Argyope Issue #14 (2018)

 

Argyope Issue #14 (2018)

24 pages, A5, English/French, xerox

Interviews

Hellfire & Deadhead Magazine

A free newsletter project from France. Very basic layout style, no columns, no page number, but has lot of pictures related to the band/mag interviewed. 

The introduction/foreword from editor is on the front page written in French. The (long) introduction before the interview starts is in French.

Less than 20 questions are asked, and some are just 1 line question only but enough to get long answer. Deadhead could write a book!

Those who don't know, Deadhead is from Malaysia and Hellfire is from China. Only interviews though. No reviews or news.

I think will not be hard to translate those. Use OCR software or snap picture and let Google translate. Hah! Sounds easy. I'll try it after this.

This is available for free (you only pay the postage). Some of the distro might have this are Schattenmanns Publishing or Destruktor Records mailorder.

No contact address available in the newsletter. Found email address somewhere from the internet.

Contact

sauldaniel666 at yahoo dot fr

The Past Is Alive - English Archive Vol. 1 (2018)

 

The Past Is Alive - English Archive Vol. 1 (2018)
56 pages, A4, English, pro-printed

Interviews
Sapthuran, Pagan Hellfire, Clandestine Blaze, Diaboli, Panphage, Luciferian Rites, Nox, Inquisition, Runespell, Blood Stronghold, Fatherland, Nekrokrist SS, Förgjord, Hatespirit, Rienaus, Blood Red Fog, Profane Congregation

The editor, Lost Wisdom / Weisthor was kind enough to release English version of the interviews. These interviews were originally featured in their other zine, Au Milieu des Ruines which was translated from French. Actually, I am not so sure the original zine's name. I can be wrong.

This issue only features interviews. No reviews or articles. The interviews is long and informative covering bands from the black metal genre. Intresting read indeed. It does not talks about music only but also on social, political issues. At the end of the interview, the editor put some info on which issue that interview was originally featured.

The layout is just a normal 2 columns per page with background image or just plain black background and printed in glossy paper. I really like those black background/white text (as I mentioned many times before). Its looks simple but nice. Pages are also numbered and with table of content is present.

To quote in one interview, in 2015 label can still sell on average 1000 - 5000 copies physical formats. I wonder whats the number now in 2021. Dagon of Inquisition cleared up the air on the NS-thingy (Inquisition interview is a very long one).

Contact
thepastisalive at gmail dot com
http://thepastisalive.free.fr
https://thepastisalive.bigcartel.com/

Carbonized Cells #2 (March 2011)

Carbonized Cells #2 (March 2011)

26 pg, A4, xerox, English

Interviews

Abnorm, Hellish Crossfire, Terror From Hell Records, Orator, Violator, Christicide, Massacra, Graveless, Milovan Novakovic

Gig Report

Hell's Pleasure Metal Fest

The zine said, "Still Dedicated to Underground & Extreme Music". Please continue. Don't stop!

The zine is in cut n paste style using typewriter font type with frame artwork. The texts are arrange in 2 columns per page. Excellent use of space. 

The reviews covers all format (audio & zine) in one section called "Reviews From Hell". They are not alphabetically arranged and not rated. Not much to be read here. Just 2 page.

2010 Best Album is honoured with a review on the same page as the editorial page. For Carbonized Cells, it is Agalloch's 'Marrow of the Spirit'.

E-mail

carbonizedju (a) gmail.com

Web

http://carbonizedcells.blogspot.com/

Tough Riffs #5 (December 2017)

Tough Riffs #5 (December 2017)

English, pro-printed, A4, 52pgs

Interviews

Suffocation, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Protector, Blood Incantation, Brutality, Internal Bleeding, TON, Dead Infection, Deranged, Pungent Stench, Gorguts, Cardiac Arrest, 

And 5 months later out issue #5. That is fast! 5 pages of news, the same style like #4. The bands & zine write about their latest projects and shown here in their own words.

No comment on the interviews. Just OK for me. Those are quite well-known names in the scene.

This issue might still be available from Schattenmanns Publishing.

Web

https://web.facebook.com/toughriffs

To order

schattenmanns.wordpress.com

Tough Riffs #4 (July 2017)

Tough Riffs #4 (July 2017)

English, pro-printed, A4, 52pgs

Interviews

Autopsy, Immolation, Wombbath, Ceremony,  Putrid Pile, Undergang, Carnal Tomb, Obituary, Rude, Corinne Van Den Brand, Brodequin, Deicide, Skeletal Remains, Beheaded, Church Disgust

This issue presented some changes in the layout. Instead of the normal MS Word columns, now they used cut n paste format with that classic font type. Font size still big to my liking. This issue is also thicker, gluebind type. The pages are not numbered but have table of content.

At the top of the page, they only put the name person interviewed. No band names anymore like issue #3.

News section is at the last page. The bands here give updates about their latest projects. This is original. First time seeing this.

That Beheaded logo looks like Langsuir old logo.

The artwork they used for the front cover is great. Actually, if you look at all the issues, they are all great.

Web

https://web.facebook.com/toughriffs

Tough Riffs #2 (2016)

Tough Riffs #2 (2016)

English, pro-printed, A4, 48pgs

Interviews

Malignancy, Prophecy, Creepmime, Nervous Impulse, Dehuman, Pestilence, Kraanium, Master, Blood, Misery Index, Morta Skuld, Ossuary, Morgue, Extinctionist, Burial Ritual, Cerebral Effusion

This is my first introduction to this zine.

Glossy printed, published by Schattenmanns Publishing. Quite professional on the layout. The pages are numbered, have Table of Content, colored photos. The font size is quite huge though. 3 columns per page with background picture.

The zine put the name of the band & person interviewed at the top of the page. So you know who is being interviewed.

No review though.

You can find more pictures here:

https://schattenmanns.wordpress.com/2016/09/17/__trashed/

Editor

Dima Andreyuk

Email

toughriffs at gmail dot com

Web

https://web.facebook.com/toughriffs

To order

schattenmanns.wordpress.com

Burning Churches #9 (2012)

Burning Churches #9 (2012)

32pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview

Crown Ov Horns, Hekseri, Black Torment, Quintessence, Imperial Tyrants, Manzer, Wartillery, Sigh, Bestial Hordes

I miss out issue #8. I hope I can find one soon to fill the gap. This issue differs a bit because it starts with DVD reviews. The layouts are pretty much the same. The pages are not numbered but there is a table of content. The reviews are longer this time but they are still not rated.

This issue is called "The Cursed Issue" because some of the bands cancel the interview after they agree to be interviewed in the first place. I experienced this few times in the past but personally this is better than the bands that are keeping themselves in silence after getting the interview, not knowing whether they will reply or not. Even worse, not replying when we ask about the interview. Suddenly I remembered that 'Fuck Off' list that Sangwitok or Metalwarpage did. 

It is amazing to know Sigh still answer fanzine. I thought they are a bit mainstream lately. Can't remember how many times I saw Mirai & Dr. Mikannibal in Terrorizer or Metal Hammer. You know, the zine still keep it tradition by having the band's discography and Sigh is probably the longest one ever in the zine history.

Burning Churches #7 (2010)

Burning Churches #7 (2010)

36pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview

Apparition, Pest, Assaulter, Warfield, Sad Legend, Metraliator, Sonillon, Annthennath, Funeral In Heaven, Unlight Dawn, Martydom, Tormentress

So here is another issue with good selection of bands. The layouts are the same like previous issues. The first questions always about the history of the band. It is a boring one it seems for some the bands but most of the bands are quite obscure especially for European metalheads so you shouldn't be complaining. The end of the interview always has discography of the band.

Burning Churches is among the few non-Malaysia zine that I keep following since the beginning of BloodstainedVision. Besides having the cool front cover concept, they also feature some obscure bands.

Snakepit #17 (2008)

Snakepit #17 (2008)

112 pg, A4, pro-printed, English

Interview

Exciter, Beehler, Sortilege, Backwater, Assassin, Ruthless, Leviathan, Fatal Violence, Death (with Erik Meade), Burner, Trial, Commander, Bat Attack, Devastation, Overkill, Mayhem (US), Evil, Enforcer, Hammeron, Rainforest, Slayer (SA), Riot, Karion 

My first Snakepit. Been reading a lot of good words on this publication and now able to witness it myself. The editor  Laurent Ramadier and other writers such as Frank Stover, Eddy Vermeiren (Bel) and Malcolm MacMillan (UK) sure have lot of knowledge on the bands.

The layouts are very simple 3 columns per page. Pictures are very small too, sized just enough to fit in 1 column. There is table of content and the bands are arranged in alphabetical order, not by sequence of appearance in the magazine. Not much praised can be made on the layout. Very dull I must say. 

However if you look at the interview, they are very in-depth. The questions are quite detailed and very long. They cover anything music-related regarding the bands and its member. Sometimes answered by 2 or more band members and all of the answers are very detail and long too. Patience needed because not much graphic here just pure text madness which can put you to sleep. Reading the interview, it is amazing to find out that some 'bad blood' still prevails after 20 years or more. Whatever happens back then surely left a big and deep 'scar' in some people heart. The interviews often ended with discography at the end of the interview.

The reviews are rated out of 10 with 10 is the highest (Hirax EP got 10). The reviews covers audio/music formats and they are clearly identified and grouped together (Album & EP, Re-release and Demos).

If not mistaken this is printed by NWN and also comes with a 7"EP. I think its true looking at the quality of the printing, etc.

Contact

c/o Laurent Ramadier

La Calloterie

72210 Voivres Les Le Mans

France

E-mail

snakepit2(a)free(.)fr

Web

truemetal.org/snakepit

Exh Goetie #1 (2008)

Exh Goetie #1 (2008)

8pg, A5, xerox, English/French

I hope the artwork portray what it supposed to portray because I think the goat's face looks funny.

This is a newsletter, made in cut n paste layout style. Consist of info on the releases of Exh Goetie and their mailorder list and it also presented some reviews of their releases taken from other zine. The is also a gig report in French. Very rare to see this kind of publication these day.

I sent an email asking for their latest distro list (I got their distro flyers before I got this newsletter) but they didn't reply. I don't remember who sent this newsletter but thanks for giving me one.

Contact
c/o David Lafaye
7 Ch. De La Saudiere
69380 Lissieu
France

E-mail
goetiedistro at aol dot com

Barb Wire #1 (2009)

Barbwire #1 (2009)

119pg, A5, pro-printed, English

Interview

Lantern, Morbius, Stargazer, Martial Barrage, Mefitic, Inkisitor, Grima Morstua

I bought this from Afterlife Prod long time ago. Thanks goodness I bought this because this is very unusual looking metal fanzine in terms of layout. At a glance, it looks like my final year thesis when I did my degree in 2003. It is bind like a book and so does the font, layout and the text indentation.

The content? The content separated to 6 chapters with each chapter consists of 1 interview except for Morbius/Stargazer (for this interview, the creatively arranged Morbius on page with even number and Stargazer on odd number. I think this is a bit hard to do in computer even with the same questions being asked). Before that, there is an introduction that took 1 full page of the zine.

Barbwire have table of content, pages are numbered and printed in glossy paper.

No review though.

A little bit more about the questions, they barely touch about the band. The questions foucsing more on music and on various subjects which make it quite interesting

There are also some quotes from some famous people but not in my interest (probably because I am not a good book reader)

No contact address can be found in the zine but luckily I got their flyer later from someone and got to know their email address and country of origin.

Interesting zine I must say, looking forward for the next issue.

E-mail:

Barbwire at gmail dot com

Bestial Avenger #2 - Into the Void

Bestial Avenger #2 - Into the Void

92pg, A5, xerox, English

This great DIY comic continues. This issue starts at where they stop last time, arriving at the doomsday fest. There is an interview session with the mighty Pentagram. Is this happening in real life (and later drawn for this project)? And that crazy Japanese dude too? Those were some of the hilarious part in this issue.

Pentagram have a broken bass guitar, they offered them to borrow theirs. Later on their van broke down and Pentagram offered them a lift and they travelled together in the same van to the next venue. Bobby Liebling becomes their roadie/gig crew and the next gig and that shocked those people there.

The story ended when they arrived at Thirsty Club, still closed. Now I want #3!

This issue also available for download.

While reading this comic, I remembered one underground comic project here in Malaysia, called "Under One Flag" (if not mistaken) released in mid 1990's. It’s a comic project with editor of Obscure People zine and few others. The story is about metal and underground music fans. Anyone here remember this? Wondering where is Borg now.

Bestial Avenger #1 - No Sleep 'till Doomsday

Bestial Avenger #1 - No Sleep 'till Doomsday

52pg, A5, xerox, English

Metal-themed comics is something I rarely see. There's none of this kind of project that I know off. This comic is made by Nagawika. The story is about a 2-piece doom band called Bestial Avenger and their journey in the scene. With a drummer and lady named Sima as the guitar/vox. Interesting story and at times hilarious too. Not sure if the drawing resemble anyone in the real world except the well-known metal 'personalities' I assumed. There is a scene where the audience start making fun of the band and asking for Nirvana song when they saw Sima on stage. Once this band starts to play, they blew the place with their music. The fun continues afterwards. This issue ended when they arrived at The Doomsday Fest.

Good drawing with excellent xerox quality. This comic is issued by SataniCat Comics is a sub-division of Forgotten Wisdom Production (FWP) dedicated to Metal minded comics.

Last time I checked, the entire issue can be viewed online. Check that out. If interested to buy a copy can get this at FWP.

E-mail
bestialavenger@wanadoo.fr

Web
www.myspace.com/bestialavenger
www.facebook.com/pages/BESTIAL-AVENGER/90736372973?fref=ts

Ignominious Torments #3 (2010)

Ignominious Torments #3 (2010)
60 pg, A5, xerox, English

Interview
Affliction Gate, Dead Congregation, Ignivomous, Slugathor, Wintergewitter, Mefitic, Legion of Torture Zine, Denial, Anal Vomit, Daniel Ekeroth

Looks like it become a norm for me to upload the review after the new issue has been released to the underground. It's not intentional though. This is my first issue of this zine. As usual, I will flip through all the pages before start reading them. One thing that caught my attention is "Flyer of The Year" section. Great idea! Forgotten Wisdom Prod won for this issue. The flyer shows a guy pissing and with the words 'Pissing On trendies Since 1999' on it. Hope they can make this again in the next issue although flyers are almost extinct now. I'm referring to printed flyers though but I guess there are thousands of 'digital' flyers in facebook, myspace, etc can be used as well for this section.

The layout of this zine is in cut & paste style with the texts is arranged in two columns per page. The pages are not numbered and no table of content. Different font types are used for the interviews and for the reviews. I noticed more DM bands here but the editor stated he didn't limit the zine to specific style. It is only coincidence that this issue happens to have more bands of certain type of music. The review section, this zine covered both audio & print formats. The album reviews are in alphabetical order and they are not rated. It also didn’t specify the format (CD or LP) in the reviews. However these are minor issue for me. The reviews are quite detail. There are also demo, split releases, re-issues and also zine reviews. The reviews are quite long including zine review (French zine are reviewed in French though). This zine also have their own section of old school stuff named "From The Crypt of Past" which reviews Adramelech's Psychostasia. You can also find well-written article like “Fanzines, Ideology and Freedom of Speech” and also on Hellfest-controversy.

New issue already out now and possibly this issue already sold-out now. Contact the editor and ask for ordering details.

Contact
c/o Hadrien BRAULT,
2 allee du sentier,
45560 Saint Denis en Val
France

E-mail
ignominious.torments[a]gmail[.]com

Ave Satan #1 (2010)

Ave Satan #1 (2010)
40 pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview
Prosanctus Inferi, Mantak, Ex-Inferiis, Deiphago, Chaos Baphomet, Trench Hell, Demon Throne, Pek, Almighty Sathanas, Necrovomit, Black Grail, Witchtomb, Embraced of Thorns, Denounce Pyre

Good debut issue. The editor choses cut n paste style (with no table of content and no page number), or can also be called 'tear and paste' because you can the paper are being tear which is quite original. Big size zine in cut n paste do look great especially when the xerox quality is excellent! The zine have no editorial section, it starts directly with zine reviews. Black Grail is the longest interview here. Trench Hell's interview looks like "unfinished" or maybe it is a complete interview but with no 'last word'. Embrace of Thorns interview is a bit hard to read for those having eyesight problem. Actually the interviews are all good. Interesting questions are asked which cover various topics, not just on the band's releases and their activities. Just sometime the arrangement of text is quite strange but I take that as puzzle game (I have to match or search which piece of paper that supposed to have the answer to the question. I think I have connected them right) which is quite fun.

Reviews (zine and vinly) are not grouped in one section. You will see some reviews after the interview. Some reviews start with French and some are in full French language. There is also a review of Mantak's Diabolical Psycholust LP which is released by the editor's @ Alexandre's label, Chalice of Blood Angel.

There's a pin-up poster of Necroholocaust on the centre spread page but not on separate sheet. It is a pity I can put them on my wall. I don’t want to damage the zine since are there interview of Almighty Sathanas in both backside of the paper.

I found email of Hail to Cruelty (some band made a short scene report in the interview with email addresses) but it's not working.

This is limited to 200 copies and not hand-numbered. No contact address written but it is available from Chalice of Blood Angel Production (of course!).

Web
www.chaliceofbloodangel.com

Putrefactive Effect #2 (2006)

Putrefactive Effect #2 (2006)
52 pg, A4, xerox, English/French

Interview
Nerlich, Hellspirit, Disgust, Valuatir, Necrodeath, Harkonin/Eulogy, Suffering Silence, Underneath, Withdrawn, No Hand Path, Necrotick Flesh, Mortal Decay, Flesh, Abantesma, Hysteria

Excellent xerox quality on thick paper. Pages are numbered ('Putrid 1, Putrid 2' and so on) but no TOC. No waste of space because flyers is used to fill them up and they are nicely arranged. Layout-wise, some cut n paste style but mostly done using computer with some pages used background image. On 1 interview with black text on dark background (is that Diego Maradona?) that is a bit hard to read but good thing is it is in a language I don’t understand. For some reason, Mortal Decay interview are numbered, start with 20 and ends with 1. I thought it was a typo error at first. Most of the content are in English but gig report are in French. Reviews only cover audio stuff and not rated but got detail on year, number of tracks, length and label. Quite an effort there! I bought this zine from some distro. Unfortunately no contact address written in the zine.

Burning Churches #6 (2009)

Burning Churches #6 (2009)
32 pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview
Baalberith, Occidens, Absu, Ares Kingdom, Exciter, Negura Bunget, Hellward, Arphaxat, Witchtrap, Unleashed, Trench Hell, Zygoatsis

Another new issue. It just look the same like the previous one. Please read my review on the previous issues.

Some quote from the editorial, "Burning Churches is at war with people who think they know how a zine should look..". I assumed he got some comments on his zine which is good that some people care to give some comment.

Commenting on that, until this review is up, I have never informed any of editors (except from Malaysia) that I have reviewed them. Most of them said "fuck webzine" in their zine anyway so I'm afraid hehe.

I never wanted to "teach" editor how a zine should look like. I just trying to describe to zine and my reading experience. Have never asked editor to "change this, do that". Most importantly, I wanted to support the distros (and the editors too) selling the zine as and reading real underground music.

I salute BC for featuring extreme bands from Asia. Hail!

Still no zine review.

Burning Churches #5 (2008)

Burning Churches #5 (2008)
28 pg, A4, xerox, English

InterviewAbigor, Crucified Mortals, Terror Squad, Envenom, Sael, Maniak, Ululate, Sodomizer, Dark Mystery, Fastkill

Another issue in the same year? That's fast! Again same layout, interview style, etc, etc. "Love it or hate it", some people might say that. Font size reduced so you can read even more reviews now. Only audio & dvd though, no zine.

Burning Churches #4 (2008)

Burning Churches #4 (2008)
32 pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview
Kamphar, Nuit Noire, Barbatos, The Meads of Asphodel, Rotting Christ, Church Bizarre, Asmodee, Chainsaw, Balmog, Wrust

Seigneur release another issue after 2 years gap. Not much have changed, looks almost exactly like #3. The layout is the same and so does the questions.

They have this 'tradition' by putting contact address and discography at the end of interview but I wonder why they are not doing it for Wrust (from Botswana!).

More review this time but no zine review. I think the way he made the back cover (with logo of the bands interviewed) is quite cool. Ofcourse the concept used for every front cover of this zine is much much better (sorry, some I have to censored a bit. I dont want to violate Blogger rules).