As summer reaches her cruel arms into August (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), the days elongate (not scientifically), the sun burns hotter, and time stands still. The Dog Star blazes the night sky. These are, my friends, Canicular Days. But what if long-dead winter—his biting cold and piercing winds—suddenly came into view. A brief…

Spoiler alert! The new Gorguts album, Colored Sands, rules. But you knew that already. The band that put Canadian death metal on the map—with Considered Dead and Erosion of Sanity—and then sent death metal into fits of spiral rage on 1998’s Obscura and 2001’s From Wisdom to Hate have returned, with class, chops, and curveballs…

 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)…

Given the opportunity to write about craft beer every month in Decibel has been eye-opening. The idea that our “Brewtal Truth” column would have lasted more than four years (and counting) and even spawn a book—The Brewtal Truth Guide to Extreme Beers, out in November—is pretty amazing. Now it’s time to bring a little “Brewtal…

Hailing from Oslo, Spirits of the Dead ignited an incense-scented dookie stick firestorm of praise and wonder with their 2011 second album, The Great God Pan (their debut was self-titled and from two years earlier). Best pegged as a effusive mixture of psychedelic, folk and stoner rock, said album had critics and fans from the…

Beneath Oblivion put out a monster of a record back in 2011 in the form of From Man To Dust. As our own Shane Mehling–never one to sugar coat things–once explained on this very site, “[r]arely do you hear a doom band so good at integrating other influences, from folk to death metal to experimental…

Albert and Andrew interview Decibel publisher Alex Mulcahy and talk shop with members of the three bands leading the 2013 Decibel Magazine Tour–Paul Mazurkiewicz of Cannibal Corpse, Shane Embury of Napalm Death and Ross Dolan of Immolation.   Featuring: Immolation “All that Awaits Us”Cannibal Corpse “Crucifier Avenged”Napalm Death “A Gag Reflex”

Locrian’s new album Return To Annihilation is one of the better records I’ve heard this year, and the praise keeps rolling in. We decided that it was a perfect time to invite frontman André Foisy to the shredder’s studio. He shared a list of eclectic infuences and might be the first shredder featured ever that…

The last time we spent time with melodic death metallers Mercenary was on 2011’s Metamorphosis effort. With a revamped lineup, the Danes managed to change their sound—much to the dismay of long-time fans—but the change opened up a whole new world of potential. They’re no longer stuck to the melodic death construct that made them…

Very rarely do I get to make dead baby jokes and have them be actually relevant to the subject at hand, so there’s no way I’m going to pass up the opportunity. Prepare to be offended! How do you know when a baby is a dead baby? The dog plays with it more. What do…