Categories
Uncategorized

Video Premiere: Squid Pisser – “My Tadpole Legion”

If our premiere of the insane new video from Squid Pisser is your introduction to this avant grind collaboration between Tommy Meehan (guitar) and Seth Carolina (drums), you’re getting a pretty accurate representation of what this project is about. The Southern California duo enlisted a whole bunch of friends to guest on the album—John Clardy (Tera Melos), Yako (Melt Banana), Joseph K. Karam (The Locust), Arrow DeWilde (Carolina’s bandmate in Starcrawler) and others—and the results are bonkers.

The video we’re presenting, “My Tadpole Legion,” is the title track from the new album and features a frantic vocal performance from Yako and a typically math-y and brutal drum performance from Clardy. The surreal video was directed and animated by Juicy Jaden of the Flesh Files. Editing and VFX were done by Meehan. Squid footage was filmed by  Mike Manasewitsch of blockbustervideo.org

My Tadpole Legion was mixed by Kurt Ballou and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music. It will be co-released by Sweatband (Meehan’s label) and Three One G on limited edition vinyl—“tadpole blob” variant for Sweatband and “tadpole splatter on piss yellow” for Three One G—on April 14. You can place your preorder here.

This is what Tommy Meehan had to say about the video:

“While my band Deaf Club was on tour with Melt Banana last year, Yako and I briefly talked about trying to shoot a music video for ‘My Tadpole Legion’ together. Unfortunately our hectic schedules wouldn’t allow for it so I decided that we should do an animated video instead. Juicy Jaden (of The Flesh Files) had hit me up around this time wondering if Squid Pisser would wanna do a collaboration of some kind and things just worked out perfectly. 

Jaden is this 23 year old freak artist who lives in Eugene, Oregon and he makes these weird, gross little meat characters and collage art. He ran with the loose direction of creating these fucked-up little “tadpole” creatures. I think that what he came up with for the video is demented and perfect. 

Seth and I shot a couple of quick little clips with our main cinematographer pal Mike Manasewitsch of blockbustervideo.org (who also directed and edited our video for ‘Liquified Remains’) and then I took the animation and footage and just spazzed it all out together in editing.

I think there are a lot of profound and poignant messages being blasted at you during this onslaught of visual absurdity. You’ll need to really peek beneath the logs and the lily pads and the pond scum to find them though.”

The post Video Premiere: Squid Pisser – “My Tadpole Legion” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

Macabre – ‘Sinister Slaughter’

Murder, They Wrote
The Making of Macabre’s Sinister Slaughter

There is no other band like Macabre. The Downers Grove, IL act’s relentless double-bass drums, unusually high-pitched vocals and folk-/nursery rhyme-influenced melodies gave birth to a self-branded subgenre called “murder metal” in 1985 via a lineup of guitarist/vocalist Lance “Corporate Death” Lencioni, bassist/vocalist Charles “Nefarious” Lescewicz and drummer Dennis “the Menace” Ritchie (which remains unchanged from day one).

Macabre are a reflection of the Midwest and its melting pot of metal. To an outsider, the band is simply from Chicago, but for locals, the “greater Chicagoland area” encompasses not only the varied neighborhoods of Chicago proper, but the surrounding suburbs. The area has its fair share of massive bands—Smashing Pumpkins, Rise Against, Fall Out Boy—but Disturbed notwithstanding, the place’s biggest metal export is… Master? Trouble? Broken Hope? When it comes to metal, it’s the place of “not quite making it.”

Because of—or possibly despite—Macabre’s double-whammy of nebulous location and love-it-or-hate-it approach, the band was quickly able to reach cult status after self-releasing 1,000 copies of 1987 debut 12-inch Grim Reality on their own “label,” Decomposed Records. This caught the attention of the U.K.’s Vinyl Solution, which reissued Grim Reality with two additional songs, as well as Macabre’s 1989 debut LP, Gloom. Five songs from a self-released demo, Shit List, were pressed onto vinyl by Germany’s Gore Records in 1990, which was followed by almost three years of silence.

Macabre’s next sign of life came in 1992 with an appearance on the legendary Son of Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh! compilation on Slap-a-Ham Records (“52 Bands! 69 Songs!”), to which Macabre contributed an early, 12-second version of “Zodiac.” Demo versions of four more Sinister Slaughter songs appeared on the Relapse Records Underground Series Nightstalker 7-inch in 1993, preceding the album’s release on Nuclear Blast later that same year.

Ultimately, Sinister Slaughter sticks out like a sore thumb from its 1993 Nuclear Blast classmates. Gorefest’s reissued Mindloss, Dismember’s Indecent & Obscene, and Benediction’s Transcend the Rubicon all lean heavily into the ’90s death metal sound. A 1993 review of Sinister Slaughter from The Fifth Path zine dubs the band “educational speedcore,” and an Ax/ction Records ad from Maximum Rocknroll describes their sound as “all-out murder blurr/vicious.” Sinister Slaughter is, without question, one of a kind. From its hyper-detailed Beatles-parody cover art to its blistering speed and biting dark humor, Sinister Slaughter’s legendary, singular vision is a welcome addition to our Hall of Fame. —Dave Hofer

The post Macabre – ‘Sinister Slaughter’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

Blast Worship: Endless Swarm

Where they from?
Edinburgh, U.K.
Major League Baseball starts this week in the U.S. and I guess I should make some sort of prediction? Did I do that already? Well I guess I’ll just say the Astros win it all again and probably beat like the Padres or some other moribund NL franchise in the World Series. Baseball season is so long, who knows if we’ll even have clean drinking water seven months from now.

Why the hype?
This band is British and they sound British. The U.K. has pretty much supplanted itself as the foremost purveyor of powerviolence that is both madcap, silly and ferocious. Endless Swarm is no exception to this rule, though with this latest album they have definitely added some more metallic precision, specifically with the tightness of the drumming and the implementation of the occasional ass-beater thrash riff.

Latest Release?
Manifested Forms, out in the U.S on To Live A Lie Records. Even though Edinburgh is pretty fuckin’ far from Leeds I can probably guarantee you that someone in this record was either in Afternoon Gentlemen, Ona Snop or Gets Worse at some point. And if none of those then definitely Lugibrious Children. And if not them, then definitely Gendo Ikari. Now I’m just naming British bands. Sorry for all the inside baseball everyone, just getting in the spirit!

Manifested Forms by Endless Swarm

The post Blast Worship: Endless Swarm appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

Full Album Premiere: SaviorSkin – Invicta Mori

Industrialized death doom at its finest, SaviorSkin present the new album Invicta Mori, out April 7 via Horror Pain Gore Death. Check out the full album below, as well as our interview with the man behind this solo project, Somnus Mortem, about their latest slice of brooding nihilism.

What was the writing and recording process like for the album?

It was very cathartic. It’s always a struggle to deal with these topics for me, but I have to be honest with myself. This is the only thing I can control in my life ,and it has to be right—not perfect, but the right feeling.

I like to think I caught whatever it is I was looking to express this time around. First time using a live drummer in a long time.
It was nice to collaborate with another live human for a change. I kept in touch with old friends and collaborated with Iconoclast members from way back in 1993. I finally got to work with Bobby Tufino from Dialogia. We’ve known each other for 20 years and we’ve been trying to get some real collaboration going but something always happens.

Some of these songs are 20 years old and have been reworked countlessly. I was also very excited working with Marc Grewe (ex- Morgoth) on “Sycophant.” He’s one of my favorite growlers of all time. I’ve always loved Morgoth, but I became obsessed with them when they released “Odium,” a criminally underrated album that delved into the industrial side of things; it was so fresh and original. A clear influence in our industrially charged death doom ditties.

As far as recording, nothing changed much; I just had more layers and tracks to play with, and pick what is best suited for the atmosphere. I made sure it still sounded organic and human. With the rise of AI-generated garbage, and artists relying more
and more on technology, there’s a lot of imperfect stuff left on there, so it wouldn’t sound so “robotic,” whether it be choice of samples, no quantizing, unedited live drums, or vocal delivery.

I haven’t changed my writing style at all; I still work with a hook or melody line and put together and arrange songs from riffs and samples that I have collected throughout the years.

What are some of the major lyrical themes?

More on my nihilistic view of existence… dealing with relationships, and my uncompromising hatred for religious and spiritual dogma.

I can’t stand entitlement, special treatment, or any kind of unsubstantiated opinion presented as facts. Once a person accepts the lack of purpose in anything, it becomes prevalent that we are not special and we will make the best of what we got with no expectations of “some great reward” or the bullshit that is karma / universe or any of that babble. Spirituality and idealism is the root of mediocrity. Regressive ideas and traditions need to be trashed so the human race can move forward as a species.

What do you hope listeners take away from the album?

As an artist, it would be nice for the listener to be taken someplace mentally, pleasant or not, as long as it invokes reaction. My confidence does not come from insincere compliments, so I don’t care if anyone likes my material or my message, but it is nice when people start relating to what I am saying.

The soundscapes come from a really dark place in my head, and I like to think, when someone reads my lyrics, that I am being compassionate towards people going through similar things. I like to put it out there that you don’t have to be alone in your struggles. Someone understands.

Can you share any plans for touring or anything else you have coming up?

As for now, we only have a few shows lined up; we’re gonna be pickier of what shows we play. It’s a little harder to do that in Texas; we don’t really fit in that well since we don’t sound like anyone else around here. We may tour for this record, but we’ll see how this plays out in the next few months.

Invicta Mori / DoomFather by SAVIORSKIN

The post Full Album Premiere: SaviorSkin – Invicta Mori appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

Track Premiere: Dozer – ‘Dust for Blood’

It’s been a brief 15 years since Swedish stoner rock OGs Dozer released their last album, Beyond Colossus, but judging from their latest single, “Dust for Blood,” the time hasn’t dulled the band’s spirits a bit. Taken from Dozer’s upcoming album, Drifting in the Endless Void, “Dust for Blood” is a charged-up, fuzzed-out banger propelled by huge hooks and a healthy dose of psychedelia.

Drifting in the Endless Void picks up in many ways where Dozer left off in 2008, working with higher tempos and a sound influenced by bands like Clutch, Queens of the Stone Age and even Mastodon, but it sounds modern and updated as well.

“’Dust for Blood’ follows the main theme for the whole record,” explains singer Fredrik Nordin. “Where we give this earth to the next generation, and it’s basically in ruins. Some care, some do not. Is it all an illusion? Or is it real? Is it all too much to grasp? Is all hope lost? No, it never is and never will be. Even if you’re in the deepest darkest hole, don’t give up because eventually things get brighter.”

Check out the new tune below. Drifting is out on April 21 via Blues Funeral.

The post Track Premiere: Dozer – ‘Dust for Blood’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

Q&A: Sean Rivera of Coffin Hunters on the Lost Art of Clean Metal Vocals

Ever since Grim Reaper vocalist Steve Grimmett passed, I’ve thought about metal vocals. Why have clean vocals fallen out of favor? Will there ever be a time when clean vocals rule the roost again? True, some bands like Smoulder (featuring powerhouse Sarah Ann on vocals) do clean vocals well but most metal singers now scream and growl.  If you remember when most vocalists shot for the stratosphere and just a handful of people growled (hello Cronos and Tom Warrior) the lack of clean singing can be a bummer. Metal is big enough for both approaches but clean singing is firmly in second place. 

It was a big surprise when I first heard the classic Bay Area metal band Coffin Hunters opening a Nite-Persekutor show in Oakland earlier this winter. Frontman Sean Rivera sang clean and wonderfully, filling the entire room with his voice in Dio-Dickinson-Halford fashion. I’ll keep it simple: it was fucking great. I hadn’t heard clean singing in metal this good in a long time and was blown away by the set. Not only can Rivera belt it out but he also has a wonderful band behind him laying down a fat and powerful groove.

Decibel tracked down Rivera to talk about the art of clean singing and how he learned to sing in his car. Check out Coffin Hunters and spin their albums The Fire Knight and Wake The Dead on Bandcamp. The band is working on a third album now. More people need to hear it. 

When did you start singing?

It was something I discovered.  I’ve always been musical and I started playing guitar as a teenager. But I never wanted to be a vocalist. I enjoyed singing in my car and doing it casually. I’m reserved, so being front and center initially didn’t appeal to me. I overcame the fear of singing, mainly by singing Dio, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden in my car. Singing was always there but I was afraid to commit to it fully. I just wanted to play guitar and find a singer. But it was hard to find someone to do what I wanted. It happened out of necessity. Your voice seems more vulnerable than an instrument. An instrument is still an extension even if creativity comes from within. 

Was the idea of Coffin Hunters to showcase your voice or did the voice work for the material?

I started a three-piece band. The guys in Coffin Hunters saw it, liked my voice, and reached out. The way I sing stylistically worked.

You mentioned it’s different when your instrument is your voice. Moving on is easy if you hit a bad note on your instrument. If you sing a bad note, you feel exposed. 

I agree. Going to something else is hard when you sing a bad note.  The audience will hear it naked and out in front. They will probably know it’s a sour note. That can hit you like you are the sour note. When I play guitar and mess up, I will move on. It’s easy to go to the next note and everything is fine. When I mess up vocally, I internalize it. 

Singing has become a bit of a lost art in metal. Why do we hear great singing less? Has metal moved forward or is clean singing just harder?

A lot of it is style. I love extreme vocals and it takes so much talent. I’m not great at doing them (extreme vocals); learning to do it right is an art. Extreme vocals have become associated more with the sound of metal. But Sabbath set the template for metal with clean vocals. Then Judas Priest and Maiden came along. All the early stuff was clean singing and sometimes operatic vocals. Everyone tried to emulate that for a long time and it was the concept of metal almost throughout the 80s. As metal got even heavier with black and death metal and metal became about pushing the envelope, the vocals changed with more screaming. Now it’s most of what you hear. It’s not a surprise it went in that direction because things got heavier and heavier to the point where clean vocals seemed too light.  

Is metal missing something with less clean singing or do you need to look for bands with great clean vocals?

There is room for more clean vocals. You can search around and find great bands that do great clean vocals. I don’t see why there is any reason the two can’t coexist.  The Sabbath and Priest sounds have this ethereal quality that aligns with the power that metal was after. The spark that started metal had soaring vocals. It’s a shame not to hear it as much because it’s so rooted in metal. It (clean singing) has taken a back seat to the point where you think of extreme vocals when you think of metal.

Did you have any issues initially with pitch or could you find your comfort zone quickly?

I’ve grown as a singer, but finding pitch and my range was fairly easy. I’ve become better at it. There is always room for improvement and there are times when things are pitchy or it’s hard to hit higher notes. The proper technique helps a lot with those things. I just practiced a lot in the car to classic metal singers and they were always soaring through the stratosphere. I tried to capture that sound and push my voice. There are so many resources available now to get better at singing. Vocal coaches are great but can be expensive. You can go online and get vocal tips. It’s a great resource that didn’t exist in the past.  

Are you more comfortable singing in a higher register?

I can also sing as a baritone. My speaking voice is baritone but I sing in a tenor range. I’ve just practiced singing a lot in that (higher) range. I like singing in the range and I think I can convey more emotion with my voice. 

Did you collectively decide that your voice out front works or did that come with time? This music is vocally driven. 

It evolved naturally when we were writing songs. My voice started going front and center and it became vocal and melody-driven. When we were mixing albums, we wanted to have the vocals up and front so I guess there was a conscious decision to showcase my voice.

Did you ever work with a voice teacher or have any vocal instruction?

I’m self-taught. The only coaching I had was looking at Internet videos when I felt stuck or wanted to improve my technique. I’d look at YouTube vocal coaches to try to get better. I emulated what I heard from other singers and tried to duplicate it.

When people kick around names like Halford and Dio when they talk about your voice you are in heady company. What do you think of these comparisons?

I’m flattered and honored to be compared to those singers, especially since they are my vocal heroes.  It feels good.  It shows that all of those years singing in the car have paid off (laughs). 

What is your favorite song from each of those artists and why?

Oh, wow. For Judas Priest, it might be “The Sentinel.” It’s so metal and driving and has a killer chorus and Rob hits those highs at the end. The guitar work is also great. It’s a very well-constructed song that makes you feel like you’re going to battle. For Dio, it might be “Don’t Talk To Strangers.” It has that clean intro with Dio’s lighter vocals. Dio has great range in that song and it’s very emotive and the lyrics work. Dio’s work in Rainbow is also phenomenal. For Maiden, it’s “2 Minutes to Midnight.” 

Did you like Paul Di’Anno as well?

Paul Di’Anno is good too although it’s a different style. Those early Maiden albums are killer. Bruce Dickinson took them in some other directions and I love his voice. Di’Anno has a different style, a bit more aggressive. 

Di’Anno was more street and Dickinson more theatre.

Totally. Dickinson has this soaring voice and DiAnno is like “we’re going to get into a fight.” 

How do you want to continue to grow?

We’re working on a new album. With every album, we evolve. The first album had some more thrash elements. The latest album Wake The Dead has more of a 70s feel. I’m playing the keyboard on the next one to add to the 70s Deep Purple vibes. We might even bring back a thrash element. We want to keep changing but stay true to that traditional metal sound. As a vocalist, I’d like to keep perfecting my craft. There is always room to improve my voice, get more endurance, and find easier ways to hit all the notes. I want to be a stronger vocalist all around. 

What would you tell someone who asked how to start singing? Only some are willing to learn it all on their own with a little help from YouTube. 

If someone wants to do clean vocals, I’d say listen to the bands you like and listen closely to the vocalists you aspire to be like. You will find your sound eventually but it’s a great idea to emulate sounds you like. If the only place to practice is your room, do it. Take any opportunity you have to sing. The more you do it the easier it gets and the more progress you’ll see. You can be as loud as you want in your car and anyone who sees you will only see you for a few seconds. Take every opportunity you have to sing. Maybe even try to write some lyrics and poetry and get fascinated by the written language. It will all come together.

The post Q&A: Sean Rivera of Coffin Hunters on the Lost Art of Clean Metal Vocals appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

No Corporate Beer Reviews: Framinghammer

Beer: Framinghammer
Brewery: Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, MA)
Style: Porter – Imperial / Double Baltic
10% ABV / 55 IBU

Hats off for a very clever name: This Jack’s Abby Baltic porter references both the blunt but effective tool in a handyman’s belt and the family-operated brewery’s location outside of Boston. Considering that Jack’s Abby also has “Craft Lagers” in its name, is Framinghamer really a lager or more like an ale? Turns out that porters can be either, based on the type of fermentation (cool for lagers). So if Jack’s Abby says this is a lager, we’re down with that, because Framinghammer has a sweeter swing than Jim Rice.

It’s also spectacularly drinkable for a 10% ABV beer. Wait, let’s backtrack for a second: It’s spectacular. Period. It’s one of the finest renditions of a Baltic porter currently available in the United States and one that doesn’t suffer from the curse of the modern Baltic porter, with a robust flavor profile and a medium body. Those seem to be characteristics associated with bolder, boozier Russian imperial stouts, but Framinghammer shows that Baltic porters can be more than thin onyx booze bombs.

Flavor-wise, you can definitely taste things like barley, oats, and chocolate malt. That’s also reflected in the color, plus the aroma of French roast coffee and burnt sugar/ caramel. Framinghamer is a malt-forward beer, of course, but there’s also some short, sharp jabs of bitterness from the hops, which offers some chicory notes. That palette-clinging bitterness plus the moderate booziness combine for a warming effect that’s perfect for a winter brew, but if you want to down this with the rest of the igits at a wicked rippah after hitting up Dunkies, that’s ok, too.

For more info on Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, please head here

The post No Corporate Beer Reviews: Framinghammer appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

Five For Friday: March 24, 2023

Greetings, Decibel readers!

Black metal devotees, rejoice! Mork and Lamp of Murmuur have new albums out!

Death metal demons, rejoice! There’s a new Angerot album out!

New-old-school metal vest-wearers, rejoice! There’s a new Firmament album out!

Experimental metal fans who actually have taste … rejoice! Ne Oblivscaris has a new album out!

REJOICE, DAMMIT!!!

Angerot – The Profound Recreant

From our full-album stream of The Profound Recreant:

“With this album, we wanted to take everything that was Divine Apostate and push it further,” Angerot tell Decibel. “It is absolutely a continuation of what Divine Apostate is, but with more experimentation and more aggression. We had time to record Profound Recreant, so we took advantage of it. We explored each track extensively as they matured and continually added and adjusted them as the process moved forward. We had the liberty to revisit songs and adjust them, modify them and layer them as they grew. I think Profound Recreant is one of those albums that is a must listen with a solid set of headphones to really be able to dissect all of its layers and elements.”

Stream: Apple Music

The Profound Recreant by Angerot

Firmament – We Don’t Rise, We Just Fall

From our full-album stream of We Don’t Rise, We Just Fall:

“Firmament wouldn’t have been A-listers in the NWOBHM, but in 2023 they sound like one of those scads of second- and third-tier bands that gave the movement depth and soul. Their dedication to this sound and style is admirable and, lest we seem to be damning them with faint praise, they pull it off note perfect. We Don’t Rise, We Just Fall sounds utterly authentic.”

Stream: Apple Music

We Don’t Rise, We Just Fall by Firmament

Lamp of Murmuur – Saturnian Bloodstorm

2023 brings a lot of big moves for Lamp of Murmuur. A move to more colorful album art. A move beyond the raw, chorus-driven raw black metal the project is known for. A move to … major streaming networks! Wow! Slow down there, buddy, before long you’ll tell everyone your name! Anyway, this album rules, as expected. Glorious Immortal worship we never thought we needed so badly.

 Stream: Apple Music

Saturnian Bloodstorm by Lamp Of Murmuur

Mork – Dypet

More than any other newer Norwegian band, Mork has carried on the spirit of the early-90s without falling into predictable kitsch and blast-beating boredom. This album, like the band’s others, captures a rich, enveloping atmosphere, with riffs that play off each other in a way that gives Mork its signature sound. It’s a sound that remembers, but still moves forward.

Stream: Apple Music

Dypet by Mork

Ne Oblivscaris – Exul

If you want your metal epic and progressive, but still brutal and crushing, Ne Oblivscaris has been carrying your proud banner for two decades now. Listening to them is like watching a high-budget blockbuster with tons of special effects, but with strong character-building and storytelling that still makes you invested in what’s happening. It’s experimental without being “zany” and “random” just for its own sake. Thank goodness.

Stream: Apple Music

Exul by Ne Obliviscaris

The post Five For Friday: March 24, 2023 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

LIMITED TO 50 EACH: DEADGUY’s ‘Buyer’s Remorse’ on Metal & Beer Colored Cassettes via Decibel Records!

Surprise! The set that was so good Decibel Records had to release it twice, Deadguy’s Buyer’s Remorse: Live from the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest is now available on limited edition “Metal” & “Beer” colored cassette tapes! Limited to just 50 copies of each color, this special release also comes with a bonus patch courtesy of Pull the Plug Patches!

These tapes also boast a full-color four-panel fold-out booklet featuring artwork from Deadguy frontman Tim Singer and event photography from Nathaniel Shannon and Tom Bejgrowicz. In celebration of Metal & Beer Fest’s suds-soaked return to the Fillmore Philadelphia in April 2023, you can now watch the full live performance of Buyer’s Remorse: Live from the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest from 2021 in glorious multi-cam footage with pro-audio on the Decibel YouTube channel for free!

Limited quantities of the silver and black vinyl LP editions of Buyer’s Remorse: Live from the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest are available here

The post LIMITED TO 50 EACH: DEADGUY’s ‘Buyer’s Remorse’ on Metal & Beer Colored Cassettes via Decibel Records! appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Categories
Uncategorized

HEAVY AUSTRALIAN CONTENT DIGIMAG #115

VIEW HEAVY AUSTRALIAN CONTENT DIGIMAG #115 HERE It’s been a while coming – through no fault of the band -but the new album from Ne Obliviscaris, Exul, is finally out and this week HEAVY caught up with harsh vocalist XEN to get the full story behind the album. We also spoke with The Angel Affair, […]