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.

You folks in the metal-know might’ve heard of a little band called Skeletonwitch out of Athens, Ohio. And chances are, if you’ve seen a metal tour in the past four years, you’ve seen them blow up on stage, inciting madness and mayhem in metal fans the world over. Their latest, “Breathing the Fire,” was met with acclaim and landed a spot on the Billboard charts. And, as would befit a group of excellent metal players, they happen to be excellent metal dudes. In my fifth overall interview with the band, I stood outside the Rock in Tucson, Arizona with guitarist Scott Hedrick, with cameo appearances from brothers Nate and Chance Garnett, as well as Derrick “Mullet Chad” Nau, who explains what it really means to be crushed beyond dust.

Resurrected death metal unit Pestilence are poised to descend upon the land of the free and home of the brave for a month-long spree of mind-bending tech death mayhem — a tour also featuring Vital Remains, Warbringer, Enfold Darkness and Sacrificial Slaughter ― beginning with a stop at this year’s Maryland Deathfest. This will mark the band’s first appearance Stateside in over 16 years. Pestilence mastermind Patrick Mameli recently chatted with Teeth of the Divine about the new lineup, getting back into the groove of things, and, even though we tried to confuse him and didn’t do our research, he trampled our puny questions like a true champ.

German power metal pioneers Gamma Ray, founded by former Helloween’er Kai Hansen, have been in existence just as long as the giggling gal who eagerly whips out her ID at the bar for the first time. And just as the 21st birthday is a milestone in the life of a young American adult, it’s also a milestone for Gamma Ray’s members, who have undoubtedly seen themselves grow from young bucks into elder statesmen of the heavy metal world since the creation of Heading for Tomorrow in 1989. Drummer Dan Zimmermann, member since 1997, spoke to this Teeth scribe from his hotel room in Mexico on an off-date from the band’s world tour promoting To the Metal!, the awesome foursome’s first full-length since 2007’s Land of the Free II.

Katon W. DePena is an intense individual. As the driving force behind one of Thrash Metal’s most tenacious and long-standing bands Hirax, he lives and breathes Heavy Metal music and culture. Aggressively DIY, he has taken Hirax to places other bands can only dream of going. Their latest album El Rostro De La Muerte is yet another scorcher in the Hirax catalog and the band plays to it’s loyal fans every single chance it gets. I had the privilege of a few minutes of his time recently and here is what he had to say.

We had the opportunity to talk with Biohazard’s main man, hardcore-extraordinaire, Evan Seinfeld. And oh boy, has he kept busy. Not only is Biohazard in the process of putting out a new album, Seinfeld himself is still preaching hardcore on film with some of the hottest chicks in all adult entertainment. Unfortunately our discussion with Evan was shadowed by the sudden death of his good friend, icon and a fellow Brooklynite, Peter Steele. But ultimately, as it became evident with talking to Evan, life will triumph. No doubt about it. Plus, we present you pussies with the largest collection of Not Safe for Work links in Teeth of the Divine’s history.