyrics in English, the 4-track EP offers an apparently traditional
Black Metal, but turned complex by intricate and slightly chaotic guitar
sounds, which have by now become a landmark of the band’s constant quest for
the proper rendition of Transilvanian Spirituality. The CD also contains a
multimedia section with 2 live recordings.
OM
is released by code666 Records in November 2006 in a special
double digipak edition featuring a CD and a full DVD. With
OM
Negura Bunget proposes once again a new complete opus, focused around
the symbolism and signification of one unitary concept. Romanian language
offers a vast and complex signification:
OM
means MAN (the human being), but OM
is also the main contemplative state for elevation in traditional
esotericism.
In October 2007 Negura Bunget signed a contract with German label
Lupus Lounge / Prophecy Production followed by the release in 2008 of
the early Negura Bunget albums on a special digipak edition. A live
DVD was also recorded at the beginning of 2008 and is planned to be released
by Prophecy Productions in early 2011.
In the summer of 2008 Negura Bunget played some of the most important
Metal Festivals: Wacken Open Air and Summerbreeze, and also Artmania
Festival, Kaltenbach Open Air, Rockmania Festival, Paalisare Rock Fest.
Another extended European Tour was completed in October/November 2008.
The spring of 2009 bought new challenges for the Negura Bunget.
Founding member Hupogrammos, along Sol Faur left the band, and
a new line-up was formed, featuring Corb on guitars and vocals and
Spin on guitars. The first gigs in the new line-up followed soon after,
including Graspop Metal Meeting, MetalCamp, Brutal Assault Festival, Hole in
the Sky Festival.
The work on Maiestrit, a re-interpretation of the original
Negura
Bunget album Maiastru sfetnic was finalized before the end of
2009, and the album was released in March 2010, by Prophecy Productions
as the last material of the old line-up.
Soon after the band started to work on a new album, entitled Vîrstele
pămîntului, which was completed on seclusion in the wilderness of the
mountains. Vîrstele pămîntului (Ages of the Land/ Earth) is as the
title suggests an album about ages, about places of the earth and places of
the spirit, about bounds transcending worlds. It’s an album about embracing
your destiny, about choosing and consciously assuming a way of life. The
album was released by code666 Records in March 2010, in a special
handmade woodbox edition, and immediately got some amazing review across the
media. A full European Tour, entitled Spirit of the Land followed in
March/April/May 2010, with 50 gigs across Europe, presenting the new
materials.
2010 was one the most intense year in the history of Negură Bunget.
Two albums released, followed by a long European tour as headliners (Spirit
of the Land Tour), another tour in autumn (Black Trolls Over Europe - 10
dates), some festivals in between (including Hellfest) and a lot of
work, all make this year special and unforgettable. Figures for 2010: 72
gigs played, 2 European Tours as headliners, more than 50.000 km of driving
by van, 66 answered interviews, more than 10.000 CD’s sold.
2011 marked 15 years of Negură Bunget, so all band's activities
celebrated this anniversary. April brought the release of the Live DVD -
Focul Viu and of the MCD - Poartă de dincolo symbolically marking
the end of the 10 years cooperation with Code666 Records. April also
meant a tour along Norwegian legends Enslaved.
Some summer festivals were played: Exit and Party San. The
second part of 2011 saw the band on the Transilvanian Legacy Tour, traveling
through Europe and Romania, playing more than 35 dates. In 2011 Negură
Bunget started developing its most ambitious project, The Transilvanian
Trilogy, a complex musical and visual trilogy.
2012 was another busy year for the band. March brought Negură Bunget
on Paganfest Europe 2012 on a amazing line-up along Eluveitie,
Primordial, Heidevolk and Solstafir. April/May was time
for the very first US and Canadian tour - almost 40 dates were set for this
amazing endeavor - Transilvanian Legacy US.
Some summer festivals followed. The first part of the visual / musical
trilogy was developed and a complex production and recording process started.
Some media recognition - the band was voted Best Romanian Metal band in 2012
by www.metalhead.ro , Romanian leading metal Portal and Metal Artist of 2012
by www.czb.ro.
The 2013 started again intensely, with a complete reset of the band studio
and live concept, meant to take the Negură Bunget on some brand new
paths.
With more than 500 live appearances so far, Negură Bunget is ready to
unleash the power of Black Metal, promoting its musical and spiritual
vision and, as always… The Transilvanian Spirituality.
Discography:
From Transilvanian Forest (demo) - self-released, 1995
Zîrnindu-să (CD) - Breath of Night Records, 1998
Sala molksa (MCD) - Bestial Records, 1998
Măiastru sfetnic (handmade digipak) - Bestial Records, 2000
Văzduh - Better Undead Than Alive compilation vol. I - Code666 Records 2002
‘N crugu bradului (handmade digibox) - Code666 Records, 2003
Inarborat Kosmos (digi MCD) - Code666 Records, 2005
CD BOX - re-edition of the first 3 CD’s - Negura MUSIC, 2005
OM CD/DVD (double digipak) - Code666 Records, 2006
From Transilvanian Forest (digipak, re-release, box) - Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Productions, 2008
Zîrnindu-să (double digipak, re-release, box) - Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Productions, 2008
Sala Molksa (double digipak, re-release, box) - Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Productions, 2008
Măiastru sfetnic (digipak, re-release, box) - Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Productions, 2008
Măiestrit (digipak, artbook) - Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Productions, 2010
Cumpăna - Better Undead Than Alive compilation vol. II - Code666 Records
2009
Vîrstele pămîntului (digipak, handmade woodbox, vinyl box) - Code666
Records, 2010
Focul Viu - live DVD (DVD box, 2 digi CD, DVD) - Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Productions, 2011
Poartă de dincolo (digi MCD) - Code666 Records, 2011