Fear, Emptiness, Decibel: Neurosis Grace the Cover of the December Issue of Decibel

Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month is Decibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

Neurosis have graced the cover of Decibel twice now, and somewhat notoriously don’t have a record inducted in our Hall of Fame. Not to say that’s a prerequisite for a second cover or anything (see: Baroness, Pig Destroyer, Behemoth, even Iron Maiden), and there are certainly no shortage of worthy candidates in the Neurosis catalog, but for a variety of reasons, it just hasn’t worked out. Yet. Hopefully soon, since these dudes aren’t getting any younger and we at dB HQ haven’t exactly come to terms with giving the likes of Gojira and Protest the Hero placeholders.

Blatant trolling aside, when a legacy artist like Maiden or Neurosis gets the cover, it’s hard to avoid a legacy feature. This is especially the case with Neurosis, who are artists-with-a-capital-A, speak in abstractions befitting their music, and are not so forthcoming with the ol’ pussy-and-blow anecdotes that generally fuel our magazine. Shane Mehling got the long-form honors this time, and did a nice job extrapolating how the Bay Area legends strive to break new ground without taking the easy route of pillaging prior classics. His conversation with enigmatic frontmen Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till—not to mention always talkative longtime recording accessory Steve Albini—is a must-read complement to yet another crushing sonic triumph. It’s the classiest article in an issue featuring a bizarre Devin Townsend Call & Response, Satan’s Wrath extolling hippie murder, a gored-up Incantation flexi and yours truly’s piece on metalhead toy collectors. Available right now.

Sure, you could just purchase this one issue — but why not just get a full subscription to ensure that you never miss an issue of Decibel?