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…

From Roman Polanski to Eminem to a billion pricks before and after, the argument of an artist’s personal merit versus the merit of his or her art will never go away. Varg Vikernes is the rarest of political footballs in our subculture, a man whose misguided ideology and criminal history balance precariously against an almost universally renowned discography. It was a big deal when we put his bushy raised eyebrow on the cover of the May 2010 issue — some metal outlets avoided reviewing or featuring Belus entirely, some bloggers dubbed us racist. (A magazine with two Italian editors — how could they say such a thing?) The reality is, like it or not, Vikernes and his dynamic interpretation of black metal are of historical importance then and now. There was nothing sensationalist about the cover story or our ensuing reporting. And as for spiking newsstand sales, well, let’s just say that Varg’s no Phil Anselmo. Shit, the thing barely outsold the Deftones issue (clearly the highlight of my tenure at this job).

In May, we formally induct Burzum’s Filosofem to the dB Hall of Fame. You may recall it appearing in our Black Metal Hall of Fame Special Issue, but it’s absolutely worthy of the main wing. This was the last full-length he recorded before his 15-year stay in the pokey, released in 1996. Naturally, Varg himself regards it as a failed “experiment,” with only the iconic eponymous leadoff track and a few successors meeting his standards. Judge for yourself.

And if you think this is all bullshit and just want to laugh at funny-looking old dudes, the cover story should more than suffice.

-AB

You can buy the May 2011 issue of Decibel here, or get a full subscription to ensure you never miss a Decibel Hall of Fame, or of those awesome flexi discs!