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Track Premiere: Altar of Betelgeuze – “Conclusion”

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

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Track Premiere: Witnesses – “Joy (Beyond the Sound of My Voice)”

Back in 2022, I premiered a track from NYC doom project Witnesses. In that premiere, I commented that multi-instrumentalist Greg Schwan’s approach to doom “shapeshifts from unsettling ambient to a sound that’s equal parts Peaceville doom and post-metal.” Two years later, we learned that Witnesses have planned a new album Joy, scheduled for release sometime in 2024. Today Decibel Magazine exclusively shares their powerful new single “Joy (Beyond the Sound of My Voice)” ahead of that eventual release.

Beginning with the aggressive propulsion of Angel Hernandez’s drums, the track ignites with the more combustible sounds of early 21st century metallic sludge. Meanwhile, Schwan’s voice evokes Maynard James Keenan’s power and fragility. Like the cover photography, the dynamics flip mid-song from jagged distortion to starkly minimalist spoken word. Witnesses retain their cinematic wide-screen approach to doom while leaning into the gentler whims of My Dying Bride and Katatonia. By the end of the track, Schwan’s voice dwarfs the distortion and rises about the din with triumph.

“‘Joy (Beyond the Sound of My Voice)’ is the first single from the forthcoming full-length, Joy. This song weaves a lot of influences together–The Peaceville 3, KATATONIA, and more–into a song about moving past and away from people, ideas, and memories that harm you.”

Scale the mountains and surrender to the sky by pressing play below.

Joy (Beyond the sound of my voice) by Witnesses

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Album Premiere: Give Me the Grave – “Mind in Decay”

The first time I met Bryce Seditz was in Decibel Magazine‘s hometown of Philly. Touring with his band Plaguewielder, he brought foam-mouthed fury to the mic playing a show headlined by local vampire punks Cave Ov Bats. Today I share the relentless new album from Give Me the Grave, a new project from Seditz, guitarist/bassist Cory Waugh, and drummer Chris Vogagis. Listen to the debut EP Mind in Decay a few days early below.

Give Me the Grave is a tough beast to succinctly describe. Somewhere between downbeat deathcore and blackened industrial sludge, Mind in Decay is grimy and dark and heavy as fuck. “Necrotic” is equal parts groove metal and Godflesh. The cover art from Matt Tluchowski captures the debut’s dirty neon-lit charm. “Implode” reveals an unexpected ear for melody, even after exploding with the scream “this is a fucking graveyard.” The epic opening of “Sarcophagus” casts shadows across the back half of the EP. There are some devastating mosh parts, including some cymbal chimes designed to downright decimate the pit. Closer “Misanthropissed” is a brutal battering ram that slams the coffin shut with the finality of a funeral bell.

Mind in Decay materialized amidst a tumultuous phase in my life,” Waugh shares. “Composing this album and delving back into the realm of music served as a cathartic channel to navigate the agony and cognitive stagnation that had ensnared me. Reuniting with two of my long lost friends led to the unintentional birth of Give Me The Grave.”

Press play below and smash the sarcophagus with Give Me the Grave.

Order Mind in Decay on Bandcamp HERE

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Album Premiere: Into the Deep – “Blackfin”

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

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10 Heavy Albums to Hear Before 2024

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

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Track Premiere: Exiled Hope – “Over For You”

By day, Sofia Frasz is a film composer and music/entertainment attorney in training. After nightfall, Sofia is the multi-instrumentalist founder of Exiled Hope. Formed in 2019, Exiled Hope is a solo project set in a fictional world of dark fantasy. Pulling inspiration from symphonic metal and power metal, the result is operatic and rife with raw emotion. Today, Decibel Magazine shares the project’s new single “Over For You.” It’s a glimpse into Sofia’s next chapter for the band, a new album called Apocrypha due out in late 2024.

The song’s opening moments convey dark drama and emotions heavier than riffs. But as the piano leads the listener deeper into the song’s moonlit forest, the metallic components erupt. The deeper into the song we venture, the more Sofia’s lushly layered voice cedes the spotlight to shredding solos and growls. Exiled Hope explore a plethora of ideas in 260 seconds, navigating influences from Nightwish, Kamelot, and Cradle of Filth. But “Over For You” remains focused on Sofia’s diverse skillset while unfolding the narrative and fortifying the track’s themes.

“At this point in the story, the few remaining positive influences in the character’s life are trying to persuade him that his humanity is worth reclaiming, even though he thinks he’s beyond saving. More broadly, the song is about recognizing that as long as you keep fighting, you’re already winning. Life circumstances and other people might try to control you and how you view your situation, but the final decision is in your hands and it’s not over until you say it is.”

Press play to summon dusk and embrace the new Exiled Hope single below.

Over For You – Single by Exiled Hope

Pre-order “Over For You” on Bandcamp HERE

Or save it on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, or Deezer HERE

Follow Sofia and Exiled Hope for news and updates HERE

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Track Premiere: Speckmann Project – “Fiends Of Emptiness”

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

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Track Premiere: Mayan Bull (ft. members of Trappist & Despise You) “Kid Cleveland”

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

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Album Premiere: Vorvaň – ‘Awakened’

The title of Vorvaň‘s new album (Awakened) is fitting, because these riffs could stir the heaviest sleeping corpse. After vocalist Eli Mavrychev devised the Russian project in 2009, he recruited the band’s lineup in 2011. A decade later, Vorvaň is releasing their sophomore record of high-energy hardcore and progressive sludge metal. Imagine the furious momentum of Converge and Trap Them, mixed with the sludgy underbelly of early Mastodon. Awakened will release on May 28th as a team effort between Sludgelord Records, Darkened Days Records, BlackVoodoo Records, and Enrage Records. But Decibel Magazine managed to set our alarm a few days early. You can listen to Awakened now, fellow insomniacs.

“Paths We Have Strayed From” surges with hooks that set the guitar frets on fire. Pace-changing rocker “Niebo” invites some NWOBHM guitar theatrics before blastbeats demolish the remnants of those melodies. Every thread of fragile melody (like “Shaped by the Void” and the Baroness vocal hooks of “Red Mistress”) is eventually burnt to a crisp by speed and aggression. The mix by Kurt Ballou and mastering by Brad Boatright never buries Igor Butz’s bass, even while prioritizing the wildly energetic guitars. It’s an album of bold dynamic shifts, like the brief yet memorable cello-laced palate-cleanser “The Reason.” “Of Those Who Bled” represents the band’s most blended (Molotov) cocktail of influences, where D-beat and evocative doom collide with a common goal. By the time Vorvaň close with “The Greatest Threat,” you’ll truly be Awakened to this band’s talent and cunning compositions.

Wake up by streaming Vorvaň’s Awakened today. Join your fellow superscum and jam this record before its May 28th release.

Awakened by Vorvaň

Pre-order Awakened from Sludgelord Records HERE

Or grab a variety of different formats from Vorvaň’s Bandcamp page HERE

Follow the band on Facebook for news and updates HERE

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Album Premiere: Slithering Decay – ‘Aeons Untold’

Death metal newcomers Slithering Decay are brethren of the buzzsaw. From the very first roar of distortion, the Belgians boast the familiar Stockholm sound of the early ’90s. After teasing the underground with a limited run cassette demo in 2018, Slithering Decay’s proper debut is now upon us. Out of respect, Decibel Magazine made a blood sacrifice to a sentient HM2 pedal. In return we received a blessing to share Slithering Decay’s Aeons Untold debut a few days before the album’s May 21st release date. As ambassadors of old school heaviness, Testimony Records are the perfect match for this project’s spirited Swedeath revival.

The album blasts right out of the necrovoid with “Metaphysical Iconoclasm” and the album’s first contagious choruses. There are similarities to Bloodbath’s rancid stylings, including a track title (“Resurrected in Chaos”) that feels like an ode to Bloodbath’s sophomore record. But Slithering Decay is not an homage project trying to mimic the genre’s masters. Tempo shifts help keep Aeons Untold an engaging adventure, like the doomy passage in “Bloodstained Tears.” Solos shred atop the barbaric buzz throughout, and most memorably in “Embedded in Hollowness.” Disarming melodies surface between dismembering riffs in “Verminous Flood.” The album sounds authentic and sincere, helped by the audio mastering contribution of original Bloodbath member Dan Swanö. The opening riff of “Blood Unforeseen” feels like it crawled directly from Wesley Dewanckel’s cover art. Every minute of this record feels like it could saw off your limbs. And that’s pretty much the Testimony Records motto, right there.

Swedeath connoisseurs should jam Slithering Decay immediately. Press play and experience psychotic ecstasy.

Slithering Decay • Aeons Untold by Testimony Records

Pre-order Slithering Decay’s Aeons Untold from Testimony Records HERE

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