SPECIAL
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
METALLICUS CANDLEMASS HALLEPICUSOFDOOMICUS FAME
REFUSE/RESIST
PICTURE
FLEXI DISC
INCLUDED
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
THE JESUS LIZARD UNTO OTHERS TRELLDOM OCEANS OF SLUMBER THE SILVER ANCIIENTS
OCTOBER 2024 // No. 240
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EXTREMELY EXTREME
October 2024 [R 240] decibelmagazine.com
upfront
features
reviews
38 unto others The key to the majors
83 lead review Blood Incantation continue pursuing their progressive agenda on their bold full length Absolute Elsewhere
14 metal muthas Someone to look up to
20 in aphelion Let them cook
28 high parasite An open relationship
16 low culture What can I say except, “you’re welcome”
22 anciients Opposites attract
30 bewitcher Shock to the system
24 glacial tomb Their time to shine
32 grendel’s sÿster Once upon a time
42 the jesus lizard A big black hole in their heart
26 unholy altar Not the Philly gritty you’re thinking
34 winterfylleth The foresight of hindsight
44 trelldom Expect the unexpected
36 amiensus Doubled over
46 q&a:
17 kill screen:
john romero Doomed to this life
18 in the studio:
the silver
The beginning and the end
40 oceans of slumber Fresh metal injection
the mountain goats Former Decibel cog John Darnielle is still more metal than you after 20 years
84 album reviews Records from bands that are old enough to remember the backwards “e,” including Deceased..., Melt-Banana and Satan 96 damage ink Rest in pieces
50 special report:
the last 20 years of metal Yes, magazines still exist
58 the decibel
hall of fame Candlemass long for their time to come with initially misunderstood debut album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Murder Party COVER STORY COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTOS BY SHIMON KARMEL
Decibel (ISSN 1557-2137) is published monthly by Red Flag Media, Inc., P.O. Box 36818, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Annual subscription price is $34.95. 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. © 2024 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.
8 : OCTOBER 2024 : DECIBEL
Throughout this issue, you’ll notice a
Red Flag Media owner and publisher Alex Mulcahy, who indulged my idea of making a metal magazine over 20 years ago and was rewarded with more knowledge of A.C., Shat and XXX Maniak than anyone in his peer group. Customer service guru Patty Moran, who, in between routinely delivering our most anticipated Now Slaying playlists, has calmly answered the question “Where’s my copy of the new issue?” approximately seven billion times over the past 14 years.
www.decibelmagazine.com
October 2024 [T240] 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@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
Advertising director James Lewis, whose artful preservation of a great core of advertisers for nearly a decade is only matched by his unwavering enthusiasm for even the most mediocre early-’90s death metal imaginable.
Online DECIBEL WEB EDITOR
Albert Mudrian
Long-suffering art director Mike Wohlberg, who has designed and illustrated more stunning Decibel books, magazines and event logos in the past eight years than there are levels of Bubble Bobble.
DECIBEL WEB AD SALES
James Lewis
albert@decibelmagazine.com james@decibelmagazine.com
Marketing manager and Metal & Beer Fest brewery wrangler Aaron Salsbury, whose brain (and office whiteboards) are swimming with beer logistics, and whose office shelves are bursting with the most limited-edition cassette runs on earth. Bookkeeper Tim Mulcahy, who, among other administrative responsibilities, makes sure we pay our bills on time while desperately hoping anyone acknowledges the fact that he’s been credited as “Bookcreeper” in the masthead for the last several years. Copy editor and former managing editor Andrew Bonazelli, whose distinctive voice (and dick jokes) helped shape the tone of the magazine from its earliest days. Nick Green, J. Bennett and Kevin Stewart-Panko, who have all
been here since issue No. 1, as well as all longtime (and recent!) writers, illustrators and photographers. The advertisers (also overwhelmingly independent companies)
that have provided us unwavering support for decades. The bands who have performed on our tours and festivals; the venue
crews who help execute those events; and the hundreds of thousands of fans who have attended them. But no one is more deserving of reverence than you, dear reader. Some of you have been here since September 2004, while a few of you weren’t even born then. The lives of everyone mentioned above would be significantly less fulfilling without you. Thank you for these 20 years. If you want 20 more, you got it. albert mudrian, Editor-in-Chief
REFUSE/RESIST
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Anthony Bartkewicz Emily Bellino Adrien Begrand J. Bennett Dean Brown Liz Ciavarella-Brenner Chris Dick Sean Frasier Nick Green Raoul Hernandez John Hill Jonathan Horsley Neill Jameson Kim Kelly Sarah Kitteringham Daniel Lake Cosmo Lee Jamie Ludwig Shane Mehling Tim Mudd Justin M. Norton Dutch Pearce Forrest Pitts Brad Sanders José Carlos Santos Joseph Schafer 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 Shane Gardner Hillarie Jason Shimon Karmel Scott Kinkade Katja Ogrin Ester Segarra Hristo Shindov Gene Smirnov 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 $34.95. 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 ©2024 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 SHIMON KARMEL
few of our contributors (and the artists they interview) throwing bouquets my way in acknowledgement of Decibel’s 20th anniversary. While I do genuinely appreciate the kind words, the truth is I don’t do all this shit by myself! There are several other folks who have significantly shortened their own lifespans for the privilege of bringing this magazine to your mailbox for 240 consecutive months. And if we’re celebrating anything this month, it should be them: