Decibel’s most anticipated albums of 2014: The unauthorised Deciblog addendum

January 6, 2014

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…

What Happened To Charmand Grimloch?

January 6, 2014

Charmand Grimloch (aka Joachim Rygg) was, at one time, black metal’s preeminent keyboard player. His stints with Emperor as a session player propelled him to heights unknown. Well, his black metal solo project Tartaros produced notoriety, but nothing on the scale of what he accomplished by coat tailing Ihsahn and the boys. After Tartaros went…

For Those About to Squawk: Waldo’s Pecks of the Week

January 3, 2014

Happy New Year, you pecking geeks. There’s not much going on at the end of the year, and not much going on in the beginning of the year either. I know I’ll sound like a mimic over the next few columns stating that again and again, and you know, parrots don’t like to mimic. EXHUMED/IRON…

Prog-Death ‘Til You Drop with Exist’s New Sunlight

January 3, 2014

Back in May, the Deciblog allowed me the space to gush a little about Death To All frontman and Cynic tour buddy Max Phelps, who I’ve known a little bit since seeing his band Exist play in several low-key Maryland venues.  At the end of 2010, Exist recorded and released their In Mirrors EP, and…

Live Report: Neurosis in San Francisco

January 2, 2014

I once heard a story about a deaf neighbor in our townhouse complex who blasted music at all hours. When one of the neighbors went to complain he learned that the man would sit on the floor and let the rhythm wash over him so he could “feel” the music. Even for those fortunate enough…

Starting the New Year Off with a Bang: Random Glen Benton Quotes.

January 2, 2014

Long-running, God-poking death metal crew, Deicide released their eleventh album, In the Minds of Evil in late November. This had journalists the world over gleefully rubbing their nubs at the thought of another round of press with the ever-quotable Glen Benton. Those nubs were rubbed a little less vigorously when it was learned that the…

KILLING IS MY BUSINESS: White Wizzard’s Jon Leon and Attorney Eric German Break Down Breaking Up

January 2, 2014

Being a metal fan means having an opinion about whether Slayer is Slayer without Jeff and Dave, or which lineup of Death reigns supreme. You’re used to haggling over the creative impact of band member turnover. What you might not know is that even the most amicable lineup change can involve a host of legal…

Decibrity Playlist: East of the Wall

January 2, 2014

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…

Opeth – “Blackwater Park”

December 31, 2013

For years, Opeth toiled in relative obscurity. Caged to Candlelight Records for three fantastic albums and Peaceville for one stupendous full-length, the Stockholmites’ import-only status could’ve continued had Opeth’s new home, Music for Nations, not been a label proper.

New Year’s Metalutions

December 31, 2013

In 2014, I resolve to: Descant the insalubrious. Yoko Ono Chimaira. Stop smashing hammer faces. Train my army of attack hamsters. Look into whether or not goat sacrifice requires a permit. Resist your touch of evil. Follow Darkthrone on tour. Convince Albert to do a Hall Of Fame on Nightwish’s Wishmaster. Transcribe Obituary lyrics. Watch…