Lists

Black Solstice: 5 Cold Classics to Get You Through the Holidays

December 23, 2016

When you need a break after hearing “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” or “Jingle Bell Rock” ten thousand agonizing times.

Last-Minute Decibel Gifts That Don’t Require Shipping

December 21, 2016

Christmas is in four days, but you have nothing to worry about thanks to these awesome gifts that don’t require any shipping. Happy holidays!

Deck the Hails: Neill Jameson’s Christmas Playlist

December 1, 2016

Neill Jameson sounds off on the holiday season and gives you a playlist to impress your internet friends with. 

December 2016 Decibel Meter: Classic Names, New Titles

December 1, 2016

November was stacked with top-tier releases from genre-defining bands. If you missed any, now is the time to remedy that, and f.y.e. has got them all bundled together in one place for you.

SPOILER: Here Are Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2016

November 17, 2016

We’re sorry. We’re not trying to ruin the fun by posting this. But someone else already did. You probably shouldn’t click here. Really, you should just wait for the issue to arrive in the mail. For Christ’s sake, have you no willpower? OK, fine. 

Mikael Stanne’s (Dark Tranquillity) Top 5 Guilty Pleasures

November 7, 2016

Swedish melodic death metallers Dark Tranquillity are well known around these parts. The group’s discography is well documented in interview, review, and Hall of Fame form. Now that the Swedes have a new album out, the wonderfully crafted Atoma, it’s time we do our due diligence to see what’s brewing.

LIFE OF AGONY’S ALAN ROBERT TALKS “THE BEAUTY OF HORROR” & HIS TOP FIVE HORROR GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR METALHEADS

October 19, 2016

Over the last several years Life of Agony bassist/songwriter Alan Robert has built a fascinating second career as a author/illustrator in the world of dark, cutting-edge graphic novels such as Wire Hangers (2010), Crawl to Me (2011), and Killogy (2012). This month the multitalented provocateur turns his attention to subverting and desecrating the adult coloring book craze with the delectably demented The Beauty of Horror: A GOREgeous Coloring Book — a “blood-soaked alternative,” in the words of its accompanying press release, that will take unsuspecting colored-pencil wielders “on a twisted journey through bizarre carnivals, the zombie apocalypse, serial killer lairs, and haunted burial grounds.”

THE DEATH METAL THAT INSPIRED DEATH METAL (THE MOVIE)

October 12, 2016

Chris McInroy brought a little shred, gurgle, n’ grind to this year’s Fantastic Fest with his relentlessly awesome, gore-drenched love letter to the decimating power of riffage, Death Metal. The short film is now tearing its way through a huge number of subsequent festivals and considering both its Deci-worthy subject matter overlap and the season, we thought we’d reach out to the director to see if he’d be down to summon up a Death Metal playlist.

Saxon’s Live Albums Ranked From Worst to Best

October 6, 2016

Saxon have enjoyed a prolific career, with a multitude of live albums. Inspired by their upcoming vinyl box set, The Vinyl Hoard, Season of Mist’s Greg Karlowitsch ranks Saxon’s already released live albums from worst to best.

The Top 10 Integrity Songs Picked by New Guitarist Dom Romeo

October 5, 2016

The legendary Integrity is currently recording a full-length for Relapse — news that would be cause for celebration/preparation under any circumstances, but with word coming down that ex-Pulling Teeth guitarist/A389 Recordings founder/superior nasty riff generator Domenic Romeo is leading the six-string slaughter this time out feels more like some straight up Book of Revelation seal-breaking shit.

Thoughts From Two Decades of Road Dogging: Retox Offers “Pre-Tour Diary”

August 25, 2016

Justin Pearson (The Locust, Retox) is no stranger to the road. Dude has been staring at blacktop and lane dividers in the name of playing dive bars and assorted shit holes around the world for ‘round about 20 years

AND THE RINGWORM AWARD FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN HORROR GOES TO…

August 17, 2016

As Cleveland brutalizers/trailblazers Ringworm returns with yet another fiery-as-fuck, slab of bludgeoning occult-infused metallic hardcore entitled Snake Church, it seemed as appropriate a time as any to check in with vocalist and hardcore horror memorabilia collector Human Furnace about his favorite dark films to watch during the offstage lulls on tour. 

Krieg’s Neill Jameson on his favorite record stores in the United States

August 15, 2016

Krieg‘s Neill Jameson on the best record stores in Philadelphia, Richmond, Providence and Chicago.

Top 5 Norwegian Death Metal Albums Of All Time

August 15, 2016

Far more prevalent now than ever before. Decibel flips through the musty pages of history to highlight the Top 5 Norwegian Death Metal Albums Of All Time.

Decibel Presents the Top 5 Satyricon Songs

August 12, 2016

To celebrate the Decibel Books release of Black Metal: The Cult Never Dies Vol. 1, we ranked Satyricon‘s five best songs. 

Top 5 Old-School Underground Metal Fliers

July 25, 2016

From England to Florida, from Tokyo to Oslo, from Australia to San Francisco, postal workers were the bandwidth by which death metal, black metal, doom metal, and every other underground form of metal communicated. Open a letter and out poured legion! Here’s a tribute to Decibel‘s fave old-school fliers.

Top 10 Music For Nations Releases Of All Time

July 4, 2016

After 21 years of housing some of the finest metal acts known to mankind, British label Music For Nations closed shop in 2004. The label was folded in Sony Entertainment’s Zomba Record Group and mothballed until last year when Sony rekindled the legendary label’s fire.  So, we’re celebrating with an essential Top 10. 

5 Black Metal Albums You Might Have Missed So Far in 2016

June 10, 2016

While the weather outside is warm- everything here is so cold.

Top 5 Maryland Deathfest 2016 Moments

June 6, 2016

Every year, we travel to Baltimore  for Maryland Deathfest, easily the best run festival for underground metal to grace America. Here are five of my memorable moments at MDF 2016. Music-related missives are forthcoming in the August 2016 issue of Decibel.

Friday the 13th: Horror/Slasher Movie Top 5s from Exhumed, Ghoul & Arcana 13

May 13, 2016

Exhumed, Ghoul and Arcana 13 members weigh in with horror and slasher flick favorites in honor of today’s metal “holiday.” 

Horrendous’ Top 5 Other-Worldly Death Metal Albums of All Time

April 14, 2016

In anticipation of Choosing Death Fest, get your weird on with Horrendous.

Dying Fetus’ Top 5 Live Death Metal Bands

April 6, 2016

Not one to mess around, Dying Fetus drummer Trey Williams gets straight to the matter (of splatter?) at hand in this Top 5. 

Taphos Nomos’ Top 5 Eco-Conscious Metal Songs

March 31, 2016

Mountain of Doom provides “verba/vox/chants” for Choosing Death Fest “Prehadean Sublithic Death/Doom” squad Taphos Nomos. With such nomenclature, how could we not ask them for something earthy?

Top 5 Dan Seagrave Covers of 1991

March 23, 2016

Decibel’s all about honoring 1991’s 25th anniversary – just check issue #137’s Metal Maniacs design homage and the “Top 30 Albums of 1991” feature. So when it comes to celebrating our favorite album covers from that landmark year, there’s no better place to start than with Dan Seagrave.

Derkéta’s Top 5 Doomy Death Metal Songs of All Time

March 21, 2016

Frontwoman Sharon Bascovsky dooms you to death in honor of Choosing Death Fest. 

Misery Index’s Top 5 Genre-Bending Extreme Metal Songs

March 16, 2016

Guitarist/vocalist Mark Kloeppel goes “off the charts” with this list in honor of Choosing Death Fest.