We at Decibel have a longstanding policy: let the boys be boys. Hence, you get the slam-tastic concussive death metal of Norwegian (very) bad boys Kraanium.

I was 7 years old when the ’Deth dropped their fourth LP in 1990, and my first experience with the thrash masterpiece was not a pleasant one. It was my friend Jason’s birthday party, and along with the obligatory Nerf products and Stüssy shirts, his gift haul included two cassette tapes: Iron Maiden’s No Prayer for the Dying and Megadeth’s Rust in Peace (inducted into the Decibel Hall of Fame in May 2012, buy the issue here).

Because the act of torture is generally performed with anesthesia (you know, to numb your victim so the experience isn’t too trying), Morbid Slaughter take the bold step of addressing “Torture Without Anesthesia.”

Okay, so get this — I had already decided to review this photo, right there sitting in the queue, and then I see him — I see former Queensryche/current be-haircutted frontman of Operation: Mindcrime Geoff Tate crossing the street in downtown Seattle. 

Montreal black metal duo Funeste obviously derive great pleasure from inflicting pain. The whirlwind that is “Hilkhot Avodat Kokhavim” is all the proof you need.

More bands should play in arcades. If you suck, at least I can plug 25 cents into Ms. Pac-Man and have something else to do for a half-hour. Luckily, that’s not a problem for Austin-based outfit Sweat Lodge

These metal mercenaries are coming back with new material, some of which you can hear below in the video they’ve put together, excerpting the new song “CroMagñon” from their forthcoming album Obelisk, and we wanted to hear about where this music was coming from and what the members of Black Table have been up to since we last spoke.

Seattle instru-psychers GIZA are not to be confused with GZA, although they’re probably just as qualified as the Wu-Tang veteran to give a TED Talk about the “genius of science.”

Floridian nasties Meatwound are everything that is good and right about punk, hardcore and noise squatting in the same dilapidated basement.

A Dracula
The prequel to I, Frankenstein and Eee, Wolfman!
dB Rating: 8/10