Negură Bunget was a black metal band from Timișoara, Romania whose atmospheric sound incorporated elements of progressive metal and Romanian folk music. Biography Negură Bunget originally formed at the end of 1994 under the name Wiccan Rede, as a duo of Negru (Gabriel Mafa) on drums and Hupogrammos Disciple (Edmond Karban) on guitars, vocals, and keyboards. Both musicians had previously been members of Makrothumia. Wiccan Rede released one demo, 1995's From Transilvanian Forests, before changing their name to Negură Bunget. In a 2004 interview, Negru explained the symbolism of the name: The band's debut album, Zîrnindu-să, was released in 1996. In 1997, guitarist Sol Faur (Cristian Popescu) joined the group. As a trio, they released a demo, several EPs and three more full-length albums - Măiastru Sfetnic, 'N Crugu Bradului and OM. The success of Măiastru Sfetnic (2000) secured the band a three-album contract with the Code666 label. Reaching a wider audience, they undertook their first European tours. N Crugu Bradului (2002) included four songs spanning a total of nearly an hour. The band described the album as: In 2006, Negură Bunget released OM, garnering significant attention from the extreme music press; for example, it was ranked as the second best album of 2006 by the writers of the British Terrorizer Magazine. Drummer Negru (also the chief editor of the Central European ideological magazine Negura Music) began a side project, Din Brad (meaning "from the fir tree"), in 2008. although their first (and to date, only) album Dor was not released until 2012. In 2009, Negură Bunget splintered due to unreconcilable disagreements between the three members. Both Hupogrammos and Sol Faur left and formed Dordeduh, while drummer Negru continued under the name of Negură Bunget with an array of new lineups. The band's first new album since the lineup change, 2010's Vîrstele Pămîntului, was also released in a limited special edition version. Each of the 555 copies, handmade to order, consisted of a handcrafted, roped wooden box with a burned finish containing an undisclosed amount of genuine soil from Transylvania, a poster, pin and deluxe digipack edition of the CD itself. Also in 2010, the band released Măiestrit, a newly rerecorded version of Măiastru Sfetnic. They released an EP, Poarta De Dincolo, in 2011, as well as Focul Viu, a live DVD and album recorded and filmed in Bucharest in January 2008 with the classic trio lineup and backing musicians.