Nekrogoblikon

Nekrogoblikon is a melodic death metal band from Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2006 by Nicky Calonne and Tim Lyakhovetskiy. The longest-serving member is lead guitarist Alex Alereza. The band has put out five studio albums—*Goblin Island*, *Stench*, *Heavy Meta*, *Welcome to Bonkers*, and *The Fundamental Slimes and Humours*—along with two EPs, *Power* and *The Boiling Sea*. Their music revolves around a goblin theme, and their mascot, John Goblikon, hosts the podcast *Right Now with John Goblikon*.

The group started when Calonne and Lyakhovetskiy recorded *Goblin Island* in a basement in Palo Alto, California. After Lyakhovetskiy returned to UC Santa Barbara, he recruited Ashleigh Carracino, Alex Duddy, Spencer Bartz, Alex Alereza, and Austin Nickel to fill out the lineup. The band played eleven shows before Bartz left for Japan and Eddie Trager took his place.

*Stench* came out on July 19, 2011. The *Los Angeles Times* blog Pop and Hiss gave it a positive review, praising its technical skill and songwriting, and noting that its electronic elements worked "surprisingly well." Metal Sucks rated it 4.5 out of 5, calling it more professional than *Goblin Island* and complimenting its technicality. Blistering gave it a 9 out of 10, describing it as "fun and entertaining."

In September 2012, the band released a music video for "No One Survives," directed by Brandon Dermer. Before this, the goblin theme was just a joke; the band had never used a goblin character or costumes on stage. Dermer, an assistant at a film production agency who had made videos with Jon Lajoie, approached the band as a fan wanting to help. The band initially refused, not wanting to dress up and be compared to Gwar. Dermer returned with a more detailed character and vision, and the band agreed, though they had no money to fund it. Dermer contacted about 80 brands, got three to pay for it, and Monster Effects created the goblin costume and mask.

The video introduced the mascot John Goblikon, created by Dermer and played by actor-comedian Dave Rispoli. In it, Goblikon works at a sales firm. A coworker (Kayden Kross) invites him to her birthday party at a bar, where he hopes to win her over. His excitement turns to depression when he sees she already has a date. The bartender (Jon Lajoie) over-serves him, and John dances wildly before violently attacking the coworker's date in the parking lot, still optimistic she might give him a chance. The video went viral, with over 1.5 million views in its first three months.

Dermer didn't expect much, but the video hit Reddit's front page within days. It gained further traction when DJ Diplo discovered it and tweeted the single word "Nekrogoblikon." Dermer later worked with Diplo on other projects. In interviews, band members claimed John Goblikon is a real goblin, separate from the actor credited. They said Rispoli met John on LinkedIn and introduced him to the band. John first appeared as a hype-goblin and go-go dancer. Over time, the band fully embraced the lore, treating John as a real goblin and band member.

In June 2013, the band toured Europe, playing festivals like Download in England and Rock am Ring and Rock im Park in Germany. That August, they released the EP *Power*, produced by the band and mixed by Matt Hyde. Metal Sucks gave it a 2 out of 5, calling the band a "lame joke." Sputnikmusic rated it 3.5 out of 5, calling it "ridiculous" but praising the instrumentation and technicality while criticizing the vocals and inconsistency. In 2014, they played the Kerrang! Tour with Limp Bizkit, Crossfaith, and Baby Godzilla.

In January 2014, the band announced via Instagram they were working on new material. On March 9, 2015, they released the track "Full Body Xplosion" on YouTube, and on Facebook revealed the album *Heavy Meta* would come out on their own label, Mystery Box. Released June 2, 2015, *Heavy Meta* is a concept album of 10 songs that, played in order, tell the story of an immortal goblin race seeking death. Angry Metal Guy gave it 3.5 out of 5. Metal Injection called it the band's best album to date. The band later released *Welcome to Bonkers* and *The Fundamental Slimes and Humours*, along with the EP *The Boiling Sea*.