Abramelin

Abramelin
Origin	Melbourne, VIC
Genres	Death metal
Years active	1988 - 2002, 2016 - present
Labels	Dark Oceans, Repulse, Thrust
Associated acts	Blood Duster, Fracture, Necrotomy, Earth, Damaged, The Berzerker, Heaven the Axe, Akercocke, Werewolves, Crisis Act, Psycroptic, Ruins, The Antichrist Imperium, The Amenta, Acheron
Members	Simon Dower, Tim Aldridge, Rob Mollica, Dave Haley, Matt Wilcock
Past members	Justin Warnes, Matt Rizzo, Matt Skitz, Euan Heriot, Mark Schuliga, Grant Karajic

Band members

• Current line-up
  • Simon Dower (vocals)
  • Tim Aldridge (guitar)
  • Dave Haley (drums)
  • Matt Wilcock (guitar)
  • Rob Mollica (bass)

• Former members
  • Grant Karajic (bass) 2000 - 2002
  • Matt Skitz (drums) 1998 - 1999
  • Matt Rizzo (drums) 1996 - 1998
  • Euan Heriot (drums) 1991 - 1996
  • Justin Warnes (bass) 1994 - 1999
  • Mark Shuliga (guitar) 1994

Formed

Melbourne, VIC, 1994

Band information

Abramelin formed out of Melbourne death metal band Acheron, which formed in Melbourne in 1988. After releasing an EP, the band became known as Abramelin in 1994 after a tour with Carcass, taking inspiration from the name of a 14th Century magician and alchemist. The first release under the new name was an EP, issued on Dark Oceans. Mark Shuliga left soon after and Abramelin recorded their full-length debut as a four piece.

Abramelin was released by Shock's metal label Thrust in 1995 and was almost immediately banned in Western Australia and then some other markets due to the graphic nature of Dower's lyrics. Earth drummer Rob Mollica joined the band as second guitarist at this point. The album was issued internationally by Spain's Repulse Records in 1997 but given little label support and re-released in Australia through Shock with the earlier EP added, but minus a lyric sheet.

Heriot left Abramelin in 1996 and was replaced briefly by ex-Blood Duster drummer Matt Rizzo and then by Skitz from Damaged. After a performance at the 1997 Metal for the Brain festival, Abramelin appeared to grind to a halt. Deadspeak was eventually released in mid-2000 as a two piece effort with Tim Aldridge responsible for all the music, although Skitz had laid down the original drum tracks that were later re-recorded using a drum machine.

Abramelin appeared at Metal for the Brain in 2000 and then toured with Cradle of Filth in 2001. The band's live line-up for that tour was Dower, Aldridge and Rizzo, plus Steel Affliction and The Berzerker guitarist Matt Wilcock and bassist Grant Karajic. Following this tour the band ended. Wilcock joined British black metal band Akercocke and Aldridge was in The Berzerker for a short time and later recorded with Heaven the Axe. In 2013, Century Media released the band's complete recordings including the Acheron demos as Trangressing the Afterlife - The Complete Recordings 1998 - 2000.

In 2016 Abramelin reformed to play at an anniversary show for the 80s Melbourne record store Metal for Melbourne, with Wilcock returning along with Mollica, this time on bass, and Psycroptic drummer Dave Haley. The album Never Enough Snuff was released in mid-2020 and the band has continued. They appeared at Blacken Open Air in 2022.

Discography

Albums:

1995	Abramelin	Thrust
2000	Deadspeak	Shock
2013	Transgressing the Afterlife - The Complete Recordings 1998 - 2000	Century Media
2020	Never Enough Snuff	Independent