Lists
Decibrity Playlist: Cormorant
May 22, 2014 Zach Smith
Back in early 2012, Chris Dick sung the praises of Cormorant’s Dwellings. Since the band’s recently released follow-up is yet another quality entry in its still nascent catalog, we asked Nick Cohon to tell us about some of the “darker country music” that he listens to (the guitarist is also rocking a Gov’t Mule Dose…
Decibrity Playlist: Eyehategod (Part 2)
May 15, 2014 Zach Smith
In celebration of Eyehategod‘s first full-length studio album in nearly a decade and a half, last week we shared five musical selections that frontman (and soon to be cover star) Mike IX Williams’ listens to on his “stupid iPod in the filthy tour van.” As promised, here are the rest of his eclectic picks which,…
Inside The Shredder’s Studio #11: Eric Cutler of Autopsy
May 14, 2014 Justin Norton
Sometimes we finally get a guest we’ve wanted to host forever. We are extremely lucky today to welcome one of the forefathers of death metal to the studio: Eric Cutler of the mighty Autopsy! Eric is still shredding away — you can check out his new work on Torniquets Hacksaws & Graves. Please welcome Eric…
Decibrity Playlist: Eyehategod (Part 1)
May 8, 2014 Zach Smith
It’s been nearly 14 years since Eyehategod graced us with a new long-player, but thankfully that drought will come to an end in a matter of weeks when the band’s self-titled fifth LP drops on May 27th. Not only are the album’s 11 songs well worth the wait, but frontman Mike IX Williams was kind…
Inside The Shredder’s Studio #10: Marissa Martinez-Hoadley
May 7, 2014 Justin Norton
Marissa Martinez-Hoadley is: A. Awesome B. Bandmates with our first ever studio participant Elizabeth Schall C. A bonafide shredder She’s also working to finalize a new Cretin album for release this year. It’s about eight years later than we wanted but it’s a new record so we’ll take it. Please welcome Marissa Martinez-Hoadley the shredder’s…
Tomas Skogsberg Produced These Albums (A Top 5)
May 5, 2014 Chris Dick
Back in the day, the “produced by” byline was a marketing ploy to get heavy metal fans into one band, well, into another. Easy marketing from the ground—a classic record or two—up. Swedish producer Tomas Skogsberg is renowned for his name attachment to several pivotal records throughout the ‘90s before he gave way to fellow…
Key Influences: Unlocking Truth
April 29, 2014 Shawn Macomber
For a trio of Brooklyn seventh graders the boys of hep-hep-hepped-up, see-you-in-the-place-where-Judas-Priest-and-In-Flames-meet melodic metallers Unlocking the Truth have compiled quite a list of accomplishments over the last year or so including — though hardly limited to! — head-turning sets at Coachella, SXSW, and last Sunday’s Barclays Center NBA halftime show; signing a deal with The…
Decibrity Playlist: Floor
April 24, 2014 Zach Smith
Florida may not always have the most sterling reputation, but it’s produced a slew of the bands that we cover and love. For starters, consider Atheist, Hate Eternal and many Morrisound alumni. As Jason Heller detailed in our latest issue, Floor–another Sunshine State spawn–returns next week with its first new record since 2004’s Dove (which…
Survival Knife’s Metal Edge
April 22, 2014 Shawn Macomber
After an extended layoff Justin Trosper of the late, much-mourned noisy post-hardcore heroes Unwound has returned with an excellent infectious-if-still-decidedly-off-kilter outfit of musical subversion, Survival Knife. Our Deci-antennae really started vibrating, however, when Trosper cited Enslaved and Opeth, among other extreme metallers, as influences for his new venture in a great interview over at Stereo…
Czar Issues Decree: Top Five Godflesh Songs
April 15, 2014 Shawn Macomber
Intro-ing the full-album stream last November of the sophomore effort from Czar, No One is Alone if No One is Alive, our pals over at MetalSucks praised this ultra-power trio for “effectively straddl[ing] the line between precise tech-y metal and earthy post-hardcore” — an apt observation we won’t quibble with here. In recognition of Czar’s…
Inside The Shredder’s Studio #9: Kevin Hufnagel of Gorguts, Dysrhythmia and Vaura
April 2, 2014 Justin Norton
Kevin Hufnagel is traveling around the country right now blowing minds with Gorguts on the Decibel tour. We thought it was a perfect time to pull him aside and learn about the riffs that shaped his shredding style. Please welcome Kevin Hufnagel to the Inside The Shredder’s Studio. — Here it is: a list of…
Decibrity Playlist: Iron Reagan
March 27, 2014 Zach Smith
Sure, it’s been a year since Iron Reagan dropped its debut full-length. Despite the various other commitments of its members, the band recently began a run of tour dates that will take them through April, all while wrapping up work on their sophomore LP (which, by the way, will be for Relapse). Given how much…
Decibrity Playlist: Fight Amp
March 20, 2014 Zach Smith
Last we’d heard from Fight Amp, the trio was just off a red-eye after spending 30 days last fall playing 30 shows across Europe with Black Tusk. Now that the South Jersey natives are set to hit the road yet again–a brief jaunt of seven shows in seven days–guitarist/vocalist Mike McGinnis passed along five current…
Demon Hunter Goes Extreme, Track By Track
March 18, 2014 Shawn Macomber
Looks like it’s time to storm the gates of Hell again, kids. That’s right. Demon Hunter returns today with Extremist, an aptly-titled album that raises all of the various and sundry elements of the band’s burly signature sound to new maximal intensities before melding the whole shebang into a more cohesive, focused whole than ever…
Decibrity Playlist: Cynic
March 4, 2014 Zach Smith
Just a quick listen to Cynic would reveal that Paul Masvidal and company probably have pretty eclectic musical tastes. Given that the band dropped its third full-length, Kindly Bent To Free Us, last month, the guitarist/vocalist was kind enough to pass along a medley of recent (and fairly nostalgic) listens. As he explains, “Playlists have…
Decibrity Playlist: Melt-Banana
February 27, 2014 Zach Smith
Melt-Banana‘s last record Fetch earned a place in our top 10 of 2013. Since Kevin Stewart-Panko already asked the now duo of vocalist Yasuko “Yako” Onuki and guitarist Ichiro Agata nearly every question imaginable back in October (most importantly about their Geocities website), we weren’t left with much ground that hadn’t already been covered. Onuki…
Decibrity Playlist: Junius (Part 2)
February 20, 2014 Zach Smith
Last week, Junius helped celebrate the upcoming release of its excellent new EP, Days of the Fallen Sun, by having half of the band–namely, frontman/guitarist Joseph E. Martinez and bassist Joel Munguia–tell us about eight records that they were listening to back when things started in 2004. Now that everyone has (hopefully) had a chance…
STREAMING: Menace “To the Marrow”
February 17, 2014 Chris Dick
What do members of Napalm Death, DragonForce, and Hate Eternal have in common? Normally, we’d have no fucking clue, but today the members premiere a new song from the Mitch Harris-led Menace. Now, most Decibel readers know Mitch Harris. He of Napalm Death. One of the fastest grind guitarists around. But he’s not shredding bar…
Decibrity Playlist: Junius (Part 1)
February 13, 2014 Zach Smith
A few weeks ago, we premiered a track from Junius’s excellent new EP, Days of the Fallen Sun. This year will not only see the release of new tunes from the quartet (in just a few days, no less), but it also marks a celebratory occasion that typically calls for diamond jewelry. Our budget here…
Decibrity Playlist: Indian
January 30, 2014 Zach Smith
After dropping the best album of its career earlier this month with From All Purity, the dudes in Indian are in the midst of (hopefully) enjoying some time off before hitting the road at the end of March. Given that guitarist/vocalist Will Lindsay is also probably not all that enthused about stepping out into the…
Top 5 Worst Motörhead Albums
January 13, 2014 Chris Dick
Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister is a living legend. An untouchable icon. But Lemmy and his Motörheads didn’t always have ace albums. In fact, across Motörhead’s storied–we’re talking almost four decades–career, the monoliths of metal have had some real stinkers. While we implore you to check out Lemmy in our February 2014 issue (click HERE) we’re also…
Decibrity Playlist: Alcest
January 9, 2014 Zach Smith
The last time I saw Alcest live was March 2012. Neige and company headlined a show at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly (a more fitting setting for them than opening for Enslaved at the Gramercy Theater) and brought along Deafheaven and Vaura. Given the creative leaps both of those openers have made since then with their respective…
Decibel’s most anticipated albums of 2014: The unauthorised Deciblog addendum
January 6, 2014 Jonathan Horsley
Consider this here, folks, as an unofficial, off-the-cuff (read: poorly researched and impulsive) addendum to Decibel #112’s Top 20 2014 preview. This being the Internet, consider the following dispatch to be largely free of firm facts such as album/song titles, empirical data (release dates), and official words to corroborate our conjecture as to when said…
Decibrity Playlist: East of the Wall
January 2, 2014 Zach Smith
East of the Wall dropped its fourth full-length a little over two months ago. But just because we’re a little late getting around to praising Redaction Artifacts doesn’t mean that we don’t hold a special place in our grim hearts for the New Jersey quintet, one that’s been ensconced there since The Postman Syndrome’s 2002…
Top 5 Albums NOT In Our Top 40 Of 2013 List
December 30, 2013 Chris Dick
** Every year we do it. Decibel assembles a list of killer albums based on a secret algorithm. This year, I wanted to add to our Top 40 list (as published HERE). Albums I felt were overlooked on our list. The artists and albums reflect my opinion only and weren’t subject to the secret algorithm….
Decibel’s Top 13 Most Metal Holiday Songs Ever
December 23, 2013 Chris Dick
Many of you might have noticed—If you listen to radio that is, but that’s another blog entirely—on Black Friday many U.S. radio stations flipped from their respective formats to Holiday. All across this great (not so great if you follow Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity with any seriousness) land of ours Adult Contemporary and Pop…
Decibrity Playlist: Enabler
December 19, 2013 Zach Smith
Enabler has had a pretty busy year. Amidst a slew of tour dates (including opening for Rotten Sound throughout the Old World), the group put out two EPs, the most recent of which it dropped last month. As if that wasn’t enough, according to Facebook, the Milwaukeeans are currently tracking their next full-length right now….
Decibrity Playlist: Wolvserpent
December 12, 2013 Zach Smith
Wolvserpent was busy on the road in support of its recently released sophomore LP Perigaea Antahkarana, but it was guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Blake Green’s other job that made him wary of even taking the time to put together a playlist for us. We’ll let the man himself explain the side effects–which, fortunately for us, he was able…
Decibrity Playlist: Drugs of Faith
December 5, 2013 Zach Smith
We presume they had some turkey and stuffing, but Drugs of Faith also celebrated Thanksgiving week by releasing the four-track EP Architectural Failures. The effort–the trio’s first since 2011’s Corroded full-length–is hopefully just a taste of what’s to come as the Virginians are set to drop their next LP in 2014. In the meantime, vocalist/guitarist…
Top 5 Second Wave Noise Rock Bands That Inspire Whores
November 22, 2013 Chris Dick
By Whores (and not the kind you’re thinking of, you perverted bastards!) 5. Fight Amp – “Bad Listener” We met Fight Amp through a local Atlanta promoter when we first started out, and they have since become practically part of our extended family. They are one of the best working bands today, and I’d rank…