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December 2024 [R 242] decibelmagazine.com
upfront 10 obituary:
juan brujo ¡Viva Brujo!
12 metal muthas Dynasty of devils 14 low culture He’s the bad guy (duh) 15 kill screen:
vomit forth
Face your fears 16 in the studio:
pelican
About 500 words to say but one
18 immortal bird Getting the horns 20 molder He’s got that drive 22 drug church Law of averages 24 bobbie dazzle Give ’em the ol’... 26 envy Up in them guts 28 oryx The sky is the limit 30 haliphron Symphony of reconstruction
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32 1349 They didn’t come here to make friends
73 lead review A new era for Swedish misan-mopes Tribulation is in full bloom on new LP Sub Rosa In Æternum
34 schammasch Sailin’ on 36 tribulation A rose by any other name 38 oranssi pazuzu Taking shape 40 q&a: earthburner When founder and guitarist Jeremy Wagner wants to start a fire, he goes to the experts
74 album reviews Records from bands that don’t know what a Moo Deng is, including Defeated Sanity, Mammoth Grinder and Nachtmystium 80 damage ink The age of quarrel
44 exclusive:
into everlasting fire: the official story of immolation excerpt The full Monte
48 the decibel
hall of fame Crowbar take a mulligan to craft an album worthy of their massive riffs on their self-titled sophomore LP
Crucial Testimony COVER STORY COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTOS BY ESTER SEGARRA
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.
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REFUSE/RESIST
December 2024 [T242] PUBLISHER
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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fifth appearance on Decibel’s cover. I’m too tired to flip through our other 241 issues, but I’m nearly certain that number puts Opeth in the rarified air of other longtime Decibel cover staples like Cannibal Corpse and Converge. While I’ve eagerly devoured pretty much everything the latter legendary pair have pummeled us with over the past 20 years, I can’t say that’s always been the case with our Swedish pals. In fact, after 2008, I’m staring right past Opeth in dismay. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve tried. I’ve listened to all the prog rock whimsy of the band’s post-Watershed albums multiple times (I’m pretty sure I even convinced myself that I actually liked the last one). I’ll never begrudge their sonic bravery (which obviously translated into even more commercial success), but for me, something has been missing for years. It’s not unlike Michael Jordan retiring from basketball in 1993, after winning his third consecutive championship, to pursue a baseball career. While Jordan was still at the peak of his court prowess, Mikael Åkerfeldt was in the middle of his own epic run with Opeth when he decided to abandon something he did better than almost anyone on earth. Sure, records like Heritage and In Cauda Venenum aren’t exactly as disappointing as hitting .202 for the 1994 Birmingham Barons, but their opportunity cost is nearly as severe. So, when word began circulating in the industry several months ago that Opeth had “gone death metal again,” I didn’t fully anticipate a return to their progressive death metal glory of 1995’s Hall of Fameinducted Orchid. Honestly, I would have settled for something more like Jordan’s 1995 season with the Chicago Bulls, where despite an uneven performance, I was just happy he was back in the NBA. Opeth’s The Last Will and Testament, however, is more than the sound of a band reintroducing themselves to their roots. As our excellent cover story from Chris Dick (author of our last four Opeth cover pieces) reveals, the band’s 14th studio album isn’t just about nasty riffs and the return of Åkerfeldt’s titanic roar, but a sleek fusion of nearly everything Opeth have embraced in their storied 34-year career. And if it leads to another threepeat the caliber of My Arms, Your Hearse/Still Life/Blackwater Park, maybe I’ll get to work on a 10-hour documentary about it. albert mudrian, Editor-in-Chief
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This month marks Mikael Åkerfeldt’s
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Will Cook
Alexandria, VA You’ve had an interesting career that has taken you from the military to craft brewing. What are you doing now, and what’s been the most rewarding part of the path?
I’m back working for the U.S. Government trying to keep the world safe for democracy, capitalism, heavy metal and great beer. Life has been a vicious circle. I left USMC active duty to go to college. Graduated and worked 10 years for the dark side of the government and joined the USMC reserves. Left the government to brew beer shortly before my daughter was born so I would be home and alive. Brewed in the D.C. area for six years so I could infect every brewery in the area with heavy metal. Left brewing after my son was born and rejoined the government so I could afford to feed my kids and retire from the USMC after 26 years.
8 : DECEMBER 2024 : DECIBEL
Serving my country for more than 30 years in just about every war zone has been really rewarding—especially with heavy metal as my copilot. Highlights were seeing Sick of It All in a warehouse in Bogota, Colombia, and listening to Slayer’s God Hates Us All while rolling with Special Forces in Afghanistan in 2001. While brewing, it was great getting to personally know and make special beers for some of my favorite metal bands while curating metal shows at Atlas Brew Works and Adroit Theory for seven years. Beer and metal are a true match made in Hell! At this point, I’ve been to nearly 100 countries, and I drank beer and listened to metal in all of them. I am not finished yet. Hold my beer. You are part of the Metalheads Podcast crew, which recently celebrated 10 years—congrats! Half of the hosts have already been Reader of the Month. What’s taken you so long to get the nod?
Thanks! One would think that personally knowing high-level Decibel staff would have facilitated this earlier. I mean, how much time hanging with these guys at baseball games and metal fests does it take to get some love? Besides, George and Markisan are way more interesting than me. Jay, John and Matt are up next. You are a baseball dad with two travel-ball kids (who are also young metalheads). What advice would you give to other baseball dads? And metal dads?
Whether youth baseball or young metalheads, my advice is nearly the same: Keep it fun. Encour-
age them, but don’t force it. Expose them to it, but let them chart their own course. And keep a really organized calendar! So many games and so many shows. My kids have heard heavy metal and watched baseball nearly every day since they were born. They love Khemmis, Crypt Sermon, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Dio, Metallica (only the first
It was great getting to personally know and make special beers for some of my favorite metal bands while curating metal shows at Atlas Brew Works and Adroit Theory for seven years. Beer and metal are a true match made in Hell! four albums), Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, etc. I think I’m doing okay, though. My son’s baseball walk-up song is Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” and my daughter’s is Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Their nearly year-round baseball, however, interferes with my metal pursuits, as they always have tournaments on Memorial Day weekend during Maryland Deathfest. It is a small price to pay as a baseball and metalhead dad. Go Phillies!
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