Month: August 2014

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

August 29, 2014

BURZUM has been described as “music to make mortals dream,” and  The Ways of Yore (Candlelight) will do just that, because it’ll put you to sleep. I guess living in France can’t be that cheap; it seems like Varg cranks records out once a year or so. I’m not going to delve into his politics, the…

Exclusive: Stream The New Noisem

August 29, 2014

By now Decibel readers have come to know and love the young upstarts in Noisem. They turned heads during the last Decibel tour (and almost got Jeff Walker of Carcass in a lot of trouble — check out the details in the instant oral history). So Decibel and our friends at A389 Recordings are excited…

Throw Me a Frickin’ Label Hack: Dawn of a Dark Age

August 29, 2014

Because every day another band records another song.  Because 83% of those songs are unlistenable and you can’t be bothered to sift through the dreck.  Because metal is about not giving a shit and waking your own personal storm.  Because music is universal, expression is boundless, and even indie labels (whatever that means these days)…

KEN Mode News and Notes: Tour Dates! New Material! New Videos!

August 28, 2014

Tomorrow begins the touring cycle for Winnipeg’s tireless road warriors, KEN Mode in support of their forthcoming album, Success. The record itself isn’t slated to be recorded until November, but after almost a year at home, the rest of the world can almost hear the itchin’ in their britches to get back out on the…

INTERVIEW: Pit Full Of Shit

August 28, 2014

If you’ve been to shows around the NYC area–particularly at The Acheron or Saint Vitus Bar, both in Brooklyn–then chances are you’ve seen Frank Huang. More often than not, he’s armed with at least one video camera to capture that night’s show for everyone else’s viewing pleasure. After noticing him time after time at gigs,…

db Exclusive: The National Anthem Courtesy of Exmortus

August 27, 2014

Decibel‘s love of baseball is well documented, from the staff baseball road trip of years past recounted in the oral history of the magazine’s first decade to our annual baseball special. Our editor-in-chief is at this moment wondering why fate decided he should edit an extreme metal magazine rather than play in the majors. So…

Sucker For Punishment: Eleventh Observation

August 27, 2014

Last week I mentioned how writers like yours truly like to cart out the phrase “fully realized” upon hearing an album we deem to be a creative zenith, as if to immediately negate anything the artist might have in store in the future. Nope, sorry, this is as good as it will ever get. If…

STREAMING: Blackwolfgoat’s “Drone Maintenance”

August 26, 2014

“Black,” “wolf”, and “goat” are all words frequently found in the pages of our magazine, so any band with all three words in its name has to be good, right? Absolutely! Only probably not for the reason that you think. Blackwolfgoat is the solo project of guitarist Darryl Shepard (Black Pyramid, The Scimitar, Hackman, Milligram,…

Rise to Snarl Again: English Dogs Q&A

August 26, 2014

When the classic line-up of UK crossover heroes English Dogs reconvened for a raucous U.S. tour a few years back enthusiasm went straight through the squat roof. And yet a rumored new album, even the band’s most ardent fans would likely admit, seemed a much dicier prospect. After all, the 2011 jaunt focused on To…

Pardon, Please: The Deciblog Interview With Lord Worm

August 25, 2014

Dan Greening — alias Lord Worm — is one of the few true mavericks in death metal. Worm is best known for his work with Cryptopsy; Decibel Hall Of Fame inductee None So Vile and potential inductee Blasphemy Made Flesh are genre classics. Worm’s work with Cryptopsy is inimitable; his lyrics are crazed poetry as…

STREAMING: Rigor Mortis “Poltergeist”

August 25, 2014

After the untimely passing of Rigor Mortis guitarist (Mike Scaccia; also of Ministry) in December 2012, the remaining members decided it was Scaccia who would’ve wanted to see new album, Slaves to the Grave, released to the wide world of longhairs, headbangers, and rebel angels. The group has already premiered ripping new track, “Flesh for…

VIDEO PREMIERE: Killer Be Killed’s “Snakes of Jehovah”

August 25, 2014

It’s Monday morning. Mondays suck. It doesn’t take a cartoon cat to know that. But lo and behold, we have something to brighten your week: a video featuring Troy Sanders, Greg Puciato, Max Cavalera, Dave Elitch, and a naked chick with a snake. Who says we aren’t good to you? Here’s the latest video from…

Simon Wizén (Valkyrja) interviewed

August 22, 2014

** Valkyrja has largely existed in a vacuum of uncool. The Swedes’ brand of fiery black is likened to Watain fucking around with early period Enslaved, but that’s the extent of Valkyrja’s Satan-powered volcano. Throughout the group’s three-album discography they tap an unknown darkness. They make you feel as if you’ve stuck your head and…

Throw Me a Frickin’ Label Hack: France’s Father Merrin

August 22, 2014

Because every day another band records another song.  Because 83% of those songs are unlistenable and you can’t be bothered to sift through the dreck.  Because metal is about not giving a shit and waking your own personal storm.  Because music is universal, expression is boundless, and even indie labels (whatever that means these days)…

When There’s No More Beer in Hell: Cross Examination Returns with Dawn of the Dude

August 21, 2014

This almost didn’t happen. By ‘this,’ we mean the interview portion of our announcing the return-of-sorts of St. Louis’ Cross Examination to the world of playing crossover thrash while balancing tens of beers on their livers. The quintet, after about six years of silence, has a new 7″ out and available as of last month…

Christ, Not Death: Exclusive Napalm Christ Stream!

August 21, 2014

Napalm Christ lives up to its name. Need we say more? Actually, no, no we don’t. ‘Cause we’ve got the exclusive stream of the band’s upcoming catchy-yet-dark-as-fuck self-titled 12-inch streaming below. (Pre-order here.) Enjoy! A389-146 NAPALM CHRIST (Napalm Christ) 12" by A389 Recordings

Decibrity Playlist: Lazer/Wulf

August 21, 2014

Despite teases here and there, it’s now been five long years since the last Irepress record (yes, I realize this is a Lazer/Wulf playlist–I’ll get there next sentence, I promise). Given that the group is one of my favorite acts around, it’s high praise that stumbling upon Lazer/Wulf has helped satiate my craving for new…

STREAMING: Children of Technology’s “Future Decay”

August 20, 2014

You want music that sounds (and looks) like one of the high-octane action scenes from the classic film The Road Warrior? Well, Children of Technology embrace the post apocalypse pretty enthusiastically with their dystopic D-beat punk attack. They even dress up like members of Lord Humongous’s gang of marauders, which is way more awesome than…

Shark Week is for Sissies: Exclusive Hammerhead Premiere!

August 20, 2014

A few years back super-under-appreciated Minneapolis noise rockers Hammerhead reunited for Amphetamine Reptile’s twenty-fifth anniversary bash and released an EP dubbed Memory Hole…which for a long while seemed to describe the place where the band was destined to disappear down. Happily, it is not so, and today we have your first exclusive taste of the…

Sucker For Punishment: Worlds Apart

August 20, 2014

I was among those critics lavishing praise on Pallbearer’s debut album Sorrow & Extinction in February 2012, marveling at its surprisingly graceful take on doom metal. However, as the year went on, I felt I had to pull back from the praise of the critical hive mind, because the more I let that record settle,…

Inside The Shredder’s Studio #13: Carl Byers of Coffinworm

August 19, 2014

Since their debut When All Became None was released about four years ago critics have struggled to find a moniker that fits Coffinworm. Are they blackened crust? Doom punk? Blackened death? Blackened tilapia? After a while all of these phrases begin to sound a lot like the Applebee’s menu so we’ll settle with the trustworthy…

Darkness Undivided: Exclusive Music Blues Stream!

August 19, 2014

Think you’re having a bad day/life? Well, Stephen Tanner is pretty sure he’s got your ass beat, and then some: The bassist of experimental sludge-y noise rock auteurs Harvey Milk is about to release a unsettling-yet-mesmerizing, pitch-fucking-dark concept album about his life entitled Things Haven’t Gone Well under the apt moniker Music Blues and we’ve…

See A Little Light: Exclusive Darkness Divided Stream!

August 18, 2014

To co-opt/augment Riki Rachtman’s old Headbanger’s Ball sign-off, on Written in Blood Darkness Divided has one foot in the metalcore gutter, one fist in the Between the Buried and Me/Devin Townsend-y gold. And for those who don’t reflexively hate the former, the latter will be a very welcome development indeed. Anyway, here’s your chance to…

Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (Sólstafir) interviewed

August 18, 2014

** Sólstafir have been roving the plains of Iceland for the better part of two decades. Though originally a black metal act, replete with corpsepaint, the Reykjavikians transformed into something else years later. We’re not entirely sure if Sólstafir are post-metal, post-rock, or post-themselves, but whatever genre of music they fall into, they’re entirely unique….

Pig Destroyer Frontman J.R. Hayes Reflects on “Twin Peaks”

August 18, 2014

If you’ve been with us for a while, you surely remember our January 2008 issue, in which we not only bestowed Album of the Year honors on Pig Destroyer’s Phantom Limb, but talked to vocalist J.R. Hayes at length about major influence David Lynch. “With [Lynch], it’s like you’re watching paintings that move,” Hayes said…

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

August 15, 2014

Well, the editors of this told me “if you don’t have anything nice to squawk, don’t squawk anything at all.”So like you’re not going to be able to bear what I have to pecking say about this week’s major release, like can’t peck  it at all, Paul. What time is it? MIDNIGHT release No Mercy for…

Tough To Untie: Exclusive Colombian Necktie Stream!

August 15, 2014

Only a few days left until metallic hardcore levellers Colombian Necktie unleash the scary/sick debut full-length Twilight Upon Us, but for those who can’t wait we’ve got an exclusive stream of the track “Guiding Light” below: Check out another track here. For more information visit Bandcamp, Twitter, and/or Instagram.

Throw Me a Frickin’ Label Hack: Finland’s Edge of Haze

August 15, 2014

Because every day another band records another song.  Because 83% of those songs are unlistenable and you can’t be bothered to sift through the dreck.  Because metal is about not giving a shit and waking your own personal storm.  Because music is universal, expression is boundless, and even indie labels (whatever that means these days)…

The Deciblog Presents More “My Awesome Day Job” Content: USA Out of Vietnam Does a Secret Vegan Supper Club. Of Course.

August 14, 2014

In simplistic terms, I guess one would/could say USA Out of Vietnam is a space rock band. Actually, the Montreal outfit is a genre-defying entity that incorporates elements of everything from psychedelia, shoegaze and black metal to doom, noise rock and Angelo Badalamenti-sounding soundtrack stuff. The band has a new record out on New Damage…

Decibrity Playlist: Young Widows (Part 2)

August 14, 2014

Last week, we brought you the beginning of Evan Patterson’s “dark country and folk” playlist. In two-and-a-half years of doing these, it’s safe to say that his picks–most of which originated on 7″ singles–are some of the more obscure, yet fascinating, we’ve encountered. While Part 1 tackled tracks from 1956 to 1963 (don’t miss the…