REFUSE/RESIST
B ID D E N EVI
L
F
OR
INCLUDED Don’t see it? Then subscribe!
JUNE 2022 // No. 212
$7.99US $7.99CAN
FLEXI DISC
WATAIN MESHUGGAH DESTRUCTION TEMPLE OF VOID SATAN TERROR DROWNINGMAN
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Luzifer, a band formed by members of the + + German speed thrashers VULTURE, are back + + and break every chain with their debut album. + Luzifer, a band formed by members of the + HRR 546 DESTRUCTION HRR 547 DESTRUCTION + THE heavy German speedmetal thrashershighlight VULTURE, are back HRR 854 LUZIFER Iron Shackles + + and break every chain with their debut album. LP / Slipcase CD Infernal Overkill LP Eternal Devastation LP of the year! + + HRR 854 LUZIFER Iron Shackles HRR 546 DESTRUCTION HRR 547 DESTRUCTION THE heavy metal highlight + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++ LP / Slipcase CD Infernal Overkill LP Eternal Devastation LP of the year! + THE ULTIMATE AUDIOPHILE EDITIONS OF THESE ETERNAL NWOBHM CLASSICS! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE ULTIMATE AUDIOPHILE EDITIONS OF THESE ETERNAL NWOBHM CLASSICS!
CDs / LIMITED DELUXE VINYL EDITIONS* / SHIRTS CDs / LIMITED DELUXE VINYL EDITIONS* / SHIRTS
* including dozens of bonus content (lyrics, liner notes, posters, bonus records, ...) – never to be pressed again in this extent! * including dozens of bonus content (lyrics, liner notes, posters, bonus records, ...) – never to be pressed again in this extent!
Don’t Walk Away Don’t Walk Away
22 !! 0 2 Y 2022 MA MAY
HRR 842 HRR 842
HRR 843 HRR 843
Slipcase CD CD Away“ EP incl.. Slipcase Don‘t Walk incl.. Don‘t Walk Away“ EP
HONOUR & BLOOD HONOUR & BLOOD
THIS MEANS WAR THIS MEANS WAR
HRR 844 HRR 844
HRR846 846 HRR HRR 845 HRR 845
es! kages! packag not pac Th are not ese are These tely. . ara sep d tely sol ara are sep s sold All item All item
widerange rangeofofover over10.000 10.000articles articles (vinyl, (vinyl, CDs, shirts && patches) A Awide patches)can canbe befound foundininour ourwebshop: webshop:
www.hrrecords.de www.hrrecords.de
EXTREMELY EXTREME
June 2022 [R 212] decibelmagazine.com
56
Doom to Repeat COVER STORY COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTOS BY ESTER SEGARRA
features
upfront 10 metal muthas Matron envy
16 satan Forgotten planet
30 temple of void Cave dwellers
12 low culture Justify your shitty takes
18 mares of thrace Back from exile
32 destruction Give peace a chance
13 no corporate beer Philly over everything
20 i am the night Hi, the Night. I’m dad
14 in the studio:
22 terror Made to make them succeed
34 meshuggah They still have something to say
drowningman A breath of fresh air
24 syk Get down with them 26 vanum Hammerhearts of steel
36 q&a: watain Vocalist Erik Danielsson seeks to find the beautiful in the howling dark
reviews 40 the decibel
hall of fame Armed with a new label and new manager, Forbidden go head to head with another California thrash outfit to champion their debut album Forbidden Evil
50 exclusive:
decibel magazine metal & beer fest: philly 2022 preview Red (ale) before black (lager)
69 lead review Temple of Void plumb the depths of death/doom to unearth a new terrestrial horror on Relapse debut Summoning the Slayer 70 album reviews Records from bands that haven’t forgotten that the Grammys suck, including Cave In, Devil Master and Misery Index 88 damage ink Cage match
28 nechochwen A history of violence
Decibel (ISSN 1557-2137) is published monthly by Red Flag Media, Inc., P.O. Box 36818, 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, P.O. Box 36818, Philadelphia, PA 19107. © 2022 by Red Flag Media, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1557-2137 | USPS 023142 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. 4 : JUNE 2022 : DECIBEL
www.decibelmagazine.com
REFUSE/RESIST
June 2022 [T212]
It’s easy to see why people think I’m
a genius. I mean, just consider this magazine you’re now holding. As the digital revolution arrived to choke the life out of physical media in the early 2000s, I launched a publication tied to both the music and print industries. See? A goddamn business mastermind! I could also reveal that I was an early adopter of Microsoft Zune and purchased a lifetime Quibi subscription, but such bragging about my industry acumen is deeply unbecoming. So, when I explain that doom legends Candlemass—the Friday night headliners for this year’s Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly—will perform all of their classic debut, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, for the first time in America on the 36th anniversary of the day of its release, surely, you’ll be impressed by the craft it took to execute such a feat. Only like most of Decibel’s greatest achievements, there was some cosmic fortune involved. I actually first attempted to get this special Candlemass set together prior to the pandemic for the West Coast edition of Metal & Beer Fest, but the band’s schedule never properly aligned with the event. When I approached them again about this year’s Philly festival, I did so without having any idea that the weekend we targeted for the event fell on Epicus’ birthday. And neither did anyone in Candlemass. In fact, I only noticed the day before we announced the full fest lineup back in February. Of course, you are encouraged to still believe that this Epicus performance on the record’s anniversary is the work of countless hours spent aligning multiple variables across space and time. So, pick out some birthday presents, prepare to raise a pint of Broken Goblet’s Candlemass Doom Lager collaboration and bake your Epicus Doomicus Cakicuses, because the most carefully considered, painstakingly researched and epically curated Metal & Beer Fest birthday party is nearly here. Just like we planned it. Kind of. albert mudrian, Editor-in-Chief
PUBLISHER
Alex Mulcahy
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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@decibelmagazine.com
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Patty Moran
COPY EDITOR
Andrew Bonazelli
BOOKCREEPER
Tim Mulcahy
patty@decibelmagazine.com
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
Vince Bellino Adrien Begrand J. Bennett Dean Brown Louise Brown Chris Chantler Richard Christy Liz Ciavarella-Brenner Cody F. Davis Chris Dick Sean Frasier Nick Green Raoul Hernandez Addison Herron-Wheeler Jonathan Horsley Courtney Iseman Neill Jameson Sarah Kitteringham Daniel Lake Shawn Macomber Shane Mehling Justin M. Norton Dutch Pearce Forrest Pitts Greg Pratt Jon Rosenthal Brad Sanders Joseph Schafer Matt Solis Kevin Stewart-Panko Eugene S. Robinson Adem Tepedelen Jeff Treppel J Andrew Zalucky CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
MAIN OFFICE
P.O. Box 36818 Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: 215.625.9850 / Fax: 215.625.9967 www.decibelmagazine.com
Jason Blake Andrew Doench Hillarie Jason Ester Segarra Hristo Shindov Gene Smirnov Levan TK Hannah Verbeuren Frank White
RECORD STORES
To carry Decibel, call 1.215.625.9850 x105 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., P.O. Box 36818, 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, P.O. Box 36818, Philadelphia PA 19107. Copyright ©2022 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
to Udo Dirkschneider on my lunch break, and that’s pretty damn cool. I still make space for my stories and jokes, but mostly I’m hyping up the music I love. Hardcore, metal, punk—popular or unknown, if I think it rocks, I want everyone to hear it. If you were to give someone starting a new music podcast some advice—other than simply “please don’t!”—what would it be?
Dan Craley Lancaster, PA
You are the host of the extremely entertaining Getting It Out podcast. Please tell us a little about that.
I had a great story about accidentally walking up on a fella taking a dump at a playground in the middle of the day. So, I started a podcast to tell it, but since it wasn’t a long story, I started interviewing bands I love, like Khemmis, Terror and Morbid Angel. I very specifically said when I started that I did not want to do an interview show, but now I’m talking
8 : JUNE 2022 : DECIBEL
Do whatever you want because nobody cares! Recording a podcast and distributing it worldwide is easier than making a shitty black metal bedroom demo. Every nerd is doing it and hardly anyone is listening. Keep your expectations and ego in check. Make sure you’re having fun because unless you have some sort of built-in audience, you’re likely reaching very few people outside of your circle. If you get the chance, ask big names weird questions. Don’t forget to embrace your local scene and do what you can to give exposure to the little guys, too. You’ve been a Decibel subscriber for over a decade, so you’ve seen A LOT of this magazine. What would you like to see more of and less of going forward?
Decibel has done a great job highlighting hardcore classics with the Hall of Fame series, but the
genre doesn’t get a ton of coverage when it comes to the current cream of the crop. Give me one Upfront profile an issue on the genre all of our favorite metal bands reference as an influence. Start with Baltimore’s End It!
Recording a podcast and distributing it worldwide is easier than making a shitty black metal bedroom demo. You lean pretty hard into the hardcore and metallic hardcore side of extreme music. In the past couple years, we’ve gotten both Deadguy and the Red Chord to reunite for Metal & Beer Fest. Who do you wanna see in 2023?
I’d love to put down a hazy eight-percenter as Merauder rips through Master Killer front to back. If I can’t have that, let’s dust off Pulling Teeth one more time to tear through their Funerary masterpiece. Truthfully, you’ve done such a great job assembling these diverse lineups. I trust the next edition will be stacked, as always.
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
NOW SLAYING Wonder what Decibel world HQ has been rocking for the past month? Well, here are the records that we spun most while wondering what to do with all of these metal beer puns that we didn’t have space for. (See page 69.)
Because not all of us were spawned in the darkest recesses of hell
This Month's Mutha: Amber Parker Mutha of Cody Davidson of Sanguisugabogg
Tell us a little about yourself.
I like to say that I am a free spirit. I love to read, listen to music, be out in nature (hiking or camping) and love animals. You could say that I am a hippie at heart. Cody drums in Sanguisugabogg, but has been a multi-instrumentalist in a variety of extreme bands. When did he first exhibit an interest in playing?
Cody’s dad was a musician, so Cody was always around music. However, Cody got his first guitar at the age of 2. A toy one, mind you, but still a guitar. He loved it so much that by the time he was in preschool, he had a Flying Mini-V and was playing “Crazy Train” for show-and-tell at school. We’re told that you’ve been very helpful to Sanguisugabogg on their meteoric rise through the underground. Can you elaborate?
You could say that my basement is where the magic happens. All of the guys will come home to write, practice and record, all downstairs. I make sure they all have a home-cooked meal, a place to sleep and a place to make their music. I’ve also been known to count and roll shirts for tour. I’m definitely the band mom; I support wherever and whenever I can. Do you personally have a taste for death metal, or heavy music in general?
You know, it’s not my first genre of choice. 10 : JUNE 2022 : DECIBEL
However, after listening to all of the practice sessions and hearing the difference from their first session to the final product is pretty amazing. And I will admit, “Dead as Shit” is one of my guilty-pleasure favorites. How do you feel about the graphic content of Sanguisugabogg’s music?
This is an interesting question. I know some of the material is graphic in nature (the pics); however, it is just artistic expression. I personally do not have a problem with their content, and own quite a bit of their merch. Everyone has their own opinion about any type of music. And you know what they say about opinions: They are just like assholes— everyone has one. Tell us something about your son that most people wouldn’t know.
Hopefully, he laughs at what I’m going to tell you, but in case you didn’t catch it in question two, Cody’s first instrument of choice was guitar, not drums. He didn’t start playing drums until age 11. His first concert was at age 6 to see Dream Theater at Bogart’s in [Cincinnati] OH, where he got to meet all of the band members after the show. John Petrucci even got down on one knee to talk to him and told him to keep up playing his guitar. He loves to eat peanut butter on a spoon, and his favorite song as a kid was “Song 2” by Blur. —ANDREW BONAZELLI
Albert Mudrian : e d i t o r i n c h i e f Temple of Void, Summoning the Slayer I Am the Night, While the Gods Are Sleeping Kreator, Hate Über Alles Candlemass, Epicus, Doomicus, Metallicus Moonspell, Wolfheart ---------------------------------Patty Moran : c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e Government Issue, Legless Bull EP Wasted Youth, Reagan’s In Minor Threat, Out of Step Fu Manchu, Godzilla’s/Eatin’ Dust Kyuss, ...And the Circus Leaves Town ---------------------------------James Lewis : a d s a l e s Desolate Shrine, Fires of the Dying World Aeviterne, The Ailing Facade Eucharist, I Am the Void Abbath, Dread Reaver Skinless, From Sacrifice to Survival ---------------------------------Mike Wohlberg : a r t d i r e c t o r Terror, Pain Into Power Sigh, Hangman’s Hymn Hulder, “Evil’s Incubation” Decibel Flexi Model Prisoner, Compulsion Analysis Municipal Waste, Electrified Brain ---------------------------------Aaron Salsbury : m a r k e t i n g a n d s a l e s Deadguy, “Body Parts” 7-inch An Albatross, 1.) Sex 2.) Bird 3.) Cake Paradise Lost, Draconian Times I Have Dreams, Three Days 'til Christmas Bodybox, Microwaved Weed
GUEST SLAYER
---------------------------------Alexander Jones : u n d e at h Antediluvian, The Divine Punishment Tricot, Jodeki Stabbing, Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught Concrete Winds, Nerve Butcherer Sade, Promise