VIBRATIONS OF DOOM MAGAZINE
ISSUE #7
BY: STEVEN CANNON
Welcome back! Yes, this little publication is now a three month rag, give or
take a few weeks. Actually, the actual release date will depend on the
completion of certain deadlines, not the least of which being interviews.
Don't forget, if you have an Internet account, you can get your own copy of
Vibrations of Doom mailed right to your computer! The address here is
ax487@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu. And while I don't live in Colorado, I do have
access to their freenet board. If you want to send me stuff, my snail mail
address is:
Vibrations of Doom magazine
c/o Steven Cannon
1133 East 53rd Street
Savannah, GA 31404 USA
I am unable to mail out digitized samples to users over the Internet, mainly
due to the fact that most samples are well over 300k and take forever at 1200
baud. Yes, I do have 2400 baud but the local Peachnet servers only handle 1200
baud. In case some of you are lost, basically, they only support slow modems.
The only place right now where digitized samples can be found is the E-Pages
BBS. The numbers for the E-pages BBS are: Line 1 (912)-927-4857 High speed
port, Line 2 (912)-927-4825, Line 3 (912)-927-6428 and they also have a new
line (912)-927-6807.
Special thanks list is found at the end of this 'zine.
We are trying to get Telnet access so that we can network with many systems,
one of these being the Cyberden BBS out in California. Unfortunately, it costs
$50 US per year, so we need your help! We are currently accepting donations,
please send to the address above. We want to thank you for your support, and
all contributions will be used to help support the magazine. Once we have
telnet access (which will be obtained through the Prairienet freenet) we may be
able to offer digitized sound files to a greater area other than the E-pages
BBS.
We still need your letters, comments, concert reviews, and whatever else you
can send us. (I get tired of doing all the writing myself.) So, mail us yer
info at the Email address above, or drop us a line! We can't do a letters page
if we don't get no damn letters!
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RECORD REVIEWS:
APHEX TWIN "Selected Ambient Works Volume II" (Sire)
Overall, this is NOT what I expected. Most tracks are without drum beats, very
repetitive, and quite disastrous in content. The first tracks on each disc (a
2 CD set) start out nice enough, but there's not enough substance here to
warrant further listenings. Some tracks are perfect relaxation ambient pieces,
but those tracks are very few and far between. To make matters worse, there are
23 songs, but no song titles! In other words, you have no idea what you are
listening to! I must say that while I like ambient music, some of the tracks do
NOT fit the picture I had of ambient music, some tracks sound a bit harsh and
even were very annoying. Gave me quite a headache, too, as I was listening to
this disc at about 4 in the morning. It's hard to believe that the man
responsible for this is also the mastermind behind AFX and Polygon Window.
VISCERAL EVISCERATION "Incessant Desire for Palatable Flesh" (Napalm Records)
Man, I got this disc in the mail and I thought, great. Another Cannibal Corpse.
Well, in a way I was right but I was extremely surprised by the style of music
displayed! Described as "depressive, doom metal" is only one way to look at it!
The songs are truly sick, though, in lyrical content. (Along the lines of
hacking up women and eating them, and descriptive images of bizarre sexual
acts) The songs are orchestrated quite beautifully, using flutes, female
operetta style vocals, even the male vocalist does not growl all the time, and
even when he does, it is still not as brutal as other death bands. The only
thing really brutal here are the lyrics! Very well written, not at all what I
expected to hear! One major problem is that most of the songs clock in at well
over 5 minutes apiece, there are 9, 8 and even 12 minute songs. But, musically
it was very enjoyable. It just got to be a bit too much when the lyrics
mentioned hacking up pregnant women and killing their babies. Then again, what
do you expect to come from Austria, the home to another sick band known as
Pungent Stench.
VINYL BLAIR "Horsework" (Hard Hands)
This is some very good danceable techno. The two tracks that grace this CD,
"Horsework" and "Dope," have very good strong beats, a nice atmospheric
soundtrack, and make excellent use of acid/trance sounds. The sampling of a
horse's neighing adds an unusually eerie feel to the track "Horsework," while
there are some funny samples present in the track "Dope." This is a follow up
release to their "Scratch 'n' Sniff/The Trancespotter" EP of last year. I
definitely look forward to hearing more from this band, and hope I can get a
copy of the CD for our local club!
THEE HEADCOATS "Headcoatitude" (Get Hip Records)
Gold old fashioned rock and roll with a very bizarre sense of humor! Dubbed
"The English gentlemen of Rock and Roll," these boys look like they just
stepped out of a Sherlock Holmes movie! Musically, however, it's pretty
original, except for the "Girl, you really got me going" riffs they use in
a few songs. There is nice use of harmonica and Dylan-esque style prose on
"My Dear Watson," and they utilize different styles of rock, everything from
the Beatles ("Troubled Times") to bluesy folk rock ("By Hook or by Crook.")
Very refreshing, however sometimes the voice wears a little thin. The lyrics,
however, should get you laughing and of course if you're in a rather evil mood,
there's always the creepy "Hog's Jaw." Very nicely done, classic rock with a
twist!
NEGLECT "End It!" (We Bite Records)
Wow. I've never heard a more pissed off, fed up bunch of people in my life! At
the time I was listening to this, I was going through some personal trauma (and
I mean trauma in the worst way!) These boys definitely pulled me out of it
with their 5 song EP. This is ultra brutal hardcore, and when they put a
parental advisory sticker on this one, they mean it! The lyrics are presented
from a point of view of one who is fed up with the way life is, sick of all the
injustice and hatred in the world. The guitars wail and rip right through the
speakers with hatred and disgust. Every note is crafted in a thick wall of
blistering hardcore. The song "Dig It" is a perfect example of what I'm talking
about: "I'm living my term in hell, that's all I can see I'm not wasting my
life, my life is wasting me." Very serious, as most hardcore lyrics go, but
musically this is quite impressive. I took a liking to this instantly, and if
you're sick and tired of life's garbage, pop this in and work those
frustrations out!
MASQUERADE "Surface of Pain" (Empire Records)
The latest entry into the hard rock/heavy metal sweepstakes is Masquerade,
another brilliant signing by the same label responsible for the band Talisman.
And what a release! I haven't heard such powerful riffs in a hard rock album
in quite some time, though there are some mellow passages and a very smooth,
melodic voice present in one Tony Yoanson. There are so many good songs on this
album, I don't know where to start! The track "America" is probably their
heaviest, dealing with the injustices we face in this country. Even the few
songs I didn't care for much had good riffs and amazingly intricate solos.
There is a jew's harp being played in "God of Man," and a nice acoustical
number called "Free my Mind." Lyrics are very well written and deal with both
spiritual and political subjects, they even deal with emotions and feelings;
a very good range of topics. One of the most powerful releases this year,
unfortunately, it will probably go all but unnoticed over here in the States.
REYES "No Escape" 12 inch (XVS Records/KNOR Records)
DAMN! This style of brutal fast, hardcore techno is very intoxicating! The
three songs presented here from Netherlands based XSV Records (You probably
remember the review I did of their compilation CD last issue featuring this
artist) are a bit faster than what you'd find in most clubs (especially the
ones in Savannah) but still quite brutal. "No Escape" is the best track here,
utilizing a brutal repetition of the line "No one will escape the sounds of
Reyes." As if we'd want to! There is a rushing air noise to complement this
song, and quite wicked electro noises thrown throughout. The other tracks are
quite good in their own right, "Instromedia" has an unrelenting bass attack
that just don't quit, and "Welcome to the Past" is a bit trancier, but still
heavy! Yet another winner from XSV Records, this stuff revolutionizes techno as
we know it today! All you D.J.'s are wimps if ya don't rotate this disc
regularly!
VAMPIRE RODENTS "Lullaby Land" (Re-constriction Records)
This disc has some of the wierdest arrangements for industrial music I have
ever seen. The guitars are nice and crunchy, and the drum beats are your usual,
but there is strange use of chello, violin, horn and other orchestral
instruments. Many times the vocals are very strange and don't seem to fit the
music. However, the song "Catacomb" and "Dervish" make good combination of
vocal and instrumentation. Jared Handrickson of Chemlab guests as vocalist and
lyric writer on the song "Lullaby Land" and Dan Gatto of Babyland does lyrics
and vocals for "Trilobite" and "Nosedive." Very different from other industrial
bands, it is very bizarre, however the use of orchestration and also the
complex time changes within each song (sometimes changing rhythm in the middle
of the song!) keep this interesting for awhile. The vocals and instrumentation,
however, may turn some off. One of the most unusual industrial releases this
year!
DAS ICH "Stigma" (Danse Macabre Records)
I had heard that this band was dark gothic, but I hear everything from heavy
industrial dance to dark brooding electro gothic. Very unusual, this 4 track
CD features 3 versions of the song "Von der Armut" and one version of "Der
Schrei." The vocals are sung in German and have a strange, snarling heaviness
to them. The beats are terrifyingly heavy, and the electronic noises come
straight out of the darkest minds this band can conjure up. The extended edit
of "Von der Armut" is easily my favorite, and "Der Schrei" is an okay tune.
Not my favorite release, but it has potential, and has gotten some club airplay
at The Netherworld in Savannah.
ALTER EGO "Alter Ego" (Eye-Q/Harthouse Records)
This band mixes brilliant electro ambient waves with soft, slow beats. The
first track "Soulfree" is a wonderful masterpiece that is very soothing and a
little upbeat, and held my interest for the whole 11 minutes and 55 seconds!
Yes, it's a long song, but definitely the highlight here. The other good songs
are "Nude Restaurant," "Tanks Ahead," and "Undersea Girl." Unfortunately, a few
tracks I didn't like, such as the "Atomic Playground" which has nice use of a
piano, but there isn't much substance to the song. Some of the material seems
like it is missing something, but the above mentioned tracks are still good.
This is intended more for laid back listening than dancing, though "Soulfree"
could be a good club hit. Very atmospheric, very mellow and not a bad release,
however be aware that there are a few bad apples on this tree! Get it for the
song "Soulfree" because this track is definitely a winner, and you'll probably
like some of the other as well.
INTERNAL VOID "Standing on the Sun" (Hellhound/Nuclear Blast Records)
The first of two overseas releases distributed domestically (USA) by Nuclear
Blast show Hellhound's fondness for doom metal. And what a band! The slower
riffs are some of the heaviest I've heard in doom metal yet, and the vocalist
has a very cool style of singing that at times borders on that style signified
by growling death metal bands. The ten songs presented here are ranged from
very slow to mid tempo, the riffs in each song include some nice solos as well.
There are some nice acoustic songs, especially "Eclipsed" and the song "Devil
in Drag" starts out with a nice acoustic intro. Other heavy as hell songs are
"Warhorse," "Unclean Spirit," and "Desolate Cemetary." One of the heavier doom
metal bands that sticks to the true Sabbath sound on the Ozzy era, without
sounding like just another clone.
COUNT RAVEN "Destruction of the Void" (Hellhound/Nuclear Blast Records)
The other record distributed here (see above Internal Void review) is more of
a Sabbath clone than any other. The most amazing thing about this record is
lead singer Dan Fondelius' amazing portrayal of Ozzy Osbourne style singing!
Every note from his voice sounds EXACTLY like Ozzy Osbourne! I've been telling
people that this is Sabbath WAY back before they got signed and they've been
believing me! Anyway, the riffs are very, very slow and sometimes the tuning on
this is way down. There are some cool hippie style lyrics too, presented on
such songs as "Hippies Triumph," "Leaving the Warzone," and "No Ones Hero."
Lots of times the riffs get repetitive, but very slow. Not a bad release, but
at times it may grow a little stale. Not that the songs are bad, however, it's
just that these guys sound more like a doom metal clone. If you have some of
their older albums, you may notice that the lead singer presented on this one
is not the one on their last release.
ORPHANED LAND "Sahara" (Holy Records)
A great death/doom band from Israel is one of the newest signings from French
based Holy Records, and what a band! The style of course is very atmospheric
doom/death more in the style of Tiamat with a very eerie sounding vocalist!
This band incorporates some of the most interesting elements music has to
offer, from arabian guitars and drums to soothing keyboards and ripping
guitars! Also, female vocals are used throughout. Some of the songs, like
"The Sahara's Storm" and "Blessed Be Thy Hate," are pretty long, but what makes
this so interesting is that they craft and weave intricate guitar solos and
atmospheric patterns within each song. The long tracks are not boring either,
as they vary the riffs and structure within each song. Reminds me of a woven
tapestry effect. Anyway, the death style vocals sort of float by you on
melancholic clouds, and the normal style vocals have a rather mysterious
quality to them! Grab this if you get a chance, as these guys have cast a
rather mystic spell on me, and I ain't about to break it!
TIAMAT "Wildhoney" (Century Media Records)
Although this officially isn't due out until November, I was so blown away by
this I had to write about it! Dismissing the rumours that Tiamat had broken up,
this new 10 song CD is very different, very unusual, and even ambient?! Yes,
that's right, there is a fresh approach to this one, after Edlun explains that
all the hatred and scorn over the church and the flawed nature of humanity have
been overdone in their music. This time around there is an even more
atmospheric style to their musicianship, and lots of the emphasis here goes
with the keyboards instead of guitars. Don't get me wrong, if you're into the
style of death and atmosphere (doom just doesn't really sound right with this
band) that Tiamat portrayed on "Astral Sleep" and "Clouds," you will definitely
find solace in the tracks "Whatever That Hurts," "The Ar," and "Gaia," however
Edlund also lets us know that he can sing, and does so on "Do You Dream of Me"
and "A Pocket Sized Sun," though the latter sounds a little thin. And his entry
into ambience is "Planets," which is a beautiful instrumental in the style of
ambient music like Aphex Twin and Orbital. What a wonderful release, and it
proves that there are indeed innovative and original death/doom/atmospheric/
whatever!
WOMBBATH "Lavatory" (Napalm Records)
This 4 track CD EP from Austria based Napalm Records has a funny cover to it.
Displaying a toilet decorated with a bottle of wine, roses, a candle, and
toilet paper draped around it, it makes me wonder whether or not I should take
these guys seriously. One listen to this, gee, how can I even describe this?
Definitely a death metal with funk and thrash attitude, the vocals work well
when displayed in sheer brutality on tracks like "Lies After Cries of Hope"
and "Lavatory Suicide Remains." However, the vocals also have a strange,
Chewbacca'ish quality to them which makes them annoying at times, and on the
track "Descent Into a Maelstrom" they just don't blend well with the fast
paced, funky rhythym. The guitar work is quite ingenious though, showing a
definite progression from death and thrash to intricate solos and well timed
riffs, even a few mellow passages! Musically, they are quite together, but the
vocals sometimes need refining. All in all it's not a bad release. The singer hints at a
rather vicious voice on those last two tracks, and it would be interesting to
see in the future if they capitalize on this more.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE VOLUME II (TVT/Wax Trax Records)
Welp, I must say that as much as I liked the first Artificial Intelligence CD,
this one blows that away! Right from the opener is an unbelievable track by
Mark Franklin titled "Release to the System." This track is very beautiful and
very well done, in fact, most of the tracks presented here are more structured
and more in line with ambient music and actually, now that I think about it,
more danceable. (IE, clubs will probably pick up on this!) The first track, as
I mentioned, has a beautiful atmosphere to it and a wonderful female vocalist
here who doesn't sing, but chants a few words here and there. The other tracks
are quite wonderful in their own right, especially "Symmetry" by Speedy J, not
at all what I expected to hear from this artist. A true masterpiece of light,
ambient techno, the beats here are not too heavy, more of a complement to a
true atmopshere of peace and ambience. A few songs are a little harsher on the
beats, like "Scriptures" by B-52, but still manage to keep the theme of the
disc intact. Yet another winner from the minds at Wax Trax!
SINISTER DANE "Sinister Dane" (Columbia Records)
Yeah! Now THIS is what Fishbone and King's X albums should have sounded like
throughout! From the very first track "48 Months," this band rocks! Sounding
like a cross between the heavier songs King's X, Living Color, and Fishbone
has done, it is a very heavy and funky and soulful release all thrown in
together. The lyrics are very well written also, dealing with everyday topics,
even talking about emotions and strong feelings we all run through on a day to
day basis. The bass riffs pound out rather clearly, the guitar chords kinda
take a back seat to the bass lines, giving more of a funky feel to it, though
on a track like "Stained Glass," we see that these dudes can thrash out too!
I didn't really care for some of the singing on "Absence of Angels," however
the lead singer can get intense and a bit rough with his voice! One of those
bands that I look at and say, "funky with an attitude!"
DEAD WORLD "This Will Hurt Someone" (Nuclear Blast/Relapse)
This band I had to mention here, although this 4 track mini CD is probably a
bit old. Dead World is by far one of THE best Industrial/death combos I have
ever heard. The 4 tracks here, "This Will Hurt Someone," "Paroxysmal Euphoria,"
"The Machine (Edit)," and "Dead World" are among the darkest and heaviest
industrial tunes by far, bar none. The vocals are distorted growls in the same
vein as Soulstorm and Malhavoc (distorted and sounding like a record being run
backwards) and the guitars are slow, crunching and heavy as all hell. The
lyrics are a bit torturous as well, and the overall chaos of this album is just
unreal. My only complaint is that there ain't enough songs on this one, though
a few of the songs (like "Dead World" and "The Machine") appeared on earlier
albums. The most interesting song here is the first one, which utilizes wierd
techno samples and strange use of dance beats.
DARK TRANQUILITY "Skydancer" (Spinefarm Records)
Another Swedish death band. WAIT! Don't let this throw you by any means,
because these guys are one of the best out there! Heavy, guttural vocals are
the specialty of the day around here, but in the midst of all the speed and
chaos, there are some beautiful guitar passages, and not all of them acoustic!
This is death played with a hint of classical guitar riffing! Every song has
some beautifully written riffs in them, mixed with the death style and
sometimes blazing into speed, an excellent example of this is the song "Crimson
Winds." Of course, the acoustic numbers are quite impressive too, like the
track "A Bolt of Blazing Gold." Let it fool you not, for soon these masters of
progressive death soon jump right back into the realm of chaos! A brilliant
masterpiece, and proving that the new wave of "doom/death, beauty and
atmosphere" doesn't have to be stagnant! The guitars here tell the whole story!
DARXTAR "Daybreak" (SBm Sweden)
Attention! People of Earth! Lay down your weapons, and, uh, sorry! Got carried
away, but I do know that from the firts thunderous blast of music from these
psychedelic/space rock pioneers, you'll be forced to endure over 45 minutes of
transcendental harmonic bliss! In the same vein as Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, and
other few and far between space rock pioneers, this Swedish band mixes the
synthesizer sounds Hawkwind made famous with high toned guitars and the
mesmerising voice of an entity known only to us as The Commander. Much smoother
than their debut album "Darker," the passages are more intense and the CD as a
whole flows together with a smooth continuity that allows each song to run into
the other, as a comcept album! Some brilliant guitar work is displayed here,
and sometimes with the music I can actually see myself in certain regions of
their universe. The tracks are a bit long, some of them, but it doesn't detract
from the music any. A great album, one that deserves more attention that it
will get. More info this is in the contact ads and addresses section!
NAKED LUNCH "The Illuminati" (demo)
First advertised over the Internet, Naked Lunch is a rather decent industrial
band that uses many eerie samples and guitar noises over drum beats and a
rather wicked distorted voice. The best track here is "Pathetic Conviction,"
which shows Naked Lunch at their heaviest. Some of the other tracks go a
different approach by actually having the vocalist sing, evident on "My Mind's
Voice." The five tracks presented here show a very unique approach to the
industrial genre, mixing mellow and quiet passages with sudden bursts of chaos.
I like this better the more I listen to it! For more information, see the
contact ads and addresses section!
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INTERVIEWS:
OBITUARY. Interview with Trevor at the Roadrunner office.
Obituary's newest release "Worlds Demise" is out now! One killer record, we can
clearly see the progression these guys have taken since their humble beginnings
as a demo band. Trevor explains: "In 1984 we started out, Donald and myself,
as Xecutioner. Still in high school, we started jamming for fun, and we asked
John to fill in for us after we lost our first singer. We went into the studio
to record some songs, and in 1985 we gained another guitarist named Allen. We
cut a demo tape with two songs, "Find Thee Arise," and "Like the Dead" which
got on a compilation record in 1987. Roadrunner then signed us and we released
our first album in 1989." Three albums later, we have World's Demise, and prior
to that we saw a three track CD entitled "Don't Care," which features two
tracks from Worlds and a brand new track which, as Trevor informs us, "should
never have been listed as previously unreleased. The song 'Killing Victims
Found' is a brand new track which should have been listed as a brand new track.
I wrote this song about four months before the new album came out. Actually,
I never got to see the credits for the album, or anything. We recorded 13 songs
and 12 we put on the album, with that 13th song we planned to have it as a
single."
Many fans may notice the artwork is slightly different from their usual horror
and gore covers. According to Trevor, "The first thing we decided was to get
rid of doing paintings (referring to Lovecraft's gracing the covers). We wanted
to do something different. So, we used these photos which I had an idea for,
probably from a dream or something I had late one night. It's actually four
different photos compiled together by a computer, some crazy messed up looking
town. There are also photos of a duck that got caught up in an oilspill, and
stuff that man has screwed up, man's horrendous mistakes." So, what was the
story with the first two album covers? "The 'Slowly We Rot' album cover was
done by Rob Nayward, a local guy in Tampa, and it was all the band's idea for
the cover, the second album 'Cause of Death' had artwork that was already done.
We asked Roadrunner if they had any artwork that we could look at, and that
cover was actually done by Michael Wayland, it was used on an H.P. Lovecraft
book. When we first saw it we were like 'damn, that's it kid!' and didn't even
think twice about it! Actually, H.P. cut up the artwork into 6 parts and made 6
different books out of it. Then he used that particular piece for the back
cover. Michael sold that painting to Lovecraft non exclusively, just for the
books, but we got a bargain on the artwork compared to what Lovecraft paid for
it!" Anyway, back to their ever evolving style of music, Trevor lets us know
that "Our first three albums are somewhat similar, they sound kinda the same,
but they're classic Obituary records. With this record, however, we have most
definitely made a change for the better, we haven't really changed as much as
we just added new stuff to our music, trying some different things like styles
of writing, using a drum machine, wierd samples and things we had never done
before. A couple of songs could be compared to slight industrial influences,
like 'Splattered' has an industrial feel to it, and the second half of 'World
Demise' has some samples in it. The track 'Kill For Me' is a project of mine,
it was written totally because of African influences in music and stuff. My
girlfriend was in college and I had her rent some videotapes and records of
African music with guitar work, drums and other wierd tribal stuff. All of it
was authentic, nothing commercialized though. A lot of it I was listening to,
like the drum beat was sampled by me and then looped directly from the video
tape, and if you listen real closely before the guitars fade in, you'll hear
some African people yelling in the background. The flutes and drums are all
African people playing. I just ran it through the computer and added a guitar
riff to it, and when I went to the studio, no one had any idea about this track
but me. I told our drummer to play a double bass beat, I recorded this all
together and everybody was freaking out, they thought the track was really
cool." So, how much work will be done with drum samples on the next album and
in concert? "The last album I wanted to try drum machines, but I couldn't get
the rest of the band to get comfortable with it. Now that everyone is into it,
I will probably be using it a lot on the next album, and we even plan on using
a machine on tour. We still plan on having a regular drummer, but the drum
machine will enhance the sound of our drummer."
Well, how about the touring situation? "We play a bunch of shows in September
with Napalm Death and Machine Head, then in Europe we're going out with Pitch
Shifter. I've never seen Pitch Shifter live, but it should be a good show."
So go out and see 'em live, and make sure you get their latest release and see
how the world's end will come about! No doubt Obituary will be there with
guitars in hand!
DIVINE EVE. Interview with Xanthrovaar.
A very cool, death/doom band that got its start around February of 1992 is
the subject of our interview here. According to Xanthrovaar, "After our forming
we played a couple of shows and got together our first demo 'Last of the Sunset
Faded.' This demo was recorded in October 1990, and half the material is very
old compared to its release around '92. Nuclear Blast then contacted us around
May of 93 to do a mini CD, although there were other interested labels as well,
like Gothic Records and such. The CD has been out in Europe for about 5 or 6
months before it was released in the States. Last winter a four song effort
was done, and this consisted of three original tunes and a cover, and this was
supposed to be out as a 7 inch on Candlelight Records, but they backed out on
us. So now, it looks like Gothic Records will pick this up, and one song will
appear on a split 7 inch with another band called Morgion on Extinction of God
Productions soon." More than likely, though, this band will sign with Nuclear
Blast.
For a band that has gotten a lot of attention, Xanthrovaar tells us, "We
haven't really played very much, only about 8 shows in Texas with some local
bands, and a few other shows with Autopsy, Vital Remains, Absu (another local
Dallas band), and Asphalt. We just played in Houston a few weeks ago with
Invocation, Crucifixion, Pantheon, and Integrity. The scene here is kinda
crappy, probably just like anywhere else. The only death metal they get into
here is like Suffocation type stuff, and they don't really respect the
underground. I personally think the old bands are still the best, bands like
Celtic Frost, Candlemass, and Hellhammer which are big influences on our music.
We were surprised by your review awhile back, because you're one of the only
ones that mentioned how big an influence Candlemass was on our music. I love
doom metal bands like that, we also played with Solitude Aeturnus by the way.
The band has merchandise available, "The mini CD's are available for $7 US
and $8 for the rest of the world, Nuclear Blast is of course putting out the
mini CD. We also have some shirts, with front and back artwork which was done
by our bassist. He also did some artwork for Cemial, and the work he does is
very cool." Response has been great as far as inquiries into their merchandise
goes, as he tells us, "We sold about 500 copies of that first demo, those were
studio dubbed, and we then made some more for distribution. Most of our mail
contact is overseas, there's about 10% of our fan base located in the U.S."
Finally, I wondered what his final thoughts on death metal and music were in
general, and he informed me that, " I think there's WAAY to many death bands
on the scene today. It's too easy for a band to put out a product and then
get signed to some small record label who puts out about 1,000 copies of
their album on a limited budget even. Like I said, there are some crappy bands,
but I've been getting into the newer Black metal bands, I don't really care for
their views and their lyrics, but some bands are cool. Even black metal,
however, is getting really trendy, not over in the United States because it
hasn't caught on yet. I suspect that maybe in a few months, or even years, the
Black metal scene will catch on over here. Female vocals and keyboards, while
interesting enough and a somewhat new concept for death/black bands, are even
becoming overused." Nuff said on that!
Well, the second recording should be out soon, and make sure you look out
for a cassette EP which should be out on Bellphegot Records in Mexico. They are
supposed to play a festival in Mexico with Morpheus Descendz, A.C., and
Malevolent Creations. It's supposed to run into a full blown tour with Cenotaph
and The Chasm. Check out their address in the contact ads and addresses
section!
INNER THOUGHT. Interview done with Bobby Sadzak
The horrors of war. Misaligned figures walking a dark line of death and
disfigurement, never knowing when or where their final resting place will be.
Overseeing the battle of epic catastrophe is our death metal pioneer, Bobby
Sadzak. Bobby is known more for his work with legendary Canadian deathsters
Slaughter (or Strappado, depending on what year it's in), and as he tells us,
"Things weren't working out towards the end, we had two demo tapes with those
past bands, and Slaughter was considered death metal even when death metal
wasn't in style. After the disbanding of Slaughter, I still wanted to do
recordings, playing my guitar and stuff, writing and what not. I had an 8 track
recording unit, and I got myself a drum machine and made a demo tape, mainly
just for myself to hear what my ideas would sound like. My manager heard this
tape and said that I should get this going. He suggested getting a singer by
the name of Kelly Montico, and from there we hit it off and penned Inner
Thought." Considering our dark description of war, Bobby lets us know just what
is being said on the "Worldly Separation" album: "Before we went into the
Metalworks studio, our guitarist Roland Murry (of Gastric Pus fame) joined us
and wrote a few tunes. I missed basically the death metal scene that came
through. (Like Grave, and stuff like that.) I started mostly with grindcore and
kinda progressed with bands, but missed totally the whole death scene. My
writing was not an influence from the death scene, but basically just riffs and
things that would not work with Strappado. It did kinda surprised me that death
bands were doing some of the same types of things. Industrial wise I like Pitch
Shifter, but I don't really listen to much else. We do have a slight industrial
influence in our music as well." However, a lineup change HAS gone on within
the band, and he informs us that, "As of the next album which we are getting
ready to work on (and should be finished up January of next year,) we indeed
have a new vocalist. Don't sound too disappointed, though, because our new
singer is 10 times better than our old one. We're really excited about this
new guy, and we want to get him on album as soon as possible. It's funny,
because some of the flack that we DID get from the media and press is for the
vocals. We have been working with this guy for about 4 months now and his name
is Kevin. He has about 6 different vocal ranges and can do a Brutal Truth style
death scream." Back to the new album, "It will include more industrial sounds,
and even some techno style stuff in it. We also will do more of the samples,
particularly like church organs and air raid sirens that appeared on this
album. We don't have an album title yet, but we do have a couple of song
titles, 'Black Dog on a White Sheet,' and 'Tortured.' Those are the two that we
have definitely named, but everything else is still tenative at this point."
Though this album is being distributed on Dwell Records here in the United
States, the primary recording deal was with Swiss based Witchhunt Records.
Dwell Records, as many may know, is the label that was formerly called Roughage
Records and put out a fine compilation CD known as "The Heralds of Oblivion."
Speaking of the deal with Witchhunt Records, we're given a little more info on
the happenings with the band and Witchhunt: "We have plans to do some T-shirts,
though this will probably be done through the Swiss label. As for our deal,
when we started out, Witchhunt was interested in Strappado due to a demo that
was cut. The deal was supposed to be a single, but the wrong information was
sent, or the tape was screwed up, and the deal was never done. After I
completed my own demo, I sent it to Witchhunt and they were the first ones to
show interest. Our deal is for 3 CD's, a compilation and a couple of more 7
inches. We're also signed to CMH's sub label Dwell Records for a 3 album deal
as well. What happens here is that Dwell is basically a licensing product. We
send the DAT to Dwell, and they go through their own manufacturing company and
print up the CD's for distribution. We're signed to two labels, and Witchhunt
has most of our overseas distribution well taken care of. It has such an unreal
distribution rate, going through SPV, Steamhammer, Osmose, and many others! The
actual face of the CD, and back and front cover photos are going to be
different for each label, but the music and lyrics will be kept intact!"
Finally, though they have played a few shows, "Toronto has no real scene,
basically. Napalm Death, one of their best selling bands, played here and only
75 people showed up. When you play a show in Canada, you lose money instead of
make money. We're more interested in getting that money set aside for the
recording of this new album, but we have played some tours with Kataclysm,
Cryptopsy, who is a good demo band that's really intense. Also did a show with
Disciples of Power, and a couple of local bands." So, they will be working on
the new album for quite some time, hopefully it will be completed or near the
completion stage before the next issue of this 'zine goes to press, and if it
is, we'll let you know what is to be found on this sure to be next masterpiece!
FATES WARNING. Interview with Mark Zonder.
Though it's been a long time between the release of their newest album "Inside
Out," and their last album, Mark Zonder states that "The reason why it took so
long to release this new album was because of the business end of things. The
band is okay, all the rumors are dispelled about us breaking up and what not,
but the record deals took quite awhile to confirm. After Parallels was
recorded, we were happy with the way it turned out, we think it was a great
record, but sales were not that great here in the US. With this new album, we
have three record deals: One in the US, one in Europe, and one in Japan. None
of them touch each other in the respect that if one market fails to generate
solid interest, the other markets are untouched. We talked to every major label
at first and got turned down, so we had a long way to go to get the lawyers
together and what not. Plus, in the midst of all that, we had another record
to write. In Europe we are on a label called Massacre, a small label that likes
to deal with smaller bands that like to start small, and in Japan there is a
company called Zero Corporation which is very aggressive with their marketing.
We have some of their radio commercials where a guy comes on and talks about
our product in Japanese and our music is playing in the background. It's very
good for us to set up this way, being on three labels, because it gives us
three chances to strike out, sort of."
One thing that hasn't changed for Fates Warning is the style of music being
presented. From "Night on Brocken," to "Awaken the Guardian," on up through the
current album, Mark informs us of the musical progression, which, as he puts it
"has changed greatly from record to record. This new record is the most melodic
piece of work that we have done to date. If you look at those three records,
you see a great progression in the writing style and the musical style as well.
The original singer John Arch wrote most all of the lyrics for the first few
albums, and he was really into the fantasy and sorcery type lyrics. The reason
for his departure was that he didn't want to do it anymore, he had a family and
other commitments. Lyric wise for this new album, the lyrics were not just
written by one person, for instance, Ray wrote a song called "Down to the
Wire," which deals with his father, Frank wrote a song called "The Strand,"
basically a frustration type song, and the rest of the stuff Jim wrote, mainly
dealing with stuff from his point of view. Getting back to the music, though,
we don't worry about the popular trends, our music is the growth and the
expressions of the individuals involved." So where is the Fates Warning fan
base located? "Mostly, our best reactions come from overseas. We have done some
good tours overseas, we played the Wacken festival in Germany last August where
we headlined, the first day Doro Pesch headlined, we headlined the second day,
and there was about 5,000 people at that one. We played with Manowar in Europe
as well. We haven't really done any headlining acts in the States, but
hopefully come October we will with Dream Theater. Come October we are on tour
whether we open up or headline. The beginning of September we are doing a video
in Nashville for the song 'Monument.' We are going for a bit more radical
approach with this one, instead of doing a more commercialized song, we are
going to do one that's a bit heavier and doesn't have people say, 'oh, that's
typical Fates Warning.'" Fates Warning is dying to get back on the road, so
look out for them in the last three months of 1994!
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MAGAZINE REVIEWS:
MOZart magazine is a small, German printed publication about bands from the
Salzburg, Austria area. Although I couldn't read it, they feature interviews
and contact addresses with Belphegor, Catharsis, Decorum, Onomatopoea, Scent
of Paradise, Soulsearch, Scaffold, and Whyokee. Although the 'zine is only 25
pages long, it is nicely done, computer printed and looks more like one of
those professional high school play booklets. For more information, write to
MOZART, c/o Susanne Spitzer, Hoglstrabe 6, A-5020 Salzburg.
A cool, reader's digest sized magazine known as Revelation, dubbed as "The
Ultimate Metal Fanzine," is very nicely done! Although in black and white, the
front and back covers are glossy, the layout is very professionally printed,
and the photos are very clear and quite interesting in layout! Interviews
abound here, in this third issue there are interviews with Hellwitch, Anathema,
Maple cross, Death Creation, My Dying Bride, Sadistic Intent, Temperance and
many others. My only complaint is in the album reviews, sometimes they are a
bit vague, but usually right on the money. They also have interesting
interviews with Peaceville Records and Napalm Records, plus 7 inch reviews,
demo reviews, album and fanzine reviews, and thrown throughout the 'zine is
very cool artwork! Quite informative, the thing I like best is you get the
record label's addresses included with the album reviews on some stuff. Issue
2 is said to be still available for $2, write to Revelation Zine, c/o Zilvinas
Valeika, P.Plechaviciaus 17-16, 3043 Kaunas, Lithuania.
After reading what I presume is the third issue of Bang!, a German magazine, I
was somewhat impressed. Full color covers and pages throughout, this looks like
the German answer to our American Metal Maniacs. Featuring stories and
interviews with Manowar, Riot, Napalm Death, Pungent Stench, and Quorthon, this
magazine also features charts, concert reports, and very colorful ads and
pages. All written in German, more information can be obtained from Bang! Das
Rockmagazin, P.O. Box 2012, 74010 Heilbronn.
A photocopied and graphic cover is the first thing you see when you open up
Bloodvows fanzine. For three dollars, this needs to be a bit more informative.
Basically, it's an all paper zine with some okay artwork and some short
interviews with Cannibal Corpse, Grave, Paradise Lost, Autopsy, Broken Hope,
and more. Also features playlists and a short editorial commentary which was
slightly amusing but could have been scrapped in favor of more informative
news. Basically, the pictures are of good quality, but I get the feeling they
could have made better use of their page space. Not bad, but not the best zine
around, especially considering it's three bucks and only 46 pages, the last two
pages mainly consisting of artwork. Write to: Bloodvows Fanzine, 153 Lincroft
Road, Lackawanna, NY, 14218 USA.
A good punk/hardcore zine from Italy called Zips and Chains is on its 9th
issue. Featuring tons of demo and album reviews, these guys know how to make
good use of page space! 86 demo/album reviews are in this one, not bad
considering they only used a maximum of 7 pages to put all this info in, and
the reviews are not skimped upon either! Also has fanzine reviews, and nice
interviews with Bad Religion, Instigators, Jawbreaker, Growing Concern, M.D.C.,
D.O.A. and much more, also has letters pages and informative background info on
some of the staff at the 'zine, including a nice bit about their travels to
different shows. I enjoyed this one immensely, price is only $2 or 3DM per
issue. Write to: Zips & Chains, c/o Dario Adamic, C.P. 15319, 00142 Roma
Laurentino, Italy.
One of the first ever techno/rave magazines I have ever seen is Underground
News, issue 18, and it is quite interesting. Full glossy color cover and
glossy pages, it features very informative Internet news, IE, addresses you can
contact via Internet to get more info on all sorts of electronic music, from
techno to ambient and more! Also features informative talks with DJ's,
many many product reviews, like 12 inches and CD's, and gives quite in depth
information on techno/rave record labels and what the clubs are playing.
39 pages, $2.95 an issue in the US and Canada, write for more information or
rates to: Underground News, 3959 Brookside Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44111. E-mail
them at UNONLINE@Delphi.com if you have Internet access.
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NOTEWORTHY ITEMS:
GWAR! GWAR! Those monsters of mayhem are back once again, this time they are
involved in many projects; one of which is an appearance in the Beavis and
Butthead video game for both Nintendo and Sega. Also, their film Skulhed Face
will be out August 9th, and they also have done a comic book appearance. The
book is put out by Last Gasp, and the story and art was done entirely by GWAR
and their Slave Pit, and centers around the theme of their movie. Also catch
them doing a track for the movie S.F.W. that will premier later on this summer.
The soundtrack will also feature cuts by such bands as Hole, Soundgarden, Paw,
Suicidal Tendencies, Marilyn Manson, and Therapy.
Speaking of Marilyn Manson, they have a CD out on Nothing Records, Trent
Reznor's new label. They will be touring the US throughout the summer.
Mercyful Fate's limited edition EP "The Bellwitch," is now out and only 20,000
were pressed. They are working on a new album which should be out October 25th
and is called "Time."
After three years, Fates Warning are back with their studio album "Inside Out."
Look for the interview this issue, and don't forget that their first few albums
on Metal Blade ("Night on Brocken," "Spectre Within," "Awaken the Guardian,"
"No Exit," "Perfect Symmetry," and "Parallels") have been reissued on CD!
Chemlab's first album "Ten Ton Pressure" is to be re-released through Metal
Blade Records on September 27th. Also to be included on the album are a couple
of remixes from their "Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar" which is also available on
Fifth Column/Metal Blade. You can contact Chemlab through Email at
chemlink@cyberden.com.
Video check! This time around, there are videos on MTV for Skrew's "Picasso
Trigger," Sepultura has a new one in "Slave New World," White Zombie has a
video for a song which is to be released in an upcoming movie called
"Airheads," though the name of the song escapes me at the moment. The Nine Inch
Nails song "Closer" has made it into video format, though certain words were
overdubbed and certain video clips are shown as "missing." Yet another attempt
at censorship.
Also, be looking out for Machine Head, the newest Roadrunner signing, to have
a video out on MTV very soon!
Europe celebrated a very big music festival this year, sponsored by Nuclear
Blast and Roadrunner. On August 18th, at Kolns Live Music Hall, metal and
industrial acts put on a special show. The guitars of Amorphis, Pyogenesis,
and Treponem Pal crossed the sequencers of Bigod 20 and Armageddon Dildos for
an unusual show. This stage also featured the two industrial acts presenting
cuts from their new albums. The Armageddon Dildos are currently being supported
by German metal maniacs Accuser.
Zoth Ommog news: Armageddon Dildos have finished recording on their new album,
entitled "Lost." This newest recording should be out in October. Trent Reznor
(Of Nine Inch Nails fame) will remix a song from this album entitled "Too Far
to Suicide" and this should be available in Europe later this year. Guy Van
Miegham has finished the instrumentation for Blok 57's new album, but has split
with Dirk Ivens. A new singer is being searched for. A brand new signing Zero
Deffects will have their debut album released later this year. They are Zoth's
newest electro signing from Hamburg Germany. The Psychopomps have signed a new
contract for Zoth, but the new album won't be available until next year. Claus
Larsen of Leaether Strip has had some technical problems; this also means that
he couldn't finish his new mini album "Invide the Perverted" in time. The label
hopes to release it in November. This also means that Klute's second album will
be delayed as well.
In Earache news, there are several titles to be released in the coming months
(Huh, huh, he said coming!) Brutal Truth's follow up to their last EP is
entitled Need to Control" and is scheduled for October 26th. Scorn has a new
one, and this time it is said to be mostly ambient music. This one should be
out around September 20th. Brand new sigining Ultraviolence has one out on the
same date as Scorn, and the new Bolt Thrower and Fudge Tunnel records are also
due out soon. Fudge Tunnel, by the way, has been dropped by the Columbia end of
Earache distribution. Their new album is to be titled "Complicated Futility of
Ignorance."
Meathook Seed, as many of you know, is the brainchild of members from Obituary
and Napalm Death. Though they have not toured together as a unit, putting in
only one show since their album; Sunday, September 10th was an unusual twist.
Originally scheduled to appear on this particular bill was Machine Head, Napalm
Death, and Obituary, but Machine Head canceled out to play the Foundations
Forum. Meathook Seed took the stage, however, to play a roaring set at
Masquerades in Atlanta, marking the second time the unit has played since their
release of "Embedded." After the show, Barney Greenway of Napalm Death informed
me that there just might be future shows in the works, but nothing is certain.
All I can say is the response from the crowd was very good!
News from the Futurist camp: The release of the Peaceville stuff has been
delayed to an extent, as Peaceville are themselves negotiating a merger with
Music for Nations over in England. However, the new Dark Throne record
"Transylvanian Hunger" is set for a November 20th release, and the mighty Count
Grischnau himself wrote the last song on this album. Rumours abound that this
is Dark Throne's last album, and they have refused to do interviews.
Also set for release from Peaceville/Futurist are the following: At the Gates
will release "Terminal Spirit Disease" at the same time as Dark Throne, and
the new Overdose is due out soon. For those not in the know, Overdose is a
Brazilian band that has put albums out on Cogumelo records. Cogumelo is the
Brazilian label that got Sepultura its start. Leeway also has a new one coming
soon.
Touring with Grave and Samael is Cannibal Corpse, and the tour will start off
with east and west coast dates around Haloween. Catch them October 30th at
Masquerades in Atlanta. Before Grave hits the US shores, however, they will be
embarking on a full scale European tour with black metal masters Samael and
Massacre.
Testament news: The new album is due out soon, entitled Low, and is said to be
a return to the thrashier days of The Legacy and The New Order. This will be
the first album to feature former Disincarnate guitarist James Murphy (see the
interview we did with James in a past issue.-Ed.) in the current lineup. As of
this date, there still hasn't been a permanent drummer installed, more info on
that when it becomes available.
Grip Incorporated, the band that was formed by Dave Lombardo after his ousting
from Slayer, recently parted ways with bassist Chaz Grimaldi. The band is
finalizing their deal with Metal Blade Records and should start recording
sometime in October.
After their split with American Records, Trouble are still seeking a record
label to sign with, though rumours abound that the EMI Corporation has taken a
strong interest in the act. Matters are further complicated by the removal of
drummer Barry Stern, though it seems like Corrosion of Conformity's Reed Mullin
will help out for the recording of their sixth album.
My Dying Bride, the death/doom outfit who have received lots of attention from
their Turn Loose the Swans album, are receiving interest from the European
branch of Roadrunner Records. They still are under contract to Peaceville
for one more album, however.
Corrosion of Conformity have decided to have bassist Mike Dean rejoin the band.
As far as vocal duties go, Pepper Keenan (who did a skullcrushing vocal
performance on the song "Vote With a Bullet" off the Blind album) will do all
the vocals for the album, which is tenatively titled "Deliverance," except for
one song which will feature vocals by drummer Reed Mullin. Mike Dean was the
original bassist/vocalist for C.O.C. during their first few albums.
This time in the re-releases department, Savatage will be re-releasing their
first few albums, "Sirens" and "The Dungeons Are Calling," on CD. The reissues
are being done by Metal Blade, and will include extra tracks.
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CONTACT ADS AND ADDRESSES:
Holy Records has released Orphaned Land, a brilliant atmopsheric doom/death
band with Oriental influences. Also available on their label are Greek
sensation Nightfall, Misanthrope, Septic Flesh, and more! T-shirts, CD's, and
cassettes are available, write to: Holy Records, 4 BD Gutenberg, 93190 Livry-
Gargan, FRANCE.
Band contact for Orphaned Land is as follows: Yossi SASI, Rotchild st, 15/B,
49340 Petah-Tikva, ISRAEL.
Harthouse Volume III, "Axis of Vision," is out now! Specializing in progressive
trance and hardhouse, this newest compilation features some very aggressive and
dancey tracks by Hardfloor, Resistance, Arpeggiators, and Sven Vath! Available
from Harthouse Records, Strahlenbergerstr. 125 A, D-83067, Offenbach/M,
GERMANY. Other labels supported here are Eye-Q and Recycle or Die, they have
excellent new releases in Alter Ego (reviewed this issue) and The Ambush.
Black Mark Distribution for the US and Canada is now being done through Cargo
Records in Montreal. Out now are new releases by Soulstorm, Malhavoc, Morgana
Lefay, Quorthon, Memento Mori, Anesthesy, and Lake of Tears. For more info,
write to: Cargo Records, 7036 St. Laurent Blvd., Montreal, Quebec, CANADA H2S
3E2.
Darxtar, that brilliant space/psychedelic rock combo in the same style as
Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, and Pink Floyd (Whew! What a list of influences!)
have a brand new CD out entitled "Daybreak." There's no way you can miss this
one, so write for more info to: Darxtar c/o Soren Bengtsson Musikproduktion,
Vaxjovagen 55, 570 10 Korsberga, SWEDEN.
Two years ago, Human Resource had worldwide success with their hit single
"Dominator," and now they're back with their newest full length album entitled
"Kicking Noise of Rotterdam." Still being asked to perform all over the world,
they have recently played in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and
the United States. For more info on how to get this great CD, and also info on
other acts like Reyes, Simon C, and their other labels like KNOR Records,
Tesseract, and others, write to: XSV Music, P.O. Box 48 - 3300 AA Dordrecht,
THE NETHERLANDS.
Besides sporting several Hawkwind re-releases like "Zones," "Live '79,"
"Levitation," and many others, Griffin Records is also the US distribution site
for the Cyclops Records catalog, which lincludes such progressive rock acts as
Credo, Grace, Grey Lady Down, Abbfinoosty, Primitive Instinct and many others!
For more details on some of these exciting acts, write to: Griffin Music, Box
664, Lombard, IL 60148 USA.
Century Media Records, besides hosting many influential death metal bands like
Demolition Hammer, Tiamat, Grave, Asphyx and black metal sensation Samael, also
has it's feet deeply planted in the punk revolution! Proving that punk is most
definitely not dead, they have releases from English Dogs, Toxic Reasons,
Peter and the Test Tube Babies, and a brand new compilation CD called "For a
Fist Full of Yens" featuring 33 tracks from many influential punk bands! More
info can be had by contacting Century Media, 1453-A 14th Street #324, Santa
Monica, CA 90404 USA.
Out now from Relapse/Nuclear Blast are Incantation, Exit 13 "Ethos Musik,"
Amorphis with their masterpiece "Tales From the Thousand Lakes," Disrupt
"Unrest," Merzbow "Venereology" and Convulse "Reflections." For info on these
releases and a huge catalog filled with great underground death metal, hardcore
industrial, experimental, ambient, noise, grindcore, and alternative recordings
send one dollar (for the catalog) to: Relapse Records, P.O. Box 251,
Millersville, PA 17551 USA.
Interested in concert videos from your favorite bands? Bart Kapitzke of
Extinction of God productions has a 23 page list of concerts on videotape, many
from such bands as Cannibal Corpse, Impaled Nazarene, Bolt Thrower, old Celtic
Frost, Voivod, Pungent Stench, Sacrifice, Entombed, and many more! For info on
prices and also his magazine, write to: Extinction of God Productions, c/o Bart
Kapitzke, 111 Louise Drive, Anaheim, CA 92805 USA.
Morphine Fan Club! Tour dates, merchandise, and band information available!
Please write: Morphine P.O. Box 382085, Cambridge, MA 02238-2085 USA.
Naked Lunch demo "The Illuminati" is out and quite a brutal industrial release!
For more information on this demo write to: P.O. Box 1054, Portage, MI
49081-1054.
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EDITORIAL NOTATIONS:
Welp, just wanted to first off say thanks to the people/groups/things that make
this 'zine happening. First off, to individuals that are a big help, like my
girlfriend Amanda Bartley for the support and what not, to Bart Kapitzke at
Extinction of God productions for those cool concert videos, to Marco at Metal
Blade Records, to Carlos at Roadrunner, who will be sorely missed by this
editor, to Frankie at Cargo in Canada for keeping me in touch with the Black
Mark stuff when I thought there would be no more, to Chase, Karl, and Brian
at the Cargo offices (Re-Constriction and Headhunter) in San Diego for their
help, Rayshelle at Century Media, Lisa Lashley and ALL the others at the huge
conglomeration known as CBS/Columbia, the crew at Geffen for the tix to the
last show (though ya forgot the backstage passes!), all the overseas labels I
have the fortunate pleasure to work with, such as Witchhunt Records, Cold Meat
Industries, KNOR/XSV/Ruffneck Records, GWB Distribution (sorry for the delays),
Olaf at Morbid Records (You opened up a LOT of contacts for me overseas, thanks
guy!), Spinefarm Records, Napalm Records, and all the rest in the US, like
Nuclear Blast, Earache, Nasty Little Man, Cleopatra (one of the best and most
helpful indies I have run across), Warner Brothers, and there are TOO many more
to list! A big send off to you people in the scene, and those who have followed
us faithfully on the Internet; keep the interest coming and there will ALWAYS
be a 'zine!
Though we didn't run many demo reviews this issue, we have quite a bit set up
for the next one! Also, the digitized files have been going well, we have
digitized some songs from Tiamat, Alter Ego, Skrew, Swamp Terrorists, X-Wild,
Sect, Masquerade, and many others! So, call the E-pages BBS at the numbers
listed above!
Many people have asked me how I feel about Metal Maniacs magazine. Well, though
they concentrate on many of the more popular trends in metal, it is interesting
to note that they have finally given space to a black metal band (Samael being
the band in question.) Lots of people criticize the demo reviewers and the ones
responsible for reviewing the 'zines, but then again, once they get used to all
the mainstream stuff, it's kinda hard to be truly objective when it comes to
the underground. I've heard many great demos that the staff of MM has put down,
but then again, it seems the only demos that get good reviews are the melodic
power metal bands. Besides all that, they do have some good contact addresses,
and I like their idea of letting readers get in touch with other metal fanatics
across the US and the world!
We still need your letters, comments, reviews and what not, so PLEASE send them
to us! We want to know what you think! Email us on the internet at:
ax487@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu or write us at the address above!
Now, CLICK HERE to return to the main menu!