Marena Issue 1 (2014)

 

Marena Issue 1 (2014)
60 pages, A5, English, pro-printed 

Interviews
Vampire Zine, Moloch, Troll Bends Fir, Sakramentum, Kuga, Nadimac, Putrid Blood, Forgotten, Heller, Munruthel, Annathema, Bombarder

The first zine from Serbia in Bloodstained Vision! 

The content is packed. Very small font size. Some OK size (for me) but some using size 9 maybe and some even smaller than that.

Pages not numbered, and no table of content. The layout 1 column per page with either background image, or page border or just plain grey background.

Music reviews section is called "Bleeding Ears". The format being reviewed is not mention. They are alphabetically arranged but not rated.

Zine reviews section is named "Papyrus Containing the Spell..." however this is only 1 page. They are not alphabetically arranged and not rated.

Some interviews were done in Serbian and translated to English by the help of his close comrade.

Moloch and Sakramentum, the interview with picture in the middle is a bit annoying since it divide the interview and hard to read. Better use columns for such layout.

Date of the interview is mentioned on the intro. Interviews will end with the band's email, website or contract address.

Questions are vary. Some interviews with more than 20 questions. Annathema and Bombarder interviews done with several of the band members. Interesting read.

There's sometimes empty space, can be more than half page after the interview ends. But it doesn't look empty though, maybe because of the dark tone. If it is white, it will be noticeable empty. Wow. I learnt new thing here.

Some Serbian or former Yugoslavia bands here. Would like to check on Kuga, Nadimac, Putrid Blood, Heller, those thrash metal bands in the future.

I thought the man on the front page is the editor since no info on the editorial. But then, who put his own face on his own zine?

Editor; Vidoje Muric, did a good job for this debut issue. He had previous zine project was called "Akrep" that is dedicated to Serbian scene but written in English.

The editor mentioned for the next issue print will be printed on recycle paper (for cost saving?), and will focus on pagan/folk music, heavy and death metal scene.

Contact
vidojemetal at gmail dot com
marenafanzine at gmail dot com

Cult Mongers #6 (2014)

 

Cult Mongers #6 (2014)
32pages, A4, English, xerox

Interviews
Lasher Zombie, Satanachiia, Wagars, Frostagrath, Irem, Scent of Death, Haemorrhage, Cardiac Arrest, Inverticrux, Emulsified Flesh, Dirigiri, Ataul, Veligore

Very rare to find a BM band from Africa. The first one I discovered is here in Cult Mongers.

The pages are numbered, no table of content. The layout is very basic 2 MS Word columns per page. Some a just 1 column. Several font types are used. No consistency in the layout. And this is already the sixth issue. Interview questions are short and the easy type.

Music reviews not rated and not alphabetically arranged.

Few pages with flyers. The last page is the editor; Fritz & Adrian's top 50 list. Fritz with his top 50 albums and Adrian top 50 bands.

My copy hand-numbered 48/50!

Cult Mongers is also a distro/label. The FB pages for both are not updated and the official website also no longer working.

Contact
https://www.facebook.com/cult.mongers/
https://www.facebook.com/cultmongersdistro/

Knife Magazine #1 (November 2014)

Knife Magazine #1 (November 2014)
36 pages, A5, English, xeroxed

Interviews
Tumor Warlord, Demon Head, Narcosatanicos, Obnoxious Youth, Cerekloth, Lower, Call From The Grave Zine

Article
Bathory "Satan My Master" Analysis

Very simple name and front cover artwork for zine. This is the debut issue of self-acclaimed magazine called Knife Magazine from Denmark. Cut n paste style. No page number, no table of content. Not much pictures related to the bands interviewed. The font size is just nice. The layout can be better although it already has a clear/good photocopy print quality.

Editor's email was handwritten. I hope I get right.

Reviews on music. Not alphabetically arranged and not rated. 

First time reading an analysis of a song, particularly a Bathory song.

The interview with Call From The Grave is interesting. The editor of Call From The Grave is follower of Jesus Christ. Whether the picture (a man making the hand signal 'come here' to the naked lady) in the interviews was intentional. This interview was originally made for the editor's old zine, the third issue of Bestial Death. 

Contact
kongerneofkaos at gmail dott com

Sin Is There #34 (2014)

 

Sin Is There #34 (2014)
72 pages, A5, German, pro-printed

Interviews
Delirium Tremens, Endless Depression, Anger As Art, Protector

Article
SEX IN THE C-hrist-I-ani-TY

The Methylordian Anticrusade - Final Chapter

This German zine is actual laser printed so the quality is almost near as pro-printed publication.

"The Final Command" was written on the front page. No idea what that's mean. Maybe it's the last issue? Already number 34.

The layout is very basic 1 column per page MS Word type of layout. The font size is a bit large, pages not numbered and not table of content. 

"Reviewlution" is the section for reviews. "Drucksachen" is review section for printed publication. The reviews are not alphabetically arranged and not rated. Just music reviews, no front cover artwork which look a bit dull.

There are some artworks in the pages of this issue but not many. What contribute to the thickness of this issue is (beside the font size) the interviews are very long. Pity I don't understand German.

No contact address available in the zine.

Tales From The Unholy Winds (May 2014)

Tales From The Unholy Winds (May 2014)

16 pg, A5, xerox, English

Many years has passed. Is there new issue of this "Sabahellegion Underground Newsletter" after this one?

The man behind this newsletter is Mika of The Undead, which is also the editor of Discarnage Zine. This newsletter is promoting Sabah metal scene.

There are tons of info and news from the scene. There are also scene report on every district in Sabah. Also label list included. All these are using typewriter fonts. Looks 'ancient' in deed.

There is also "Forged in the Furnace of Hell", a tribute page to Perantaraan Zine. Short reviews of all the issues and the front cover.

On the last page is the list of zine. On this I found something is missing; the contact info of the bands.

No interviews or reviews.

My only wish is Tales From The Unholy Winds to be released consistently in short interval like twice a year maybe. It will be great 'metal newspaper' if it can happen.

Contact

c/o Mika Rotten

www.facebook.com/mm.mika.3

Witchcraft #6 (2014)

Witchcraft #6 (2014)
English, 88pg, pro-printed

Interviews
Killer Metal Records, Hellbringer, Hatespawn, Magnesium, Imperator

First issue out in 1993 and the last issue was out in 1995. And almost 10 years later out #6 with an usual size. Like a 7"EP size.

And you are wandering 80+ pages with 5 interviews? What's the editor (Stefan) prepared not just that but also lots of articles.

There's no review though. But the rest amazed me.

First the "The Twilight Zone of Zines", a 22 pages of zine list. Part 1 of the section is some sort of short review/info of current zine. The border of this section is made out zines front cover. The Part 2 are old zines (90's to 2000) segregated by country and list of zine whereby the editor's country of origin is unknown (I also don't know where Doomsday Testament is from too) and zines from the 80's. This section uses frame border artwork.

You can find info on lots of zine around the world. From Malaysia you can some of the well-known ones from the 'old era' like Nocturnal Slaves, Karakatuar, Krenmaut and newer one like Metal Storm or Virus. And surprisingly I found my shitty blog in the list as well. Fukked! I am truly honored to be in pages Withccraft. Great effort made here.

Another section is the "Label Catalog" featuring Nuclear War Now Productions releases from 2000 to 2013 with pictures (the front cover and the actual product i.e vinyl as well) and some info of the releases. Huge 42 pages altogether!

The editor as well the contributors which are quite well-known names in the scene (Costa Stoios, Tomasz Krajewski) presented a great reading material and some "eye candy" too (lots of BM bands photos in color).

Whether the older issues have the same columns/section as a regular section, I am not sure because this is my first Witchcraft. Actually, you can download the past issues from their website. I let you investigate and let me know.

Other than these, there are "The Freaking Vinly Corps", 2 pages of articles on classick vinyl releases and 2 Unholy pages of cut n paste, with some info on bands and zine.

The zine has last word as as contrary of the usual 'editorial' section in the first pages.

About the layout: Table of content is present, the pages are numbered, the magazine if full colored, 2 columns per page with frame artwork only in the section I mentioned earlier.

The zine comes in red envelope and a free Celtic Frost's Morbid Tales poster.

Contact
Witchcraft Magazine
S. Loens,
Von-Eltz-Str. 1,
56072 Koblenz,
Germany

Email
witchcraftmag [at] gmx . de

Web
https://schattenmanns.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/witchcraft-magazine-6/

Note: picture taken from Witchcraft page.

Discarnage #2 (2014)

Discarnage #2 (2014)
68 pg, A5, xerox, Malay/English

Interview
Funereality, Muntah Darah, Acid Knight, Structure Fire Records, Mu-Aru, Brood Carnage, Mental Distortion, Rotgut, Disgraved, Kimar Records/Perantaraan Zine

Issue #2 of this zine from Sabah. The name changed? It was Dis-Carnage in #1. In this issue it is spelt as Discarnage. Anyway, compared with the debut issue, obviously you can see the size is 3 times thicker. Still maintain the cut n' paste style but this time using less background pictures. The editor replace this with black background which looks nice too when you can make it in this kind of photocopy quality. The text print and the pictures are still in the same quality like the previous one.

Also in this issue, there are few bands from outside Malaysia and these are in English. The rest of the content are in Malay.

The reviews are separated in 2 sections, simply named as CD/Tapes/7" reviews & zine reviews. All are not alphabetically arranged and not rated. Unlike in issue #1, they are named 'Rot 1', 'Rot 2'.

Other than this there are also gig report and articles.

The gig report is on Sickening Art Vol. 6. Just a simple review of the band perform and the whole setlist by the bands.

The are articles are interesting too. One is about "Metal Punk Death Squad (MPDS)" and the best of 2013 Death Metal demos (from the editor's own collection). The best of 2013 features the front cover artwork, a short review and they are rated. On the last pages also having short section on Morbid Bastard Records (short review of the label's releases. And lastly on the last page is their distro list.

Of all the interviews, Kimar Recs is the longest one. Very interesting chat. Unfortunately it is in Malay. Other interesting one is with Structure Fire Records, featured using the original hand-writing.

I am not sure how many copies was made for the first print. The one I have now is the second print (in March 2015, made in 50 copies, hand-numbered). In this second print, the editor used different front cover and different editorial. The front cover arwork is made by Frank (Sir, You Die). If not mistaken, Frank also drawn my Enslaved In Blackness blog logo (like 10 years ago) but I can be wrong. My hotmail email account was hacked and lost the details.

All copies are hand-numbered. I have #32 to #36. I think I will keep #36.

Contact the editor now for info or to purchase a copy. Or if you are lucky enough I might have some copy left.

E-mail
dis_carnage at yahoo dot com

Turbulence #2 (2014)

Turbulence #2 (2014)
36 pg, A5, xerox, Malay

A bit thicker compare with #1 and having colored cover. #2 continues with how Samad and Joe become friends. The Drug King already instructed Joe to be killed. I didn't mention in my previous review that Joe owes huge sum of money to the Drug King. The band still rehearsing. The cartoonist also draws the logo of the band being covered by Turbulence in their rehearsal! This issue ends with the band arrive at the gig venue before the gig start. This issue has this 'sad feeling' after knowing Joe might die from the fight after reading the part at the mamak stall and after the motocross racing. I thought the fighting will happen in #2. I imagine a fighting scene with no gun shooting but just fist fight, swords and knife like those in Young and Dangerous movie (a Hong Kong movie on Chinese mafia).

About the layout and the rest, the same like I mentioned in Turbulence #1.

#3 please...

Virus #8 (2014)

Virus #8 (2014)
70 pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview
Tormentor, Obsessor, Denouncement Pyre, Beast Conjurator, Black Vul Destrucktor, Master, Sorcery, Karamah, Interment, Artillery, Kill, Witchrist, Vampire, Revel In Flesh, Demonic Rage, Necroccultus, Morbid Perversion, Terrorist, Graveyard, Grave Desecration, Manticore, Carnal Ghoul

Article
Retribution of The Ancient

It took almost 3 years after issue #7. In between these years, he releases his other Malay-written zine, Darahhead.

Fauzi preserve his layout format and interview style like his previous issues. The pages are numbered but no table of content. Layout is combination of cut n paste or 2 columns per page with frame artwork. Front cover artwork this time made by Alex Olivares.

I thought that Master interview was made by Fauzi. It will be good to know Paul Speckmann's view on Malaysian scene (if such question is asked). By the way, Tormentor is not the band with Attila in it. This is the Malaysian one playing thrash metal.

Review covers music & zine. Very simple layout on this section. Not much graphic. They are not alphabetically arranged and not rated. There are some 2 pages on zine reviews. 1 page of news mostly on Malaysian metal scene which is still 'fresh' when reading it just a few months after the zine being release. This is my checklist of the stuff I should be buying.

As usual, the photocopy quality can be made better.

About the article, Retribution of The Ancient, it features Malaysian metal classic releases which Fauzi started since issue #7.

Get this while it is still available and also ask about his distro list. Or at least ask about Phenomistik mini-CD. He also distributes this band which consist One Barchiel.

E-mail
virus_zine at yahoo dot com

Turbulence #1 (2014)

Turbulence #1 (2014)
28 pg, A5, xerox, Malay

This is not a zine but a comic issued by Metal Thrashing Mag. When I first saw this on FB, the first thing came into my mind was Nagawika's Bestial Avenger. This is the only comparison I can make.

The cartoonist or artist behind Turbulence is Rob Scallywag. Nothing much I can say about him except that I like his work in Turbulence. The drawings are good. The story is presented well. The photocopy quality is also good. You can see clearly the line strokes, those curly hair, etc. I think I need to read more comic review so I can review this kind of publication better because I don’t know what else to say beside that I like this a lot. There is no date of release mentioned in the comic.

About the story in Turbulence #1 is about the band called Turbulence, preparing for their first gig. While Dol, Jiman, and Samad rehearsing, Samad's old friend Joe came to see them. Joe, the pioneer of the thrash metal movement in the city also an ex-convict (drug offence) need a favour from Samad to join a fight with the Drug King. But this fight will clash with Turbulence's first gig and can be fatal. This issue ends with flash back on how they both met in 1991. You can see here how Central Market looks like back then (the way I remembered it).

Turbulence is written in Malay and sold at a very good price. Support!

Contact
https://www.facebook.com/rob.a.scallywag

Web
https://www.facebook.com/metalthrashingmag