We all say it every year, but this year was another exceptionally-loaded year for extreme music, with more album-of-the-year contenders and records that raise the bar than in recent memory. The Decibel Top 40 Albums of 2024 list reflects that fact, too: it spans across genres and… Read More »Five Powerviolence Albums You Probably Missed in 2024
Horsebastard are back! Who exactly are they you might ask? Emanating from the sweltering cesspool that is Liverpool, HB are fine purveyors of some of the most chaotic and blistering grindcore the world has ever seen. Seriously, if you don’t believe me go back and… Read More »Track Premiere: Horsebastard – “Reflecting the Nonsensical”
Before I take a brief look at many of K-pop’s smaller agencies, there are a few that I have more to say about. Consider these “bonus” write-ups — shorter than the “big four” but longer than a paragraph or two could cover. As usual, the… Read More »Grading the K-Pop Agencies 2024: STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT
Estonia’s Thunraz is a prime example of one of those idiosyncratic treasures that we occasionally stumble across while sifting through the rubble of social media (man, talk about a couch-fort in the ol’ oubliette). Discovering an act that arouses real emotion and legitimately provokes the… Read More »Interview: Thunraz’s Madis Jalakas Brings the Baltic Gloom via ‘Incineration Day’
K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the… Read More »BACK TO K-POP’S FIRST GENERATION: Kim Hyun Jung – Bruise