Thursday 31 July 2014

Album Review: INTO DAGORLAD - United By Hatred

INTO DAGORLAD - United By Hatred
(Infantry Of Doom Prod/Autoprod)
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff
Three tracks from this French black-thrash metal band’s latest full length are available for streaming at their Bandcamp profile. If you appreciate raw black metal of the cult persuasion this is for you. The production is gritty enough to make their material feel like sharp objects slicing into your eardrums, but not so much as to distort the instruments into a blur. Their rawness is just the amount needed to appeal to your misanthropic sensibilities; at the same time their capabilities as musicians is just as effective. The selections the band has made available at Bandcamp are No Redemption, Hellfire Metal Storm and Virtue Of The Weak, and there is a full tracklist of all the songs there. You can contact the band directly for ordering information.

Album Review: DEAD DEAN AND THE LIVING HELLS - s/t

DEAD DEAN AND THE LIVING HELLS - s/t
(Independent)
Reviewed by:  Dave Wolff
NYC street punk/RNR for enthusiasts of Dictators, Dead Boys and Murder Junkies. I met this band’s vocalist in the city sometime during the 90s and happened to run into him again at a Sewage show last year. This is not the punk people today are accustomed to hearing. While the relentless anti-societal energy is clearly evident, it’s tinged with 1950s outlaw rock (especially in the guitars and vocals). Perhaps country and bluegrass from that era is there as well. This makes Dead Dean and the Living Hells simultaneously aggressive and catchy. From what I know of early punk, it should provide education for modern punk rockers about the reason punk caught on Stateside to begin with, when CBGB and Bleecker Bob’s first opened to the public. It’s good that someone is reawakening this long gone time for today’s audiences, and it’s not done for the sake of nostalgia. It really feels as if the era never actually passed. I have yet to see the band live, but I’m certain they can project onstage the energy they captured on this release.

Film Review: HUMAN CENTIPEDE Reviewed: By Reggae Of Terror

HUMAN CENTIPEDE
Reviewed: By Reggae Of Terror

This is one of my all time fave flicks (I even wrote a song about it) So for that reason alone it will always hold a special place in my black little heart.

I used to watch a lot of horror movies as a kid (some would say too much)  so much so that I overdosed on gore flicks and didn't really watch or have the interest in any of them to watch for almost 10 years until I heard about this little gem. I have to say it was the controversy that piqued my interest in it really, I mean what could be so bad about this movie that it has everyone in internet land vomiting into their own  mouths ?

It follows the plight of two rather attractive females and some Japenese guy who unwittingly fall into the trap of a sadistic doctor who sedates them and subjects them to his perverted medical experiments.

The fun only starts here, the three are subjected to humiliation degradation on and torture beyond the comprehension of most humans when they are placed into a human centipede joined together from mouth to anus, the three of them connected by the same digestive tract.

This is not for the faint hearted. There are some films that can't be unseen once you've watched them and this is probably the leading light in such films. As a movie it is captivating, well thought out and compelling, you actually feel for the victims and the cold bloodiness of Dr. Heiter (the Surgeon played by Deiter Laser) is delivered disturbingly well. I don't think many people could say its a bad film, its just too much for many people to take.

Its a tough one to talk about without ruining the film but i'll include the trailer here so you can judge for yourself if its something you want to see.



GIG NIGHT: A NIGHT OF CHAOS Saturday, August 9, 2014 GUSSYS BAR 20-14 29th St, Astoria, New York 11105



Bands can bring a full press kit to send to other zines that aren't able to attend 
Battle Of The Nights Fanzine
Autoeroticasphyxium Zine
(a list will be given soon).

OCZ MERCHANDISE TABLE:
We will be selling the band merch at our table so the bands can hangout and have a blast. 
Bands that come down to support the show if you have cds you want to sell drop off our merch table. 
Fanzines who come down to support the show if you have issues you want sold at our event drop it off at our merch table. 

SPECIAL OFFER TO BANDS WHO COME TO SUPPORT THE SHOW....

OBSCURE CHAOS ZINE 
A FREE BLACK AND WHITE QUARTER PAGE AD, 3.75 inches wide, 5 inches tall, ($60.00 VALUE) FOR FREE 

FURY BRINGS TEARS ZINE
SPREAD THE FURY SECTION: Business Card size: one issue free, recurring – ($25.00 VALUE)
Includes your band logo, band name, style of music, country, web pages, and any merch information

Obscure Chaos Zine best interest is helping the get bands more exposure and bringing our metal scene together and to support each other. 

oldschool hand drawn flyer by Nate Gore

Zine Review: A WORMHOLE Issue #40

A WORMHOLE Issue #40
http://www.facebook.com/keith.wormuth
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff
(July 2014)
As I recently reviewed the previous issue of this zine for Obscure Chaos’ blog you’ll find some background information there. This latest issue of A Wormhole is still brief material-wise (about ten pages) but there is more typewritten info and less handwritten. The layout is generally tighter than past issues and there are a handful more bands, labels and fanzines to read about. Mostly reviews and updates, in the DIY approach to zine editing. One of the reviews in this issue is of Malakyte’s new release with which I hooked Worm up with a trade copy. If Worm should decide to expand the number of pages in his zine and continue tightening things up with each new issue, he should increasingly gain ground in the printed zine network.

Album Review: ETERNUS - Labyrinth Of Reason

ETERNUS - Labyrinth Of Reason
(Independent)
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff
July 2014
Eternus formed in Chile in 2013 and this is their debut full length, released a year after. If this is what they offer in only a year’s time it shouldn’t be long before they are firmly established as a genuine talent in underground metal. The complete running time of Labyrinth Of Reason is just under an hour and a half, with fifteen brilliant tracks. Eternus composes intricate compositions easily comparable to Rhapsody and Luca Turilli pioneered two decades ago in terms of length, aesthetic and inventiveness. If you have sufficient time to hear this all the way through you’ll come away with the feeling you’ve experienced something profound and special. As if you’ve experienced a metal opera the likes of which you never considered possible. With power metal and classical delivered in equal quantities. Forget what passes for “metal” on mainstream entertainment like American Idol and similar programs; the future of metal is what you’re reading about at this precise moment. You must give Eternus the credit they’re due for making an effort to continue taking the genre in new directions in this age when sameness sells and image overshadows music more than ever. The musicianship is phenomenal and epic, the songwriting and arrangement of the material painstakingly thought out and it shows. What the band means to do to stand out from most symphonic metal bands is to include baritone vocals and greater emphasis on variety in tempos and genuine feelings within the song structure. Admittedly the baritone could use some improvement but this is a minor complaint considering the rest of the band’s formula. This is a release that should be added to your collection.

GORENOGRAPHY: THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE

GORENOGRAPHY: THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE: HUMAN CENTIPEDE This is one of my all time fave flicks (I even wrote a song about it) So for that reason alone it will always hold a speci...

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Get Out Its Summer! Free Movies Under The Stars Around NY!

Get Out Its Summer! Free Movies Under The Stars!

Bryant Park, that stalwart, draws thousands for classics on Mondays. Next week it’s “The Karate Kid.”

Monday, August 4, 2014
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
The Karate Kid
5:00pm | Lawn

Monday, August 11, 2014
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Lover Come Back
5:00pm | Lawn

Monday, August 18, 2014
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
The Shining
5:00pm | Lawn

• Coney Island Flicks brings a mix of oldies and new blockbusters to the beach at West 10th Street on Mondays.

August 4th: American Hustle
• August 11th: Dirty Dancing
• August 18th: Audience Choice!
• August 25th: Gravity

On August 18th, we will screen either The Sandlot, Grease or The Goonies, but we need your help! Vote online at Facebook.com/ConeyIslandFun and the audience favorite will be selected!

McCarren Park in Williamsburg offers hipster-approved cult classics on Wednesdays.

Socrates Sculpture Park features international films on Wednesdays.

Hudson River Park offers blockbusters from last year on Wednesdays.

Band Interview: Miracle Man: the Ultimate Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with Ace OZZbourne

Miracle Man:
the Ultimate Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
Interview with: Ace OZZbourne
Band website: www.miracle-man.de
Band FB: Miracle Man
Country: Germany
Genre: Heavy Metal
Email Interview Conducted by: Lady Kat Chaos
Date: 2014

OCZ: Hails! Thanks for taken a few moments to respond to our interview. Please write brief bio about Miracle Man (Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Band)....

Miracle Man: No problem, it's great to be talking with you. the Ultimate Tribute to Ozzy Ozbourne was formed in 2011 by myself and my guitar player Max E. Lee.

We are in another band, but our bassist was missing so many practices that we could never book any gigs. I wanted to do another project with another bassist so we could get out and do shows.  So at one practice i approached Max with the idea of doing a full cover project. Max had the idea of doing a 'Tribute' band. Eventually we settled on the idea of paying tribute to Ozzy :-)

OCZ: Do you have one of your friends throw a bat at you, as it happened to Ozzy so many years ago?

Nope, I do the Bat thing myself.  I wanted to do the 'Ultimate Tribute' to Ozzy so it was important for me to have the bat as a part of the show. As Ozzy has a great sense of humor, I figured it would be a gag that he would understand and appreciate.

OCZ: What sets you apart from other Ozzy tribute bands? Any interesting obscure or chaotic road stories?

I think what sets us apart from any other Ozzy trib that I have seen on the internet is that I do not try to be Ozzy NOW. I am trying to be Ozzy back in the early 80's.

From what I have seen, all Ozzy tribs are trying to look like the Ozz man does now. I wanted to stand out a bit more and do Ozz when he was at his most insane...

Well, there was one festival we did called Rock for Animal Rights. It was organized by vegans and they were a bit shocked about my biting the head off of a bat. hehehehe Ozzy would have been proud.

OCZ: What's is the hardest aspect of re-creating a Ozzy show?

Money... We do not have the funds to do our show the way we want. But hopefully as time goes on, we will be able to build up our poduction. My dream is to have a stage set that looks like something between Diary of a Madman and Bark at the Moon. The actual show itself is more me tapping into my inner OZZ so people will buy that i could be him. so far it seems to be working.
But as far as re- creating an Ozzy show, for me it is important to give ourselves room to be flexible. That is why I tell everyone, we are a fantasy Ozzy Tribute. We are not restricting ourselves to what Ozzy is now. We are taking what he did with the medieval direction he started back in 81' 82' and running with that, sort of a where would he have gone had he stuck with that medieval look.

OCZ: Well it's more about the production, with the lights and presentation. Tell us about your full presentation for those who haven't seen you perform? How many sets do you perform?

As I said, it comes back to the money. We have only been together as Miracle Man for for about 3 years. The first year and a half was working on the set and getting the songs down so they would be right.

Then it was about booking shows. It is not easy over here in Germany in the Cologne area to get shows as an Ozzy trib. The music direction is not right, it leans more towards techno and pop. But we are working on getting more shows in the south of Germany where metal is still loved and appreciated.

Basically we only do one set. Our show is just under 2 hours long. If people want more, we are more than happy to build up our song repetoir.

OCZ: How often to you change up the set lists from one show to the next, and is it almost completely different every time. Are there any songs which you have never played? What new songs have you added to your set-list? What albums or songs do you cover?

Our set list is pretty consistent. We do have a shorter set list we do when we are asked to play with another band as an opener or when we do festvals. I might change the order of the songs once in a while, but we always start the show with the same 2 songs and end it with the same 3 songs. The newest song we are doing is No More Tears.
Here is our basic setlist:
Bark at the Moon
Crazy Train
Ultimate Sin
Flying High
I Don’t Know
Over the Mountain
Killer of Giants
Hellraiser
No More Tears
I Don't Want To Change …
Miracle Man
Mr. Crowley
Crazy Babies
Shot in the Dark
Center of Eternity
Suicide Solution
Rock and Roll Rebel
War Pigs
Children of the Grave /Paranoid

OCZ: Which songs do Ozzy fans request most at your shows?

Till now we have had no requests. I think that we have pretty much all the songs in our set that the fans want. We have made an effort to include most of his hits in the show, so i think they are happy right now. Maybe when we are playing more gigs, the fans will want to hear more variety.

OCZ: What are your personal favorite Ozzy songs to perform? Have you ever thought of putting together a festival of your own?

I have a few. Center of Eternity, No More Tears, Mr. Crowley, Children of the Grave, Rock and Roll Rebel, and of course, Miracle Man. I really love doing our complete set, but these are the ones that call to me always.

Yes, I have thought of putting together my own festival. It would be a benefit for Multiple Sclerosis Research. My wife and I actually talked to Metallica about the possibility of the playing for our festival. They are interested. But of course, it will be some time before we can make that happen.

OCZ: How important is it to try and maintain your Ozzy look?

Now that is the one thing I think sets me apart from the other tribs. When I am on-stage, I am Ozzy. I try to do everything as Ozzy would. But when I come off of the stage, I am me.  I do not want to be Ozzy all day long, I want to be Ozzy on stage. It is kind of like being an actor in a movie; You are the character when you are on set, but when you go home, you have to be you again. I do not feel the need to be Ozzy off-stage. Nobody can do that right except the Man himself. I am giving tribute to him on-stage as he is one of my favs and has had an impact on me. But I will not try to be him off-stage. Most other Tribsingers  try to be Ozzy all the time. I am proud of who I am. It is who God made me to be, He just gave me the gift to be able to help people believe I am Ozzy for a couple of hours  and that works for me. Maybe for some pictures I can put on the Ozzy persona, but offstage, I am me. And the fans like it that way.

OCZ: Have many times have you seen Ozzy in concerts?

Sadly and strangely enough, Never. I really would love to, but I always missed him when he came round.

OCZ: How often do you rehearse?

Band practice is generally 1 to 2 times a week. If we have a show coming up, we might practice more. But as I said earlier, we spent the first year and a half working on the songs and show in the practice room before we ever did a live show. The point was so we would only need to practice to keep in shape or to work on new ideas.

OCZ: What was your favorite, and least favorite, Miracle Man gig?

Oddly enough my least favorite and most favorite took place in the same venue within 8 months of each other. The least favorite was in Troisdorf Germany at the JKC. We had organized the show and got some friends of ours to open for us. We were the only ones doing promotion, and the opening band already had a certain number of friends that commited to coming. Unfortunately, on the same weekend we had booked the show, there was aready a big function going on in Bonn just down the road. There was an open air with an AC/DC trib, a Ramstein trib and a Judas Priest trib, all for free. So, as you can imagine, only a few people showed, all friends from the opener and us. As soon as the opener had finished, they left for the free party with their friends. In a way it was stupid as their friends already payed entrance by us. But we were left with an almost empty house.

Ironically the best gig was in the same place just last month in February. We played on my birthday, and we had a really good turnout, and everyone sang happy birthday to me in the middle of the show.

OCZ: What goals do you wish to achieve as a Ozzy tribute band?

Our goal is to do more shows. We love to play and would love to Bring the Madness to anybody that will have us. My personal goal is to try to make ur production bigger and better so we can really put on a great visual show for the public.

OCZ: How is the Ozzy's tribute band business?

At the moment it is a bit slow. As I said, it is not easy doing a tribute band over here. But we are trying to get a manager to help us to organize better gigs so we can achieve our goals.

OCZ: Do you work with a contract? How can one contact you if they are interested in booking you?

We do try to work with contracts. It is better and safer for everyone all around.
If any one wants to book us, they can contact me at:
 ace@miracle-man.de or
011-49-2241-849-3499
Our website is: www.miracle-man.de
Facebook: www.facebook.com/miracle.man.ozzy

OCZ: Who created your new backdrop?

I did. I made it on Microsoft Office word 2007. When I was done witht the design, I send it to a friend who made the file big enough to be made into a 3 meter by 2 meter banner, then I sent it off and had it made.  Not bad huh?  ;-)

OCZ: Has Ozzy ever seen you perform?

No he hasn't. I really would love for him to see  us.  I think he would really enjoy our show. Everyone that has seen us has loved us, even if they were not Ozzy fans, so I think we must be doing something right.

OCZ: What's in the future for Miracle Man?

To continue to do more shows and pay tribute to the Ultimate Madman of Rock and Roll in the best way we can.

OCZ: Are any of the members in other bands?

Well, we are all in other bands. Our bassist Jens Daisley, is playing in a Karneval band in our area. Anyone who knows the Cologne area of Germany knows that the karneval season is huge. it starts on 11.11 (November 11)  at 11.11 in the morning and goes till Rose monday (technically it goes till Ash Wednesday)

Our drummer Joe Castillo is in a band with Max and myself. Our other Band is called Pink Slip Cologne. We are a Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal band. We write our own material, but we also cover everything from AC/DC to ZZ Top. We tend more toward the Glam/Sleaze scene, but it is fun and we really enjoy it.

OCZ: Any last comments, advice, or thank yous before we lock our metal gates behind you "Crazy Babies" as you head out singing "Mamma I'm Coming Home".......

On a personal note, I would like to ask your readers to please help us to do what they can to help us find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.  My wife has had MS since she was 16 and so it is a really personal thing for us. Please go online and find out what ye can do to help, and support the research...  come to my MS page and give us a like: www.facebook.com/pages/MSR-Musicians-Supporting-the-Research. We try to keep everyone updated on the sites MS news both from the American and German medical Research organizations.

And to finish off, we want to thank all at Obscure Chaos Zine for being so great. Thanks for your support. We would also like to thank the people who have supported us and believe in us over the years, our family’s and friends. Most especially we want to thank Ozzy for being Ozzy. A great entertainer and true Madman.

Thank You and we Love you all.... ROCK AND ROLL....



Album Review: SEPTIC MUTAGEN - Colossal Predatory Anthropod Invasion

Colossal Predatory Anthropod Invasion - CD Review

First up, im going to come right out and say it, that "brutal grindcore tecnical porno death" is not my favourate genre. I can't tell one band from the next and much of it to me seems an excercise in senseless guitar technicality.

This one however is quite fun to listen to.  It reeks of death grind stinkyness, the vocals sit in that unintelligable guttaral range where not one word can be made out, the drums are obviously programmed beyond the capability of any mere mortal... but what saves this one from being shit-canned along with other releases of the genre that pass my way is the fact that main man Tim (its a one man project of course) writes the songs himself and actualy gives the guitars room to breathe. There are actual riffs and variation and some dynamics here. The drums are as mentioned before are ludicrously fast in parts but not the whole way through the record, again there is some variation here and it serves the songs quite well actually.  I have to say this actually kept me entertained the whole way through its seven song duration.

Overall I have to say to Tim "Not bad old chap, not bad at all..." and coming from someone who gets a bit annoyed by this genre of music that can be taken as a compliment

I doubt there is any other way to get this now than thru the Septic mutagen facebook or bandcamp site but give it a listen and support an underground aussie musician doing his thang!


Reggae

Album Review: Hopeless Youth - 'Disgust'

Hopeless Youth - 'Disgust'
Release: February 25, 2014 
Facebook page: Hopeless Youth 

Reviewed by: Saul Colon
Date: April 2014

Here's my review .. Hey peeps Saul from Hellshot here there .. More there than here anyway in the mist of recording and the occasional gig I have had the great pleasure of listening to an Awesome band from Canada ( btw if I used "awesome already ya pretty much know what my rating is gonna be). Anyway, it's a band called Hopeless Youth and their debut album is called 'Disgust', already they got me. 

Its a total sonic assault from beginning to end starting with track "Ghost" it's a very In Your Face style sorta Strapping Young Lad to hints of early Nirvana and a little Hatebreed. It totally works without being exactly like those bands but it's brutal enough to make your day at a dead end job like mine more enjoyable. Vocalist Denis shrills like a mofo while the rest of the band John, Julien, and Yann blister with straight up punkcore metal riffs. Another great song is "Rain of Arrows" and the last tune "Abomination" makes wish they had another track or 2 in the album . Production is full and the tones of the guitars and the drums are impeccable ( hope to get a similar sound in my album) but it's soooo worth the buy. So guess what I give an "A"and yea I would contact Candlight Records to see if these guys will do a show in NYC.

Album Review: Wacken Metal Battle Canada Vol. 2 by Geoff McGraw

Album Review Format: Digital Download
Band Name: Various
Title: Wacken Metal Battle Canada Vol. 2
Date of Release: 2014
Genre: Metal
Reviewed by: Geoff McGraw
Track listings: 81 tracks various artists

W:O:A Metal Battle Canada is a compilation of 81 bands that made it into the final rounds of the Canadian competition to win a performance slot at the famous (or infamous) Wacken Open Air in Germany. These 81 bands were culled from over 400 submissions, and will compete in 22 qualifying rounds during the months of March, April, and May. Then 6 semi-finals and a final round on June 7th to choose one band that will travel to WOA.
With a compilation of this size and scope one would expect a listening experience that lacks a unifying identity.....and one would be right. That's not necessarily a bad thing though as compilations like this allow the metal fan fan to get a taste of many different bands that may have been overlooked or never heard without it.
It also makes it difficult to give the writer of a review a very difficult time to explain to the reader what they should expect from the compilation, but I'll give it my best shot!
There is a predominate quantity of extreme metal here with most of the other primary metal subgenres scattered amongst the brutality. Everything is compiled in a "fair to everyone" alphabetical order, so the listening experience jumps around quite a bit from technical riffs to groove over to hardcore or progressive and back again contributing to the schizophrenic feel of the overall experience.
What I didn't expect from the compilation was the surprising inclusion of some duds, I would have figured that after weeding through over 400 entries this would have been the ultra cream of the crop. For instance "At Dawn's Edge - Venus Rapture" at first grabbed me with a progressive groove feel....until the wispy, slightly sharp noted, weak vocals that would not have been out of place in a folk song came in. Here they ruined the existing potential. With that being said there are only a few throughout the disc that don't deliver at least acceptably, the above being the worst example.
On the Opposite side "Unleash The Archers" and "Scythia" alternate between melodic and pummeling attacks will satisfy those who like some clean powerful vocals mixed with their growls screams, and somewhat progressive feel. "Morbidly Depraved" and "Death Toll Rising" will essentially rip off your head and defecate down your throat. "Warsenal" gets thrashy, and "Protokult" Does their best Pirate imitation.
The list of bands seems almost endless here, and will require multiple sittings to really find nuances, and to separate out your favorites from the mass. In general I would consider this to be a middle of the road offering. Most of the songs here are enjoyable but don't leave lasting impressions, a few gems and a few duds, mostly what you would expect from a battle of the bands situation.
All In all the title of the compilation says it all "W:O:A Battle vol. 2" delivers what could easily be best defined as a Wacken Open Air experience, traveling stage to stage experiencing something different at each stop....just this happens to be 81 different stages!

Album Review: Combichrist - "We Love You"

Combichrist - "We Love You"
Label: Out Of Line 
Release: 2014-03-21 
Format: CD Album 
Tracklist: 13 Tracks 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/we-love-you-deluxe-version/id830967175.
Facebook page: Combichrist
Reviewed by: Saul Colon 
Date: April 2014



Hey peeps here I am with another reviewing click the link for info but it's the new Combichrist album called "We love you all"and it's pretty Goddam good. If you are an avid CC fan it takes some elements if the video game soundtrack they did a year in half ago ( which was a metal ) and added there distinct agro tech style to it. Not really like"What the fuck is wrong with you" (my favorite) but a lil change to a more standard band then just samples and loops. But some songs stand out my fav being "We Own this Motherfucker" and "Everyday is a War" the deluxe version has xtra tunes but there more instrumental noise if ya like that stuff then get it otherwise it's a definite "A" album to purchase ... Btw if those whom don't or not familiar with Combichrist I suggest getting which I mentioned earlier my fav with a classic tune "Shut up and swallow" it's a total Agro Tech. 

Album Review: MARKRADONN - Final Dying Breath

MARKRADONN - Final Dying Breath 
(Bluntface)
Markradonn
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff


For a demo this is a monumental effort, denoting the most significant advance in extreme music since Celtic Frost incorporated horn instruments into their songs on To Mega Therion. No small praise to be certain, but warranted nonetheless. My interview with guitarist and founding member Haniel in Autoeroticasphyxium #21, while delving deeply into the creative mindset that fueled the making of this five track recording, still appears to simply scratch the surface of the potential this band displays. A potential that can become a proverbial monster and carry thrash to a new plateau, should it be properly pursued. Final Dying Breath plays not just like a collection of brutal compositions, but also the soundtrack to a short film be it science fiction or sword-and-sorcery fantasy. The six musicians comprising Markradonn handle a variety of string, synth and wind instruments and seem to have undergone a painstaking process to arrange each song so that these instruments create an equally diverse variety of moods, making each moment unique as the listening experience continues. You can almost envision said moods emerge into breathing life as a move that writes and directs itself in the title track, “Internal Hate Unbounded,” “No Redemption, No Forgiveness,” (one of the best tracks here) “Frenzied Winter Sorrow” and “Cathartic Spiritual Purgation.” My sole complaint is that the lyrics weren't included in the cover package. Watch for the band’s upcoming full length Ceremonial Abnegation Part 1 to be released in the near future. 

Album Review: TRIFORIUM DAWN - Morningside

TRIFORIUM DAWN  - Morningside 
(Independent)
Triforium Dawn
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff

Massachusetts’ Triforium Dawn profess their style “experimental metal.” Just from checking out the first track of their CD demo it’s obvious from the get-go they’re experimenting with different subgenres and methods of songwriting. Uniqueness and imagination is always something to be valued in extreme music, and you’ll receive a healthy dose of it within these five songs. The opening strains of the title track prepared me for a brutal band the moment it started. Imagine my surprise when the melodic power metal-inspired vocals kicked in, followed by tempo and time changes delivered with the natural ease of Rush in the 70s and Fates Warning in the 80s. Combine this with a heavy, abrasive sound and occasional Iron Maiden-esque playing and there’s a force to be reckoned with here. This band certainly pushes the envelope of what brutal bands can do in the recording studio. By the time the second song “Gimp Canetapper (Layered Basses Version)” began I was a Triforum Dawn fan. Even more impressive is that what you hear is accomplished by three members (guitarist/vocalist Ulfilas Underwood, bassist Tim Eoghan Waddell and drummer Sam Dziel). When “Eclipsed Moonchild (Charcoal Vocals version)” was underway I was wondering where this band would take their songwriting on the next recording. If you’re interested in experiencing these compositions contact this band

Album Review: PHASE - The Wait

PHASE - The Wait 
(Independent)
Phase
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff

The latest in a long line of independently recorded and released albums by this experimental band from Greece. If this is your first exposure to Phase you might find it difficult to believe they have this much staying power sans label backing. But they’ve managed to remain consistent releasing material and keeping it fresh and inventive at the same time. Here you’ll find tightly fused elements of metal, post-punk, goth, industrial noise and electronica, delivered in a naturally convincing fashion. Before the conclusion of the opening track “Magical Thinking” you’ll be spellbound and eagerly anticipating what the next track is going to sound like. The band’s hypnotic quality is especially apparent in lead vocals that loom over the misty lake of the musicianship like a formless ethereal shape drawing you deeper into the unknown with each song. Phase have taken a long time to develop their sound in this way and their efforts are paying off for certain. “Point Of You,” “Sowing Scorn” and the seven-minute “Homeseek Dark Blues” make this clear with equal artistic license.

Album Review: BLOODWRAITH - As Above, So Below

BLOODWRAITH - As Above, So Below
(Supreme Violence Productions)
http://www.reverbnation.com/bloodwraith
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff

Bloodwraith is a two-man band consisting of Wargoat and Moribund who were in Shadows Of Sin together. Although they specialize in black metal of the raw and primitive variety, what makes this recording of theirs unique is the addition of some piano/synth pieces providing a singularly bizarre yet effective counterpoint. This doesn’t take anything away from the rawness mentioned above; but it’s rather a striking contrast making them worth checking out, especially so if this contrast develops as the band progresses. These two already have experience from their previous band, which should be a help since they are familiar with one another’s musicianship. Their influences as mentioned on their Reverbnation biography are stated to be Bathory, Darkthrone, Mayhem and Immortal, but personally I heard more war metal influence on many of these tracks. Bloodwraith’s Reverbnation link also includes a couple of recently recorded demo tracks. From these you get a sense of how much energy they put into their practice sessions.

Album Review: Various Artists/Sampler True Metal Lives II - Another Cup Of Evil (2014)

Band Name: Various
Title: True Metal Lives II Another Cup Of Evil
Date of Release: 2014
Record Label: True Metal Lives
Genre: Traditional Metal Compilation
Album Review Format: cd
Website: www.truemetallives.com

Reviewed by: Geoff McGraw


Track listings: 
1. Hellscream - Hellscream 
2. A Sound Of Thunder - Queen Of Hell 3. Prowler - No Life Till Leatherface 
4. Abductum - Our Master Lie 
5. Matrekis - Fist To The Face
6. Darker Half - Never Surrender 
7. Shallow Ground - Darkness 
8. Lords Of The Trident - Complete Control 
9. Scythia - Rise Of The Kraken 
10. Ripe - Dreamwalker 
11. Lord - 2D Person In A 3D World 
12. Dire Peril - Astronomical Minds 
13. Pain Savior - Pushing The New Machine 
14. Divinity Compromised - Termination Sequence 
15. Tungsten - Contamination 
16. Barbaria - Blackbeard 
17. Engine Of Chaos - Psychopulse 
18. Coven 13 - Witches Kiss 


The 2nd installment in the True Metal Lives compilations does not disappoint in the least. The overall package is killer from look to sound.
18 tracks of traditional hard hitting heavy metal keeps your head banging. This album, like it's predecessor, is one of those special compilations in which there seem to be no weak tracks. Each of the bands on the album are very very good at what they do, the traditional metal revival puts a heavy foot forward with the help of the folks at True Metal Lives.
As with all compilation albums it is difficult to draw a picture of the overall sound of the album, primarily because every track is from a different band, however in this case you can expect buzzsaw guitars, pounding bass, insistent drums and powerful vocals in all of the offerings here. It's a great road test album, drop it in your car on a long trip and it'll play several times in a row because it's that good.
It's not often that I include album artwork in my reviews, but as we all know good art makes an album more interesting. The art provided by Noel Puente made this album great, with hints at many different classic covers, he captures the classic imagery of heavy metal in it's prime (holy shades of Megadeth Batman)!
This album is being passed out at 6 different metal festivals this year, and is also available directly from www.truemetallives.com as well as several mail order outlets. You can get more information on where to get your copy by visiting the site.

Album Review: Ruin - Cursed

Band Name: Ruin
Title: Cursed
Date of Release: April 2014
Genre: Doom/Alternative
Website: http://cursedruin.bandcamp.com/album/cursed

Reviewed by: Geoff McGraw

Track listings: 1. The Cursed 2. Einsam 3.Doom Of Everything 4. Keine Sie Mehr 5. Die Verkommende Liebe 6. Nightmare Come Again 7. The Shade Of Love 8. When He Died... 9. The Shade Of Love (acoustic)



        Ruin is the one man project of Paul Kretz and is based in Russia, each of the 9 tracks on this album were recorded during the 7 years between 2003 and 2010. Then mixed and mastered over the last 2 years since 2012.
The biggest sole influence on Mr. Kretz is obviously Type O Negative and Peter Steele. It is impossible to not draw the conclusion nearly immediately. Right off the bat I would point out that for me "When He Died..." is the standout track to me.
Musically Drums, and Guitars make up the rhythm of the tracks, while keyboards in more often than not provide both atmospheric and melodic duties, although the guitar has some standout melodic parts as well. The instruments themselves provide a bleak sounding atmosphere, less what I would consider a doom feel and more of a depressive feel, perfect for an evening of razor blade fantasies by teenage cutters into the goth scene.
Vocally Kretz mixes it up with several different styles, from clean to what could be termed "gentle" death metal. Again the comparison to Peter Steele can not be missed both in tone and delivery. He also mixes languages, although apparently from Russia, he ignores the language, instead choosing English and German as his chosen tableau.
As a whole The album was somewhat flat, and there were production issues that seem to detract even further. This can happen when an album is produced over a period of 11 years with what one would assume are different recording formats and platforms, as well as changing ideas and vision from the artist. This album would fall into the "take it off the shelf and listen to it once in a great while" type. Not a bad recording, but neither does it offer anything innovative or new. It also fails to have those moments that grab you and suck you in, demanding that you hit replay to hear something again.

4 out of 10 horns

Album Review: LUCIFER’S HAMMER The Mists Of Time MMXIV (Destro Records)

LUCIFER’S HAMMER
Record Label: Destro Records
Reviewed by: Dave Wolff


Lucifer’s Hammer is a Michigan-based band that existed for almost two decades, from 1986 to 2004. I’m uncertain what they are doing nowadays but you may have heard about them in their heyday. They released two full lengths before disbanding ten years ago. Destro Records officially reissued this album, originally released in 1997, this past March. As for the actual album, The Mists Of Time MMXIV combines elements of black and death metal with slow dirge-like passages that draw you in and sustain your interest in where they’ll be heading. What I appreciated about this recording was the feel provided by these songs, a mid-to-late 90s feel I associated with bands like Divine Silence and Evoken who were active in New York since we had the Wetlands and the Bank. I definitely felt transported back to this period while listening, due as much to the atmospheric keyboards and haunting Gregorian-like chanting as the progressions and tempo changes. New York bands had a real idea where they could take this style; in many ways this sounds like the next logical progression. The acoustic guitars and female vocals add to the mystique of this recording. Destro’s reissue of this album also contains demo tracks recorded by the band; information is at the label’s Bandcamp page.

Interview with Luís “Krumhûr” founder of Hell Bent For Metal zine

Interview with Luís “Krumhûr” founder of Hell Bent For Metal zine
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hellbentformetalzine
Email interview conducted by: Lady Kat Chaos
Date: July 2014



Hails Luís “Krumhûr”! Congrats on selling out your Hell Bent For Metal zine issue #5! Was this the first issue you have ever sold out of? Have you thought about reprinting more since it sold out? How many printed copies of this issue did you make?

Greetings! Thank you for the kind words. This was the fourth issue of the 'zine to have sold out. Previous issues to have vanished from my hands were #1, #2 and #4, of which only #4 was a "serious" issue by my current standards (100 copies pressed). Both #1 and #2 came out in very limited runs of 40 and 70 copies each respectively and were very different to the latter and more experienced issues. I have given the prospect of making them available online some thought over the years, but still have not come to any decision one way or the other. I might do a compilation of the best interviews of the early ones one day, who knows!

How many copies of your zine do you set aside to mail to the bands, record labels and for trading with other zines? 

I could not tell you a number, because I have never counted! But all the band and contributors to each issue get sent a copy, naturally. Trading with other zines tends to happen sporadically and labels and distros tend to be the bulk of my distribution, which would mean they end up getting a fair share of all available copies of each issue.

What issues do you still have available, who are some featuring bands in the available issues and where can one purchase it? 

I am down to the very last copies of #3 for £4 plus p&p (2010, Doom Special: While Heaven Wept, Rich Walker, Pagan Altar, Sorcerer (Swe), Procession, Forsaken, Dawnrider, Briton Rites, Ereb Altor, Old Season, Rituals of the Oak)

I have also still got quite a few copies of the latest split 'zine release with Pariah Child, called Masters of the Pit #1, for £3 plus p&p (2013, Desolation Angels, Procession, Asomvel, Gods Tower, The Wounded Kings, Ravensire, Deceptor, on the road with Rituals of the Oak and a special guest feature looking back at the birth of Heavy Metal on Portuguese shores! Plus Revelation, Pale Divine, Griftegard, Great Coven, Thomas Hand Hand Chaste, Abysmal Grief and a Faith tour report!)

Both issues can be ordered by contacting Hell Bent For Metal on facebook, as well as through Black Tears Distribution, Emanes Records and Pariah Child!

What are your thoughts on how both music and printed zines have been greatly altered by technological advancements? Do you still appreciate physical product from other zines and bands releases? Whats the core quality of a great zine?

The impact of the digital age in music had been immense, and in my opinion a double edged sword. On the one hand it has made it possible to find a wealth of previously forgotten bands and made it easier to connect and contact people across the world. But on the other hand, it has also removed a certain natural selection aspect from music that was essential to filtering a lot of the shit from the good stuff. Nowadays no one can possibly keep up with the amount of releases and bands being formed and released every month. It is just too much to cope with and I think that has led to a drowning out of quality and a dilution of the average attention span to that of a goldfish!

This is why I appreciate people who still worship at the altar of tradition, so to speak. The people doing 'zines will take their time to put an issue out, and will often choose their preferred releases and bands to feature in their issues. This does not guarantee you will like everything that appears in 'zines or even agree with the choices made, but at least there has already been some effort towards filtering the best in the editor's point of view, the most worthy of attention, so to speak. The same goes with bands and labels that still treat their releases as fully packaged products, and not just a cheap commodity you can get on the same supermarket you get your bacon and eggs from.

The core of a great 'zine and the core of a great album and label is the same: passion and honesty. It will not guarantee "success", but enthusiasm is contagious! The rest can be acquired along the way, but the raw passion has to be there from the start.

In issue # 5 some bands that were featured were Portrait, Argus, Midnight Priest, Borrowed Time, Condenados, and many others. What interview from
this issue are you most proud of?

I am not sure about proud, but the one I am happiest with would have to be the Eliminator one, which we recorded after a show in Burnley all huddled into their van and in very high spirits!

How do you conduct most of your interviews such as: emails, over the phone, in person etc.? Do you set a limit on how many questions to ask the bands? How long do you give the bands to return the interview back to you if done by an email?

Most interviews for the 'zine have been done over email. A few notable ones, such as the Eliminator one in #4, Asomvel in #5 and The Wounded Kings in Masters of the Pit #1 were done in person using a recorder after a gig and were usually the most fun to do, but also the most painful to actually get ready to print! I don't usually give bands a time limit, though sometimes you need to chase them a few weeks down the line to make sure they reply to it, like you should have done with me haha!

Have you ever spent a lot of time researching, listening to the bands music and coming up with interview questions, send it out to the band who have agreed to do the interview with you and you never receive it back? Does it make you irate when they don't respond to your interview after you spent many hours working on it? How do you handle it?

To be honest, this has never happened to me in the course of preparing six issues to date, but it is a common issue for people who write fanzines. All of the bands that I have gotten in touch with over the years have not only responded to the interviews, but have even, for the most part, come back with informative and interesting replies. Some bands however tend to either not understand the questions or get completely side-railed into whatever parallel dimension they are living in, which makes replies very amusing sometimes!

What sub-genres of Heavy Metal to you support and review? What are your thoughts about all these sub-genres these days? If a band sends you the material that is something you wouldn't review what do you do with the package they've sent to you? 

With Hell Bent For Metal, my main focus was, is and will remain to cover pure Heavy Metal, as well as bands delving into Doom and Epic forms of the sacred sound. Initially this was not up to discussion, as I felt that these types of metal were not getting their due attention from either the "professional" or fan press. However, as time has passed and my personal tastes have started to veer into faster and angrier areas, and with a greater share of the spotlight inciding upon these genres, you could expect some Death and Black metal to crawl up from the dungeons onto the pages of the 'zine. But they will never -ever- be as predominant as the core ones.

I am still unsure as to the benefit of the recent exposure and interest in more traditional and pure forms of Heavy and Doom metal, as with the attention come all sorts of vultures, either in labels hungry for a quick trend-profit or the attention and fame seekers who see in it a way to make a name for themselves without it coming from the heart. There are plenty of good bands coming out though, and the concerts and tours seem to be easier to organise, which benefits everyone! The wheel will inevitably turn as it must, for the masses are fickle masters and something else will soon become "cool". We will see who of the current crop of shield-bashers will remain then, when "underground heavy metal" truly does return underground!

I don't usually get many packages in the mail these days apart from long standing label allies, as most bands will just spam your digital channels with mostly worthless garbage. To the labels that occasionally send me stuff, I either review it if it falls within the zine's are of interest, or will send it back, as I have done in the past to the good people at Metal on Metal Records.

How many times do you listen to an demo, EP or album before you write your completed review?  Was there a release that you didn't enjoy on your first listen but then it grew on you? Have you ever received pissed off emails or letters because you wrote a review one didn't like? 

I have never received angry mail of any sort... yet. As for how I write reviews... I hate doing it, it is my least favourite thing about writing the fanzine! But just as I like to read them in other mags and fanzines, I always force myself to include at least a handful in there for good measure. That said, I will only review stuff I am really digging at the moment and stuff I will have agreed to review for labels, so by the time I come to write the reviews, I am very familiar with the material! Some reviews write themselves, though these are very rare. One example of a recent release that grew on me recently would have been Slough Feg's last album "Digital Resistance", but perhaps the most notable would be Realmbuilder's debut album "Summon the Stone Throwers", which I hated at first! I came back to it a few months later and it started growing on me, and I have bought and reviewed (or will have reviewed by the next issue) every album they've done since!

When a band sends you a copy of there release as an mp3 formats, do you feel that some bands may not received a good review because of digital downloads, especially if they're a local band who doesn't always best recordings tools? Have you ever notice that it sounds different on your computer, mp3 player, Ipod, cellphone, and stereo? What do you prefer listening to your music on? 

If the music is good, you could record it with the microphone facing away from the singer and be a complete amateur in mixing and recording at home and it WILL transpire when it is played back. I am not fussy at all in that aspect with demos and promo recordings that are not finished products, that is what they are meant for, to showcase a band's raw talent! I have reviewed some mp3 releases in the past, and it is true that you don't feel the same attachment to a bunch of 1s and 0s as you would to the actual slab of vinyl on your turntable, but that is how it goes and you get on with it. I have never really had issues where I thought I could not review something due to its recording quality.

I'll always prefer vinyl for the experience of listening to records with the cover in one hand and a beer in the other!

What formats do you except for reviewing a bands releases? Where can a record label or band send their release to you? What record label(s) do you work closely with?

I have worked in the past with I Hate, Cruz del Sur and Metal on Metal, which are all worth supporting as they have killer bands on their rosters and care about the quality of the finished product that reaches people's hands. Nowadays, however, I will not take any more review material from bands or labels, and will focus on trying to write as many reviews of my own purchases since the last issues, as I feel that will be more beneficial to all. I am not a professional writer, and I do not claim the encyclopedic knowledge some asshole-gazing wankers with a band of the week blog do, so both my time and space available on the zine for reviews is limited.

In your opinion, you have been covering music since 2009, what trends are you seeing in terms of where music is heading? 

When I started off, at least where I was living at the time, in Portugal, you almost would not see Heavy Metal mentioned at all beyond Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, it was all about 3rd and 4th rate Marduk/Mayhem/Darkthrone clones or pig-butchering technical death metal nonsense. I have since moved to England and the scene here was even stranger at first, with nu-metal apparently still alive and well, which was very surprising for me! Over the past few years however, Heavy Metal and Doom Metal have made it into the spotlight and seem to have taken over Neo-Thrash as the new "hip" thing. But now some bands that were part of that "movement" are already shedding their pretences to play metal and going onto what might become the next thing, gothic hard rock or whatever the term is for what the likes of Beast Milk are pandering nowadays. The wheel might well have started turning on this fad already, brace for impact!

What are your thoughts about metal releases so far in 2014? What albums are you waiting for to come out? What album do you wish they would re-issue that is hard to find? 

I have really been enjoying the last Dark Forest, Slough Feg and Ambush records! Demos-wise I have been really impressed with the Seven Sisters and Rabid Bitch of the North tape demos, which strike all the right chords with me! I keep hoping against hope that this will be year we finally get a new Pagan Altar record, as it is only a matter of time until it happens! Looking forward to the debuts of Eliminator and Terminus as both bands have gone from strength to strength, as well as new stuff from Necros Christos and Primordial.

As far as reissues: HEAVY LOAD, please!

Do you find it hard to get advertisements in order to raise funds to print out an issue? How can one advertise with your zine?

I do not do paid advertisements, or almost any advertisements of any sort. I leave that to the "professionals". The fanzine is completely and totally paid for by myself, and as of the last issue, co-financed between myself and my ally Danny Angus, who writes the Pariah Child half of the content in Masters of the Pit. Not taking any advertisements, so do not ask, please. If we really like what you are doing, we will ask you ourselves.

At times do you find it rough because you need to shut down all of your social engagements because you have so much work to complete for an issue? Have you ever gotten side tracked or sick over it? Do you feel that the zine-compiling process has definitely gotten tougher and how so? 

It takes a big chunk out of your life to do a fanzine, and every printed fanzine writer pours his blood, sweat and tears into their work, which is why all those keeping printed fanzines out there have my respect. It got especially hard when I was getting Masters of the Pit #1 ready to print, as I was working full time during the day and coming home and putting in another 6 hours into it every night, but it was worth it in the end, it always is. After each issue is done though, you feel the drain and swear to yourself "never again!". The reason it has taken so long for me to finish the new issue (although some fellow zine writers still say that is not long at all, haha!) since then was to do with my last year at university and the fact I had to focus 100% on finishing my degree, as well as still feeling the drain from the last issue.

Ultimately, I have always found that the flame to write comes and goes, and you have got to simply ride the wave when it is there and try to persevere afterwards, which can be hard when life throws all sort of commitments and distractions at you! It is a labour of love and passion for the music and for spreading the work of bands you feel deserve to get more exposure, and that sense of mission ultimately acts as its own morale-booster.

When it comes to writing a zine do you feel that two of the biggest and obvious disappointments is many hit major financial concerns and realization? Are bands, record labels and your zine supporters understanding about your situations that you have faced over the years? Do you feel this can hurt your zine credibility somewhat?

I would say it is mostly a lack of time and drive problem that eventually dries the pens of many 'zine writers, although the financial side weighs in as well. There are not that many fanzines going nowadays that reach beyond the 10 issues mark, but in fact, I suspect that has always been the case. And it is only natural in a sense, as most people, like myself, will have started writing in high school or university when time and responsibilities are at the best they are ever likely to get. As you get older and start working and/or forming a family and dealing with being a real person, it becomes harder to put a 'zine out too often and it becomes more and more of a real statement of how much you care to carry on doing it. I have never met anyone who does not understand these constrains, and everyone involved with fanzines, from the bands to the fans and readers knows how it goes.

Fanzines should not concern themselves with "credibility" at all! That would mean trying to pander to a specific audience and reaching for a certain market share which is the opposite of what you should be setting out to achieve with a fanmade effort! I will leave that to someone else, I write about what -I- like and talk with bands -I- think deserve more exposure. You make your own choice on whether you agree with me, but it is all sincere. That's the beauty of it for me.

Most don't realize that its expensive to put out a zine. How much you say you have spent per book and how much money you have lost putting it out?  

For the sake of my sanity, I have never actually kept tabs on it, but pressings easily reach into the three figures, which is a fortune when you are living on a student's budget haha! However, it all tends to balance out in the end, most of the times, and over the years I have managed to lose less and less money per issue, with this last one even having paid for itself already! 

Postage and envelopes can burn holes in your pockets as well. Is this one reason you started doing split zines with Pariah Child and how are the orders of "Masters of the Pit" going? 

Postage rates keep rising too, which hurts everyone, not just us. It has gotten to the point where it costs more to post a copy than it does to have it printed, which is absurd and why everyone has been trying to group orders together in bulk-orders so readers end up forking out the least possible amount on shipping.

Pariah Child was one of the first fanzines I ever got my hands on, and its writer, Danny Angus, was a penfriend who became a good friend of mine over the years, but Pariah Child went silent as Hell Bent For Metal gathered pace. The split zine idea had been on my mind for some time, and I approached Danny with it, trying to lure his hand back to the quill, and I am still very glad that he agreed to it and brought Pariah Child out of limbo to strike forth once again, alongside my own 'zine efforts. Cost does come into it, as it effectively halves everything, but I think it also provides 'zine readers with two complimentary styles and interests, as I will tend to cover more broad stuff and Danny will come up with slabs of Doom Metal history, past and current!

The orders have gone great, we sold out the first press of 200 copies within a month of putting it out there, and are slowly going through the last copies of the second pressing as of the time of writing this. I was not expecting this response for it, and I hope that everyone who has gotten a copy has not come to regret their investment!

Are you currently working on your 6th issue are you doing it on your own or will you continue to only do split printed issues? What bands would you like to interview for this issue and what special features are you planning on publishing in this issue that you want to mention here?

For the time being, the next issue will be a second installment of the Master of the Pit split zine with Pariah Child, although we both count our contributions to it as a standalone zine's worth of content, which makes this upcoming issue Hell Bent For Metal #7!

Speaking for the HBFM side of the next issue, you can count on interviews with Dark Forest, Terminus, Caladan Brood, a quick newcomer feature with Wanderer, The Unholy and Insurgency, as well as a report on the current hive of heavy metal flurry happening in Portugal! I am still trying to fire away a couple more interviews, so there might be a few more names to add to that list.

Can you tell us who would be your ultimate interview?

I would love to actually be the one who gets Judas Priest to sit down and actually tell the real story behind the band without any legal or PR constraints, as I believe there will be quite a lot of good and bad that has never come to light and might possibly never see the light of day. A man can dream though!

What made you decide to work with distribution to sell your zine instead of doing it all on your own? Now with working with  distributions to sell your printed issues, how much of a cut do they receive? What are the pros and cons when working with distributions? 

Once I started doing larger runs of each issue it became more and more clear that I would not be able to spread them everywhere on my own, but working with distros around the world has not really changed things much, as I still deal with a lot of direct orders from both old and new readers alike. It just enables me to spread the 'zine to a much larger number of people, the way it should be! As far as I am concerned there are no cons to it, apart from sometimes seeing the 'zine upmarked in price above what I would think it is worth, but I might be overcritical of my own work there and people seem happy to pay, so it seems to work out for everyone.

You created, 'Hell Bent For Metal Zine' in 2009, one reasons is because you were inspired by other printed zines; On The March, Snakepit, Morbid Tales, Templiers of Doom and Holy Sword. What are you doing differently that these zines are not doing to stand out?

Absolutely nothing would be my ideal answer! But On The March has gone silent since 2008, as has Morbid Tales (though I have heard it is going to come back once Annick gets some time from her other never ending metal efforts!). I would say my efforts are quite similar to those of Holy Sword, which turned into Steel for An Age, but I tend to focus less on obscure 80s US metal bands. They're also much, much more active at this than I am, but from my part we are all in this together and Kostas and Thanos are worth supporting all the way. Snakepit is a whole other league so far as I am concerned!

I know have Judas Priest stuck in my head. Tell us about how your name of your zine came about? 

In true heavy metal tradition, there simply was not any other way to go about it! Exciter, Running Wild, and now Hell Bent For Metal!

"There's many who tried to prove that they're faster, but they didn't last and they died as they tried!"

When talking about old school, do you use cut and paste method as old school zines continue to do? 

I wish I could, and there is a definite appeal to going down that way, but the truth is I am hopeless at all that creative crafting and drawing, so will leave it to more competent hands at that such as Devilment Zine or Cunt and Paste!

When did you start listening to metal? Who were some of your first bands you became a big fan of? What are five albums that you could never part with? What was your first metal concert? Favorite t-shirts?

I got introduced to metal at the age of 13 or 14, when an older cousin sent me a couple of mp3 tracks, among which were Metallica's Call of Ktulu and Mercyful Fate's Evil. He also jammed with friends covering Metallica, so I got a lot of exposure to them then! However, what really pushed me over the edge was listening to Judas Priest's "Judas Rising" off of Angel of Retribution. There was no going back after that and I did not rest until I had made my way through their discography. I have been on the hunt for more heavy metal ever since!

In your worthy opinion, what new bands and old bands are due attention from your homeland?

New and current bands: Midnight Priest, Ravensire, The Unholy, Inquisitor, Wanderer, Corman, Filii Negrantium Infernalium, Decayed and Festering.

Old bands: Alkateya, Ironsword, Sepulcro, early-V12 (before they got made to sing in Portuguese by their label), Tarantula's "Kingdom of Lusitania"

If I was to ask you to write an article for our printed zine, would you consider yourself knowledgeable of the origins and history of metal from your home land?

I would be flattered, but I would have to decline. I am too young to have lived it and far too removed in time and place from it to provide more than a third-hand account of events! There has been some effort already into getting that history into writing in a book called "Breve História do Metal Português", which should see an English translation at some point and an excerpt of which I published in Masters of the Pit #1. I could certainly try to write something though, or point you to people who would do a better job.

What is the metal scene like in your country? What are the biggest fest that happen in your homeland each year?

Well, I have been away for nearly 5 years now but the metal scene is very small, especially when it comes to my type of heavy metal and fellow fans. From going to gigs over the years, you ended up bein part of the same 50 to 100 people that regularly showed up, no more. I am told things have changed in the past few years, and the mainstream gigs are the same as anywhere else, really, but that question is one of the reasons I asked my friend Luís "Defiance" Santos to write up a scene report for the upcoming 'zine! 

The biggest metal festival still happening in Portugal is the Steel Warriors Rebellion fest in Barroselas, which has been growing and getting better for more than 15 years now and has brought many great bands to the country. It is also organised by two brothers and a small team, who do this for the right reasons, and the fest is always a blast.

How large are turnouts at these shows and how aggressively are shows advertised in print?

It depends... You can easily get 30 000 people or more watching Iron Maiden or Metallica, and still fill big club and small arena shows, but on the underground scale you were looking at an average of 60 to 90 people when I left the country, which ruined some friends of mine financially (but some of them are too stubborn and passionate to give a shit!). Same as everywhere, big shows will get posters on the street alongside big events and get mentioned in magazines and social media. Smaller shows tend to go through word of mouth, posting on forums, facebook and handing out flyers and posting the odd poster on shop windows here and there.

How often do you join the pit, stage dive or are you too busy focusing on the bands to write a full review? Whats your thoughts about fans just standing there recording the band?

I rarely join pits these days, but if the music's really calling for it I will go. Hell, I seem to remember at least Antichrist at Muskelrock got me in one recently! I would like to say I focus on the band to write full reviews afterwards, but I am generally a lot more preoccupied with having a good time, drinking beer and enjoying the moment (which is fancy speak for wasted). Fans going to gigs to watch them through the video screens of their cameras, FUCK OFF.

So, what type of headbanger are you? 

Hopefully, a human one.

Are you currently involved with the local underground as far as putting together shows or anything like that is concerned? Would you be interested if that idea was proposed to you?

I have helped friends organize gigs in the past, and I would like to put something together at some point, but got no actual plans for the near future.

Tell us about your metal glory days entering a record store. Do they still exist? Do you now sampling albums today before you purchase or do you think it ruins the full excitement of bringing an album home and hearing it fully for the first time?

So far as I am concerned, I am living the metal glory days right now, although I wish I had come to England before shopkeepers started keeping tabs on the prices of records on ebay. Record shops are closing left, right and centre everywhere, but the second hand shops seem to be governed by different laws of economics... Through doing the 'zine, I have listened to records first as promos on mp3 and then went and bought the real thing later, but on my own time I will listen to a band's bandcamp/soundcloud or a couple of tracks on youtube at most before buying, preferably I will try to catch them live. If they don't convince me then I will just pass on to the next one, and even with this filtering the "to buy" list never ends!

How often do you get press pass to do a review on a show? Do you find concert tickets reasonable or over priced?

I have never gotten a press pass for a show, maybe I should start asking! Most gigs I go to tend to have fair prices, but then again, that would be different if I wanted to go to a Manowar gig haha!

Do you enjoy reviewing release, fest/concerts, or doing interviews most?

I hate writing reviews, give me interview and special features any time of the day.

What were some your the most obscure or chaotic moments you had since you started your zine?

The Asomvel interview in #5 took three attempts until both me and them managed to be sober enough to actually sit down and talk through the whole thing! It is also weird when I get approached at festivals by people who start the conversation with "Are you the guy from Hell Bent For Metal?" Not used to that at all!


Many individuals don't know the level of work that goes into a printed zine, did you ever feel like pulling the hair out of your head? What is the best advice someone ever gave to you about doing a zine? 

It is not so much a hair-pulling matter, rather a complete energy and motivation drain sometimes. As for best advice, aside from layout tips I have acquired over the years, there never was a particular one I would single out, though all the support from Danny Angus and Nuno "Mordred" over the years, as well as my brothers in penship Flavius (Devilment), Matthew Moore (War On All Fronts), Miguel (Black Hand) have made it less of a lonely endeavour. Let's get some pints in, you maniacs!

Thank you for taken your time out for this interview. The pit is all yours to write any last thoughts before we lock our metal gates behind you....

Thank you for the interest in the 'zine, Kat! I hope I have given a reasonable account of my experience with Hell Bent For Metal, and I would just like to finish by saying that, for all the missed hours of sleep, gigs missed, money lost, it's all good when you hold the printed issue of your effort in your hands. To those thinking of starting one, do it! Support printed fanzines, some of them even have doodles and tits.

Up the Hammers!