UNHOLY CULT HALL OF FAME
CANCELATION POLICY
ANCIENT HORRORS
CONCEPTUALLY SPEAKING
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INCLUDED OCTOBER 2022 // No. 216
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October 2022 [R 216] decibelmagazine.com
upfront 10 metal muthas Home movies
18 razor Sharpening the blade
12 northwest terror fest
20 innumerable forms An eruption of emotion
2022 review
Ludicrasly heavy 14 low culture Memoirs from the mosh retirement home 15 no corporate beer Sometimes selling out is waking up 16 in the studio:
godthrymm A great artist
22 end it Harm city charmers 24 këkht aräkh Come on get happy 26 escuela grind It was a graveyard blast 28 phobophilic Hope for the hopeless 30 hive No justice, no peace of mind 32 conan What is best in life
features
reviews
34 bloodbath The tape is red... long live the tape
71 lead review Gaerea explore the vastness of isolation to craft an album that exists in a dimension between beauty and brutality on their third album Mirage
36 sumerlands Modern-day classic 38 behemoth The blackest sheep
72 album reviews Records from bands that already bought front-row tickets to see Journey to Hell, including City of Caterpillar, Megadeth and Revocation
40 machine head The blackening parade 42 q&a: venom inc. Cat lover (and guitarist) Mantas is open to going back to black 46 the decibel
hall of fame In the shadow of one of the darkest eras for both America and metal, Immolation overcome adversity to keep the old-school spirit alive with Unholy Cult
88 damage ink He’s a Barbie girl
58 Out from the Void 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 $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 : OCTOBER 2022 : DECIBEL
THE ICONIC KRAMER NIGHTSWAN AVAILABLE IN JET BLACK METALLIC, AZTEC MARBLE AND BLACK WITH BLUE POLKA DOT
albert mudrian, Editor-in-Chief
www.decibelmagazine.com
REFUSE/RESIST
October 2022 [T216] 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
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
Patty Moran
COPY EDITOR
Andrew Bonazelli
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Tim Mulcahy
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Online DECIBEL WEB EDITOR
Albert Mudrian
DECIBEL WEB AD SALES
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Vince Bellino Adrien Begrand J. Bennett Dean Brown Louise Brown Richard Christy Liz Ciavarella-Brenner Ian Cory Cody F. Davis Chris Dick Sean Frasier Nick Green Raoul Hernandez Addison Herron-Wheeler Jonathan Horsley Courtney Iseman Neill Jameson Sarah Kitteringham Daniel Lake Cosmo Lee 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
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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
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PHOTO BY SHIMON KARMEL
In the spring of 2020—you know where this is going, but please bear with me— we pulled Decibel from all newsstands. This decision was ultimately made for us, of course, with virtually all “non-essential” retail being shuttered indefinitely during the onset of the pandemic. It wasn’t until 2021 that we returned to book and record stores, but by then, something changed for me—I completely stopped giving a fuck about newsstand sales. Don’t get me wrong; I’m flattered by the notion that someone anywhere believes that they can sell copies of this magazine and actually make money doing so! But I’m no longer interested in helping them accomplish that. Around 150 years ago—when this magazine first started—newsstand sales were a contributing factor in my cover artist selection. Go too obscure, and Barnes & Noble sales likely plummet. If that happens a few times, the distributors cut your draw, torpedoing your circulation. Soon, customers can’t find your magazine as easily as before, advertisers jump ship, and then, before you know it, it’s time to “pivot to video.” Or just print, like, five different covers each month—whatever looks less desperate. Of course, as Decibel grew more established in the late aughts, I became more comfortable taking chances with cover choices and hedged my bets, by mixing in the occasional Metallica or Iron Maiden front page to balance things out. But when the pandemic descended, that calculus changed. I didn’t have to worry about the wider commercial viability of Necrot, Uada or Spirit Adrift cover stories in consecutive months. Instead, we could consistently provide our subscribers with deep dives on emerging artists making the most exciting records of a fucked-up year. The process was so liberating that I was emboldened to put no one on the cover of our April 2021 issue [A Year Without Shows]! We’ve been back on the newsstands for over a year now, and I’m not sure I would have had the stones to run this month’s KEN mode cover story before we were all regularly jamming Q-tips into our brains. That’s not because our noisy friends to the north were ever-undeserving. On the contrary—and as Shane Mehling’s excellent profile on the perpetually Juno-nominated noise rockers’ long-gestating eighth album Null reveals— their latest LP is very much a recording directly impacted by events of the past few years. As we all continue to search for silver linings amidst the wreckage, the most abrasive KEN mode record ever and the promise of more cover stories like this from Decibel are two pretty good ones.
READER OF THE
MONTH
William Gioia Coopersburg, PA
Your Facebook handle is TheMostMetalHeartSurgeon. We are unaware of any official contest to determine you as the most metal heart surgeon, so please state your bonafides here so we can verify your status.
I’ve been a metalhead since a friend let me hear Metallica before 10th grade chemistry class. My first metal festival was Ozzfest 2004. I have over 100 band shirts, sweatshirts and hats, and a growing collection of vinyl and CDs. I love to read, watch documentaries and learn about the history of metal. I am a winner of Into the Trivia Pit on Liquid Metal, and a regular contributor and question writer. Jose Mangin asked me to be on the board of
8 : OCTOBER 2022 : DECIBEL
directors for his charity, Headbang for Science, which will provide scholarships for metalheads going into science and healthcare careers. Last but not least, I listen to metal while I operate. Do you know any other heart surgeons who do that? If you do, I’d love to meet them. You sustained a gnarly injury at last year’s Metal & Beer Fest: Philly. Can you tell us what happened and were you equipped to perform first aid on yourself?
My last show before the pandemic was Mastodon in Manhattan, while I was still a fellow. At that show, I decided I would retire from the pit. When things started opening back up, I bought tickets to see Megadeth in New Jersey. I was so amped to be at a show that I decided to come out of retirement and get back in the pit. Fast forward to Metal & Beer, and during Municipal Waste (you know what they say about Municipal Waste), my friend got shoved into me and his head slammed into my left eye. As soon as I felt warmth on the side of my face, I knew something was up. I had a pretty nice
gash on my left eyebrow. If I had a mirror and no other choice, I probably could have stitched myself up. Luckily, the on-hand medical staff were excellent and they took me to Jefferson to get fixed up, where a very nervous intern did a great job. I told his boss to hire him. The only thing I was upset about that night was missing Napalm Death. Pick one: General Surgery, Autopsy or the County Medical Examiners?
I don’t like that sequence—surgery, autopsy, medical examiner. Seems like things didn’t go according to plan. I trained in general surgery before cardiac surgery fellowship, and even though I’m a huge Carcass fan, I’d have to go with Autopsy on this one. Not only is Chris Reifert an amazingly talented death metal legend, but he’s also pretty hilarious with his stage banter (I saw them at MDF, but I wasn’t anywhere near THAT particular pit-related activity). I’m looking forward to hearing their new album in September. Please give our readers three tips to stay heart-healthy so they get to meet you at a show and not on an operating table.
If you smoke cigarettes (or vape), quit; maintain a healthy diet consisting of lean protein and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; and exercise at least 30 minutes three times a week so you can stay agile in the pit.
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
ddrumusa www.ddrum.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 giving zero fucks about anyone’s take on the Pantera reunion.
Because not all of us were spawned in the darkest recesses of hell
This Month's Mutha: Peggy Earle Mutha of music video director Zev Deans
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, went to public schools, and then majored in fine arts at CCNY. I dreamed of becoming a professional artist, but the closest I came was inking and painting in a big NYC animation studio. In 1980, I married Zev’s dad, who was a drummer in a rock band, and later became a chef. We divorced, and while I was a single mother, I went to grad school part-time and got my master’s degree, after which I worked at a newspaper for 22 years. I began as a research librarian, but then started writing and illustrating, and became a book review editor. I’m happily retired now in rural Connecticut, where I spend much of my time making arty embroideries, playing the fiddle and feeding wildlife. When did your son start exhibiting an interest in film? Did you have any influence on his passion?
I’ve been a movie fanatic all my life, so the love of film is obviously in Zev’s blood. He was the rare toddler who could sit quietly in a movie theater for an entire feature. He and I must have watched hundreds of films together. Zev was a visual artist before he was a filmmaker. What do you recall about his work back then?
When he was around 4 or 5 and was supposed to be going to sleep, I’d often see a light shining under his door. He’d be sprawled on the floor, intently drawing something. I rarely had the heart to stop him. During his college days, he became interested in graphic art and 10 : OCTOBER 2022 : DECIBEL
printmaking. His work was always very detailed and meticulous, and either funny and satirical or very dark—or all three. Zev has directed videos for the likes of Mayhem, Gojira, Mastodon and Ghost. Are you a fan of any of the heavier bands that he’s worked with?
Nope, not a fan, especially of those bands whose sound resembles small animals being tortured. But from your list, I can certainly listen to (and even occasionally enjoy) music by Ghost or Gojira. Zev has now directed a whopping 70 music videos. What is your favorite and why?
Seventy?! Yikes! I think my favorite would have to be the “Sphinx” video he did for Gojira. It’s gorgeous, meshes perfectly with the music and has the feel of a short film—and I love the powerful environmental message. It also reminds me of one of my all-time favorite apocalypse movies: Peter Weir’s The Last Wave. Tell us something that we’d be surprised to learn about him.
Without telling me he was going to do it (because he knew I’d be worried to death), Zev found some people to share driving down to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. They spent a few days helping distribute food, water and supplies to storm victims. He’s also volunteered to make exquisitely decorated cookies for fundraiser bake sales, for worthy causes like Ukraine and reproductive rights. He’s given his mother a lot of reasons to be proud. —ANDREW BONAZELLI
Albert Mudrian : e d i t o r i n c h i e f Daeva, Through Sheer Will and Black Magic… KEN mode, NULL Suicidal Tendencies, Lights…Camera…Revolution Suicidal Tendencies, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today Immolation, Unholy Cult ---------------------------------Patty Moran : c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e Sepultura, Arise Metallica, …And Justice for All Crucifix, Dehumanization Reagan Youth, A Collection of Pop Classics 7 Seconds, The Crew ---------------------------------James Lewis : a d s a l e s Immolation, Unholy Cult Phobophilic, Enveloping Absurdity Strapping Young Lad, The New Black Gorod, A Perfect Absolution Nobuo Uematsu, Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version ---------------------------------Mike Wohlberg : a r t d i r e c t o r KEN mode, NULL Sumerlands, Dreamkiller Pig Destroyer, Head Cage Trash Talk, “Awake” 7-inch Metallica, Ride the Lightning ---------------------------------Aaron Salsbury : m a r k e t i n g a n d s a l e s Municipal Waste, Electrified Brain L.O.T.I.O.N., W.A.R. in the Digital Realm Tomb Sentinel, Perpetual Vice Reversal of Man, Nothing More Nothing Less Rainbow of Death, Rainbow of Death
GUEST SLAYER
---------------------------------Carolina Pérez : c a s t r at o r / h y p o x i a Immolation, Acts of God Castrator, Defiled in Oblivion (of course) Faith No More, The Real Thing Dying Fetus, Reign Supreme Judas Priest, Painkiller
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GENTRY
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