Nathalie Markoch
Driven by pure sonic intent, Nathalie’s trajectory is a testament to vocal self-mastery and creative evolution. Her vocal technique spans from classic lyrical tones to a heavy, high-octane register that combines melodic power with extreme growls, providing her with the range needed to express herself across various music—and specially—metal music sub-genres.
During her early music explorations, she traversed alternative rock and grunge bands from USA and Europe, until 2004; a pivotal year when she was exposed to a sound that touched her very soul: the song Wishmaster by the finnish band Nightwish with Tarja Turunen on vocals. It was included in a compilation of metal tracks lent by a friend of hers. In there she also found music from In Flames, Iron Maiden, and other metal bands, but it was Nightwish that truly inspired in her the desire to transmute pain into beauty. Taking things on her own hands, she became self-taught in the art of singing with Nightwish' discography at the time, and eventually turned her own poetry into original lyrics and songs. By 2007, she emerged within the peruvian gothic/symphonic metal scene, singing in various tribute bands in the Lima circuit, as well as making some attempts to publish her own songs with various projects that didn't take flight due to personal reasons.
It was during this period that she met Rafael Nuñez (Hellium, No Pain, NMK) at a local live show, forging a friendship that, by 2010, transformed into a partnership of deep commitment and conviction. At that time, she was already working on a music project since 2008: HYPNOX. Her original intention was to release independently a progressive death metal album feat. her original compositions entitled Impervious Nebulosa. In 2010, upon Rafael’s suggestion, she decided to temporarily pause her original composition project to achieve two specific goals: 1) Create Peru’s first live tribute band dedicated to EPICA, and 2) Record a solo album to further explore her voice, aesthetics, and authentic sound.
The recording of her debut solo album, Influences & Connections Vol. 1 (2014), was a deliberate decision and a conscious method to experiment with the nuances of her voice and refine her unique sound. The recording took place at Adolfo Gazzo’s Shredded Sound studios, who handled the album's production, mixing, and mastering. Nathalie recorded 14 cover tracks that honored her vocal architecture at the time, while sharpening her skills in conceptualizing and composing vocal melodies and lyrics. It marked a bridge moving from the adolescent staples she listened to—such as The Cranberries, Alice in Chains, and Evanescence—through Nightwish, Epica, After Forever, Kamelot, Heavenly, and Sinergy, and later expanding into Symphony X, Anathema, Opeth, and Dark Tranquillity.
The recording of these cover tracks culminated in her first original composition entitled "The Fraud". The instrumentation was co-composed by Nathalie Markoch and Jose A. Gazzo (Nautiluz), with the lyrics and vocal melody written exclusively by her. The result was a distinctive fusion of melodic death metal with technical elements: powerful, bold, vulnerable, authentic. The entire process was documented in her Creative Blog. The album was released exclusively in a digipack format, limited to 350 physical copies, half of them being purchased by a Japanese store that same year.
Nathalie, alongside her live solo band, performed the songs from her debut album live for the first time at Disturbia Fest in 2012 @ La Noche de Barranco (Lima). The official album release show was self-organized at the legendary Barranco Bar in 2013, alongside Deliverance (an Opeth tribute band), and Undercover (Tribute to Hard Rock/Heavy metal bands). She promoted her record across various shows and festivals within the Peruvian metal scene over the next two years, concluding this solo live cycle in May 2014 at the Rock del Necio festival with renowned local rock/metal bands. From here on, she stopped playing live to focus on composing new material of what she thought was gonna be a new EP or a second album of her solo career.
Full versions and excerpts of vocal covers from bands such as In Flames, Kamelot, Nightwish, Epica, Hibria, Unleash the Archers, among others.
Live duet performance featuring the tracks "Sancta Terra" by Epica and "Paradise (What About Us?)" ft. Tarja Turunen by Within Temptation at Yield Rock Bar (Lima).
Co-composition of instrumentation, lyrics, and vocal melodies for "Lack of Judgment" [Single, 2017] and Ravenous Spectre [Album, 2018]. Recording and live performance of the cover "Blinded by Fear" by At the Gates. Live performances at various local concerts and festivals between 2018 and 2020 alongside The Agonist, Dark Funeral, Fates Warning, Enthroned, and serving as the official support band for Katon W. de Pena (Hirax). Additionally, NMK opened for Anna Fiori (at the famous Hard Rock Cafe Lima), Tren Loco, Opera Magna, and others. Following a 4-year hiatus, the band returned to live action at Heavy Metal Vortex opening for Jezabel, followed by their first international festival appearance: La Campana del Infierno in Carcarañá, Santa Fe (Argentina); and ultimately concluding this live cycle at Club Calavera Perú in Lima.
Guest vocal recording for the cover of "Of Sin and Shadows" by Symphony X.
Guest vocal recording for the cover of "Back to the Bullet" by Saraya.
Show #1: "Tierra de Metal" Segment: Interview with Marcelo Corvalán (ex-CARAJO, ex-A.N.I.M.A.L) and Max Oxoa regarding the collab on the upcoming MAXIMUS album. Show #2: "Para La Historia" Segment: Selection and analysis of the best Peruvian metal productions of the year. Main interview as founder, lead singer, and composer of NMK. Live performance broadcast of NMK's set at the Heresy Online Fest.
Extreme vocals recording for the song "Prey" (EP 2020). Co-composition of lyrics for the tracks "Prey", "Incantations", "Not Alone", and "Afraid of Myself" alongside Rafael Núñez.
Live duet performance with the renowned Mexican solo artist at Hard Rock Cafe, performing "Mictlan" and "Inhumano" from her album In Ohtli Tonalli.
English lyric adaptation, reinterpretation, and co-production of vocal melodies for the album Burning Past.
Extreme vocals recording for the track "Leading to Nowhere" from their album Souldance alongside Fabio Lione (ex-Rhapsody of Fire, ex-Angra, ex-Vision Divine) and Jorge Segersbol (ex-Nautiluz). This album featured international guest vocalists such as Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Rick Altzi (Masterplan), Jonas Heidgert (Dragonland), Amanda Somerville (Avantasia), and Mark Boals (Ring of Fire). Released in Japan and Europe via Spiritual Beast and FC Metal.
Live performance (melodic and extreme vocals) of the tracks "Zankoku no Tenshi no Teze" (Yoko Takahashi) and "Unravel" (TK from Ling Tosite Sigure) across 3 local festivals: AnimeExpo, FanFest, and FrikiFest.
English lyric adaptation, reinterpretation, and co-production of vocal melodies for the album Walking Alone (solo project of Chilean guitarist Daniel Román - ex Valkyria, ex-Battlerage).
Studio recording of melodic vocals for the cover of "Sweet Lover", originally by the Arequipa-based band Ch'aska.
Live performances of the tracks "Amen" (La Pasión de lo Mortal, 2001) and "Por los Vientos Funestos" (Presagios de Agonía, 2005) at the release presentation of their new EP Sátira Macabre (2012) at Nuclear Bar (Lima).
Live performances of the tracks "Reencarnación" (Santa cover) and "Hijos de Caín" (Barón Rojo cover); 1 at La Estación de Barranco, 2 at Hell Bar, and 1 festival in Huaraz (Peru).
Vocal direction, co-production, and refinement of lyrics and vocal melodies for Rafael Núñez's (Hellium) vocal tracking on the tracks "Entropy" and "The Rain" (Inferus, EP 2011).
Participation with an Epica Tribute at the First Symphonic Festival in Peru organized by the Epica Fan Club at Nuclear Bar, followed by the official presentation of the First Official Epica Tribute in Peru at Keko Bar (16 tracks across 3 sets, including an acoustic block) organized by RANA Producciones (Rafael Núñez & Nathalie Markoch).
Founded in Lima in 2015 by Nathalie Markoch alongside Rafael Núñez (management), NMK was born during the composition process for Nathalie’s second studio album. The musical vision took shape when the instrumental writing adopted a denser, more technical, and darker nuance, naturally evolving into a full band project. Throughout this stage, Nathalie assumed full conceptual direction, writing all lyrics and vocal melodies while co-composing the instrumentation alongside guitarist Elias Checco from her live solo band.
Expanding upon the territory explored in "The Fraud" (2014), NMK’s sound fuses the aggressiveness of melodic death metal with progressive arrangements and vocal versatility alternating between clean registers and extreme growls, inspired by benchmarks such as Symphony X, Carcass, At the Gates, Demonoid, and Dark Tranquillity. The name Now Mankind Knows evokes the reconnection with humanity's primordial divine origin, transcending artificial timelines and obsolete structures of control and enslavement through radical self-sovereignty, integrity, and high biofield coherence.
The line-up was completed with bassist Luis Medina "Lucho Hammer" (Abigail, Supay, Tepuy, Nihil) — who had previously served as the bassist for Nathalie’s solo band — Carlos Roca on second guitar, and Fabián Pinto (ex-Black Fire) on drums. With this formation, NMK released their first official single and music video, "Lack of Judgment", in 2017. That same year, the band secured official endorsement from the Russian brand AMT Electronics and shortly thereafter released a music video cover of At the Gates' "Blinded by Fear".
In 2018, the band released their debut album, Ravenous Spectre, recorded by Adolfo Gazzo (Nautiluz) at Shredded Sound Studios (Peru) and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios (Sweden). The album featured special guest solos from prominent scene guitarists: Charlie Parra del Riego (solo on "Outrage") and Koko Rengifo (solo on "Ravenous Spectre"), alongside a newly re-recorded and re-structured version of "The Fraud" (originally from Nathalie Markoch's solo album Influences & Connections Vol. 1), adapted to NMK’s heavier, denser, and more technical sound.
Following their live debut opening for Mexican solo artist Anna Fiori in Lima —featuring Franco Almeida on drums— NMK solidified their stage presence by participating in the Metal United World Wide Festival (organized globally and broadcasted simultaneously) and the third edition of the renowned Lima Metal Fest (sharing the stage with Fates Warning, Dark Funeral, The Agonist, Enthroned, and serving as the official support band for Katon W. de Pena of HIRAX). With the addition of Diego Porturas (Miserable) on drums, NMK opened for Opera Magna and Tren Loco, and played live in various local shows, before entering a four-year hiatus beginning in mid-2020 following their participation in the Heresy Online Fest.
In 2024, Nathalie spearheaded NMK’s return with a renewed line-up featuring Diego Chacaliaza (Nautiluz, Fallen Symmetry, Ragnax) on guitar. This comeback included stellar performances in Lima opening for Jezabel at Heavy Metal Vortex, co-organizing the Club Calavera Perú festival, and playing their first international date at La Campana del Infierno festival in Carcarañá, Santa Fe (Argentina).
Cultivating poetic writing as an intimate discipline since the age of 13, Nathalie introduced © OBLAK in 2020; her first public artistic archive combining original English verses with her own atmospheric photography. Subtitled "The Dark Art of Unyielded Potential", this archive explores silent, multidimensional spaces where light and shadow converge, capturing fleeting glimpses of eternity, navigating the weight of internal shifts, and revealing the sacred silence beneath surface distortions. A visceral conversation between word, texture, and visual atmosphere.
Writings dedicated to deep shadow work to integrate inner dynamics based on opposites and the illusion of separation. This includes the dismantling of personality layers, identity layers, and roles that operate due to the now obsolete survival strategies that served in the past (linear time), but blocks our Song of the Self in the eternal moment of the now.
In this unique archive of self-examination - published starting 2020 onwards - Nathalie documents the process of the destructuring of her own social conditioning and programming to reclaim authentic expression, self-sovereignty, and perceptual clarity. These written contemplations are accompanied by metaphysical art and pointillism illustrations created in collaboration with her sister & tattoo artist Valmark.
Dedicated to bioenergetic sovereignty and high biological coherence. Following her initiations as a Belvaspata Grand Master — Healing of the Heart: A sacred modality codified by The Seer Almine — she established Haaraknit in 2016 as a precision sanctuary for auditing, cellular decompression, and opto-frequency biofield calibration.
With over 10 years of experience facilitating biofield restoration in humans and animals, as well as facilitating the transition of loved ones to the soul realms, and purifying spaces from imprints/presences. Operating globally through virtual and in-person modalities — with practices in Peru, Europe, and the USA — her work is strictly directed toward individuals committed to taking absolute responsibility for their lives.
