Yeah, that’s a bald-faced lie… but everything else in this interview is wicked sincere. Through harrowing tribulation and self-discovery, Selim feels his work now serves a higher purpose. Read about this evolution, the doctrines of Satanism that interest him, what it means to express himself through music, and true feelings about egocentrism and occult rock poseurs.

Hear about recording with Kurt Ballou this latest time around; the influence from touring with bands like High on Fire and The Sword; Jason’s reaction to comparing their song “Abyss” with “Wishlist” by Pearl Jam; and finally—favorite action sequence from a movie!

Bravewords posted this video of Lou Reed, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich explaining some of the background on “Lulu”, a.k.a. The Worst Album of 2011. I react—angrily.

This is a written, slightly abbreviated phone interview I had with Heri Joensen of Týr on May 15th 2011 to speak about the band and more specifically their upcoming album “The Lay of Thrym”. He was super polite, intelligent, and interesting to interview, and I feel privileged that I got the opportunity to speak with him.

Hear why Michel loves “War and Pain” and he even sets Wikipedia straight on some facts. Willie also inquires about the Montréal metal scene, thoughts on Pink Floyd, fond memories of Iron Maiden, the ‘family’ feel of Voivod and their near three-decade evolution, with insight into the future of this incomparable band. And for the first time, Away gets asked to pick a favorite song to close out the talk!

This music is lethal, infectious as myeloma, and already has a reserved slot on my Best of 2011 list. If your knowledge was spotty like mine, listen to their origins with previous band Usurper, and details on their recording style with producer Sanford Parker. Hear complete sneak previews of “March of the Dead” from their eponymous debut (which continues behind our conversation) and “Lonely Death” to conclude.

Wolves in the Throne Room are first-rate third-wave black metal. Just as Scandinavia was itself intrinsic to the genre’s original sounds, the Pacific Northwest U.S. gives spirit to these American luminaries.

The irony is palpable, because my current vacation means I will update the site infrequently, plus miss three of my radio shows, three Metal Mondays at Nectar’s, and the WRUV station meeting where they’ll announce this DJ love.

We open with a greeting and a teaser, as “Dødedansen” erupts into your ears. After a minute or two of fierce folk metal, MetalMattLongo and Cris cross paths (see what I did theeeeeehhh… nevermind). Hear about the incredible departure of all band members, their triumphant reformation, and their heaviest, best-crafted album to date, ‘Maledictus Eris’. Also, Cris might be a supervillain (but denies it… like a supervillain totally would).

“If I do something well, I don’t stay with that little talent—I always want to expand and do something else.” ~Patrick Mameli