Looking for some straight forward, old school death metal with grooves and traditional song structures? If so, then stay as far away as possible from any of Ulcerate’s three full-length releases. The New Zealand trio is the quintessential forward-thinking Willowtip act, even more so than most other groups on the roster, not to mention modern death metal in general. Angular, shape-shifting rhythms, guitar work that is more about the painting of sonic pictures than popular notions of riffing, and a vibe in both lyrics and music that is suffocating in its bleakness. As such, The Destroyers of All is in fact all that and a bag of chips. Drummer/composer Jamie St. Merat, uh, opens that bag to reveal its contents…something like that anyway.

Burn from Denver’s Havok left a very positive impression on me and I considered it one of the better vintage-sounding 2009 albums of the thrash resurgence. Then a couple of years later Time is Up arrives and I’m thoroughly impressed with the band’s songwriting improvement and compositional twists, not to mention a thrash attack that is even more blistering and memorable. But the game-changer for me was watching Havok perform live at The Riot Room in Kansas City, MO as the second band on a bill that included Full Blown Chaos, The Absence, Malevolent Creation, and openers Beyond Terror Beyond Grace. On stage Havok kills with a conviction that I’ve rarely seen from such a young band. They play with the skill and chemistry of veterans and perform with the fiery passion of youth. I was absolutely stunned and would hate to be in any band that has to follow a Havok performance. So on to the Havok van we went to conduct the interview with vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez. Finishing off the evening with cheap tequila and 24 oz. cans of PBR didn’t leave me in the best of places, but at least I left with a vivid memory of the Havok assault.

What’s the single sickest, most perverted thought your mind has ever spewed out? Go ahead…reminisce. Now imagine that 100 times worse, covered in blood, oozing with sores, and accompanied by an accursed shrieking — and you’ve got the core of BELPHEGOR’s madness at hand. Austria’s supreme black/death masters unleashed Blood Magick Necromance unto the world recently, and head hellmouth Helmuth corresponded with Teeth of the Divine about its gooey inner workings

Fourteen Twentysix are not metal. Nor do they claim to be. Nor do I. Yet, for some reason, they fit Teeth of the Divine’s bill just fine. Last year I reviewed the band’s latest effort, Lighttown Closure, and while I thought it showed a lot of promise, it just didn’t quite reach the premise. This was one of the reasons why I got into a discussion with the band’s primus motor, Chris van der Linden. The other reason was, that on their upcoming new album, Antimatter’s Mick Moss will be making an appearance. Bang! Newsflash! Chris wasn’t the only one to take part in the party though, as Jelle Goossens and Tom van Nuenen from the band popped in and answered a few questions as well. Some even, related to metal.

Her laugh is infectious, her spirit is addictive, and her stage presence is second to none. The person to whom I refer is Veronica Freeman, a heavy metal icon and an incredibly powerful singer that deserves far wider recognition than she’s gotten, as does her band, U.S. traditional metallers Benedictum. Witnessing Benedictum bring the house down at the 2007 edition of Chicago PowerFest in support of debut album Uncreation was by far the most pleasant surprise of that weekend and I’ve been a fan ever since.

When I first read about Kauan, there was something strange about it. A young fellow from Chelyabinsk, Russia doing neo-folk/ambient/post-rock in Finnish. He was no doubt inspired by Tenhi. My prejudice was proved wrong as the band’s latest output, ‘Aava Tuulen Maa’, became THE album of 2009 for me. After spinning it more times than I or iTunes could count in 2010, I decided to check up on Anton Belov ― the primus motor behind the music ― to see if I could become any wiser about what lies behind Kauan and Belov. Aside from the fact that Kauan’s upcoming album ‘Kuu’ is coming out soon on Italy’s Avantgarde Music.

Three albums in and Shaun LaCanne’s Putrid Pile is something along the lines of a household name; death metal households anyway. Along with Shawn Whitaker (Insidious Decrepancy, Viral Load) and Peter Hasslebrack (Bloodsoaked), LaCanne took the one-man-band concept and turned it into a legitimate death metal form that rivals most trios, quartets, and quintets. Album number three, House of Dementia (Sevared Records) is the most accomplished Putrid Pile release to date. Having seen Shaun performed at the 2008 and 2010 editions of Central Illinois Metalfest, I can personally attest to his chops as a stage performer as well. As it had been several years since I interviewed Shaun for Metal Maniacs (R.I.P.), I figured it would be a good time to catch up and discuss his impressive list of accomplishments since 2003’s Collection of Butchery was released.

Some of you may remember that one year ago my first interview with Vetis Monarch of Canada’s Weapon was published here. Following the release of Drakonian Paradigm (one of my favorite albums of 2009), it was intended to explore Monarch’s musical/lyrical world of the mystical, the occult, and the brilliantly black metal. Here we are again and Weapon has released another masterpiece in From the Devil’s Tomb, a longer, denser, and indisputably heavier affair that retains the exotic flourishes and black/thrash basis, whilst delivering the goods with an approach that bludgeons with death metal force. As such, a Weapon album will again be included in my year-end Top 10 list. Vetis Monarch offers an insider’s view of From the Devil’s Tomb.

God Dethroned is one of those death metal bands that define reliability, consistency, and excellence, almost to the point where I think they are sometimes taken for granted and perhaps not afforded the level of recognition they deserve. Some will point to albums like 1992’s The Christhunt, 1997’s The Grand Grimoire, or perhaps 2001’s Ravenous as the classics, in many cases due to nostalgia associated with remembering that first album that sucked you in for good.

Love it or hate it (which seems to be the general feeling around here) deathcore is here and here with a vengeance. A sure sign that the genre isn’t going anywhere? A band like Oceano is nestled neatly on Earache Records, one of the oldest and most respected labels and purveyors of “true’ metal. After releasing their debut, Depths in 2009, the band quickly rose to the top of the deathcore heap and with their latest release, Contagion dropping earlier this fall, they look to stay there despite a large line up shuffle. I caught up vocalist Adam Warren to delve deeper into Oceano….

An odd spelling for the band name, a digital-only label that offers its releases to the masses for free download, and an approach to death metal that is traditional, song-centric, and just damn heavy… In the case of Contaigeon’s Death as the Gates of Delirium on UK label Works of Ein, the combination is a winning one.

You think you know the underground? You don’t know shit! Sorry, got a little carried away there; just exaggerating for effect, no offense. But seriously, folks, Serbia’s NadimaČ is about as underground as it gets these days, at least as far as exposure outside of the Slavic region and a staunch DIY work ethic are concerned. With a slew of releases (full-lengths, splits, comps, vinyl, DVDs, etc) on labels like China’s (yeah, China) Area Death Productions, and singing in their native tongue exclusively, NadimaČ is one band that truly puts the music first and money/fame a distant…ah hell, who are we kidding? It’s not a consideration.

After almost twenty years, Enslaved continues to push onwards into uncharted waters. This time, they’re promoting their new, critically-acclaimed album Axioma Ethica Odini on what’s possibly their biggest US tour yet (with countrymates Dimmu Borgir). Frontman Grutle Kjellson took some time to talk with me before the show in Denver. It was just above freezing where we spoke outside, but not surprisingly, the cold didn’t seem to affect him at all.

A one-word album title. Two band members gone, and in their place, the addition of three guest vocalists, booming choirs and a massive orchestra. And then of course, those white leather and fur costumes. Yeah, it’s been an exciting and unpredictable time for Dimmu Borgir. I sat down with Galder sat down before their show in Denver (with countrymates Enslaved) to talk about the creation of their new epic Abrahadabra, the changes in the band’s sound and how to kill time on the road.

You mean The Dead consists of three Australian musicians of the extreme whose neural pathways were warped in some internal fire of the mind, resulting in a sludgified, space truckin’ and head trippin’ terror march through death metal inhabited worm holes…or some shit like that? How absolutely shocking.

In metal more than any other genre it seems that the domain of the small/underground record label is more often than not run by those with a genuine appreciation and love of the music over anything remotely resembling profit motivation. That is certainly the case with Iordan K, owner, operator, and overload of Stormspell Records. The music offered is, in the most fundamental of terms, Heavy Metal. If it furthers your understanding of the Stormspell mission, then you may also wish to consider descriptors like “old school,” “traditional,” or “classic” heavy metal, as well as “thrash.” Iordan prides himself on offering the complete package to consumers and eschews MP3 sales. He also scours the planet in a quest to find the true gems of the genre, whether old, new, obscure, or geographically isolated. Iordan’s story is an interesting one, to say the least, and Stormspell Records is one of the coolest labels on this planet we call Earth. Read on, learn, and support metal! Labels like Stormspell and guys like Iordan deserve it.

Discontent with the waves of false metal plaguing our great nation, the members of Gravehill joined forces to school all in the realm of true death metal, and they’ve done exactly that since their inception. Ringleader Mike Abominator chatted with Teeth about Gravehill’s role in the takeover of the metal world, the band’s plans to dominate at Maryland Deathfest next year, and various other topics involving leather, steel, blood and carnage.

Tom Gabriel Warrior has much to celebrate. It’s been a busy and productive few years since the return of Celtic Frost ended in a storm of animosity and a lack of shared vision. But Warrior has before seen one band dissolve only to give way to something greater, and as he graciously gave a good, long block of his time from the road (after I’d been lucky enough to see Triptykon’s New York debut), he spoke—as he often has—about the dissolution of Frost… but he also made it clear, both in stated terms and in the tone of satisfaction he’s experiencing at the moment, that Triptykon, while rooted in his past, is a band of the here and now—and of the future.

Keep it coming, baby! I’m talking about the gurgling, coughing, crackling, and crushing sounds of old school Swedish death metal! The good stuff; not the weak imitations. There has been a resurgence of the filth these last couple of years in terms of new bands forming, old bands reuniting (or simply coming off long hiatuses), and an increased level of recognition for the forefathers. Sweden’s Interment is one of those “old” (circa 1988) Swedish death spine snappers that saw fit to reunite years later, releasing a gnarly split with the lordly Funebrarum in 2006 and knocking one out of the park with this year’s Pulverised Records’ release Into the Crypts of Blasphemy. Here is what guitarist/vocalist Johan Jansson (ex-Centinex, Demonical) had to say about it.

After reviewing and enjoying the debut album from Jaldaboath, I thought it might be entertaining to conduct an interview with Sir Jaldabaoth, the Grand Guitarist Inspector and Grand Sovereign Songwriter General of the self-proclaimed Hammering Heraldic Metal act (aka James Fogarty). Feeling that such issues as his split with The Meads of Asphodel, fellow British metal acts, cross cultural comedic boundaries and their current album Rise of the Heraldic Beasts warranted serious investigative journalism. Of course I should have expected that a knight responsible for crafting such songs as “Bash the Bishop” and “Axe Weilding Nuns” would not turn out to be a typical journalistic foray, and quickly descended into an uninformative but amusing episode of Black Adder…

In the overly pissed-in kiddie pool that is today’s heavy metal music, it’s nice to see a mean, smirking heavyweight like Chicago’s Cardiac Arrest land a cannonball right in the center and, with a sonic blastwave, send so many thumb-sucking weaklings flying. I mean, it really warms the heart. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, three of four members of said band were recently able to communicate with Teeth of the Divine about everything just short of My Little Pony and brain surgery. Read on for the gory details.

Similar to the intestinal parasite that must be removed from the punctured gut by being wound around a stick and sucked slowly from the wound, Humangled churn and slurp at the innards, and can only be removed forcibly. Admit it: you’re hungry now, aren’t you?! These sick Italian deathsters bring forth Fractal, their punishing 2010 release. Contact was made with founding members Andrew Goreds and Luke Scurb, who were eager to let TOTD pick their brains.

Six Pack Witchcraft? Huh? Yeah, that’s right, motherfuckers. Määx (pronounced may-axe) is rumblin’ through your speakers, moshin’ through your flower bed, and guzzlin’ all your beers, and when they’re done with all that, they’ll probably be bonin’ your wife. And you’ll like it! Six Pack Witchcraft is their newest lo-fi, low class offering on Abyss Records, and it’s full of venom, denim and booze. Members James Brown and Brett Schlagel corresponded with Teeth of the Divine in between chanting and hell-raising.

Infectious Grooves are back on the road, taking their own special brand of Funk, Punk and insane musicians, starting with the SOUNDAWAVE festival across Australia! I had the pleasure of talking to guitarist, Dean Pleasants about Infectious Grooves, his projects and any of their plans in the near future.

On a relatively steamy July afternoon, Italian guitar wizard Luca Turillia of symphonic power metal masters Rhapsody of Fire called this Teeth-scribe from an enchanted forest of unicorns, and we spoke in detail about the group’s latest masterpiece, The Frozen Tears of Angels, Luca’s own incredibly detailed lyrical and musical concepts, and the band’s collaboration with horror movie legend Christopher Lee.