Tales From the Metalnomicon: John Skipp
December 21, 2012 Shawn Macomber
Welcome to Tales From the Metalnomicon, a new twice-monthly column delving into the surprisingly vast world of heavy metal-tinged/inspired literature and metalhead authors… “We have to raise hell, man,” Jake Hamer chides his wavering rock n’ roll brethren early on in John Skipp and Craig Spector’s 1988 let’s-give-the-fucking-PRMC-something-to-really-fear barnburner The Scream. “It’s our sacred duty….
Exclusive! Vit Premiere Video For “16 Bodies”
December 21, 2012 Daniel Lake
Vit kill. Probably not literally, but who knows? Their brand of grueling harshitude is just about my favorite kind of ear-hate: a doomy churn filled with motion and eventful anarchy, a corpse-painted wretch that forgoes all amusical mopiness in favor of mounting, forboding horror. Fans of genre-shunting black mood enhancement take heed. Vit are shuffling bleakly…
Pleasure to Draw: An Interview with Phil Lawvere
December 20, 2012 Kevin Stewart-Panko
On the surface, the name Phil Lawvere might not mean a whole lot. But if you take a root around your record collection, the importance of Lawvere’s contribution to the world of metal becomes pretty evident, pretty quickly. As the man who painted the covers to such classics as Endless Pain, Pleasure to Kill, Terrible…
Decibrity Playlist: Ancestors (Part 1)
December 20, 2012 Zach Smith
While New Years Eve has never been one of my favorite holidays, Ancestors’ most recent effort, In Dreams And Time, was one of my top records of 2012. The previous sentence made more sense when the band was putting together a NYE playlist for us. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles quintet has assembled something even better…
Full Album Stream: Stagnant Waters
December 19, 2012 Justin Norton
This is not Christmas music. Here at Decibel we’re always on the lookout for weird and unexpected shit for your listening pleasure. And the self-titled release from French/Norwegian outfit Stagnant Waters fits the bill. This band looks at the 12-bar structure like highly evolved aliens look at a toaster oven. We’re at a loss to…
Dive Bombs and Dive Bars # 5 – Ramming Speed’s Guide to America’s Rock n’ Roll Venues
December 19, 2012 Frank Lemke
Name: Saint Vitus Category: Venue Location: Brooklyn, NY Behind an unmarked black door on Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint lies America’s kvltest watering hole. “None More Black” doesn’t even begin to describe the interior of Saint Vitus; everything from the walls to the toilet seats are a bleak absence of light, the only respite being the…
Merry Xmas, Here’s Some Free Crap
December 18, 2012 Jeff Treppel
It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to celebrate the thinly veiled pagan tradition of your choosing! In the spirit of giving without having to actually give anything ourselves (other than some links on the Internet), here are some of the finest recent metal albums available for free download on Bandcamp (a few of…
Soundtrack to Your Insomnia
December 18, 2012 Shawn Macomber
“I’ve got a problem with bands that come from an area but don’t reflect where they’re from,” While She Sleeps vocalist Lawrence Taylor says toward the end of the press release accompanying This is the Six, the UK band’s latest hypercharged slab of frenetic metalcore. “I know a lot of bands that will sing with…
SCOTT IAN’S TV PARTY 2012: Anthrax’s riffer-in-chief on the year in television
December 17, 2012 Jonathan Horsley
First thing’s first: Before reading further, anyone who’s got their TiVo box or whatever all loaded up in preparation for some marathon catch-up TV over the holiday season, be warned that this is a spoiler-heavy review of TV drama in 2012. OK, so with the disclaimers out of the way, let’s get down to business…
Decibel’s “Under the Tree, Under the Wire” subscription offer is back!
December 17, 2012 Albert Mudrian
If you’re as lazy and contemptuous of friends and family as we are, you probably still have some holiday shopping to do. Luckily, Decibel is here to offer you an escape from empty-handed embarrassment. Yes, it’s time for our annual Under the Tree, Under the Wire subscription special. All you have to do is subscribe…