black metal

Dimmu Borgir’s mainstream metal breakthrough crashes the Decibel Hall of Fame this month.

Bandcamp is donating 100% of their proceeds today to the ACLU in the continued fight for human rights around the world. Here are 5 releases to consider purchasing today. 

Curse of Denial brings original blackened death. 

Want a chance to partake in a meet and greet with Mayhem? Find out more here. 

If there’s one black metal album that changed black metal—in almost every respect—it’s Dimmu Borgir’s Death Cult Armageddon.

Hellenic occultists Disharmony return after a nearly twenty year hiatus to unleash Goddamn the Sun upon our unsuspecting asses, and we’ve got an exclusive sneak peek with grand leveler “The Gates of Elthon.”

The Synarchy of Molten Bones
Synarchy in the EU
dB rating: 8/10

Necrowretch deliver the first ripping song off of Satanic Slavery, their newly-announced full-length. 

Patria have unveiled a beautiful lyric video to go with their song “Axis.” 

Transcontinental duo Montfaucon tempers death-doom with elements of progressive, black and symphonic metal, creating an amalgamation of heaviness and melody. 

“Serpent Sun” comes off Nightbringer’s upcoming Terra Damanata.

The last time Fides Inversa released a full-length (2014’s Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans) Ebola was making its way across West Africa, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared off the Gulf of Thailand, ISIL begins its terror campaign across northern Iraq, and Pope Paul VI is beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.

Appalling Ascension
Dark matters
dB rating: 8/10

“The theme of ‘Baklengs mot Intet’ describes the inner battle, the bottomless despair and endless futility experienced by a walker of the Way.”

Hear a brand new Panopticon track recorded especially for the Decibel Flexi Series. 

Drudkh main man gets back to black metal basics with new project Windswept. Hear the first new track here. 

Bethlehem
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning
dB rating: 9/10

One writer picks five favorite Decibel web articles of 2016.

Ulcerate, Whores, Gatecreeper, Full of Hell/Nails, Gendo Ikari and everything else Waldo pecked on in 2016. 

When you need a break after hearing “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” or “Jingle Bell Rock” ten thousand agonizing times.

War is hell, and hell sounds better than ever on Dead War’s The Triumph of Death.

Just in time for the holiday season, we bring you this exclusive full album stream of Veneration of Armageddon, the sophomore record from Germany’s Goatblood.

Black metal favorites Panopticon record a crushing, nearly seven-minute epic for the Decibel Flexi Series. If you want one, you’ll need a deluxe Decibel subscription by December 20. 

Before you put 2016 to rest, here’s one last black metal victory to serve as an elegy.

Wiegedood traded atmosphere for aggression on “Smeekbede,” the first single from the band’s second album.

Our resident bird brains pecks on some new black metal.

We revisit Immortal’s transition stage between two regions of Blashyrkh.

Do you like Deathspell Omega? Of course you like Deathspell Omega! Everyone likes Deathspell Omega! But Deathspell Omega can’t always write and record Deathspell Omega EPs and albums. Good thing we’ve got Dodecahedron!

Ritual & Revival deliver extreme jams. THESE ARE LITERALLY EXTREME JAMS.

Exalt, for the wait to hear the new Panzerfaust album is over. Today we bring you the exclusive premiere of The Lucifer Principle, the fourth album from these Canadians in Satan’s Service. Warning: This material may be hazardous to your soul.