Month: December 2014

2014: The Year In Guest Posts

December 31, 2014

There are 52 weeks in a year. Give or take a few holidays and medical procedures that equals more than 100 blog posts annually when you have slots on Monday and Wednesday. There’s literally no way anyone trying to make a living could create that much original content (although Decibel alumni and Invisible Oranges founder…

Track Premiere: Black Pussy, “Butterfly”

December 31, 2014

When you name your band Black Pussy you’d better tread carefully, and to their credit the Portland band has made it crystal clear why they chose to call themselves that. Drawing inspiration from the original title of The Rolling Stones’ classic “Brown Sugar” Black Pussy states on their Facebook page, “Black Pussy does not condone…

NEW YEAR’S EVIL: Best Bandcamp Finds from 2014

December 30, 2014

It’s been a while since I’ve recommended awesomeness available on the Bandcamp download service, and since a draconian new VAT policy goes into effect in Europe on January 1, this might be your last chance to grab some of these before shit gets wonky. Here’s a random assortment of awesome downloadable metal so you can…

When the Pain Goes Marching In: Theologian Premiere!

December 30, 2014

This is one day you most assuredly do not want to be canonized: We’ve got an exclusive premiere courtesy the Decibel noise special issue-approved sonic nightmare factory that is Theologian, and good goddamn does this track from the band’s upcoming two disc set Pain of the Saints — out January 7 on Malignant Records —…

2014: The Year In Deciblog Interviews

December 29, 2014

It’s instructive to look back at a collection of work over the course of a year. During 2014 we’ve endeavored to get you as many interviews we could on Mondays and Wednesdays in addition to streaming tracks, which are sort of a default necessity in music writing these days. If you take a look you’ll…

STREAMING: Dysangelium “Thánatos Áskēsis”

December 29, 2014

When we premiered Dysangelium’s “Ave Obscuritas Incarna” little over a month ago, faces melted and religions faltered (HERE). Well, Decibel and WTC Productions are hoping for a full skeletal collapse and for a great earthquake to swallow the Vatican whole after we premiere Dysangelium’s new album, Thánatos Áskēsis. “Every time we start working on new…

Quench Your “Eternal Thirst”: Darkness Divided Premiere!

December 29, 2014

A few months back we hosted the full stream of Written In Blood, the much-acclaimed debut from Darkness Divided, and today the San Antonio quartet returns to the Deciblog to world premiere the video for “Eternal Thirst.” Get into it.

Danny Marino (The Agonist) interviewed

December 26, 2014

** A vocalist change is never easy. Now that Alissa White-Gluz is fronting Arch Enemy, The Agonist have in their ranks a multi-faceted replacement in Chicago-based sensation Vicky Psarakis. Found by The Agonist on Youtube doing a variety of metal and non-metal covers, along with originals, Psarakis represents a new chapter for the group. This…

Throw Me a Frickin’ Label Hack: Malformed

December 26, 2014

Now that we’ve just squeaked past the Judeo-Christian holiday season, it’s time to resume our regularly scheduled blasphemies and blood feasting.  In the interest of not fucking around in any way whatsoever, today we bring your attention to Rochester, NY horror activists Malformed.  Their skull-stabbing death metal should sour all eggnog and extinguish all but…

Encrotchment: Christmas Cookie Edition

December 24, 2014

The lines between Anna Kendrick and Tina Fey are becoming more and more blurred every day. Look to the Cookie, Everyone. Look to the Cookie. This week, instead of watching football at my house in the dark, I went to my aunt’s house to make Christmas cookies with her. As I walked through the door,…

Inside The Shredder’s Studio #15: Jeremy Wagner (Take 2)

December 23, 2014

Broken Hope’s Jeremy Wagner sat down with us beginning last week for his four-part shredder’s studio. Here is the second installment from the death metal veteran turned author. We’ll be running the final two takes at a time to be revealed in 2015. — Savatage: Sirens (title track) (1983) The guitar work of Criss Oliva…

Last-Minute Gift Ideas From Decibel

December 23, 2014

Our annual holiday nightmare is almost over. If, like us, you haven’t seen daylight or experienced human contact in months, that might come as something of a surprise. But today is Christmas Eve Eve, so if you want to follow in the footsteps of Tom Cruise and Fake Like You Are Nice and Caring, we…

Tales From The Metalnomicon: J.W. Henley, The Reviling Scribe

December 23, 2014

Welcome to Tales From the Metalnomicon, a column delving into the vast world of heavy metal-tinged/inspired literature and metalhead authors… Good goddamn can Revilement/Sledge City Slashers vocalist J.W. Henley spin a yarn! The Taipei-based death metal vocalist’s excellent debut novel Sons of the Republic is a fascinating study of the intricacies and tensions of the…

Spazz – “La Revancha”

December 22, 2014

The setting: the San Francisco Bay Area. The era: the mid-’90s. The sound: the violent and harried subgenre of powerviolence, going over with the natives like a wet fart in a dry church.

OWNER OF A DORMANT HEART: Sylosis In-Studio Performance of “Mercy” + Interview

December 22, 2014

British progressive thrashers Sylosis have been destroying minds for four albums now, and their latest may be their most ambitious yet (10 minute acoustic track!). Produced by guitarist/vocalist Josh Middleton, Dormant Hearts contains some of their most malevolent material to date, containing a full hour of anger. To celebrate the release of the album, we…

STREAMING: Armageddon “The Watcher” + Contest!

December 22, 2014

** See Armageddon contest info at bottom of post! It’s no secret guitar wiz Christopher Amott is no longer sharing albums and stage with his brother Michael in death metal sensation Arch Enemy. The younger, blonder Amott has moved on to his labor of love called Armageddon (no relation to the ’70s hard rock band…

Hunting Season Is On: Napalm Death Fires Up February’s Decibel

December 19, 2014

February’s Napalm Death cover story opens with three full paragraphs pertaining to Barney Greenway’s undergarments. No, we haven’t gone full Maxim (although we know you’re still eagerly anticipating the sequel to the Hottest Doodz in Metal). Napalm, after all, are a band who’s most recent album was called Utilitarian, and writer Justin Norton is merely…

Iris Divine Stream New Song

December 19, 2014

Virginia prog-rock djentlemen Iris Divine are in the progress of releasing their second full-length record, called Karma Sown.  We say “progress” because, while the album was released digitally earlier this month at Bandcamp, the music caught some label attention and is being considered for official release.  We don’t have details for you right now (we…

Happy Fucking Easter from the Wise-asses in Old Man Gloom

December 18, 2014

So, I’m assuming you’ve all heard about the so-called prank wherein Old Man Gloom and Profound Lord sent out promos of their The Ape of God double album. Included within was new music that wasn’t actually new music as it appeared on the official release of the album(s). if you want to read a more…

Encrotchment With Eddie Gobbo From Jar’d Loose: Week 15

December 18, 2014

Please North Korea, threaten a terrorist attack over ALL Seth Rogen and James Franco movies from now on. Vat on the Pats This past week, the inevitable happened: The New England Patriots claimed their sixth straight AFC East title, and are on the fast track (for the millionth time) to the playoffs, with a bye…

Deluxe Edition Flexi Collector’s Box: Now in Stock!

December 18, 2014

In December of 2010, Decibel brought flexi back. Four years later, the obscure-yet-awesome medium is obviously here to stay. Our vaunted Flexi Series is going to be a whopping 50 deep as of the February 2015 issue, and there’s no better place to store and preserve these highly collectible, exclusive items than the Deluxe Edition…

Inside The Shredder’s Studio #15: Jeremy Wagner (Take 1)

December 17, 2014

When you invite a a published novelist to the shredder’s studio expect a narrative. Such was the case with death metal veteran and Broken Hope founder Jeremy Wagner. Not only did Mr. Wagner visit the shredder’s studio — he provided your host with a near novella on the riffs that shaped him in chronological order….

Jump, Carry On, or Both: 2014’s Best Power Metal

December 17, 2014

Last week on Twitter I asked to no one in particular, if a publication is going to put out a “Best Metal of the Year” list, why do they all focus primarily on the extreme metal side? Hey, I like Dark Descent, Gilead, and Nuclear War Now as much as anyone else, but there’s a…

THEY HUNT HORSES TOO, DON’T THEY?: Free Download of Horsehunter’s “Stoned to Death”

December 16, 2014

They make everything heavier in Australia. That’s probably because gravity is stronger down there (or so I’m told). Horsehunter come from down under, and they bring some seriously slow, Sabbath/Sleep-style doom. “Stoned to Death” follows in a grand tradition of epically long songs, and it’s like being between two tectonic plates at the moment of…

Tales From the Metalnomicon: Damon Root’s Heavy Metal Justice

December 16, 2014

Today the Metalnomicon welcomes Reason senior editor Damon Root, one of the most thought-provoking, singular voices writing on the intricacies of American law today. He’s also a metal/hardcore devotee and the original articulator of the Suicidal Tendencies litmus test for federal candidates, which, as we all know, has had a profound effect on our nation…

STREAMING: Outer Heaven’s “Vile Rebirth”

December 15, 2014

Publicist guy says: “We think you’ll like this — it sounds like Coffins.” So, we decide to check it out because we love Coffins. And yes, we can hear that a bit but we hear even more similarities to Mitochondrian and Decibel favorites Incantation. These are promising comparisons for extreme metal. Despite throwing out a…

STREAMING: Callisto “Pale Pretender”

December 15, 2014

“Pale Pretender travels heavy hearted through ominous landscapes in a world where more is not enough,” says Callisto vocalist Jani Ala-Hukkala. Finns aren’t the most talkative of peoples, so it stands to reason Ala-Hukkala is letting the gravity of his statement (and the “Pale Pretender”) do most of the talking here, which is fine for…

STREAMING: Thulcandra “Exalted Resistance”

December 12, 2014

Steffen Kummerer is better known for his stupidly good guitar and vocal work in the obscenely great tech death outfit Obscura. But Kummerer has a dark side. One that harkens back to the mid-’90s, when Swedish death metal tyrants Dissection reigned the cold winds of nowhere and drank, with pure joy, night’s blood with Elizabeth…

Ex-DEP Jeff Tuttle: Onward and Upward

December 12, 2014

Some of us recognize Jeff Tuttle as a recent guitarist with the Dillinger Escape Plan, where he tore ears and brain matter from 2007 until 2012.  Jeff has also been active as a filmmaker (see his new-ish video for a new Child Bite song here) as he continues his musical pursuits in Old Gods and…

Greber: Not Named After a Goalie

December 11, 2014

I’d like to take this opportunity to nip something in the bud: Cambridge, Ontario’s Greber is in no way associated with, saluting, paying homage to, or actually even really aware of, former NHL goaltender Martin Gerber. The first indication should have been that the moniker as selected by the two-man sludge/doom monolith is spelt completely…