Virus #7 (2011)

Virus #7 (2011)

52pg, A4, xerox, English

Interview
Insulters, Deathroner, Anal Vomit, Sekhmet, *Iron Skull, Witching Hour, Thorns Of Hate, Battlestorm, Sakrilege, Lobotomy, Saktism, Nocturnal, Torture Throne

Bio
Hellstorm, Atomicdeath

"The 7th Black Magic", the title for this seventh issue. Fauzi have stopped using blue inked stamp which is sad new for me. It's already Virus 'zine tradition that reader will expect in every issue. I'm also not fond of using different color paper other than white for a xerox zine for the front cover. Black & white is the only way for zine. Layout-wise, pretty much the like the previous issue with border/frame artwork with some pages are made in cut n' paste style. The xerox or photocopy are OK but not at excellent quality. I don't understand why some drawings/artwork are censored but anyway, must be a good reason for that for example avoiding 'interrogation' with the lady at the photocopy shop (the only one reason I can think off hehe).

This issue also features a tribute, this time for SLAYER. Now you can see the relation with the "The 7th Black Magic". Doing the Slayer tribute on 'landscape' layout is not a good idea in my opinion. It is better made it all in 'portrait' like the rest of the content but then the number of pages might increase another 10 page. Anyway the content is what matter the most, right? I guess if you have lot of time surfing the internet, you can read all of them but for me, reading this in a printed zine like this suit me just fine. Too many to be read here since the fonts have been reduced to much smaller size than usual you read in A5 size zine. They can torture your eyes. The editor also compiled what 'metal celebrities' (that's my term hehe. In other words, well-known metalhead in the scene) opinions on Slayer.

Other contents in this issue beside the usual interviews (Battlestorm gave the great answers! I like the demo and split tape issued by Deathrash Armageddon) and reviews (in audio section the tapes & CDs are not separated between the format and not rated and not arranged in alphabetical order. The fanzine reviews also not rated).

There is one gig report here; Impiety in Kota Kinabalu. It seems like now bands with the status like Impiety are having KK in their tour list, not just KL anymore. That's good new for East Malaysian scene. Great scene you have there!


Beside the usual contents, the editor made "In Memorium Grave"; review of old Malaysian releases. Also includes info on the line-up for the recording. Great feature! A flash back for me. Those tapes are long gone from my collection.
Some copies of the zine might be available for sales. For metalhead from Malaysia, also ask about his distro lists that include some good fanzines.

*interview contributed by Perantaraan Zine

Contact
c/o Fauzi
virus_zine@yahoo.com

Morbid Noise #9 (2003)

Morbid Noise #9 (2003)

48 pg, pro-print, Indonesian

Interview
Fermento, Brodequin, Wicked Innocence, Cephalic Carnage, Spinecast, Damnable, Psychoroptic

I did mentioned somewhere in this website (or blog, whatever you want to call it) that I don't review every issue of a publication released on monthly basis. I think I can make some exception if there is something new to talk about. This time around the magazine is more 'open-minded' (no more censoring pictures that shows nudity which I didn't mention in the previous review).

There are some changes on the layout. They removed the line between the columns and reduced the font size. It looks better now especially the new font size.

I notice there is a Metal Crossword and Morbid Letter in this issue which I think you can guess what they are. No need for me to explain that here. Other 'morbid' content are similar like in the previous issue. The 'Morbid Angel' section this time features Lena Soraya Watulingas.

This issue come with free sticker & Six Feet Under poster. I don't have the CD sampler. It is mentioned in the previous issue but I'm not sure whether it was release at all since I got this from a trade. Anyway, the magazine is much more important.

At the moment, I still have these 2 issues. Interested to trade? Drop me an email.

Abgrundjabokiz - Ainaz MMVII

Abgrundjabokiz - Ainaz MMVII

80pg, A5, xerox, English

This booklet published by Anti-Cosmic Männerbund Abgrundjaskalkaz (non-political religious esoteric society). You can probably google that if want to know more about them. I was lucky to have this by trade.

The book have 3 chapters:
1) Wolves and Werewolves in Germanic Tradition
2) Prehistory a Golden Age?
3) The swastika and sauvastika in Germanic tradition

Probably after complete reading this, it can help me to understand some of the interviews in Doomsday Testament 'zine (review of this zine will be uploaded later). I must admit the one on swastika/sauvastika is really enlightening. There are lots of pictures so it keeps me awake in my reading session.

This booklet or Abgrundjaskalkaz is not connected to National Socialist. There is an article explaining this in Scythe of Death website. I found out later Scythe of Death is the distributor of publications issued by Abgrundjaskalkaz. To obtain a copy, please go the label's website.

Scythe of Death Productions
http://www.scytheofdeath.org

Psychomantium #2 (2000)

Psychomantium #2 (2000)

60 pg, A5, pro-print, English

Interview
Tales of The Macabre Mag, Enthroned, Denial Of God, Impiety, Aeternus, Anasarca, Grief, Secrets of The Moon, Kaamos

A second-hand zine I bought from some zine editor. If you have any zine to sell (used or new) just drop me an email. For the older issues, if the price is right I will buy it. Back to this zine, it reminds me of local zine like Thy Unholy Abyss that use electric typewriter. Psychomantium uses font type that looks similar to that. The layout is simple but looks great, using only 1 column per page for the interviews. They use the space in the paper to its maximum. You can see only few millimeters of free space at the edge of every page. Almost every page has pictures so this will kill the boredom you might feel when reading too many texts. They also put page number and table of content. Only for the review section (3 columns per page for "Vinyl Butchery", "CD" and 2 columns for "Demo & Tape") which I think the columns are too close with each other.

About the content, there is a small section for news, tablatures for 'Lunatic Gods's Creation' from Deicide and a tribute section; "A Tribute to Desecrating Metal", a tribute to old bands namely Blasphemy, Beherit & Mystifier. There is also a section called Playergirl: Entertained Women, which features some news of women in metal bands and also interview (interview with Aeternus's Morrigan is for this section). The reviews are arranged in alphabetical order and not rated. Some reviews with logo while some have the front cover.

There are contact addresses in this zine but due to my bad handwriting, I can't read what I've wrote (already traded this zine with someone). Anyway, I found an outdated Facebook page. There's a note there, "Psychomantium Zine is not dead but shaking in its sleep. The Awakening is soon to come." This is one of the good half-sized pro-printed zine I read for quite some time. I'm waiting for Hellios, Salva, Carol & Aleydis to start 'the awakening'.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Psychomantium-Zine/83888805681

Metal Havoc Zine

Check out Metal Havoc zine from Philippines.

We got a copy of the latest issue #6 from Oldgoat Corpse Distro (Malaysia).
Those interested to get the zine and also stuff from Paganfire, check out the web for ordering details:

http://metalhavocproductions.blogspot.com

Bands, labels, etc, you can send your promo pack to the address below.

Not necessary to send original copies, compiled releases on home-dubbed tape or CDr will do.

All items sent and traded will be reviewed in the zine.

Contact address:
Alvaro Martin Jr
83 Tugatog st. Bagong Barrio Caloocan City
1400 Philippines

Zillghayyb #3

Zillghayb #3

66pg, A4, xerox, Malay

Interview
Perantaraan Zine, Deadhead Zine, Kemenyan Zine, Sangwitok Zine, Rantau Metal Zine

A zine featuring zine editors only. Great! This is the first so far after I (re)start buying zine. I did not experience the days when zine are hand-written. At the time I came into the scene in mid 90's, zine editors already using type writer. So this zine could be the first hand-written zine I got. But using this style now might look odd, isn't it? Anyway, kudos to the hard work of writing them in 'old scripture' font type page by page and with the letter t written upside down.

The zine starts with "Black List" which is their name for news section just like other zine. Interviews are with local zine editors and reviews are also 'zine only'. The reviews are not alphabetically arranged and not rated. Some zine did not get a good review but still get the chance to be interviewed in this issue. Oh well, how many active editors left in Malaysia anyway so I guess the zine can be forgiven in this aspect.

Although the content is a good read especially since it is written in Malay but it looks very dull to be honest. The layout is not cut and paste but page-by-page handwriting and lacking frame/border artwork. I find it awkward because the editor is good in doing artwork. A bit of artworks plus with the hand writings I think it will be a killer issue! By the way the pages are numbered but no table of content.

This zine is given free to anyone requesting it although I offer to pay for a copy. So it took a while for it to arrive in mailbox and that is in 2010. Only two years later after I got the zine the review come out in this website.

For those planning to contact the editor, please send my regards to him. No email, only the snail-mail way.

Contact
c/o Yahya
20 Lorong 7,
Kg. Warisan 2,
89357 Inanam,
Sabah,
Malaysia.

Morbid Noise #8 (2003)

Morbid Noise #8 (2003)

48 pg, pro-print, Indonesian

Interview
Traumatism, Inhumate, Gods Of Emptiness, Pyamia, Vrykolakas, Bastard Saints, Atavism, My Self Am Hell, Mental Abberation, Dalmation Records, Gerilyawati Bawah Tanah

The first issue was released as xerox format zine in 1997. Then it became a monthly publication. That is what the ambition initially but magazine ceased to exist since 2006 (at issue #11). I got few issues from a trade. Some info that I know if not mistaken, the editor is a member of the death metal band TRAUMA, the Indonesian one ofcourse and also run a label called Morbid Noise Production. The band and the label still exist active.

The layout of the magazine is simple; 3 columns per page for the interviews but the size of the fonts are quite big. There are some obvious typo error which is hard to ignore since it is written big at top of the page. The review section have much better layout as you can see from the picture above.

About the content, every thing are 'morbid' here;
Morbid Profile (band bio. There are plenty of them here),
Morbid Classic (article on classic albums),
Morbid News (also a lot of news. As oppose to most mag/zine which put the news at front pages, they put it at the back),
articles (Music Extrim Untuk Berpola Fikir Maju),
cartoons and some advise ('Stop Terrorism', 'Stop Racism', etc). Beside Morbid News, there are also "Flash News" whereever there are empty spaces in the magazine.
The review section only covered CD format and zine only. The reviews are not arranged in alphabetical order and not rated.

There is also a section for female in underground called 'Morbid Angel'. In this issue only have one interview with a lady named Titie. I'm not being a sexist here but honestly, it is not important to have this section in the magazine.

They also give free full color poster & (bands circa mid to late 90's). It is also mentioned in the magazine from issue 9 onwards will come with a CD sampler.

The language use is understandable for a Malay like me unlike Arus Bawah. It's great to have this kind of professional magazine covering the local extreme metal scene.

There are some infos available from Morbid Noise Facebook page. Check it out the photo album:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.341933142512340.79671.335843496454638&type=3
If you can't access this, try searching for Morbid Noise Production in Facebook.