HORRENDOUS Bless the Masses with New Single, Decibel Cover

HORRENDOUS are so close to heavy metal divinity that they can practically taste its delicious, rotten nectar. After all, they did just grace the cover of Decibel.

Philly's finest and filthiest death metal band is  wrapping up a rip-roaring tour of the American Southwest in support of their upcoming new album. If 2018's Idol represented the band pushing themselves to the limit, then Ontological Mysterium portrays them at the peak of their powers. Heck, the title track even landed on a Pitchfork playlist.  

"Preterition Hymn" is of a different Satanic verse than the two previous singles. It's still plenty sinister, with hellacious vocals that sound like the band is being burned alive. But it's more of a slow burn. The twin guitars wring out a tortured but deeply melodic riff that drips like sweet, sweet tears.  
  
Here's what the band has to say about their new single: "Preterition Hymn is a lament for the weary and the damned–those who, like in the myth of Tantalus, can glimpse the golden fruits of knowledge and divinity yet are kept perpetually just out of reach by the tides of misfortune and fate. It is a hymn of longing infused with the faintest hope that our misery is merely the cleansing ablution necessary to don the robe of flames, free at last."  

'Ontological Mysterium' will be released on August 18, 2023 by Season of Mist. Pre-save the album HERE.  Pre-order it HERE. 

Horrendous are on the cover of the September issue of Decibel magazine! Order a copy and get an exclusive limited edition The Silver flexi disc.  

"After years of incredible support from Decibel Magazine, we are honored to make it to the cover of their next issue", the band said on Instagram. "Eternal thanks to Albert Mudrian for always believing in our music, Mike Wohlberg for all of his artistic contributions to the band, and Scott Kinkade for capturing us masterfully, and everyone out there who has supported us.

This week, Horrendous are playing the final four shows of their Southwestern Mysterium tour.  

07/17: Atascadero, CA @ Dark Nectar*
07/18: Sacramento, CA @ The Colony* [TICKETS]
07/19: Santa Rosa, CA @ Arlene Francis Center* [TICKETS]
07/20: Oakland, CA @ Thee Stork Club* [TICKETS]

* with special guests PENURY.

“Surprises always come up during writing — spontaneous ideas pull you into new territory and enable the realization of novel possibilities that previously were inaccessible.”

Such are the words from Horrendous drummer Jamie Knox when discussing the creation of the band’s fifth full-length, the highly anticipated 'Ontological Mysterium'. Knox’s quote also encapsulates Horrendous’s approach to extreme metal. Since 2009, the band has capably tapped into the inaccessible by providing a fresh, unconventional take on death metal that harnesses technical brilliance with elaborate, mind-melding melodies, frothy, spewing vocals and labyrinthine song structures. This combination has made each Horrendous long play a clinic in the gratifyingly unorthodox. The trend continues on Ontological Mysterium.

The follow-up to 2018’s Idol was recorded, mixed and mastered at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in Virginia, which doubles as the homestead of guitarist/vocalist Damian Herring. While the band (completed by guitarist/vocalist Matt Knox and bassist Alex Kulick) finished much of the songwriting for Ontological Mysterium in 2019, its recording was delayed by the 2020 global pandemic and various life events. Horrendous eventually finished recording in early 2022 and mastered the album before the start of 2023.

The album upholds Horrendous’s position as one of the underground’s best outside-of-the-box extreme metal bands. Having long abandoned concern whether people would appreciate their “uniqueness,” Horrendous has embraced its role as a band willing to veer far from death metal conventions, intentionally stretching and breaking norms. To wit, the band primarily views its music as filtered through a death metal lens. This may be Horrendous’s defining trait: By not accepting parameters, nothing is off-limits.
 
Lineup: 
Damian Herring - Guitar, Vocals
Matt Knox - Guitar, Vocals
Alex Kulick - Bass
Jamie Knox - Drums

Producer / Sound Engineer / Mixing / Mastering: Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studio, Arlington, VA, USA

Style: Progressive death metal

Cover art: Brian Smith

Pre-save: :  https://orcd.co/ontologicalmysteriumpresave

Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HorrendousShop  

For more on HORRENDOUS,
https://www.facebook.com/HorrendousDeathMetal
https://www.instagram.com/horrendous_official/
https://horrendoussom.bandcamp.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/horrendous/496063134
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Na6P4MqOassrZtvT9Z12s

BLACKBRAID Confirmed for Decibel Magazine Tour 2023

BLACKBRAID

Confirmed for Decibel Magazine Tour 2023,

to Tour North America for First Time

STREAM 'BLACKBRAID I' HERE

BUY TICKETS HERE

Native American Black Metal project BLACKBRAID will be embarking on its first ever North American tour in conjunction with the return of the Decibel Magazine Tour, which also features DARK FUNERAL, CATTLE DECAPITATION, and 200 STAB WOUNDS! The trek kicks off on May 11 in Santa Ana, CA and will circle around the continent before concluding in Los Angeles, CA on June 10.

Presented by Metal Blade Records, and sponsored by Pull the Plug Patches, Century Media, IndieMerchStore, Upstate Records, Sauce Leopard and Savage Lands, tickets for the 2023 Decibel Magazine Tour go on sale Friday, February 3 at 10:00 A.M. local time, and can be found at THIS LOCATION.

Blackbraid is supporting its debut full-length, Blackbraid I, which was released in the summer of 2022. The album can be ordered, downloaded, or streamed HERE.

Blackbraid I can be ordered via Bandcamp, The Official Blackbraid MerchStore (USA), Neuropa Records Store (UK), and Plastichead Megastore (EU).

Blackbraid is a solo indigenous black metal project from from the depths of the Adirondack wilderness creating music as raw and powerful as the mountains from whence it came… 

BLACKBRAID Live Dates

(The Decibel Magazine Tour 2023):

05/11: The Observatory @ Santa Ana, CA

05/12: Nile Theater @ Mesa, AZ

05/13: El Rey @ Albuquerque, NM

05/15: Granada Theater @ Dallas, TX

05/16: Empire Control Room @ Austin, TX

05/17: The Warehouse @ Houston, TX

05/19: The Orpheum @ Tampa, FL

05/20: Variety Playhouse @ Atlanta, GA

05/21: The Underground @ Charlotte, NC

05/23: Baltimore Soundstage @ Baltimore, MD

05/26: Club Soda - Montreal, QC

05/27: Phoenix Concert Theatre @ Toronto, ON

05/28: Crofoot Ballroom @ Pontiac, MI

05/30: The Metro @ Chicago, IL

05/31: First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN

06/02: The Summit @ Denver, CO

06/03: The Complex @ Salt Lake City, UT

06/05: El Corazon @ Seattle, WA

06/06: The Vogue Theater @ Vancouver, BC

06/07: The Roseland Ballroom @ Portland, OR

06/09: The Regency Ballroom @ San Francisco, CA

06/10: Regent Theater @ Los Angeles, CA

GET TICKETS HERE

Creator of BLACKBRAID: 

Sgah’gahsowáh

Follow // Listen:

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube

Instagram

Shop/Pre-order:

Official Merch Store (USA)

Neuropa Records Store (UK)

Plastichead Megastore (EU)

Album Art: Adrian Baxter

Photographer: Wolf Mountain Productions

Death metal legends GORGUTS will perform for the first time in nearly six years at Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest

Philly on April 14, 2023! To celebrate the end of this extended break, the band will perform a special set exclusively of material from 1998’s landmark 'Obscura' album and 1991’s old-school classic 'Considered Dead.' You don't want to miss this legendary performance!

GORGUTS:
04/14: Philadelphia, PA @ Decibel Metal & Beer Fest [TICKETS]

STRIGOI to Release Exclusive New Track via the Decibel Flexi Series

Blackened death doom outfit STRIGOI, the brainchild of Greg Mackintosh (PARADISE LOST, VALLENFYRE) and Chris Casket (VALLENFYRE), have teamed up with Decibel Magazine for the exclusive release of their brand new song, "The Construct of Misery," via the Decibel flexi series!

The only way to ensure your copy is by signing up for a deluxe Decibel subscription by Monday, January 9 at noon ET. Doom may be eternal, but this offer is not. Sign up today HERE.

The band is supporting their brand new sophomore album, 'Viscera,' which was released in September 2022 via Season of Mist. The record can be streamed, downloaded, and ordered HERE.

Unsettling: it’s a word which can be used to describe a good swathe of the music which has come from the mind of Greg Mackintosh over the years, but in the context of Strigoi, it feels particularly apt.

Formed immediately after previous side project Vallenfyre had run its course, Strigoi found Greg and Vallenfyre bassist Chris Casket reconfiguring the aesthetics of that band. Their 2019 debut, Abandon All Faith, was a notable transition, taking the crust punk, death metal and grind influences which had defined Vallenfyre and deriving from those an extreme music amalgam which was altogether more...well, unsettling.

But if Abandon All Faith was a record where the memory of Vallenfyre exerted an inevitable, but important, influence, then second album Viscera is where Strigoi define and express themselves on their own terms.

“It’s the second album and we’re pushing those limits,” says Chris Casket. “The longer songs are longer; the shorter songs are shorter. It’s fully realising the concept. When we did the first album, there were certain expectations as we were coming from Vallenfyre. I felt that it was a really good transition from one to the other. But I feel that with this record, it’s more of a fully fleshed out concept. It’s pushing the light and shade further out.”

“The first album was us giving it its own identity separate from Vallenfyre, even though it’s kind of an obvious continuation, in a way,” adds Greg. “But with Viscera, it’s a combination of pushing the envelope a little bit, making it a bit less raw. Because, we had done that to the Nth degree with Vallenfyre. I’d also say there’s a bit of sound design in there, too, to make it very creepy and, yes, unsettling, sound wise.”

With Covid thwarting Strigoi’s plans to do shows to promote Abandon All Faith, Greg and Chris used the down-time to work on what would eventually become Viscera.

“We have a strange way of working,” says Chris. “I will send words, prose, whatever it may be to Greg. He likes that process, because he reads what I’ve written and it inspires the music he comes up with. I’ve never worked that way before. But that and the added time we had, the space away from things, is what I think has made Viscera what it is.”

Greg adds, “If it’s a song where Chris’ lyrics sound angry, I’ll do a song that’s more, I guess, grounded in the essence of early grindcore. Something that expresses that mood. But if it’s something more sombre or unnerving, then I’ll start with a bit of sound design and work towards riffs. I’ve always thought of music in terms of visuals, and that might come from the lyrics. The last song on the album, ‘Iron Lung’, for example: I actually said to Chris that I had an idea for a song where it feels that you can’t breathe, that it feels like you’ve got a weight on your chest. And the result is probably the toughest going song on the record to get through. But I think it does get that across.”

Viscera, then, clearly defines the Strigoi sound and vision – as Chris says, it’s a “mix tape of misery” and points at ways in which the band may develop in the years ahead.

“I get bored easily,” Greg laughs. “I’ve got a very short attention span. I love doom metal, I love funeral doom, crust punk, grindcore...all these things. But usually after two songs of each I’m thinking, ‘Right, what’s next?’ And that’s my problem, but it does determine what this band and this music is like.”

“There’s not much light on this record at all. If there’s any, it’s there just to emphasise how dark the shade is, really. And what I loved about early death metal, which is when I got into it, is that everything had its own feel back then. That was at the back of my mind the whole time when making Viscera – that I wanted to give it its own feel. But the listeners are going to have to decide whether that was successful or not.”

www.facebook.com/strigoibandofficial
www.instagram.com/strigoi_official

Recording Studio: Oregon Studios
Producer/Sound engineer: Jamie Gomez and Strigoi
Mixing studio/engineer: Kurt Ballou - Godcity Studios 
Mastering studio/engineer: Brad Boatright – Audiosiege

Recording line-up:
Greg Mackintosh: Vocals and Guitar 
Chris Casket: Bass 
Guido Zima: Drums 
Ben Ash: Guitar

Cover artwork: Brian Sheehan - Legerdemain Art

Pre-sales: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/StrigoiViscera
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/strigoiviscera

Formats:
CD Digipak
Digital
12” Gatefold (Black)
12” Gatefold (Snowy White / limited to 500)
7” + 12” Gatefold (Dracula / limited to 300)

GORGUTS To Perform 'Obscura' + 'Considered Dead' Set for Decibel Metal & Beer Fest: Philly

Death metal legends GORGUTS will perform for the first time in nearly six years at Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly on April 14, 2023 at the Fillmore. To celebrate the end of this extended break, the band will perform a special set exclusively of material from 1998’s landmark 'Obscura' album and 1991’s old-school classic 'Considered Dead.'

GORGUTS guitarist/vocalist Luc Lemay comments:
"Dear fans, I just wanna say that we are super stoked to be a part of Decibel's Metal & Beer Fest! It’s a special moment for the band returning to the stage after a hiatus, so and we decided to craft for you a set of songs that haven’t been performed live in over 25 years.”

GORGUTS completes an already stacked Metal & Beer Fest: Philly lineup! The full lineup + more information can be found HERE.

TWO-DAY TICKETS

SINGLE TICKETS: APRIL 14

SINGLE TICKETS: APRIL 15

Few extreme bands can boast the pedigree of GORGUTS. During their early days as part of death metal’s first wave, they created a legacy of legendary releases including their debut album ‘Considered Dead’ (1991) and its more experimental and technical follow-up ‘Erosion of Sanity’ (1993). After a hiatus of five years, Luc Lemay returned with a new line-up, which released the highly acclaimed and seminal third full-length ‘Obscura’ (1998). By then GORGUTS had been busy at expanding and redefining the language of death metal. With a new line-up that left Lemay as the sole original member, the next milestone album was released under the title ‘From Wisdom to Hate’ (2001).

Yet again the band went into hibernation, while their musical legacy continued to inspire and thrive as their native Quebec became a focus for technical death metal with acts such as CRYPTOPSY, NEURAXIS, and BEYOND CREATION to name but a few following in their footsteps. After more than a decade of silence, mastermind Luc Lemay unleashed ‘Colored Sands’ (2013) with an all-star line-up including Colin Marston (BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS), Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA), and John Longstreath (ORIGIN, SKINLESS), who has in the meantime been replaced by Patrice Hamelin (QUO VADIS, BENEATH THE MASSACRE).

In 2016, GORGUTS then released their 'Pleiades Dust' EP. In an age of a postulated clash of cultures, mastermind Luc Lemay delivered a piece of music that was conceptually and lyrically based on the “House of Wisdom,” a medieval library based in Baghdad and at the heart of the Golden Age of Islam with its many scientific breakthroughs in various fields of learning. “It is a story about curiosity, beautiful minds and sadly, about how man destroys great discoveries and achievements,” explained Lemay. Musically there is more narrative feeling as each section is introduced in such a way that every riff has the space to evolve like a character in a story.

After a successful year of touring in 2017, GORGUTS once again receded into the shadows and went dark. That is until now, as the band readies to celebrate its storied career with a historical set as they make their return to the stage!

LINE-UP:
Luc Lemay : rhythm guitar, vocals
Kevin Hufnagel : lead guitar
Colin Marston : bass
Patrice Hamelin : drums

Links: 
https://gorguts.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GorgutsOfficial/
https://twitter.com/gorgutsofficial

Download/stream: https://orcd.co/gorgutspd
Shop: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/Gorgutseshop

ROTTING CHRIST Announces Flexi Disc Exclusive via Decibel Magazine

Greek metal legends ROTTING CHRIST have partnered with Decibel Magazine for the exclusive flexi disc release of their brand new single, "Holy Mountain," which features Lars Nedland of BORKNAGAR to celebrate the bands' upcoming tour together. To snag this special item, be sure to get a deluxe Decibel subscription by June 1 at THIS LOCATION.

ROTTING CHRIST will be making a live debut of "Holy Mountain" during their headlining set on the Devastation on the Nation tour! The trek will kick off on April 21 in Berkeley, CA and will conclude in Los Angeles, CA on May 22! Chicago, IL and Brooklyn, NY are already SOLD OUT! Tickets can be found HERE.

ROTTING CHRIST is supporting their critically-acclaimed record, 'The Heretics,' which was released in early 2019 and can be ordered, downloaded, and streamed HERE.

ROTTING CHRIST (Devastation on the Nation w/ Borknagar, Abigail Williams, Ghost Bath + Stormruler)
04/21: Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone [TICKETS]
04/22: Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom [TICKETS]
04/23: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre [TICKETS]
04/24: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon [TICKETS]
04/26: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall [TICKETS]
04/27: Denver, CO @ The Roxy Theater [TICKETS]
04/28: Kansas City, MO @ BLVD [TICKETS]
04/29: Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre [TICKETS]
04/30: Chicago, IL @ Reggies **SOLD OUT**
05/01: Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary [TICKETS]
05/03: Toronto, ON @ Lees Palace [TICKETS]
05/04: Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques [TICKETS]
05/05: Quebec City, QC @ Imperial [TICKETS]
05/06: Manchester, NH @ Jewel [TICKETS]
05/07: Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus Bar **SOLD OUT**
05/07: Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus Bar **late show // doors @ 11:00 PM** [TICKETS]
05/08: Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage [TICKETS]
05/10: Greensboro, NC @ Blind Tiger [TICKETS]
05/11: Nashville, TN @ Exit/In [TICKETS]
05/12: Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco [TICKETS]
05/13: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell) [TICKETS]
05/14: Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum [TICKETS]
05/16: Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall [TICKETS]
05/17: Fort Worth, TX @ Haltom Theater [TICKETS]
05/18: Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live [TICKETS]
05/19: El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse Bar [TICKETS]
05/20: Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Theater [TICKETS]
05/21: San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick [TICKETS]
05/22: Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 [TICKETS]

ROTTING CHRIST have reached another peak in their long career that now spans over more than three decades. The Greeks have literally stood the test of time. With a steady core line-up and their well-honed live delivery, ROTTING CHRIST are filling concert halls and reap enthusiastic crowd reactions wherever they go. This demonstration of love from their followers is not just driven by nostalgia as the band has managed to evolve and grow, while staying relevant beyond the classics with their highly acclaimed latest albums such as 'Aealo' (2010), 'Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού’ (2013), and 'Rituals' (2016).

Now, with the new offering 'The Heretics', ROTTING CHRIST are opening a brand new chapter. With confidence and skills derived from experience, each song represents its own sonic universe. Guitarist and vocalist Sakis Tolis in collaboration with his brother Themis on drums achieve a perfect balance of amalgamating their classic and unique style of riffing and rhythm with exciting new elements sprinkled in to keep their material exciting and fresh. The experienced is enhanced by Jens Bogren's equally clear and transparent yet also massive as well as sombre mix and mastering at his widely renowned Fascination Street Studios (AMORPHIS, BORKNAGAR, MOONSPELL, DEVIN TOWNSEND, and many more).

ROTTING CHRIST were founded by Sakis Tolis and his brother Themis in the year 1987. Starting out on a basis of death and grind, the Greeks had already embarked on a darker musical journey by the time their debut full-length ‘Thy Mighty Contract’ (1993) was revealed. On the following seven albums covering a ten-year period from 'Non Serviam' (1994) to 'Sanctus Diavolos' (2004), ROTTING CHRIST steadily defined their own distinct style by experimenting with elements from death, heavy, and gothic metal without betraying their black roots. At the same time, the band went from underground heroes to headliner status. With the highly acclaimed ninth album, 'Theogonia' (2007), the Greek stalwarts added an unmistakable native element to their sound, which has remained with them as a signature trademark ever since. Exploring the mythical legacy of cultures around the globe led to ROTTING CHRIST's massively successful latest release, 'Rituals' (2016). With more than 30 years, 13 studio albums, a dozen EPs, singles and split releases, as well as more than 1.250 shows under their belt, 2018 marked the year of 'Their Greatest Spells' (2018), where they musically revisited their exciting legacy to connect their past with the present.

'The Heretics' marks another step in the evolution of the Greek masters. Buckle up for a fascinating musical ride through the woes of religious wars, Zoroastrianism and the eternal war between good and evil. Metal at its best!

For more on ROTTING CHRIST, follow their official WEBSITE, BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.

For more on SEASON OF MIST artists, visit our official WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, and TWITTER.

Decibel Books Announces USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal!

Pre-Orders Available NOW!

“USBM is an important and truly revealing adventure into U.S. black metal's inner-workings, for better or worse.” —Invisible Oranges

Over three years in the making, Decibel Books is proud to finally announce the publication of USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal. In parallel with the blazing European scene of the 1990s, the American wasteland birthed its own wayward souls who found their own uses for blast beats, tremolo picking, ghoulish shrieks and satanic leanings. Over the span of 30 years, Americans have clung to black metal’s core tenets and cast them off in equal measure, always in search of a sound that could give voice to our uniquely predatory demons.

This new 544-page hardcover book chronicles the stateside movement via first-hand accounts from genre progenitors Von, Profanatica and Absu through revolutionary acts like Leviathan, Weakling and Xasthur to present day progressives Panopticon, Deafheaven and Wolves in the Throne Room along with dozens more black metal musicians. Including hundreds of rare and never-before-seen photos and a special foreword from extreme metal godfather Tom Gabriel Warrior (Hellhammer/Celtic Frost), USBM is a thorough and definitive tome from longtime Decibel contributor Daniel Lake and is available for pre-order exclusively through Decibel NOW. 

Watermarked digital review copies and interview opportunities with author Daniel Lake are available upon request.