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ACCEPT ORANGE GOBLIN REVOCATION ABYSMAL DAWN THE SKULL BEYOND CREATION BETHLEHEM FULL OF HELL HORRENDOUS
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SPECIAL REPORT:
THE RISE of SOUTHWEST POWERVIOLENCE
DEC 2014 // No. 122
Robb Flynn’s Unlikely Rebirth
EXTREMELY EXTREME
December 2014 [T122] decibelmagazine.com
upfront 12 metal muthas:
immortal bird
It was the nest of times… 14 news Cancer-stomping conspiracy 16 grinding it out What country do you think this is? 17 brewtal truth Toronado season is nigh 18 cry now U2 piss take 19 killing is my business U2 hot take 20 live reviews The good, the bad and the Babymetal 22 atriarch A path of total tubularity
features
reviews
40 old man gloom Primates of state
89 lead review Horrendous evolve far beyond Swedeath worship on Ecdysis
42 call and response with
orange goblin
Orange you glad Ben didn’t pan your album?
24 beyond creation Terra not-so-firma
44 horrendous Molt throwers
26 septicflesh Titanic ambition 28 mamiffer Eats leaves and shoots 30 woccon Probably not Redskins fans 32 full of hell Noise pollution 34 bethlehem World champion sixers 36 the skull Wake and quake 38 abysmal dawn Demanufacturing archetypal obsolescence
46 revocation Taking back the night 48 special report: the
rise of southwest powerviolence Despicable them
52 q&a: overkill Exotic blitz package 56 book excerpt: nyhc The colorful birth of Agnostic Front
90 album reviews Artists that aren’t cool enough for Ello, including Kruger, SSS, Cretin, Job for a Cowboy and Hammerhead
sub:culture 108 sub:culture The Godzilla reboot stomps the yard 111 south pole dispatch Squeal of fortune
60 accept/raven Beverly kills 64 the decibel hall of fame How black metal underdogs Samael earned the world’s worship
COVER STORY
MACHINE HEAD
74
Better than the rest
COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTO BY JIMMY HUBBARD
Decibel (ISSN 1557-2137) is published monthly by Red Flag Media, Inc., 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Annual subscription price is $29.95. Periodical postage, 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, 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia PA 19107. Copyright© 2014 by Red Flag Media, Inc. All ISSN 1557-2137 | USPS 023142 rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. 4 : D E C E M B E R 2 0 14 : D E C I B E L
DEMMELITION PRO, RED TIDE
DEMMELITION PRO, BLACK TIDE
Phil Demmel, Machine Head
GRAB THE NEW PHIL DEMMEL SIGNATURE MODELS AT AN AUTHORIZED JACKSON RETAILER OR CHE CK ’EM OUT ONL INE AT JACK SONGUITARS.COM
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www.decibelmagazine.com
EXTREMELY EXTREME
December 2014 [T122]
PUBLISHER
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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just words
PHOTO BY JIMMY HUBBARD
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Since we’re all friends here,
I’ll level with you: I was never the biggest Machine Head from the editor fan. At least that was the case until fairly recently. I first heard the band 20 years ago, which, coincidentally, was at the zenith of my underground metal elitist phase. At the time, there were no comment threads for the angry and lonely to instantly/anonymously express oneself, so I trolled Usenet newsgroups, which was where Robb Flynn and company were first brought to my attention. “Sounds like a hardcore version of Pantera—see you at the mall, poseurs!” or something equally profound, I “bravely” announced. By the time I pulled my head out of my ass and reinvestigated the group a few years later, MH had donned Hammer Pants and spin-kicked into their regrettable The Burning Red/Supercharger era. At the time, I could back System of a Down, but not this. “Holy shit, does that drummer actually have leopard spots dyed in his hair?” So, several years later, when people much smarter than me sang the praises of Machine Head’s The Blackening LP as one of the best metal albums of 2007, I laughed it off. “Really? That band? I don’t think so.” And with that ignorance intact, Decibel’s 2007 Album of the Year List came and went without a mention of The Blackening. Sometime in 2009, I finally checked out the record. “OK, this is really good. But, hey, any band can crank out one good album, right?” Then, in 2011, I became obsessed with follow-up Unto the Locust, which rightly cracked Decibel’s year-end list as what was easily the best mainstream metal album of the year. But rather that accomplish that through a patchwork of good cop/bad cop vocal pandering, Flynn employed the same songwriting dynamics that made early Metallica and Maiden so crucial to heavy metal’s development. Unsurprisingly, that positive trend continues on new LP Bloodstone & Diamonds. What will be surprising to some, however, is that Machine Head are now on the cover of Decibel. At least that’s what Robb Flynn first thought: “Your readers are going to revolt!” he told our Justin M. Norton during the interview for his excellent cover story. I know he was only joking, but there will be a few of the denim-vested dismayed by our decision, which is fine. Just don’t be like me. Listen to Bloodstone before you make your denouncements. If you still hate it, I’m sure my old friends on alt.rock-n-roll.metal.death will want to hear all about it. albert mudrian, Editor-in-Chief
UNDERTONES SECTION
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USPS 023142