Book Review: The Serpent and the Pentagram: The Official Chronicles of Necromantia
Reviewed by Rick Eaglestone
I cant help feeling this review is a bit a special, as an ex bookseller but still a huge bookworm that I’ve almost come full circle as before I started writing music reviews I had initially started with book reviews so to now be in this position writing a book review about such a prolific black metal band fills with joy, even if that joy is bathed in blood as The Magus and Aris Shock have put together a die hard fans dream with their book ‘The Serpent and the Pentagram: The Official Chronicles of Necromantia’
This book looks back at the bands three decades with personal memories and including lots of rare material now available for the first time, such as the bands 1990 promo tape, which is were the real gem of this book lies as it’s construction and attention to detail not only is music fans dream providing a sense of nostalgia but as I made my way through the book revisiting the chapters appropriate release it made see them in a new light, including the album that introduced to me to the band 1995’s ‘Scarlet Evil Witching Black’
Another thing I also enjoyed was that I wasn’t necessarily a repetitive formula as the book also contained chapters on not only the bands previous projects but also my personal favourite, Chapter XII which covered the weird and wonderful tales of the band in the press over the years, some of which I remember and to have the bands outlook on them was a nice addition.
Overall, the book was well written and it clearly came from a place of passion and knowledge. This is certainly one book I will come back to in the future.
