Author: Sean Frasier

Formed in Helsinki in 2010, Finnish death/doom trio Altar of Betelgeuze released their first EP At the Shrine of Light in 2012. That three-song EP clocked in at 34 minutes in length, blending funeral doom’s menace with stoned Sabbath riffs. Over time their compositions became leaner and meaner, culminating in their second LP Among the Ruins, released by Transcending Obscurity in 2017. Seven years have passed since new music from Altar, but today that drought ends. Decibel Magazine is thrilled to share the first single from their upcoming record Echoes, scheduled for release on March 22nd.

“Conclusion” begins with a riff that evokes triumph and melancholy. Altar of Betelgeuze patiently adds layers with Aleksi Olkkola’s punchy drums, and a siege of distortion from guitarist Juho Kareoja. But the song truly lunges into battle when Matias Nastolin first roars from the abyss. Armed with his emotive growl and the song’s shadowy melodies, the track transforms into a hypnotic dirge. While this single doesn’t incorporate the occasional clean vocals that surface throughout Echoes, it still hints at the band’s epic Candle-massive doom edge. The band’s fresh blend of old school influences will appeal to fans of early Paradise Lost, Chapel of Disease, and Bathory’s Hammerheart.

“It has been close to seven years since our second album Among the Ruins came out,” the band shares in a comment. “Working on new material hasn’t been an easy task, but finally everything is ready to go! Our third full-length Echoes offers seven songs of doom in the Altar of Betelgeuze style. You can expect a crushing mix of death and traditional doom metal, along with other elements. The first single “Conclusion” is one of the more atmospheric and epic tracks on the upcoming album. We think the heavy verses and instrumental passages give a good impression what to expect from Echoes. Crank it up!”

Summon death, doom, and demons by pressing play below.

Pre-order Echoes on Bandcamp HERE

Follow Altar of Betelgeuze for news and updates on Facebook

The post Track Premiere: Altar of Betelgeuze – “Conclusion” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Some people argue with me that Jaws isn’t a horror movie. But I invite you to think of another movie that generated that much fear. As a kid, I was so scared of Jaws I was afraid of swimming in lakes, or being in my own bathtub. Raleigh, NC’s Into the Deep understands the terror associated with the murky depths. Formed in 2018 by the members of Pivot, Into the Deep have dived even deeper into extreme metal since their Lost to the Sea debut. Today we are thrilled to share their new album Blackfin a few days before the official January 5th release.

From the title track’s opening groove, Blackfin combines melodic death metal with the emotional core of ’90s alternative metal like Tool and Deftones. “Seaweed” is the first glimpse of Michael Hambright’s clean vocals, and they bring humanity and fragility to the album. Into the Deep texture the album thoughtfully, whether it’s with robotic vocal flourishes, or the surf guitar kicking off “Spaceshark.” Guitarist Eric Hambright swims through the record with sharp-toothed riffs aplenty. Meanwhile, drummer Phil Cicco adds bounce and momentum with his rhythms, culminating in the churning closer “Hammerhead.” Like fellow aquanauts Giant Squid or Squalus, the underwater world becomes a lyrical metaphor for more. Into the Deep’s songwriting seeks truth in a world that exploits and pollutes oceans beyond repair. Shark week is here early, so don’t miss out.

Press play below and get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing.

Blackfin by Into the Deep

Pre-order Blackfin on Bandcamp HERE

Follow Into the Deep for news and updates on IG or FB

The post Album Premiere: Into the Deep – “Blackfin” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

It’s list season in the metalsphere. You are probably being bombarded with recommendations and subjective rankings on a daily basis. Everyone has their own list of festivus grievances; albums that have criminally underlooked when it comes to official accolades. I looked back into my post archives and noticed it has been years aplenty since I did my last list of album suggestions in a Decibel Magazine post. Here’s a list of ten albums in the metal underground you should seek out before the calendar flips to 2024.

 

Megaton Sword – Might & Power

When I tallied up all my year-end stats, this is the album I listened to most. Megaton Sword are an epic heavy metal band from Switzerland, and this is the sound of a band truly hitting their stride. Like most releases from Dying Victims Productions, there’s a celebration of heavy metal tradition without being imprisoned by nostalgia. The riffs and memorable choruses don’t stop until the album does. Amazing vocal performance filled with emotion, desperation, and yes, POWER as the title promises. Song for song, this is my favorite album of the year. Song suggestion: “Power”

Might & Power by Megaton Sword

Oromet – Oromet

This is the debut from Oromet, a Sacramento doom band specializing in 10+ minute dirges. Rife with bittersweet melodies and crushing passages, it’s a lush and oppressively heavy album. It was originally released on tape with Transylvanian Recordings, one of my favorite underground labels. Funeral doom requires patience and close attention, and this album is well worth it. Song suggestion: “Familiar Spirits”

OROMET by OROMET

Scolopendra – VM18

Italian death metal dripping with throwback horror. This is another grimy underground gem from Caligari Records, perfect for fans of Mortuary Drape. Song suggestion: “The Five Stages of Putrefaction”

VM18 by SCOLOPENDRA

Triumpher – Storming the Walls

For metalheads that dismiss power metal as a goofy nostalgia trip, I introduce you to Triumpher. These Greek newcomers combine soaring vocals and melodies with a blackened element that grounds the album in the blood and mud of battle. I am a sucker for this combo of epic heavy metal and snarling aggression, and this is definitely a band to watch in the new year. Song suggestion: “The Thunderer”

Storming The Walls by Triumpher

Auralayer – Thousand Petals

South Carolina psychedelic sludge with a nod to grunge and stoner boogie rock. King Volume Records releases exceptional, vibrant albums that push at the boundaries of those adjacent genres. So if you want the 420 buzz of Fu Manchu and Torche plus the adventurous spirit of Mastodon, look no futher. Song suggestion: “Monstrum”

Thousand Petals by Auralayer

One of Nine – Eternal Sorcery

Melodic black metal that leans hard into an epic atmosphere befitting its Tolkien inspiration. If you love Dissection and prefer reading the Lord of the Rings over watching the extended Peter Jackson director cuts with commercials on cable, listen to this ASAP. Song suggestion: “Moonlit Sacrifice”

Eternal Sorcery by ONE OF NINE

Deathchant – Thrones

The band isn’t listed on Encyclopedia Metallum, and that’s fine. Whether the songs are based more in rock or metal tradition means nothing when the songs are this damn good. Riding Easy Records released this record, so you know it has that heavy psych smoke. But picture Baroness with harmonized Thin Lizzy leads and you’re getting closer to what this party sounds like. Song suggestion: “Thrones”

THRONES by DEATHCHANT

Wyld Timez – Nefarious Instinct

Black thrash is one of my favorite genres, and Wyld Timez ride the same lawless Ohio highways as Midnight. Greasy and guitar-forward, the album succeeds on the strength of the songs, which are banger after banger. It’s a killer offering from Morbid and Miserable Records, who have been bringing Midwestern heaviness to new ears for the past 3 years. Song suggestion: “To the Gallows”

Nefarious Instinct by Wyld Timez

Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul

Another album from Ohio artists, but from the opposite songwriting approach. Epic black metal that feels like a quest. Valdrin’s melodic approach to the genre creates numerous memorable moments along the journey. This album is well over an hour long, and you won’t regret surrendering to it. Song suggestion: “Vagrant in the Chamber of Night”

Throne of the Lunar Soul by Valdrin

Sadistic Force – Midnight Assassin

UK label Mercenary Press has been bringing upper-crust metallic punk and black thrash to the underground with some great records the last few years. These texan speed freaks have released a bunch of slice-’em-up rippers the past few years, and Midnight Assassin is the nastiest one yet. This is a rabid and raging blast of blasphemy for fans of Hellripper, Venom, and early Sodom. Song suggestion: “Midnight Assassin”

Midnight Assassin by Sadistic Force

The post 10 Heavy Albums to Hear Before 2024 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

If you’re a death metal devotee, the name Paul Speckmann probably sets off funeral bells in your skull. As vocalist and bassist of Chicago pioneers Master, Speckmann helped define the sound of war-sparking death thrash. Speckmann also has notable releases from Abomination and a long-standing collaboration with prolific Swedeath musician Rogga Johansson. The seeds of Speckmann Project extend back to early Master recordings, and there was an album released in 1991. Today, Decibel Magazine has the title track single from the upcoming album Fiends of Emptiness. Emanzipation Productions will unleash the album later this year.

After a double-bass rumble, the meaty riffs launching “Fiends of Emptiness” capture the flavor of primordial death metal. But there’s also a propulsive tempo that’s crustier than most deathrash rhythms. Speckmann has discussed his inspiration from bands like GBH and Minor Threat in the past, and there’s a pulse of hardcore punk surging throughout the track. His recognizable voice sneers and spits with frothy-mouthed vehemence. Plus, he snarls the word “master” several times. You should probably mark each utterance of “master” with an enthusiastic headbang and pre-save the track.

“This is a song about a central figure running everything behind the scenes in this God forsaken world,” Paul Speckmann shares about the song’s lyrical edge. “He leads the fiends of emptiness in their quest to destroy the world!”

Fiend out on the new Speckmann Project track and press play below.

Pre-save “Fiends of Emptiness” HERE

Follow Speckmann Project on Facebook for news and updates HERE

The post Track Premiere: Speckmann Project – “Fiends Of Emptiness” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

It’s not often that a band forms after being offered an opportunity to write music for a film, but that’s exactly what happened with L.A.’s Mayan Bull. Back in 2011, drummer/keyboardist Phil Vera (Trappist, Despise You), guitarist Kurk Stevens and bassist Chris Walters were approached by director Todd Hickey to write a song for the soundtrack of Takedowns and Falls, his documentary about high-school wrestling in Pennsylvania. The trio recorded 10-minute instrumental “A Dangerous Gun” in Vera’s living room with producer Paul Fig (Alice In Chains, Deftones), and Mayan Bull was born. “We had so much fun recording the song that we kept practicing and came up with new songs,” Vera says.

One of those songs is “Kid Cleveland,” which we’re premiering here today. The propulsive track is all the more impressive given that instrumental music is a distinct departure for the members of Mayan Bull. Stevens plays in the noise rock band Kevarra, Walters plays shoegaze in The Slow Signal Fades and Vera plays an entirely different instrument—guitar—in L.A. powerviolence kings Despise You and Crom. “We discussed Mayan Bull as being a project that we could do for decades to come, something that isn’t pinned down to any particular genre of music but will grow over time,” Stevens says. “We want people to hear us and watch this project evolve.”

Mayan Bull by Mayan Bull

The post Track Premiere: Mayan Bull (ft. members of Trappist & Despise You) “Kid Cleveland” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.