MEGADETH AT THE GATES EYEHATEGOD CARCASS
H
EM
M
“T
s n g i e R C haos
E
REFUSE/RESIST
FA ” H F ALL O
FLEXI DISC
INCLUDED
ARTHUR RIZK ASPHYX
RIVERS OF NIHIL MANY SUFFER HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY HULDER
FEBRUARY 2021 // No. 196
Don’t see it? Then subscribe!
CDS, VINYL & MERCHANDISE
THEARTISANERASTORE.COM
of sunless realms out now
I N S TOR E S 0 2 . 1 2 . 2 1
THE FINAL TYRANNY IN STORES 02.12.21
www.decibelmagazine.com
February 2021 [T196]
PUBLISHER
Alex Mulcahy
alex@redflagmedia.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Albert Mudrian
albert@decibelmagazine.com
AD SALES
James Lewis
james@decibelmagazine.com DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND SALES
ART DIRECTOR
Aaron Salsbury aaron@decibelmagazine.com
Michael Wohlberg
michael@redflagmedia.com
WAS TOO BUSY KILLING GRANDMA This is the final issue of Decibel that we’ll send to print in 2020. As you may have noticed, large portions of 2020 have been profoundly un-good. You’ve lived through it, read about it enough in these pages since March, and are still dealing with its ramifications, so I really don’t need to revisit the ghastly details. Each of us is reminded of them literally any time we even think about setting foot outside. It’s tempting to want to rewind the clock a year back to simpler times when some members of the metal community exerted most of their brainpower on making sure everyone knew their opinions on the Lords of Chaos film adaptation. But in lieu of more memes about also being our way to kill Euronymous, please hear me out: Going forward, it’s OK to look ahead and hope for even more than that! Let’s not kid ourselves, though; just because we’re turning the calendar to 2021, it doesn’t mean that everything is immediately going “back to normal.” With the tremendous surge of infections that began this fall and are poised to only worsen through winter, it’s clear that many of our fellow citizens are uninterested in making an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Still, with a pair of highly effective vaccines set to be distributed in the coming months, there is—for the first time since the beginning of this nightmare—legitimate hope that live music could return at some point in 2021. Obviously, that won’t bring back many of the jobs lost, the venues that have permanently shuttered or the irreplaceable lives lost since the pandemic took hold, but, Christ, the prospect of attending a show is one of the few things that has made closing the coffin lid on 2020 so satisfying. So, please, do your part over the next several months and maybe, just maybe, we won’t completely fuck up 2021, too. See? Hope!
albert mudrian, Editor-in-Chief
REFUSE/RESIST
Patty Moran
CUSTOMER SERVICE
patty@decibelmagazine.com
COPY EDITOR
Andrew Bonazelli
BOOKKEEPER
Tim Mulcahy
tim@redflagmedia.com
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Chuck BB, Ed Luce Mark Rudolph
Online DECIBEL WEB EDITOR
Albert Mudrian
DECIBEL WEB AD SALES
James Lewis
albert@decibelmagazine.com james@decibelmagazine.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Vince Bellino Adrien Begrand J. Bennett Dean Brown Louise Brown Chris Chantler Richard Christy Liz Ciavarella-Brenner Chris Dick Chris Dodge Sean Frasier Nick Green Raoul Hernandez Jonathan Horsley Neill Jameson Sarah Kitteringham Scott Koerber Daniel Lake Andrew Lee Shawn Macomber Shane Mehling Justin M. Norton Andy O'Connor Dutch Pearce Forrest Pitts Greg Pratt Jon Rosenthal Joseph Schafer Rod Smith Matt Solis Kevin Stewart-Panko Eugene S. Robinson Adem Tepedelen Jeff Treppel J Andrew Zalucky CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
MAIN OFFICE
1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: 215.625.9850 / Fax: 215.625.9967 www.decibelmagazine.com RECORD STORES
To carry Decibel, call 1.215.625.9850 x105
Jason Blake Dave Creaney Gobinder Jhitta Ester Segarra Hristo Shindov Josh Sisk Gene Smirnov Levan TK Hannah Verbeuren Frank White
DECIBEL SUBSCRIPTIONS
Decibel subscriber service/change of address: 215.625.9850 x105 or contact@decibelmagazine.com To order by mail: Consult the subscription card To order by phone: 215.625.9850 x105 To order by fax: 1.215.625.9967 To order online: www.decibelmagazine.com VISA/MASTERCARD/DISCOVER accepted Subscribers: please alert us of any change of address 6-8 weeks before the date of your move. Decibel is not responsible or obligated to re-ship issues missed because of a move we were not informed of 6-8 weeks before the move took place. DECIBEL BACK ISSUES/MERCHANDISE
To order by phone: 1.215.625.9850 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST) To order by fax: 1.215.625.9967 To order online: www.decibelmagazine.com Decibel (ISSN 1557-2137) is published monthly by Red Flag Media, Inc., 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Annual subscription price is $29.95. Periodical postage, paid at Philadelphia, PA, and other mailing offices. Submission of manuscripts, illustrations and/or photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Postmaster send changes of address for Decibel to Red Flag Media, 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia PA 19107. Copyright ©2020 by Red Flag Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. PRINTED IN USA
ISSN 1557-2137
|
USPS 023142
PHOTO BY AXEL JUSSEIT
WASN’T ON HIS WAY TO KILL EURONYMOUS
We try to not focus on readers’ musical projects here, but you perform in melodic black/death metallers Inexorum. So, with that in mind, call this one-on-one fight for all-time melodic black/death supremacy: Sacramentum’s Far Away From the Sun vs Unanimated’s Ancient God of Evil.
Carl Skildum Minneapolis, MN
According to our admittedly spotty records, you’ve been a subscriber since issue No. 39, which featured our Top 40 Albums of 2007 list. Some people are probably still mad about that list (and all of our others) 13 years later. Do you take year-end lists seriously?
I look forward to year-end lists because they are a great way to find out about records that I may have missed. I like to be reminded of records that came out in the early winter months that may have faded into the mists of time behind the nonstop deluge of new releases. It is truly remarkable that we have so many great records to choose from every year. It feels like we are in a golden age of creativity and productivity in heavy metal and neighboring genres, so let’s celebrate it. It hasn’t always been like this!
4 : FEBRUARY 2021 : DECIBEL
This is like asking which lung I want to give up. I picked up Ancient God of Evil right around the time it came out and it blew my young mind, but the thing about that record is that it opens with an alltime banger in “Life Demise,” and then it eases back on the throttle with a little more of a rock ‘n’ roll feel and bluesy wah solos. Sacramentum were a bit more singularly focused on doing nothing but relentless melodic black/death. Both albums are wonderful and filled with amazing riffs and harmonies, but Far Away From the Sun has one of my favorite Necrolord cover paintings, so it gets the edge for me. I’m very stoked that both bands have new LPs in the works. As a Minneapolis resident, we’re guessing you’ve spent some time at HammerHeart Brewing. (The fact that you perform live with HammerHeart employee Tanner Anderson in Obsequiae makes us feel even more confident about said guess.) Anyway, what’s the best beer you’ve ever had there?
HammerHeart is a special place to me. They specialize in smoked beers with Nordic and
Scandinavian styles, and any fan of metal and beer owes it to themselves to visit when they come here. Every fall I look forward to Herbstklagen, which is an incredible Bamberg-style smoked märzen lager and a great example of how delicious a smoked beer can be. They’ve done Finnish-style sahti beers using a kuurna (a hollow log with juniper branches as a filter bed) that are awesome, too. I celebrate their whole catalog, but the most incredible beer was a one-off peat smoked ale aged in a Laphroaig barrel called Bog Burial. It was like a Scotch whiskey, but you could have a pint of it and not need an ambulance later. Like an obscure demo, once it was gone, it was gone, and now it lives on in legend. This is the last issue that Decibel will send to print in 2020. Please take us out on a positive/hopeful note heading into 2021.
This has been a nightmare of a year, but at least at the time I write this, I feel cautiously optimistic that we could be heading in a better direction soon. We like to escape into sorcery and magic in our heavy metal, but when it comes to controlling this pandemic, it’s going to be science and logic that get us through it, along with the massive effort by health care professionals everywhere. I’m looking forward to getting my sweet, sweet vaccine ASAP and finally seeing friends, family and live music again. We can do this.
Chuck BB is the illustrator of the graphic novels Black Metal, Vol. 1, 2 and 3 For more info and art, head over to chuckbb.com
LISTEN TO NAPALM‘S LATEST RELEASES NOW: OPEN SPOTIFY, SEARCH AND SCAN!
Thrash/Death frontrunners NERVOSA stay true to their roots while exploring new terrain!
PERPETUAL CHAOS
OUT 1/22
Reborn under the sign of thrash metal!
OUT 1/22
DIGIPAK | 1-LP GATEFOLD VINYL | DIGITAL
LTD SPLATTER VINYL EDITION INCL. SIGNED POSTER AND SLIPMAT AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY VIA WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM
DIGIPAK | 1-LP GATEFOLD VINYL | DIGITAL
LTD DIE-HARD VINYL EDITION INCL. 7” SINGLE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY VIA WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM
Encounter unspeakable terror – this is BLOODY HAMMERS with a retro horror-punk twist!
OUT 1/15
JEWELCASE | 1-LP GATEFOLD VINYL | DIGITAL
/NAPALMRECORDS
/NAPALMRECORDSOFFICIAL
visit our online store with music and merch
/NAPALMRECORDS
/NAPALMRECORDS
WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM
NOW SLAYING Wonder what Decibel world HQ has been rocking for the past month? Well, here are the records that we spun most while while reminding you to please, for fuck’s sake, just shut up and wear a goddamn mask
Because not all of us were spawned in the darkest recesses of hell
This Month's Mutha: Julie McCarthy Mutha of Shane McCarthy of Wayfarer
Tell us a little about yourself.
Like Shane, I was born and raised in Colorado. After college in California, I returned to Colorado, got married, and we raised two awesome sons. My work as a public librarian is rewarding and satisfying. I enjoy listening to music, reading a good book, watching romantic comedies, taking long walks, hanging out with my family and, most of all, spending time with my two adorable, energetic grandsons (Shane’s nephews: “The Brobarians”). Shane is the curator of the Fire in the Mountains festival. Did he express an interest in nature when he was young?
Shane has always been curious about and respectful of the natural world. As he grew up, we camped regularly in the mountains. He and his brother enjoyed exploring and hiking. Shane has always had an affinity for the mountains. We are fortunate to live somewhere with lots of open space, trails, parks, state parks and Rocky Mountain National Park nearby, and can see the Rockies from our home. His band Wayfarer plays “black metal of the American West.” Did you have a hand in his appreciation of folk music?
Shane was exposed to a variety of music growing up, mostly rock and blues. Probably the closest thing to folk music I introduced him to was Otis Taylor: a blues musician whose songs often delve into issues of race and social injustice. I think he was drawn to Taylor’s intensity and passion, and the strong emotions his music 6 : FEBRUARY 2021 : DECIBEL
evokes. Several of the metal bands Shane listened to were heavily influenced by Norse folk music, and he was intrigued by the music from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns. Have you had the opportunity to see Shane perform, inside or outside?
My husband and I have been fortunate to see Shane perform many times. Seeing him play at Fire in the Mountains was an incredible, memorable experience. It was surreal and primal, with the mountainous backdrop and starry sky. We are always blown away by his skill and confidence, his passion and presence. Shane is in his element when playing his music! It amazes us that our son could be such a talented musician since neither parent shows any aptitude whatsoever. We love listening to music, but that’s as far as it goes. We are so proud! What’s something most people wouldn’t know about Shane?
Shane is a huge horror buff. Halloween is his favorite holiday, and he’s always loved horror movies and haunted houses. Throughout his middle school and high school years, we turned our house, yard and garage over to him around Halloween to be transformed into a haunted house experience. Shane would begin months ahead, spending lots of time thinking up new ideas and creating elaborate plans, sets, roles and props, then recruit a bunch of friends to participate. He made flyers to pass out at school and would get a pretty good turnout. He still loves haunted houses! —ANDREW BONAZELLI
Albert Mudrian : e d i t o r i n c h i e f Tribulation, Where the Gloom Becomes Sound Many Suffer, The Strangest of Beasts Dark Tranquillity, Moment King Diamond, “Them” Bettie Serveert, Palomine ---------------------------------Patty Moran : c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, Blood Lust Electric Wizard, Dopethrone Idles, Ultra Mono Sqürl, Some Music for Robby Müller Monolord, Empress Rising ---------------------------------James Lewis : a d s a l e s Cannibal Corpse, Red Before Black The Crown, Cobra Speed Venom Panopticon, Autumn Eternal Publicist UK, Forgive Yourself Nonexist, Deus Deceptor ---------------------------------Mike Wohlberg : a r t d i r e c t o r King Diamond, “Them” Propagandhi, Less Talk, More Rock Gatecreeper, Deserted Cannibal Corpse, Red Before Black Tribulation, Where the Gloom Becomes Sound ---------------------------------Aaron Salsbury : m a r k e t i n g a n d s a l e s Power Trip, Live In Seattle 05.28.2018 Motörhead, On Parole (Expanded & Remastered) Haunt, Flashback Dio, Dream Evil Live ’87 Deaf Club, Contemporary Sickness
GUEST SLAYER
---------------------------------Grant Netzorg : i n t h e c o m pa n y o f s e r p e n t s
Swans, Leaving Meaning Primitive Man, Immersion Roky Erickson, Gremlins Have Pictures Tom Waits, The Black Rider Bleakheart, Dream Grie
PHOTO BY COLLEEN DONLEY
Here’s How Bernie Can Still Win ome of the most preposterous shit I’ve seen floating around the toilet bowl that was 2020 contains undigested chunks of American black metal clogging the pipes, which makes for a terrific visual metaphor, but a crappy way to ponder the end of the year. You might think I’d go for the easy-to-see targets, like how excited a lot of people are that a noted pedophile has a new album coming out. You might think I’d even mention how their label posted a PR statement saying that said pedophile is in fact the victim in all of this. You’d expect I might bring up the irony of the “reject degeneracy in black metal” right-wing crowd all having throbbing boners while they defend this band, for whatever reason. But I figured out the lack of moral character in a lot of these motherfuckers when they waited a few months after it was news to dust off their Inquisition shirts, pretending nothing had ever happened—a luxury the kids in the videos on Dagon’s hard drive have not been afforded. But no, I’m mostly here to talk about the reaction to the USBM book that Decibel contributor Daniel Lake wrote and Decibel itself published. I don’t have the word count to properly describe what a self-fulfilling prophecy this scene has become over this book, and I can’t give a fair analysis of the content because I haven’t read it. The problem is that the people vehemently shitting on it haven’t either. You can tell because they love to tell whomever is scrolling by how they won’t read it, which isn’t a surprise because they don’t seem like they read much of anything, upholding the proud American tradition of anti-intellectualism as some kind of spontaneous ejaculation-inducing virtue. Having to watch an adult trying to explain to these sentient mashed potatoes that not every band in the book is going to make the list on the back cover—thus really explaining how books work in general—prepares me on how to explain these things to my daughter after she’s born. Granted, these people are all of drinking age, so I’m going to lay the blame with their parents, churches and public schools, and probably Obama, because why the fuck not at this point? Forming an opinion on something you’ve never read, seen or heard isn’t being challenging to the status quo; it makes you a proud moron. And yes, I know some dickhead will say, “WELL, WHAT 8 : FEBRUARY 2021 : DECIBEL
ABOUT NSBM, I DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THAT TO KNOW I HATE IT” or think that this would be a cool argument as to the kiddie-fiddling that was on Dagon’s computer, like how do we know it was bad unless we watch it ourselves? If this line of thought pops up in your head, you need to clean it out with a fucking shotgun. Or, at the very least, wait until you get your answer as to whether Grand Belial’s Key is in the fucking book before dumping out your liquid shit of an opinion. The other obnoxious-as-fuck thing that I keep tripping over is how people are upset with the choice of bands. I understand you’re upset your demo that existed in 1991 but no one had ever heard until 2008 somehow didn’t make the cut, but not every band in a scene is important to anyone else other than the people involved (and judging by some of your demos, not even then). Same side of the coin is, “I wouldn’t have had my band in there even if I was asked.” Guess what? You won! Because nobody asked. Just like nobody is asking your opinion now, either. Sure, I’m not a fan of a lot of the bands, especially in the last decade or so, but I can’t deny the impact they’ve made to the greater metal world, regardless of how fucking boring and pretentious I find them. Spectators acting like this is going to be the final book on the subject to be written are pudding-brained during the best parts of their day. You’re aware you can write your own book, containing the bands you were in or that are important to you that you feel were misrepresented (or missing entirely) in Daniel’s book? That’s the great thing about it: You can control it as long as you’re willing to put in the excruciating amount of work that such an undertaking requires. But if I were a betting man, I’d say the majority are just trying to attract attention to themselves and their meandering bullshit, and would never attempt it. So, frankly, if you’re not willing to do it yourself? Shut the fuck up and keep your opinions to yourself. If you’re still interested, well, look at me. If I can get a writing gig, fucking anybody can if they just try. Same with a record deal or any of the other things I’ve stumbled into accomplishing. As a final fun fact, this marks the sixth year of doing this column, so without tittering on anymore, thank you to Albert for the opportunity. And to the 11 of you still reading me every month, it’s greatly appreciated.
TRAPPIST FRONTMAN crafts a monthly journey through
MORBID ALES BY CHRIS DODGE
Getting Low on LSD and High ABV in Utah
I
’m surrounded by smug hipsters, so it
didn’t surprise me that they scoffed when I mentioned road-tripping to Utah. As tempting as it is to automatically make jokes about the Osmonds or plural marriages, it is astounding how many people aren’t aware that the Beehive State is home to the most awe-inspiring red rock scenery anywhere in the U.S. It’s like an old Road Runner cartoon. And while the landscape can be dry and desolate, nowhere is that desolation more intimidating than on a map of Utah breweries. They’re out there, but it’s slim pickings. The lopsided open-land-to-lowpopulation ratio is the most obvious reason, but Utah doesn’t exactly have a history of being warm and friendly to brewers either. The state is predominantly Mormon, a faith that shuns all stimulants and mindaltering substances—alcohol, tobacco, caffeine. (Don’t even think about ordering a Coke.) Mormon prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young proselytized a lifestyle abstaining from the evils of fermented grains, with convenient exceptions. When a bodyguard of the LDS Church opened Hot Springs Brewery, the first in the state, pious leaders conveniently feigned awareness. When IRS tax collectors documented distilleries and breweries in the state in 1869, they found all of them were owned by
Taste the sin
Some of the remarkable craft brews Utah has to offer via one of their few unremarkable state stores
Mormons, including a few owned by Brigham Young himself. Bizarre liquor restrictions abound to this day. Up until 2008, it was illegal for any cocktail in Utah to contain more than one ounce of alcohol. Big box beer like Bud always brewed a lower than average ABV offshoot beer just to sell in Utah, until two years ago when a law passed to increase the wimpy 3.2% standard to 5%. Thankfully, craft brewers don’t adhere to this limit, with the caveat their beer can only be carried in the State Liquor Store, which is as gray and joyless as it sounds, with all the charm and panache of a hardware store. Sterile. Functional. But it isn’t all fire and brimstone. There are a hell of a lot of tasty brews in this restrictive and red state, with the granddaddy being Epic Brewing, spending the past decade experimenting in ways that their newest counterparts haven’t even dreamt of attempting. Along with their traditional roster of beers, Epic has infused flavors using everything from peanuts to sage, and has aged their brews in every iteration of barrel imaginable, not to mention their Big Bad Baptist Stout is the stuff of legend. Also well-established is
Park City’s Wasatch Brewery, which gleefully pokes fun at Utah’s wholesome values with beers like their Satanic-themed Great Deceiver Imperial Pilsner and the Polygamy Porter. Johnny’s American IPA from Moab Brewery is a toothsome balance of bitterness and malted barley roast, the opposite of the juice bomb delivered by Proper Brewing’s Hopothetical NE style IPA. Both are distinct and worth finding. Templin Family Brewing’s Albion Belgian Style Tripel is a treat that drinks true to style and packs a 10% ABV punch. I despise pumpkin beers, but Kiitos Brewing’s Pumpkin Latte Golden Ale With Coffee is fucking tasty, even though it sounds like a beer Karen would speak to the manager about. In the southwest corner of the state, we visited Zion Brewery, which operates out of two locations, including a slick St. George taproom converted from a 103-year-old fire station. We were extra mindful of how much we imbibed while out on the town. Utah has the strictest drunk driving laws in the country. A blood alcohol content level of .05 will put you in the slammer, which explains the slogan given to Utah by neighboring states: “Come for vacation. Leave on probation.”
DECIBEL : FEBRUARY 2021 : 9
RIVERS OF NIHIL
STUDIO REPORT
O
RIVERS OF NIHIL ALBUM TITLE
ur sax player is here today and it’s his first day in the studio. I literally
the opposite of that and it TBA had sax blasting in my ear when your first call came in.” feels more like our [2015] PRODUCER Rivers of Nihil guitarist Brody Uttley is laughing and apologizing for Monarchy record. The prog Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak; missing the call when Decibel initially rang at our agreed-upon interview factor, or whatever you want Brody Uttley time. At the same time, he’s revealing that the PA-based progressive death metal to call it, has been signifi(engineering) act’s new album won’t be holding back on any of the offbeat elements that made cantly boosted, but so has STUDIO 2018 predecessor Where Owls Know My Name the most popular of their discography. the ferocity of the heavier Atrium Studio, “Largely, Owls was the biggest boost of our career,” Uttley notes. “We did the parts. It’s way more aggresLancaster, PA; biggest tours we’d ever done. We had super-successful headlining runs in the States sive than the last album, and Uttley’s home studio, Douglassville, PA and Europe, and went to Australia and New Zealand when we never thought we’d definitely our heaviest record. be able to headline or sell out places that weren’t in our hometown. That record got I guess we turned it up in both RECORDING DATES a lot of new ears on the band; in a lot of ways, this record is a logical continuation, directions with the ultimate September November, 2020 but in many ways it’s not. It’s a strange one, I’ll say that.” goal being to make the record RELEASE DATE Where Owls Know My Name leaned heavily on the progressive end of the prog-death we want to hear. With this mid-to-late 2021 statement Rivers have been making since their formation in 2009. And while record, I think we’ve sucLABEL Uttley is hesitant to refer to the forthcoming fourth album as a reaction to “the ceeded in giving people what Metal Blade mellotrons and saxophones on our last album,” he’s not shy about acknowledging they’d expect after a record all the parts that got them to where they are. like Owls, but also giving “I feel like a lot of bands, when they start going in a more progressive direction, get super-sick them something they didn’t know they wanted and proggy, but they sometimes end up losing the heaviness,” he muses. “On this record, we did from us.” —KEVIN STEWART-PANKO
STUDIO SHORT SHOTS
MELODIC BLACK METAL VETS VREID GET WILD ON ALBUM NO. 8 Norwegian black metallers Vreid are currently holed up in Studio 1184 in Asker, Norway, where, as bassist/producer Jarle “Hváll” Kvåle tells it, it’s a “mad world” laying down the tracks for new album Wild North West (prepping for spring release via Season of Mist). “Sometimes you just get that overwhelming feeling that all the puzzles fall into place,” Kvåle assures. “I had that feeling when we did the Likferd and Milorg albums; they are
10 : FEBRUARY 2021 : DECIBEL
cornerstones in our foundation. Wild North West is a concept album, a journey through our past with firm eyes staring ahead. I would describe it as very heady and atmospheric, and it also has some of the most psychedelic and intense stuff we have ever done.” While Kvåle orchestrates, Wild North West wouldn’t be possible without valuable assistance from Nabolaget Studios’ Anders Nordengen and Vreid soundman Helge Bentsen. “Anders is not a metal producer,” offers Kvåle. “[He] mostly works on rock stuff, and I think that’s an important strength. Then there’s Helge, our front-of-house since 2009. He keeps the technical things under control, explaining everything that I’m doing wrong.” —CHRIS DICK
HULDER
HULDER
Portland’s expatriated Flemish black metal baroness sings songs for the forgotten
L
ike the fabled scandinavian forest creatures that inspired her band name, Hulder began in the hidden places of the world; that is, the extreme metal underground, where tape-trading thrives. In 2018, the Pacific Northwest-based one-woman black metal attack debuted out of nowhere with Ascending the Raven Stone, a three-song demo tape of promising Bathorian black metal rawness. A month later, we reviewed the Belgium expat’s follow-up rehearsal tape (now impossible to get), forecasting that “Hulder is on her way to becoming exceptional.” ¶ “The name Hulder was something that came to me years ago,” recalls the woman behind the runaway project. “Naturally, the idea of a mythical and feminine forest-dwelling creature seemed to be fitting when the initial writings began for the first demo. The juxtaposition of majesty and evil that is implied by the term adequately represents my intent.” That intent became crystalclear with 2019’s 7-inch Embraced by Darkness Mysts. Not content with merely slaying competing underground raw black metal solo acts, Hulder says she “wanted to bring an air of mysticism and evil” to the music as well. ¶ With Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, Hulder’s debut full-length, the artist says 12 : FEBRUARY 2021 : DECIBEL
she aimed “to create something that would invoke the same primal experience [she feels] when listening to classics like Nemesis Divina or Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism.” Hence, the album plays out like an eightpart love letter penned to true black metal, executed with both severe reverence for and barely repressed ambition to overthrow the genre. Hulder explains: “When directly translated, the term ‘Godslastering’ equates to ‘Blasphemy.’ Conceptually, this record, like many before it, is a disjointed series of stories with subject matter regarding loss, evil intent and the eventual overcoming or realization of internal power.” Hulder moved to the U.S. when she was a teenager, but she remembers her childhood with her grandmother, “an antique dealer who travelled Europe picking primarily medieval wares.” She has “many fond memories of traveling alongside her and listening to the fables that she would tell.” Godslastering, she continues, was inspired by “many aspects of my life,” such as
her “upbringing in a small town rich in medieval history,” her lifelong “fascination with dark lore” and her “recent ventures into the forests and mountain ranges of the Pacific Northwestern United States.” The songs that comprise Godslastering were merely “concepts in the winter of 2019,” according to Hulder. During the global lockdown last spring, suddenly there was “time [for] fine-tuning and recording demo versions of the songs.” Godslastering was recorded over the period of a few months at both De Pestkerk Studio and the Underworld Studio in Portland. She and Charlie Koryn (VoidCeremony, etc.) “engineered and mixed everything.” Huder adds that “working with Charlie is always a smooth process. He understands and recognizes every influence or idea that I can bring to the table, no matter how obscure. It makes the recording process much more productive and fruitful when the engineer is on the same page as you are.” —DUTCH PEARCE
SUICIDE CLUB
BLUE MONKEY AKA INSECT
Kill Or Be Killed.
They breed. They hatch. They Kill!
AVAILABLE ON DVD
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY
THE BLACK DRAGON + ENFORCER FROM DEATH ROW
DRIVE-IN DOUBLE FEATURE #10 Two Kung-Fu Grindhouse Drive-In Classics! One Great Price! AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY
SCREAM THEATER DOUBLE FEATURE VOL 9 A Double Feature with a Double Dose of Extreme Terror! AVAILABLE ON DVD
BATWOMAN & THE PANTHER WOMEN: DOUBLE FEATURE 4K RESTORATION The Invincible super-women are coming to disc for the first time! AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD
THE HAND THAT FEEDS THE DEAD
BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND
The Hand That Feeds Can Be The Hand That Kills!
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD
Hot. Tan. And Alien.
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD
NOW AVAILABLE AT MVDSHOP.COM
GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958)
NEW 4K RESTORED VERSION A 500-year-old Spanish conquistador rises from the dead in this cult class you won’t want to miss! AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD
BARBIE & KENDRA SAVE THE TIGER KING You will have a grrrrreat time saving the Tiger King with Barbie & Kendra! AVAILABLE ON DVD