Hailing from Minneapolis, Kult of the Wizard quietly put out a pair of instrumental EPs in 2013 and 2014, but the foursome’s latest EP, The White Wizard, deserves to attract a good deal of attention from the doom crowd, especially those who are especially transfixed by the melodic tones, occult themes, and blues influences of…

It’s not like Oregon has a monopoly on great doom acts, but sometimes it feels that way. Between Witch Mountain, YOB, and now Maestus, the Beaver state seems like the place to go if you want to get massively bummed out. Which is weird, considering they have legalized pot and everything is organic there. Whatever…

What is the literal translation to the band name, Der Weg einer Freiheit? Is there a secondary, less obvious interpretation as well? Nikita Kamprad: It can be roughly translated to “The Way of a Freedom”, but actually I never liked any of the translations I came across. Writing and playing music live makes me feel…

The Ohio brothers behind the indomitable Hell’s Headbangers label don’t fuck with the formula. Their excellent releases during the past two years or so include Midnight, Nunslaughter (a new EP every month), Shitfucker and, err…Goat Semen. You can welcome the appropriately named bangers in Gouge to the extended dysfunctional clan. Like many of their brethren…

What will the neighbors think? After a bit of recent onstage drama Trey Oswald is out as the vocalist of Reagan Youth — “Please go get help that you so desperately need,” the “members” section of the band’s Facebook page not-so-subtly reads — and former Dead Kennedy’s frontman/punk rock documentarian Jeff Penalty is in. “There’s…

**Matt Olivo is the founding guitarist of extreme metal trailblazers Repulsion, whose Horrified LP ranks as Decibel’s #1 grindcore album of all time. Because we know that every reader ever plays guitar, we brought his print column to the Deciblog. In issue #115 Matt gave his feedback on Esoterik guitars, which “offer uncommon boutique intrigue.”…

What’s up, motherpeckers? The releases are coming fast and furious, but maybe your old pal Waldo is a little jaded and would like to review some stuff that I don’t need to birdshit all over. Well, anyway, let’s get to it. First off, we have the supergroup FULGORA from the frosty nether-regions of, well, Baltimore and…

Camping in the wooded wilderness; submitting to nature’s glories, mercies and otherwise; indulging in extreme metal.  We know what you’re thinking:  Time for another plane ticket to the Pacific Northwest.  Or to Norway. But no!  The Shadow Woods Metal Fest, planned for September 25-27 in beautiful (and probably seasonally chilly) Fannettsburg, Pennsylvania, will be held…

Here, we continue with the third of four weeks dedicated to Relapse-related interviews in celebration of the label’s 25th anniversary. Go check out the interview I did with founder and president, Matt Jacobson here and here. Beyond interviewing Matt himself, the next most obvious thing would have been to track down bands past and present…

Definitely a golden age for hard rock right there, capped off in fitting form in December 1971 by one of the ultimate “cult classics”: Bang’s self-titled debut.