The grandiose, striking and remarkable rush forth mere minutes into Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk’s prologue “Alsvartr (the Oath).” Nightmarish berceuses haunt mercilessly from the darkest corners of imagination, while frontman Ihsahn poetically invokes the illustrious nightspirit, as if there’s ordinary business in need of attending on the edge of town.

Bringer of Drought
Thirsty and miserable
dB rating: 8/10

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.

Metallica’s Load reconsidered 20 years later.

Say you love Satan. We love Babylon Whores. And Sleep of Monsters have won our dark hearts. 

Shai Hulud‘s drummer talks about balancing his duties with teaching at School of Rock.

Get yourself some Black Fucking Cancer with an exclusive track premiere and an in-depth interview with the band.  

Temple Nightside welcome you to their “Fortress of Burden and Distress.” 

Here are the songs on Mastodon‘s Hall of Fame nominated album Leviathan ranked from least-rad to fully-rad.

We’re streaming the first video from Alaric‘s new album End of Mirrors.