Metal History Through Fanzines

Nuclear Death (US)

The Wild Rag #23 (US) 1993

The Wild Rag #23 (US) 1993. Editor: “Richard C”

Notorious LA California label-store-distributor Wild Rags published these zine/newsletters of sort, which served as both label/distro catalog and underground news periodical. There is a lot of history with the Wild Rag (a lot of which is outlined here), and Richard C (despite being maligned and oft-called a rip off) was responsible for putting out a lot of groundbreaking underground metal. This special “Artgore” issue features underground artists Brad Moore, Jeff Gaither and Paw Nielson, plus lots of news and a cool memory-lane list of distro items that reflect the richness of the death-black underground in 1993.

 

March 8, 2017 | Categories: Brad Moore (artist), Dead Head (NL), Impetigo (US), Nuclear Death (US), Order From Chaos (US), Phlegethon (FIN), The Wild Rag! (USA), Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Holocaust #4 (Poland) 1990

Holocaust #4 (Poland) 1990. Editor: “Tomasz Krajewski”

Another issue of this classic  zine from eventual Pagan Records (Poland) founder Tomasz Krajewski…pretty much a who’s who of the great underground bands on 1990…an absolutely incredible issue. Including Acheron, Rottrevore, Mayhem, Blasphemy, Exit 13, Bolt Thrower, Darkthrone, Asphyx, Deadhead, Desultory, Afflicted Convulsion (Afflicted), Entombed, Necromantia, Phlegethon, Crematory, Hellwitch, Malediction, Invocator, Malevolent Creation, Necrophobic, Death Yell, Necrophile, Nuclear Death, Carbonized, Pestilence, Old Funeral, Revenant, General Surgery, Rotting Christ, Sadistic Intent, Samael, Abhorrence, Desultory, Sodom, Merciless, Therion, Unleashed and much more…thx to uploader Tezcat from NWN!Board for sharing.

 

September 6, 2015 | Categories: Abhorrence (FIN), Acheron (US), Afflicted (SWE), Asphyx (NL), Blasphemy (CAN), Bolt Thrower (UK), Carbonized (SWE), Cremetory (SWE), Darkthrone (NOR), Dead Head (NL), Death Yell (CH), Desultory (SWE), Entombed (SWE), Exit 13 (US), General Surgery (SWE), Hellwitch (US), Holocaust (POL), Invocator (DK), Malediction (UK), Malevolent Creation (US), Mayhem (NOR), Merciless (SWE), Necromantia (GR), Necrophile (JP), Necrophobic (SWE), News, Nuclear Death (US), Old Funeral (NOR), Pestilence (NL), Phlegethon (FIN), Polish Scene Report, Revenant (US), Rottrevore (US), Sadistic Intent (US), Samael (SWTZ), Sodom (GER), Therion (SWE), Uncategorized, Unleashed (SWE) | 1 Comment

Balance of Terror #3 (Canada, 1991)

Balance of Terror #3 (Victoria, BC, Canada) 1991. Editor: “Trev Jarvis”

(UPDATED) With interviews/features/mentions on Impetigo, Inverted, Agothocles, Bolt Thrower,  Impaled Nazarene, Dark Tranquility, Hexx, Nuclear Death, Funeral Oration, Putrid (pre- God Forsaken), Wench, Raped Ape, Eldritch Horror, Ringworm, Impaled Nazarene and Demilich (check out those very early pics), plus letters and reviews, a feature on the Ku Klux Klan’s history, Demi Moore (?), the Loch Ness Monster, Out From the Underground Zine, cool ads from Wild Rags, Itsen, Relapse and more and an editorial on “Rip Offs Killing the Scene.” A centerfold with Dutch band Eternal Nightmare, and a very young “Ultimate Incantation”-ish era Vader is featured on the cover (yet are not featured inside)…PDF up as well.

 

July 18, 2015 | Categories: Agathocles (BEL), Balance of Terror Zine (CAN), Bolt Thrower (UK), Dark Tranquility (SWE), Demilich (FIN), Earache Records (UK), Eternal Darkness (SWE), Eternal Nightmare (NETH), Funeral Oration (IT), Hexx (US), Impaled Nazarene (FIN), Impetigo (US), Inverted (SWE), Nomicon (FIN), Nuclear Death (US), Out Of the Underground (US), Raped Ape (US), Relapse Records (US), Relativity Records, Reviews, The Wild Rag! (USA), Uncategorized, Vader (POL), Zine Reviews | Leave a comment

Blackthorn #5 (Denmark) 1987

Blackthorn #5 (Denmark) 1987. Editors: “Henrik Kjaer” and “Esben Slot Sørensen”

This Danish zine was quite popular back then (3000 copies pressed) and you can see why: Interviews and tons of write-ups from perhaps the most compelling year of both death and thrash metal = 1987. With Infernal Majesty, Deathrash, Hallows Eve, Sadus, Possessed, Voivod, Morbid Angel, Legacy (Testament), Soothsayer, Mefisto, Aggressor, Heathen, Criminal Christ (Messiah Death), Nuclear Death, Doomwatch, Rotting Corpse, and much more… [Thanks to Tawfik from Zombi Danz for the contribution]

 

November 20, 2014 | Categories: Adverts, Agony (SWE), Blackthorn Zine (DEN), Criminal Christ (JPN), Danish Scene Report, Deathrash (US), Hallows Eve (US), Heathen (US), Hellion (US), Infernal Majesty (CAN), Legacy (US), Mefisto (SWE), Morbid Angel (US), News, Nuclear Death (US), Possessed (US), Reviews, Rotting Corpse (US), Sadus (US), Soothsayer (CAN), Testament (US), US Metal Records, Voivod (CAN) | Leave a comment

Slayer #5 (Norway) 1987

Slayer #5 (Norway). 1987. Editor: “Metalion”

Fifth issue from long running, legendary Norwegian zine/”mag”…as only Metalion could deliver. Timely and historic features/reviews and interviews with Annihilator, Bathory, Black Uniforms, Mutilator, Aggression, Incubus, Kreator, Massacre, Mayhem, Mefisto, Messiah, Morbid Angel, Mutilator, Napalm Death, Nuclear Death, Obscurity, Poison (GER), Sabbat (YES!), Sadist, Sadus, Satan’s Holocaust, Schizo, Aggressor, Sepultura, Slaughter Lord, Slayer, Sodom, Soothsayer, Tribulation, Vulcano, Wehrmacht, and more…(thanks S.L.!)  ALSO SLAYER #5 and #7 ARE BOTH UP IN THE PDF DOWNLOADS SECTION NOW.

October 1, 2014 | Categories: Aggression (CAN), Annihilator (CAN), Demo Reviews, Incubus (US), Kreator (GER), Massacre (US), Mayhem (NOR), Mefisto (SWE), Messiah (SWZ), Morbid Angel (US), Mutilator (BRZ), Napalm Death (UK), Nuclear Death (US), Obscurity (SWE), Poison (GER), Reviews, Sabbat (UK), Sadus (US), Satan's Holocaust (GER), Schizo (IT), Sepultura (BZL), Slaughter Lord (AUS), Slayer (US), Slayer Zine (NOR), Sodom (GER), Soothsayer (CAN), Tribulation (SWE), Uncategorized, Vulcano (BRZ), Wehrmacht (US), Zine Reviews | 2 Comments

Vital Wound #2 (Lithuania) 1992

Vital Wound #2 (Lithuania) 1992. Editors: “Sarunas Sabaitis” and “Mindaugas Lapinskas”

Interviews and features with Altar (SWE), Anathema, Ancient Rites, At the Gates, Balance of Terror Zine, Devastation, Edge of Sanity, Norwegian and Polish scene reports, Impetigo, Meat Shits, Nuclear Death, Rot, Seance, Thanatos, Fear Factory, Extreme Smoke and much more…

March 18, 2014 | Categories: Adversary (US), Adverts, Altar (SWE), Anathema (UK), Ancient Rites (BEL), At The Gates (SWE), Balance of Terror Zine (CAN), Dan Swanö (SWE), Devastation (US), Edge of Sanity (SWE), Extreme Smoke (SVN), Fear Factory (US), Impetigo (US), Meat Shits (US), Nausea (US), Norway Scene Report, Nuclear Death (US), Osmose Productions (FR), Polish Scene Report, Reviews, Rot (BZL), Seance (SWE), Skeletal Earth (US), Skin Chamber (US), Thanatos (NL), Uncategorized, Vital Wound (LTU) | Leave a comment

Metal Forces #21 (UK) 1986

Metal Forces #21 (UK) 1986. Editor: “Bernard Doe”

[Once more, it’s a given that Metal Forces was certainly not a fanzine, yet it still deserves archival status. As previously stated, the importance of the magazine for the development of the global underground and all ’extreme’ genres can not be understated – they covered many notable bands before any other press did, and were a reliable go-to source for news in the pre-internet era.]

Here I have issue #21, all 47 pages- it’s a good mix of speed and thrash (heavily on the rise at the time), along with the token glam rock sprinkled throughout (posers!!!??)…I wonder why they even bothered with the glam rock then, because if you check out the “Readers Album Chart”- its all thrash and speed?! Lots of cool reviews though with the essential “Demolition” demo review section (Nuclear Death!), pen-pal and fanzine addresses etc. One thing I question however is the “78” review for Fates Warning’s Awaken the Guardian …come on!? And Zebra gets a 91? Anyways, reader mail, plus killer live reviews of Deathrow (plus intie), Overkill, Whiplash, Metallica, Voivod, Possessed and more, as well as features on Anthrax, English Dogs, Attacker, Crumbsuckers, Dark Angel, Helstar, Steeler, Voivod (again) etc.

July 27, 2013 | Categories: Adverts, Anthrax (US), Atomkraft (UK), Dark Angel (US), Deathrow (GER), Demo Reviews, Dream Records, English Dogs (UK), G.B.H. (UK), Helloween (GER), Live Reviews, Metal Forces (UK), Metallica (US), News, Noise Records (GER), Nuclear Death (US), Onslaught (UK), Overkill (US), Playlists, Possessed (US), Readers Poll, Reviews, The Crumbsuckers (US), UK Scene Report, Uncategorized, US Metal Records, Venom (UK), Voivod (CAN), Whiplash (US), Zine Reviews | Leave a comment

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