Veilburner (the mysterious, otherworldly duo of Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernium, are never shy of tying lore and mythology into their releases. Seven albums, seven tracks, and each of them seven minutes long. On The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom (Transcending Obscurity Records) the pair pick up where they left off (both musically and conceptually) with 2022’s almost-eponymous VLBRNR. Continue reading
The problem with American Black Metal bands, is they are often comprised of Punk Rock kids from Brooklyn or any other hipster city, who appropriate the sonic aesthetics that work for their indie-rock sensibility lacking any sense of darkness. There are a few bands who have proved an exception Tombs, Weakling, and Nachtmystium. Blake Judd’s struggles with addiction are responsible for giving Nachtmystium its legitimacy his harrowing accounts of inner torment are far more intense than faux Satanism. After all, exorcising one’s demons can not be faked. Blight Privilege (Lupus Lounge) is Judd clawing his way back up from the abyss to make music again. This album might not be as experimental as his past work but it feels more honest.Continue reading
Boy is it exhilarating when a group of meticulous and notable artists get together to show the world how music is done the right way!Continue reading
The geography of Minnesota is described as being a largely woodland abundant area and, famously, waters, often referred to as “The land of 10,000 lakes”. Such scenery has become synonymous with Black Metal; in particular some of the genre’s more melodic bands as well as acts such as Amorphis (albeit the latter has only A Thousand Lakes). It is no surprise then that visuals of Minnesota would also create such Black Metal, with Amiensus’ roots being in the state. Also, much like some of their similar sounding peers, the likes of Reclamation (M-Theory Audio) are also a somewhat immersive experience which feels ready for the outdoors.Continue reading
The Bay Area is a funny place. In the three-plus years I have lived here I have seen countless great shows in venues large and small. When it comes right down to it, the best shows have been the intimate ones. The uncomfortable ones. The ones when you are right up against people to an unhealthy level, but you’re all feeling every moment of the music together, the ritual, the metal of it all. These are the unforgettable ones that are burned into my brain. Having never been to Thee Stork Club before, I can tell tonight was going to be one of those nights as I headed over for The Decibel Tour, featuring Hulder, Devil Master, Worm, and Necrofier.Continue reading
Keefy hung out at Thee Stork Club in Oakland with Christian of Necrofier for an interview. Necrofier is on The Decibel Magazine Tour with Hulder, Worm, and Devil Master! Christian chatted about the tour, Necrofier’s 2023 album Burning Shadows in the Southern Night (Season of Mist), past touring with Danzig, booking Hell Heroes Fest, and much more!Continue reading
American Gothic (Profound Lore) opens with a great deal of fanfare – a Western-tinged throb of guitar before you are reminded Wayfarer are a Black Metal band: snarled vocals control the mic, the drummer leans into a deliberate double-bass attack rather than joining the blast-beaten status quo… the band displaying a dynamic progression as songwriters on their fifth album as they continue to get even better with each release.
A mere two years removed from the fifty-minute colossus that is Primordial Arcana, Wolves In The Throne Room have undertaken a full 180 with Crypt Of Ancestral Knowledge (Relapse Records). The four-track extended play is spearheaded by “Beholden To Clan”, and is supplemented by three instrumental-dominant tracks.
It has been six years since we last saw new material from Chris Grigg’s Black Metal outfit Woe, and on a global scale it has certainly been an eventful and ultimately catastrophic time in which humanity seems consciously hell-bent on self-destruction and that of the world itself. It is pretty easy to see therefore just where Grigg’s inspiration comes from in the overarching narrative of Legacies of Frailty (Vendetta Records), an album that holds the anguish of such at its forefront alongside a sound of striking ferocity.
To say I was ecstatic walking into St. Vitus Bar for the first time in four years would be a massive understatement. As I approached the familiar corner of Manhattan Avenue and Clay Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and the ominous black door with a bunch of metal heads already gathered outside, I could feel a rush of happiness through my entire body and brain. Not very grim or troo sounding, I know. Saint Vitus Bar is just not another place to me, it was like a second home to me for the second life that I had living in New York from 2016 to 2021. Nostalgia is a powerful drug, but the reality is that I deeply and truly love this venue and everybody associated with running it. The fact that it survived the worst of times in the music industry is a testament to the power that it built and the fans that continue to support this place. Unsurprisingly, the show was a sellout tonight.