Beggars Arkive release The Nefilim – ‘Zoon’ expanded edition
Credit: Mitch Jenkins
The Nefilim formed in 1992 and developed after a fragmentation of Fields Of The Nephilim. In 1996, the only Nefilim album, Zoon was released. Carl McCoy spent four years pursuing his vision and created an aural assault on the senses. Created in isolation, it is a deep, dark industrial album tainted by death metal. A statement of great intent and transition.
The expanded edition of Zoon is released today (13 December) on 2XLP, CD and digitally via Beggars Arkive. The vinyl version is pressed onto red vinyl across 2 LPS. Four bonus tracks have been added to all formats and the release has been remastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road.
As Fields Of The Nephilim was growing into one of the most significant acts of the late eighties, McCoy was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the restrictions of their musical formula. Zoon shows just how much further his imagination was capable of reaching, when freed from the chains of a five-piece band.
On Zoon he honed his vision into a dense, coherent and extremely powerful collection of music, woven together by his genuinely haunting vocals. Musically, there are few comparisons – Zoon takes elements from artists as diverse as Joy Division, Ennio Morricone, Sepultura, Wagner and Ministry, but the alchemy of the recording process has created something unique. In a 2012 interview with The Quietus, Carl noted that Zoon was one of his favourites. He said:
“It was another approach, and it allowed me to express some of my ideas without boundaries. I needed to do that.”
The track “Penetration” with its epic music video, was covered by the band Behemoth in 2011. https://youtu.be/Ycl8D-lBZOY?feature=shared
Zoon Expanded Edition track list
A1. Still Life
A2. Xodus
A3. Shine
A4. Penetration
B1. Melt (The Catching Of The Butterfly)
B2. Venus Decomposing
B3. Pazuzu (Black Rain)
C1. Zoon (Parts 1 & 2) (Saturation)
C2. Zoon (Part 3) (Wake World)
C3. Coma
D1. Xodus (Last Rites) %
D2. Xodus (Xcitorium) *
D3. 24 th Moment %
D4. Penetration (Bloodless) *
*from the Penetration 12”
% from the Penetration CD single
Beggars Arkive is the catalogue and archive department for past and present Beggars Group labels and artists. Beggars labels include 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young, they also handle legacy labels including Beggars Banquet, too pure, Wiiija, Situation Two and more. Beggars began in 1977 and has over 40 years of catalogue to work with. The utmost care is given to sound quality, artwork and occasionally some very fancy packaging.
Over the last ten years, Beggars Arkive have reissued albums by Bauhaus, Gary Numan, The Cult, The Fall, Pixies, Cocteau Twins, The Mortal Coil, Freeez, Buffalo Tom, The Charlatans and many, many more. Beggars Arkive releases are done in full cooperation with the artists, oftentimes with them leading the charge. The Arkive itself is also a physical archive space, containing a wealth of Beggars Group musical and visual history. The Arkive as a label are continually working on maintaining, growing and cataloguing the archive, now a great source of materials and a perfect space for research.