Soilwork Studio Blog, Vol. 4 by Björn 'Speed' Strid

Posted March 9 by Chris D. (5 Comments)

By Björn 'Speed' Strid (Soilwork)

Hi all,

We are currently recording vox and, as usual, it’s long days with small breaks. We’re talking 12 hours of singing, every day. It’s funny when you analyze it, screaming for 12 hours a day (except when our insane booking agent John Finberg calls and wants to make fun of my mustache). It’s crazy... Anyways, Ifeel it’s sounding absolutely fantastic this time around, even though you tend to lose your temper every now and then. No bloody knuckles this time though, just walls falling over in the vocal booth and a lot of cursing in Swedish.

Malevolent Creation create malevolent webisode, Part II

Posted March 9 by Chris D. (4 Comments)

Malevolent Creation drummer/engineer Gus Rios details his kit, the room it's housed in, and then gets on the stool to blast and groove to a few new, as-yet-unnamed Malevolent Creation tunes. Sounds blastacular!

Stay tuned to this space for more exclusive Malevolent Creation webisodes.

** The follow-up to Malevolent Creation's Doomsday X effort is slated for a late 2010 release on Nuclear Blast Records.

Decibel sponsors Pestilence tour

Posted March 8 by Chris D.

If you, like us, think Pestilence's Spheres is highly underrated then you'll be doubly stoked to learn the Dutch death metal masters are embarking on their first U.S. tour in 16 years. And we're, along with the MetalSucks pantsuit troupe, sponsoring the tour, which will likely see Patrick Mameli, Patrick Uterwijk, ex-Pestilence/current-Pestilence/current-Obscura bassist Jeroen Paul Thesseling and new drummer Yuma Van Eekelen play such classics as "Dehydrated", "Out Of The Body", "Twisted Truth", "Prophetic Revelations", "Mind Reflections", "Personal Energy" and "Horror Detox".

The Pesties will kick off their 16-date tour at Maryland Deathfest 2010 on May 30. Joining the Pesties are Warbringer, Vital Remains, Enfold Darkness, Sacrificial Slaughter.

5/30/2010 Sonar - Baltimore, MD (as part of Maryland Deathfest)*
5/31/2010 Club Mosaic - Chattanooga, TN **
6/01/2010 The Bar - New Orleans, LA **
6/02/2010 Emo's - Austin, TX
6/03/2010 Ridglea Theater - Ft. Worth, TX
6/04/2010 Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
6/05/2010 Club Red - Tempe, AZ
6/06/2010 Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CA
6/07/2010 Ultra Violet - Los Angeles, CA
6/08/2010 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
6/09/2010 Satyricon - Portland, OR
6/10/2010 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
6/13/2010 Station 4 - St Paul, MN
6/14/2010 Reggie's - Chicago, IL
6/15/2010 Mod Club Theater - Toronto, ON **
6/16/2010 Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC **
6/17/2010 Gramercy Theater - New York, NY

* Pestilence only
** No Warbringer

** Tickets are on sale here.

Thomas Gabriel Fischer (Triptykon) interviewed

Posted March 8 by Chris D. (3 Comments)

When Thomas Gabriel Fischer announced he was leaving Celtic Frost in May 2008, it was a pure WTF moment. To put it another way, Fischer's surprise departure was like Don Dokken leaving Dokken. He, presumably, was the driving force—the man with the guts and vision—behind Celtic Frost, so when the leader (our definition not Fischer's) leaves, it makes you wonder. Well, after a year of purgatory, Fischer informed the world of Triptykon, a ripping and darker iteration of the mighty 'Frost. Triptykon isn't a unique entity, however. The main purpose of Triptykon is to continue where Celtic Frost left off and to fuel Fischer's undying passion for extreme music. Indeed some of material Fischer was working on post-Monotheist ended up on Triptykon's debut album, Eparistera Daimones, so it stands to reason, besides the obvious fact that Fischer fronts Triptykon, the two are sonically and spiritually connected.

Heretic Job Opportunities

Posted March 8 by Shawn Macomber

Let's face it: As an avid consumer of the myriad awesomeness Decibel covers chances are you may not be amongst the first picked up by that flaming chariot certain metalcore bands keep soiling their shorts over. If, however, you have a fondness for "dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, [or] small caged mammals" as well as, say, classic Morbid Angel or somesuch other blackened, grinding darkness...well, there's no reason you can't turn this celestial lemon into a big ol pitcher of corporeal lemonade. Shoot a resume over to the clever entrepreneurs at Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA, whose website describes their mission to potential clients thusly:

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved.  But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind?   Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.

As we know from Decibel's awesome Cutest Kitties in Metal spread a few months back, there are plenty of extreme music fans and purveyors well-qualified for the job. 

Also: Be sure to check out the Earth-Bound FAQs page. Priceless!

More Stones for the Garden, Sadly

Posted March 7 by Shawn Macomber

With men (and women!) voting and dying in the streets of Iraq in the nation's second parliamentary elections, a video from Acrassicauda, the Iraqi heavy metal band made famous by the documentary Heavy Metal in Baghdad, seems apropos. I was in Iraq for the 2005 vote and can report the degree of courage it takes for these people to trudge through fresh mortar craters and past burnt out car hulks to cast ballots is something very few Americans of this generation can either fathom or appreciate. A few dozen Iraqis have already died today. Here's hoping it ends there and that somehow the decades-long nightmare is finally reaching its conclusion.

High on Fire on the Making of Snakes for the Divine

Posted March 5 by albert (13 Comments)

So, like everyone else worth a shit, last week you went out and bought High on Fire’s poseur-annihilating new LP Snakes for the Divine. In between that smart move and plotting your next fiscally-sound purchase, enjoy this candid interview with frontman Matt Pike, drummer Des Kensel and bassist Jeff Matz on the making of the new LP and why a line-up of the Go-Go’s, Black Sabbath and High on Fire would be, “the best tour ever.”