Metal History Through Fanzines

Earache Records (UK)

Hard Stuff #1 (Poland-US) Sept. 1994

Hard Stuff #1 (Poland-US) Sept. 1994. Editor: “Mariusz Kmiolek”

A one-off, combined effort from Poland’s Thrash ’em All and US’s Loud Magazine. I am not sure if it ever got off the ground into a regular publication(?), but this short introductory issue from late in 1994 was still pretty cool, with some ads and pics I have not seen elsewhere, some reviews (demo and album), as well as a selection of interviews and features on Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Absu and Setenced. (thanks Pawel)

February 4, 2017 | Categories: Absu (US), Cannibal Corpse (US), Earache Records (UK), Hard Stuff (POL/US), Morbid Angel (US), Moribund Records (US), News, Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Pavement records (US), Sentenced (FIN), Sick Records, Vader (POL) | Leave a comment

Never Believe #1 (Sweden) 1990

Never Believe #1 (Sweden) 1990. Editors: “Magnus Forsberg” and “Johan Axelsson”

Compact zine from Johan Axelsson/Liiva and Magnus Forsberg, with features and interviews with Exulceration, Macabre End (God Macabre), Unleashed, Cadaver, Therapy, Skull, Dissection, Psychowards, Derketa, Necrophobic, Suffer, Authorize, Darkthrone, GGFH, reviews, and more…thx to org. scanner/deathmetal.org archive

September 18, 2016 | Categories: Authorize (SWE), Cadaver (NOR), Darkthrone (NOR), Derketa (US), Dissection (SWE), Earache Records (UK), Exmortis (US), Exulceration (SWZ), God Macabre (SWE), Necrophobic (SWE), Never Believe (SWE), Playlists, Reviews, Suffer (SWE), Therapy (IRE), Tribulation (SWE), Unleashed (SWE) | Leave a comment

Mortuary #3 (Germany) 1992.

Mortuary #3 (Germany) 1992. Editor: “Christian Hillenbrand”

Massive German zine (in English) packed with tons of reviews and (brief) interviews targeting many of the underground’s death and black metal notables of 1992, as well as zine editors like those from Slayer and Isten, and even Earache Records (with Pete Lee from Lawnmower Deth representing). Features Beherit, Benediction, Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Cannibal Corpse, Dark Tranquillity, Darkified, Dark Millenium, Fleshcrawl, Demigod, Desultory, Furbowl, Goatlord, Goreaphobia, Gorefest, Inverted, Hetsheads, Malaphar, Mega-Slaughter, Immolation, Necrophobic, My Dying Bride, Mould, Pan-Thy-Monium, Samael, Tiamat, Traumatic and more. Thanks to Stefan Lons for sharing!

September 5, 2016 | Categories: Adverts, Beherit (FIN), Benediction (UK), Bolt Thrower (UK), Cannibal Corpse (US), Carcass (UK), Cemetary (SWE), Cremetory (SWE), Dark Millennium (GER), Dark Tranquility (SWE), Demigod (FIN), Demo Reviews, Desultory (SWE), Earache Records (UK), Fleshcrawl (GER), Furbowl (SWE), Goatlord (US), Goreaphobia (US), Gorefest (NL), Hetsheads (SWE), Immolation (US), Inverted (SWE), Isten (FIN), Massacre (US), Mortuary Zine (GER), My Dying Bride (UK), Necrophobic (SWE), News, Pan-Thy-Monium (SWE), Playlists, Reviews, Samael (SWTZ), Slaughter Records, Slayer Zine (NOR), Tiamat (SWE), Uncategorized, Zine Reviews | Leave a 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

Thrash Em All #1.4 (Poland) 1992

Thrash Em All #1.4 (Poland) 1992 (in Polish) Editor: “Mariusz Kmiolek”

Another issue of Thrash Em All from Poland (thanks again to Pawel). Features some really cool live/band  shots I have not seen before, from the likes of Bolt Thrower, Samael and Nocturnus among others, as well as features/interviews/pics on Vader, Believer, Betrayer, Earache Records, Dead Head, Edge of Sanity, Dismember, Gorefest, Magnus, Nausea, Pan-Thy-Monium, Old Funeral, Pantera, Confessor, Solitude (USA-DE), Epidemic, Tiamat, and more…

July 5, 2013 | Categories: Adverts, Believer (US), Betrayer (POL), Bolt Thrower (UK), Confessor (US), Dead Head (NL), Demo Reviews, Dismember (SWE), Earache Records (UK), Edge of Sanity (SWE), Epidemic (US), Godflesh (UK), Gorefest (NL), Immolation (US), Magnus (POL), Morbid Angel (US), Nausea (US), News, Nocturnus (US), Old Funeral (NOR), Pan-Thy-Monium (SWE), Pantera (US), Playlists, Polish Scene Report, Readers Poll, Reviews, Samael (SWTZ), Solitude (US-DE), Thrash Em All (Poland) (Polish), Tiamat (SWE), Vader (POL) | Leave a comment

Thrash Em All #1 (Poland) 1991 (In Polish)

Thrash Em All  (Poland) 1/1991. Editor: “Mariusz Kmiolek” (In Polish)

Thanks to Paweł for the contribution. Another relic from the Polish scene to add to the collection. Features articles, pictures and/or interviews with Bendiction, Defecation, Carcass, Convulse, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Dorsal Atlantica, Exhorder, Kind Diamond, Loudblast, Master, Megadeth, Merciless, Paradise Lost, Pascal, Sadus, and more.

January 25, 2013 | Categories: Adverts, Benediction (UK), Cannibal Corpse (US), Carcass (UK), Convulse (FIN), Death (US), Defecation (UK-US), Demo Reviews, Dorsal Atlantica (BZL), Earache Records (UK), Exhorder (US), Incubus (US), King Diamond (DEN), Live Reviews, Loudblast (FR), Master (US), Megadeth (US), Merciless (SWE), News, Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Paradise Lost (UK), Peaceville Records (UK), Playlists, Polish Scene Report, Readers Poll, Sadus (US), Thrash Em All (Poland) (Polish), Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Grind Zone #1 (Italy/Spain) ? 1994 (En Español)

Grind Zone #1 (Italy/Spain) ? 1994. Director: “Claudio Cubito” (En Español)

A somewhat mainstream Italian publication, translated into Spanish for Spain (and published by a German conglomerate!), yet containing many cult underground acts in their prime. This goes to show just how far the ‘underground’ was from being really underground by 1994 – only to collapse back into obscurity more or less by 1995-96. Features and interviews with Entombed, Cathedral, Asphyx, Burzum, Tiamat, Samael, Gorefest, Anathema, Amorphis, Cynic, In Flames, Doomstone, Dark Tranquillity, Expulsion, Misanthrope, Osmose Productions, Century Media, Nuclear Blast, Peaceville, Roadrunner, Death, Eucharist, Impaled Nazarene, Absu, Phlebotomized, Sadness, Schizo, Cradle of Filth, Mind Riot, Black Shine, and Sadist.

January 2, 2013 | Categories: Absu (US), Adverts, Amorphis (FIN), Anathema (UK), Asphyx (NL), Blackshine (SWE), Burzum (NOR), Cathedral (UK), Century Media Records, Cradle of Filth (UK), Cynic (US), Dark Tranquility (SWE), Death (US), Doomstone (US), Earache Records (UK), Entombed (SWE), Eucharist (SWE), Expulsion (SWE), Grind Zone (SP/IT), Holy Records, Impaled Nazarene (FIN), In Flames (SWE), Lucretia Records, Mind Riot (FIN), Misanthrope (FR), News, Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Osmose Productions (FR), Peaceville Records (UK), Phlebotomized (NL), Roadrunner Records (US), Sadist (IT), Sadness (SWZ), Schizo (IT), Sepultura (BZL) | 1 Comment

SOD – Sounds of Death (Missouri, USA) #3, Summer 1993

SOD – Sounds of Death (Missouri, USA) #3, Summer 1993. Editor: “David Horn”

Like the issue #2 which I posted up a while back (see archives to the right), this is again sort of ‘in between’ a zine and magazine. David Horn’s eventually long-running Sounds Of Death still remained ambitious, and this time around it is packed with original art contributions from Cannibal Corpse cover artist Vincent Locke. Featuring pro-print, color cover, while keeping the underground feel, this issue also has an interview with Locke, along with Brujeria, Dismember, Cancer (nice tour story from their US tour with Deicide and Demolition Hammer), Venom (with trash talk on good old Raven), Kataklysm, Morbid Angel, and Vader. Lastly, TONS of cool record label ads.

 

April 14, 2012 | Categories: Ace's Records (US), Adipocere Records (FRA), Adverts, Black Mark Productions (GER), Blue Grape Merch Ad, Brujeria (MEX), Cancer (UK), Death (US), Decapitated Records (GRE), Dismember (SWE), Earache Records (UK), Grindcore Records (US), JL America Records (US), Kataklysm (CAN), Morbid Angel (US), Moribund Records (US), Necropolis Records (US), No Fashion Records (SWE), Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Osmose Productions (FR), Pavement records (US), Rage Records (US), Relapse Records (US), Sounds of Death (US), Vader (POL), Venom (UK), Vincent Locke | Leave a comment

Pit Magazine #8 (Colorado, USA) 1992

Pit Magazine #8 (Colorado, USA) 1992, Editor: “Wendy Perelstein”

A massive update here….Pit Magazine was published by Mosh Pit Records, a metal record store out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, that is sadly missed. Their magazine started in the late 80s and ran into the 90s with ambitions of being a national magazine of sorts, and they eventually did get okay distribution, but in essence it was really just a nice pro-printed, national zine – and that is what made it cool (It seems there is also still some online presence, as they have a facebook page and an outdated website, yet I think the last print issue was put out about 5 years ago…I could be wrong).

With better content and interviews than most national mags, it was packed with all the relevant bands and more. This issue was no exception, featuring an interview with Metallica-Jason Newsted when the Black album dropped (talking about their songwriting and change), Bolt Thrower (!!!), Nick Menza around “Rust in Peace” era-Megadeth, Chris Barnes from Cannibal Corpse talking about serial killers and why he hates (hated?) Phil from Sacred Reich, Godflesh, Autopsy, Necroticism-era Carcass, Soundgarden, Solitude Aeturnus, Blessed are the Sick-era Morbid Angel interview with Dave Vincent, Anacrusis, an extended interview with Pete Steele for the Carnivore–Type O Negative fans, the Hoffman Brothers of Deicide, Exhorder, Immolation, Coroner, Entombed, Cancer, Grave, Gorguts, Napalm Death, Obituary, Unleashed, and many more.

 

January 6, 2012 | Categories: Adverts, Agnostic Front (US), Anacrusis (US), Asphyx (NL), Atheist (US), Atrocity (GER), Autopsy (US), Black Mark Productions (GER), Bolt Thrower (UK), Cancer (UK), Cannibal Corpse (US), Carcass (UK), Coroner (SWZ), Corrosion of Conformity (US), Deicide (US), Earache Records (UK), Entombed (SWE), Exhorder (US), Fear Factory (US), Godflesh (UK), Gorguts (CAN), Grave (SWE), Immolation (US), Massacre (US), Megadeth (US), Metallica (US), Morbid Angel (US), Napalm Death (UK), Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Obituary (US), Overkill (US), Paradise Lost (UK), Pestilence (NL), Pit Magazine (US), Primus (US), Sick of It All (US), Solitude Aeturnus (US), Soundgarden (US), Treponem Pal (FR), Type O Negative (US), Uncategorized, Unleashed (SWE) | Leave a comment

Chainsaw Abortions #2 (NY, USA) 1990

Chainsaw Abortions #2 (NY, USA) 1990. Editor “Brian Pattison”

This zine out of upstate NY was sent over (and edited by) by Brian Pattison, who you may also know as the guy (who along with Alan Moses) put out the Glorious Times pictorial-history book of the death metal underground (see the video review below). This issue has some timely interviews with Morbid Angel (w/ Dave, right after Altars of Madness), Obituary (pre-Cause of Death), Sacrifice (as Soldier of Misfortune was released), Derketa, demo era- Malevolent Creation, Carbonized and Grave, as well as tons of cool ads and record label promos.

October 30, 2011 | Categories: Adverts, Agathocles (BEL), Baphomet (US), Bathory (SWE), Carbonized (SWE), Carcass (UK), Cenotaph (MEX), Chainsaw Abortions (US), Derketa (US), Earache Records (UK), Goreaphobia (US), Grave (SWE), Incantation (US), Malevolent Creation (US), Morbid Angel (US), Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Obituary (US), Pungent Stench (AU), Revenant (US), Roadrunner Records (US), Sacrifice (CAN), Shroud (US) | Leave a comment

Metal Forces #27 (UK) 1988

Metal Forces #27 (UK) 1988. Editor: “Bernard Doe”

Okay, so Metal Forces was certainly not a fanzine, yet it still deserves archival status. 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. With that said, I will be featuring scans of Metal Forces semi-regularly alongside the DIY zines. This issue features  a cover story on Australia’s Mortal Sin, interviews with Agnostic Front, Blind Illusion (pre-Primus), a young Testament, Destruction, and Venom. Tons of cool label ads (like the back cover for Manic Ears Records – check out their story here), and a year-end poll to give you an idea of where things were headed at the end of 1987. Finally, there is an interesting interview with Martin Ain of Celtic Frost, that discusses among other things touring, the then just-released “Into the Pandemonium,” and Tom Warrior’s ongoing feud with a Metal Force’s writer.

September 12, 2011 | Categories: Adverts, Agnostic Front (US), Blind Illusion (US), Blood Feast (US), Celtic Frost (SWZ), Deathwish (UK), Destruction (GER), Earache Records (UK), Executioner (US), Manic Ears Records (UK), Metal Forces (UK), Mortal Sin (AUS), New Renaissance Records (US), Noise Records (GER), Readers Poll, Roadrunner Records (US), Testament (US), Under One Flag (GER), Venom (UK) | Leave a comment

Slayer #8 (Norway) 1991

Slayer #8 (Norway) 1991. Editor: Jon “Metalion” Kristiansen (highlights)

Present at the creation, this is perhaps the most famous death/black metal zine ever out of Europe. This long-running example of underground gold was seemingly always packed with the best and most notable interviews, surrounded by top-notch DIY art and layout, on great pro-print. It really speaks for itself, and for die-hards I highly recommend the recent hardback pressing of the final issue, as well as the “Slayer Mag Diaries” due out in June from Bazillion Points.

March 10, 2011 | Categories: Acheron (US), Atrocity (GER), Bolt Thrower (UK), Carbonized (SWE), Deicide (US), Disharmonic Orchestra (AU), Earache Records (UK), Entombed (SWE), Immolation (US), Master's Hammer (CZ), Mayhem (NOR), Napalm Death (UK), Nocturnus (US), Nuclear Blast Records (GER), Paradise Lost (UK), Peaceville Records (UK), Slayer Zine (NOR), Therion (SWE), Tiamat (SWE), Unleashed (SWE) | Leave a comment