Daniel Lake

Vidian have recorded a video for “Pole Shift,” one of the solid-as-hell tracks from the A Piece of the End EP.  Check it out in full here and start your Tuesday right.

This year, Tuomas Saukkonen and Wolfheart return on Tyhjyys, to be released on March 3rd through Spinefarm Records.  Today we bring you the fourth track from the new record, called “The Flood.”

We checked in with two guitarists (Hamish Glencross and Andrew Craighan) and let them gush praise about one of their favorite bands.

Before Atonement Fever took hold, we received this, a re-recording of Immolation‘s first song ever, “Immolation,” in Issue #146 (December 2016, Phil Anselmo cover).  The song was special for the band back when it was first recorded, and its new rendition is significant for its own reasons…  See the included interview for details.

These days, dozens of online tastemakers can each have their own Top 10 list without overlapping any other list.  It’s a testament to the affordability of recording technology, to the direct connections artists forge with their fans, and to ever more insulated channels of musical taste.  Here are a few albums you might have missed but should probably check out before you lose yourself to all the glorious promises of 2017.

Zao dish the dirt on the making of their limited edition Decibel Flexi Series track. 

“Hope” is black metal change you can believe in. 

Because New Year countdowns are all the rage and never get boring, count down the songs on Plague Soundscapes with us.  Or against us.

After the dust settled and forty records were assigned a place on Decibel’s vaunted list, five remained that probably could have swapped places with anything else on the list without causing any greater/lesser irritation than lists like this already stir up.  Why should they get left out?  Here are the five records that tied for #41 on our Top 40 Albums of 2016.

Orange Goblin vocalist Ben Ward leads the charge to help members of Team Rock in the wake of the devastating news that their jobs are disappearing.  Can you help?  If yes, CLICK HERE.

In our Hall of Fame piece on 1992’s Neurosis‘ Souls at Zero, though, we had the unique opportunity to speak with former members Simon McIlroy (keyboards, samples, etc.) and Adam Kendall (film loops, color wheels, other visual elements), two super friendly guys with a lot to contribute.  Today, we offer the outtakes from our conversation with Mr. McIlroy. 

Meta is Car Bomb‘s second self-released record, and if you heard 2012’s cryptically titled w^w^^w^w then you probably know where this one is headed.  Spend a little time in Car Bomb’s headspace and you can be sure to either evolve or disintegrate into your very own pool of primordial goo.  And yes, both Joe Duplantier (of Gojira) and Frank Mullen (of Suffocation) lent their talents to parts of Meta.

Here’s a near-full recounting of our conversation with drummer Tomas Haake (for the juiciest quotes, you’ll need to grab a copy of the magazine itself).  Here, he tells Decibel a bit more about the writing and recording process and describes some of the more technical aspects of touring and continuing to be relevant in 2016.

What Graceless Dawn
You had me at “rowan, ash, willow, oak”
dB rating: 8/10

Recently the band has embarked on a Transylvanian trilogy, meant to explore the various elements of deep traditional life in the band’s homeland.  We asked main man Negru a few questions about the current state of the band and their direction.

We had the opportunity to speak with Tucker before the release of The Grey Eminence.  Catch most of the conversation here, and if you haven’t done so yet, put your ears on the new record now.  Discover what is hidden.

In a couple weeks, the Chi-town quartet Arriver will blast their frenetic, exacting noise of death out through your ass, by way of their December 2nd release, Emeritus.  Today, we give you the song “URSa,” as good an entry point as any (though it’s the record’s penultimate track) to the band’s sound.  Don’t let this be your only dip into their pool, though.

Get in here and get savaged!

Amid the noise of a dozen gnarly fall tours this year, Gorguts and friends stand out as a must-see bill with zero filler.

We got lucky when we sought out voices to comment on Meshuggah‘s continued power and relevance – our search led to a conversation with tourmate Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka of Decapitated.

Refinement?  Bah!  Technical acumen?  Bwaaaahhh!  This is crude, grave-stomping, bone-grinding death metal tuned for pit domination and soul desecration.

Fans of Melechesh, Rotting Christ, Tengger Cavalry and the more extreme moments in the Orphaned Land catalog should absolutely make time for the new album by Singapore “Vedic” metallers Rudra this fall.  The band has been active (and prolific!) since the 90s, and their eighth full-length is due to singe ears and elevate consciousnesses this December.

Chicago, Illinois has long been home to some of the harshest, ugliest metal sounds, and Polyptych continue the tradition in splendid form.

To suggest that I’ve been excited for Black Table to release their debut full-length would be something of an understatement. 

Oaken Palace Records teamed up with noise godfather Merzbow for a half-hour drone/noise release whose profits will go to the Kakapo Recovery Trust with the intent of helping this aviary species grow to more robust numbers.

Very little is funny about Aum and their heady/dirty death offensive, Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum, but get your ears on this if you like dense, ugly destruction that also finds time to paint with a little light.

Temple of Phobos
Cower power
dB rating: 8/10

In our final metal teacher installment, we bring you two men who hold down less traditional teaching positions:  Voivod’s Dan Mongrain, who teaches music at the college level; and Rage Nucléaire’s Lord Worm (Dan Greening), who teaches English language skills to business people who have left behind the traditional classroom setting.

French soul-threateners Aum will release their highly destructive (and equally esoteric) force, debut record Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum, this Friday on Iron Bonehead.  We asked the band some questions, and we got some enthusiastic and thoughtful responses.  Read up on Aum’s focus and vision right here.

Decibel had the opportunity to interview bassist Andreas Vidhall and guitarist/keyboardist (and occasional vocalist) Pär Stille about what makes Stilla tick.