Origin: Lithuania
Formed: 1993
Status: Split‑up
Genre: Pagan Black Metal
Label: Inferna Profundus Records
Themes: Paganism
Poccolus is one of the most important and mythically charged bands in the history of Lithuanian metal—the first pagan black metal band in Lithuania, and one of the earliest in the entire Baltic region. Formed in Utena in 1993 after the split of the thrash/black band Nemesis, Poccolus emerged alongside Nahash as a foundational force, but with a distinctly pagan, atmospheric, and ritualistic identity. Their name derives from Pikolas (also known as Poccolus), the Lithuanian‑Prussian god of death, darkness, and the underworld—an apt symbol for their sound and vision.
Their early demos, Demo 93 and Promo ’94, captured a raw, formative stage: cold tremolo riffs, primitive drumming, and a strong emphasis on Baltic pagan atmosphere. The 1994 split Dark Fire Dancing further cemented their presence in the underground, linking them with other early pagan black metal acts and helping define the emerging Lithuanian sound.
In 1996, Poccolus released their self‑titled full‑length Poccolus, a landmark album that remains one of the most revered pagan black metal records from Eastern Europe. The album blended harsh black metal with folk‑tinged melodies, ritualistic keyboards, and a deep sense of ancestral spirituality. Its atmosphere—mist‑covered, mournful, and mythic—set a template for later Baltic pagan metal. Many consider it a cult classic, unmatched in its ability to evoke the pre‑Christian Lithuanian worldview.
The band continued performing and recording through the late 1990s, including a live split from Riga in 1997 and the 2000 split ’Til Ten Years / Poccolus. In 1998, they began recording a second album titled Imperija, but it was never completed or released, becoming one of the great “lost works” of Lithuanian metal history.
After disbanding in 1998, Poccolus resurfaced briefly in 2009 with the compilation Ragana, which gathered rare material and reaffirmed their cult status. Though sporadic activity followed, the band never fully returned, leaving behind a legacy defined by a single monumental album and a handful of rare recordings.
Poccolus’ influence is immense: they helped shape the Lithuanian pagan metal identity, inspired later acts like Ha Lela, Andaja, and Obtest, and remain a touchstone for collectors and scholars of Baltic black metal.
Ramūnas Peršonis – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Zpoan Vtenz, ex‑Ha Lela, ex‑Nemesis, Sala, Sovijus, ex‑Nahash, ex‑Abnormity
Primary creative force behind the band; also active in ambient project Sovijus.
Raimondas Ramonas – Bass
Audrius Šimkūnas – Drums
ex‑Ha Lela, Sala, ex‑Zpoan Vtenz
Kingas – Drums
ex‑Angis, ex‑Luctus, ex‑Xess, ex‑Antigonė, ex‑Liūnuosna, ex‑Dreamland Poetry, ex‑Zymosis
Valdas Latonas – Drums
ex‑Outsider, ex‑Stresas, ex‑Meressin
Giedrius Markauskas – Guitars
Nahash, ex‑Ha Lela
Levas – Keyboards
Pergalė, Svartthron, ex‑Delchia (live), ex‑Andaja, ex‑Alkis Isalusiai Ausrai, ex‑Budrus, ex‑Klinikos, ex‑Sova
Jūratė – Keyboards
Justė Dicevičiūtė – Guitars (2011–?)