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…

This month’s Decibel Flexi artist is Skeletonwitch, who have forever endeared themselves to me by picking vintage SuperSonics gold on green as their color scheme. (Note: Skeletonwitch are not from Seattle and didn’t have shit to do with the colors.) Anyway, the music on it is pretty choice, too, especially if you’re an O.G. Witch fan. And I’m talking really O.G.—like, say, the Garnette boys’ (probably nonexistent) little sister. “Tragedy of Days” was the closing instrumental to their 2004 debut At One With the Shadows. You won’t find a review in the first couple issues of Decibel because AOWTS came out on Shredded Records (someone might wanna update the actual album’s Wiki page), and sells for a handsome $80 on eBay today. Anyway, the Flexi version of “Tragedy of Days” has full vocals, so it’s essentially a brand new song. Pretty cool move on their part. You can preview it here to make sure they didn’t ruin the jam you haven’t heard—they didn’t:

Skeletonwitch “Tragedy Of Days (dB010)” by Decibel Magazine

Then secure this gem by ordering the new issue in our webstore pronto.

-AB

Decibel’s October 2011 issue also features Mastodon, The Black Dahlia Murder, YOB, Today is the Day, and a Queensrÿche/Operation: Mindcrime Hall of Fame. But the only way to ensure that you get one of these awesome flexi discs is to get a full subscription.

Skeletonwitch has been a welcome anomaly these past few years. Amidst a resurgence of thrash and 80s throwback nostalgia, the band managed to stand head and shoulders above most emerging, like-minded acts, no doubt many thanks to their inclusion of equal parts thrash, N.W.O.B.H.M. melody, black metal vocals and Nordic nods in the quintet’s riffing and tempos. Breathing the Fire, their new Prosthetic Records release, further codifies these styles and influences, and confirms The ‘Witch’s music as both original and refreshing.

Click to read more…