Month: August 2012

The Lazarus Pit: Warlord’s … And the Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun

August 31, 2012

Welcome to The Lazarus Pit, a biweekly look at should-be classic metal records that don’t get nearly enough love; stuff that’s essential listening that you’ve probably never heard of; stuff that we’re too lazy to track down the band members to do a Hall Of Fame for.  This week, we dig through the Metal Blade…

STREAMING: Swallow The Sun “Emerald Forest And The Blackbird”

August 31, 2012

We’ve been geeked on Finland’s answer to My Dying Bride since 2003 when the fearless Finns issued debut album, The Morning Never Came. Years and four full-lengths later—the latest of which is the subtle yet stunning Emerald Forest And The Blackbird—, we’re still nuts about Swallow The Sun. So much so, we pre-empted the album…

Bonin’ the Interhole: Bound by Entrails

August 31, 2012

Bands like Gojira and Godflesh might be major brand names ‘round these parts, but mention them to your average Metallica-loving broseph and you’re likely to get a squinty-eyed, the-fuck-you-say? half-nod. But Decibel just won’t quit. We dig deeper, danker, darker and dirtier (though rarely fitter or happier) to turn up a few otherwise overlooked gems….

CONTEST: Win Devin Townsend & Katatonia Concert Ticket + CDs

August 30, 2012

The little birdies over at Century Media want us to present a sweet contest where One (1) winner can get tickets to see Decibel cover darlings Paradise Lost [issue #92, HERE], Devin Townsend, and Katatonia in the righteous flesh when the bad-ass tour of late summer kicks off September 4th in Seattle, Washington. But guess…

Exclusive Album Stream: Like Rats

August 30, 2012

When we were told that Chicago’s Like Rats featured members of grind provocateurs, Weekend Nachos getting in touch with their inner Tom Warrior (the one who’s written about in the Only Death is Real book, not this one), we got pretty excited. We got even more chuffed when Dom at A389 came a ringin’ with…

Decibrity Playlist: Anders Nyström (Katatonia) (Part 2)

August 30, 2012

To celebrate Tuesday’s release of Dead End Kings, we asked Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström to a pick a non-Katatonia record that related in some way to each of his band’s nine full-length records. Last week, Anders’ entries took us from 1993′s Dance Of December Souls up through and including 1999′s Tonight’s Decision. Now, starting with…

STREAMING: Arkhamin Kirjasto’s “The Cult Of No Return”

August 29, 2012

One of the more intriguing things to have landed in my inbox recently is Finland’s Arkhamin Kirjasto. It might be because music writers are anxious to drop a label on something and it’s damn near impossible to classify. Is it power metal? Hard rock? Or, as the band says on their Facebook page, “Lovecraftian Hard…

STREAMING: Daylight Dies “Infidel”

August 29, 2012

Normally, we like to pen a few lines of senseless drivel to entertain before you click that orange button thingie, but today—as August rightfully wanes into oblivion—our digital inkwell is virtually dry. Parched, if you will. That being said, we’re going to let Daylight Dies dash your hopes and weather-make your sunny day outright cloudy….

Sick of it All – “Scratch the Surface”

August 28, 2012

Four fellow dragon aficionados ensconced in the upper reaches of a Chinatown rehearsal loft they sublet with Henry Rollins (and a particularly stouthearted mouse) summoned into being the 1994 hardcore magnum opus Scratch the Surface.

GIVEAWAY: A Gaza Prize Package

August 28, 2012

You may have noticed that Decibel has a bit of a Deciboner for Gaza. Witness the recent Deciblog posts where we premiered a new track and had a fucking parrot review the new album, No Absolutes in Human Suffering. Well, we’re not done yet. No sir. To celebrate the release of the new album today…

The Hex Machine Rumbles to Life

August 28, 2012

The latest rhythmic noise rock opus from Hex Machine, Fixator, is out today and, boy, it sure is a careening, seething monster of a record — squalls, hooks, and powerhouse riffs galore. You needn’t take our word for it, though: The band has graciously offered the Deciblog a full stream below. Hex Machine’s upcoming fall…

Neurosis’ Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till preview Honor Found In Decay

August 27, 2012

We’ve only had the pleasure of hearing Neurosis’ forthcoming album, Honor Found in Decay, once. All the lights were out save for two candles and the peak meters on the mixing desk. And while the darkness made for a totally immersive listening experience, it reduced note-taking to scoring crude approximations of words onto the one-sheet,…

Colin Davis (Vile) interviewed

August 27, 2012

** The original Decibel interview appeared in issue #88 (HERE), but it seems as if the death metal community blew right past one of the better efforts of late 2011 to focus exclusively on Pestilence’s super-lauded Doctrine long-player (just kidding). Seriously, dudes, go back and give Metamorphosis a spin. It might end up on your…

For Those About to Squawk: Waldo’s Pecks of the Week

August 24, 2012

What the squawk? Let’s get into it. We’re going to pecking start off with MURDER CONSTRUCT and their first full-length on Relapse, Results. This is a grind supergroup so to speak, with members of Phobia, Exhumed, Cattle Decapitation, Bad Acid Trip and more. This is grindcore to a T, with a healthy dose of death…

Bonin’ the Interhole: CAPA

August 24, 2012

Bands like Gojira and Godflesh might be major brand names ‘round these parts, but mention them to your average Metallica-loving broseph and you’re likely to get a squinty-eyed, the-fuck-you-say? half-nod. But Decibel just won’t quit. We dig deeper, danker, darker and dirtier (though rarely fitter or happier) to turn up a few otherwise overlooked gems….

EXCLUSIVE CONTEST: Win Encrust stuff

August 23, 2012

We here at Decibel are all over Chicago’s Encrust.

Decibrity Playlist: Anders Nyström (Katatonia) (Part 1)

August 23, 2012

We’ve been running these playlists for about six months or so, and our favorite ones by far involve well-established artists telling us about records that related in some way to each of their studio albums (we’re looking at you Shane Embury and Greg Mackintosh). So when we recently had an early morning chat with Katatonia…

EXCLUSIVE: New Cryptopsy track “The Golden Square Mile”

August 22, 2012

We’re always stoked to get new material from one of the members of our storied Hall Of Fame. Decibel has received an exclusive sneak peek at the new Cryptopsy song “The Golden Square Mile,” from their forthcoming self-titled, self-released LP (due September 14). Cryptopsy also gave us a little more information about the song, which…

STREAMING: Author & Punisher “Terrorbird”

August 22, 2012

Not sure if you’ve missed out on “industrial doom metal” one-man outfit Author & Punisher, but if you own a Godflesh record, maybe a pre-suck Pitch Shifter 12″, or think Scorn’s Vae Solis is the only Scorn LP worth playing in the solitary confines of your treasured abode, then we think you need to stand…

A Glimpse Into Scott Seward’s Vinyl Soul

August 21, 2012

We’re pretty sure that there’s an old cliché that goes, “Your Youtube channel is a mirror to the soul.” You wanna see what’s inside a person, really get a sense of who they are and what they are about? Check out the weird shit they post on Youtube. And—watch this brilliant fucking segue—who at Decibel…

Black September Premiere

August 21, 2012

This morning Decibel has the honor of premiering “Beyond the Realms,” a truly epic slab of whip-smart death metal from Chicago’s Black September. The track is drawn from the upcoming release Into the Darkness Into the Void available for pre-order here. If you like what you hear, check out more tracks over at Black September’s…

Call Of The Wild Song Premiere! “Breaking Shit”

August 21, 2012

Breaking Shit by Decibel Magazine It’s strange to be premiering a song off Leave Your Leather On because I’ve been blasting the album for weeks. (It pays to be a big-time journalist.) And yes, I know – I guess these guys forgot about that Limp Biscuit song. Who cares? Stuff still has to get broken…

INTERVIEW: Finland’s Gorephilia on playing death metal Sunshine State-style

August 20, 2012

Seeing as Florida’s output of death metal has slowed to a trickle as scene veterans spend more time on the road, less time in the studio, or just sweat it out in semi-retirement, you could do worse than check in on Finland’s Gorephilia. Gorephilia’s long-awaited debut LP Embodiment of Death is old-school all right, and…

The Lazarus Pit: Coven’s Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls

August 17, 2012

Welcome to The Lazarus Pit, a biweekly look at should-be classic metal records that don’t get nearly enough love; stuff that’s essential listening that you’ve probably never heard of; stuff that we’re too lazy to track down the band members to do a Hall Of Fame for.  This week’s entry is from 1969, opens with…

Bonin’ the Interhole: Hello Jackie

August 17, 2012

Bands like Gojira and Godflesh might be major brand names ‘round these parts, but mention them to your average Metallica-loving broseph and you’re likely to get a squinty-eyed, the-fuck-you-say? half-nod.  But Decibel just won’t quit.  We dig deeper, danker, darker and dirtier (though rarely fitter or happier) to turn up a few otherwise overlooked gems….

Candiria’s John LaMacchia Offers Perspective on Baroness Bus Crash

August 17, 2012

In the interest of making sense of the terrible–but, fortunately, non-fatal–accident Baroness suffered Tuesday in the U.K., we consulted former Candiria guitarist John LaMacchia, whose van was decimated on the road nearly a decade ago. As a fellow crash survivor, what was your gut reaction when you first heard about the Baroness accident? Shock. It…

Hollywood, Cancel All Plans for that Lords of Chaos Movie

August 16, 2012

Normally, I’d sound off on something like this, but sometimes nothing more than “what the fuck?” needs to be said. Ok, let me just add one bit of commentary: the moustache that appears at 3:56 of part one kicked my ass like it’s never been kicked before.

INTERVIEW: The Mylene Sheath’s Lindsay and Joel (Part 2)

August 16, 2012

Last week we ran the first part of our interview with the good folks at The Mylene Sheath. Lindsay and Joel—the duo behind the Athens, GA based label—talked to us about their beginnings, how they communicate with their fans and their vinyl releases. In the concluding half of our interview, find out about their newest…

STREAMING: North “The Great Silence”

August 15, 2012

What would you ask Tucson-based North if you had the chance? Well, our first question would be: why name the band North when you’re from the Southwest? Seems a little geographically confusing. Where’s North from, you ask? The Southwest. Eh?! A more apropos moniker would be, well, Southwest. Then, North’s fans would always know where…

STREAMING: Nihill’s “Trauma: Crushing Serpens Mercuriales”

August 14, 2012

To paraphrase the almighty David Lee Roth, “Summertime’s here, babe, need something to keep you cool. Better look out now, Decibel‘s got somethin’ for you.” Some frozen fuckin’ Dutch black metal on stick, that’s what we’ve got. Minus the stick. But full-on frostbitten, we swear. This premiere is guaranteed to drop the ambient temperature in…