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The Medieval Hagiography – Issue #2

Info

60 pages; A-5;
colour; colour printed cover
Interviews, reviews & profiles

Shortly after the release of issue #1, number 2 had already arrived from the printers. I’ve already covered the history of ‘The Medieval Hagiography’, in my previous review, so I won’t go into detail again. However, it’s clear that returning after many years has sparked a lot of energy.

One of the layout issues I mentioned previously has been resolved: the pages are now divided into two columns, making the text alignment around images and album covers much smoother. t’s a good move that makes it more enjoyable to read.

As before, the focus stays on the Dutch and Belgian scenes, with Bad Omen, Suttungr, Hellevaerder, Asgrauw, Wolfkult Religion, and Sammath fly the Dutch flag, and De Pankraker, Matavitatau, and Sinflower Apparel, a brand with a a focus on Satanic images, representing Belgium. But acts from another countries like Balmog or Sardonic Witchery are also interviewed. Once again, several interviews feature in-depth questions that result in long answers, such as those with De Pankraker and Wolfkult Religion, which highlight both the label and the person in charge.

Issue #2 continues where #1 left off but with a few layout improvements. Meanwhile, work on #3 is in progress and should be out soon, as March was the target. Hopefully, it will be another step forward.

Devoured Death Zine – Issue #6(66)

Info

76 pages; A-5
black/white; black/white printed cover
Interviews & Reviews

Sometimes you have something in your hands and you know the moment you open the first page, ‘Yes, this is something I can truly appreciate’. That ‘something’ is Devoured Death Zine from Australia.

Naturally, the cut-and-paste layout feels familiar and is well executed; it isn’t cramped and remains very readable. The first page features the editorial, or ‘deaditorial’ as they prefer to call it, where UkurAzag and Apostle of Sodomy greet you with ‘Hellish greetings, you maggots!’. It brings back fond memories of my grandparents… but I’m mainly referring to the playlists of both men, which feature subtle acts like Abhorration, Nifelheim, Vomitor, Order from Chaos, and Cianide, alongside the mighty ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’, by the even more legendary Iron Maiden. It’s clear these guys ignore online hypes and trends.

As I’ve said before, you can often judge the quality of the questions by the answers given. Of course, this isn’t always the case, especially if the interviewee isn’t in the mood, but when you see extensive and compelling answers, you can assume the questions hit the mark. I observed this once more with Devoured Death; one simply devours page after page.

Additionally, there’s a great mix of newer and more established bands. You’ll find Vitrification, Dreaming Death, and Cemetery Rot alongside Grave Miasma and Cadaveric Incubator. They also explore history with Damon Bloodstorm regarding Corpse Molestation and Bestial Warlust, as well as his current plans with his label Underground Force Productions.

For those who love fanzines with an old-school attitude and appearance paired with quality content, I can only strongly recommend Devoured Death.

The Medieval Hagiography – Issue #1

Info

60 pages; A-5;
colour; colour printed cover

In a conversation with fellow staff member FelixS about fanzines, it was noted that young enthusiasts have recently embraced this admirable phenomenon. Whether using an old-fashioned cut-and-paste layout or a straightforward approach, they share a common passion and good content.

The Medieval Hagiography, may be somewhat new to many, but its foundation lies in 1992 in the south of the Netherlands. This was a period when the Netherlands kicked the door wide open regarding Black Metal history with Bestial Summoning’s ‘The Dark War has Begun’, and the first demos from Funeral Winds and Countess. The creator of The Medieval Hagiography, was also fully active at the time with his own bands; Corpusculum and Belphegor/Inverted Pentagram. He published two issues during that era before the zine met a silent end. That demise lasted a long time… but not for eternity.

33 years later, the cycle begins again. It’s not just a continuation of what once was, but a new start with a preference for the Dutch scene, as seen in interviews with Grafjammer, Ibex Angel Order, Necromantic Worship, and Kaeck. Additionally, the labels Wolfkult Religion and Zwaertgevegt are highlighted with profile pages. A number of reviews of the interviewed bands can also be found in this printed resurrection.

Layout-wise it’s not very thrilling: a simple black border, a logo above each interview, an occasional album cover… layout enthusiasts won’t have ‘The Medieval Hagiography’, as their runner-up if they have Macabre Overdose, at #1. But in terms of content, that doesn’t matter, as the questions and in-depth answers in the interviews with Beenkerver, Necromantic Worship, and Grafjammer speak for themselves.

The only thing that stands out is that the answers sometimes use a standard font and other times italics, as seen in the Beenkerver interview. The text alignment around images also went a bit wrong, likely caused by not working with columns. Let’s put it down to startup problems and 33 years of rustiness for this issue. Don’t let it stop you from picking up the zine if you spot it.

Welcome back, The Medieval Hagiography!

Altar – Issue #1

Info

Regarding fanzines, I don’t need much to enjoy the read. While an old-school cut-and-paste layout or hand-drawn borders adds a lot, a simple Word 95 layout with just text, a logo, and a photo can easily meet my approval. If I can see the passion and dedication behind it, I couldn’t care less if it’s just a few stapled A4 sheets, like the brochures of the 1980s.

Altar from Russia satisfies all of the above. It takes me back to my own school assignments in the mid-90s, when Windows 3.1 was running on a 486. That is Altar; no frills, no nonsense, where everything revolves around the text and the ideology.

Mad Slayer’s ideology is is clear and he doesn’t hide it: the Extreme Metal underground is being infiltrated by hipsters and people who value memes and going viral over music and history. These characters deserve no place or platform in the underground. He reinforces this train of thought with the bands featured in his debut issue. With Goat Semen, the Finnish Witchcraft, Vulcano, Sarcófago, and the German Poison, to name a few, he has clearly found like-minded spirits. To quote Erick from Goat Semen: “Kids, for fuck’s sake, try to make truly incomprehensible and dirty hellish sounds instead of posing for 1000 photos. Spend more time rehearsing than fucking around with your cell phone camera”. It’s safe to say you won’t be seeing Gaera or similar acts in an issue of Altar.

This is a fanzine for those who understand the combination of goats, spikes, gasmasks, and bullet belts paired with unpolished Black Metal and Death Metal. Or as Mad Slayer puts it: “This zine is only for true and dedicated Metal fanatics who are obsessed with it so much, that they will still buy paper zines to this day”.

Zwarte Kunst – Issue #1

You know the sensation; that inescapable urge where nature must take its course. The longing to romanticise the past, musing on bygone eras. The fortification of that sentiment when engaging with like-minded souls. To then take initiative and never glance back…

This was the catalyst for Blackie, the Belgian figure behind ‘Zwarte Kunst’ (Black Art in Dutch), who has resided within the underground of Black Metal and Death Metal since the early ’90s, penning reviews for various fanzines and participating in the venerable tradition of Tape Trading.

After years of silence, not in terms of collecting or following the scene, but in active participation, the ‘Zwarte Kunst’ website went live in mid-2025 to disseminate his thoughts on the musical malevolence of dark tones. Soon, however, that aforementioned feeling crept in: that a website was not where the ultimate ambition lay, but rather in a physical zine. And so it began…

‘Zwarte Kunst’ is simple yet effective in its execution; no hand-drawn borders or cut & paste layout, but merely text and photography. Personally, I enjoy seeing illustrations in a zine, yet I view them as a secondary luxury, for the approach ‘Zwarte Kunst’ has chosen is equally valid when judged purely on its merit. And the content remains the most vital part.

There is no doubt regarding Blackie’s dedication and expertise, as the questions are well-formulated and evoke informative responses. This shows within the interviews of both veterans such as Denial of God and Cirith Gorgor and newcomers like Likno and Matavitatau.

‘Zwarte Kunst’ features exclusively Black Metal interviews and reserves reviews for the website, but I hope the creator of this successful debut issue has found exactly what he sought; the strengthening of that aforementioned sentiment when you share it with like-minded people.

Ad Arma! – Issue #2

Info

78 pages; A-4; glossy zine
black/white; black/white glossy cover

I’m glad Tadas didn’t quit the metal-scene after he stopped one of the best zines of the world: Ledo Takas. I see Tadas as an editor with a lot of knowledge when it comes down to metal, and when you have read the issues of Ledo Takas you will know what I mean. Ad Arma! is a black/white zine made by Tadas and a certain Mr. Northwind and is filled with reviews of top notch quality.

And that’s why I bought this zine, it seems that everything what Tadas does have a quality result. The interviews with Varathron and Necromantia are a must to read if you like both bands, Tadas and Northwind are showing top notch interview styles. Reading the interviews you can see that Northwind is more into non musical subjects like culture and Tadas is more band focussed.

It will not be a shock to you that I prefer the interviews Tadas did, altough Northwind did one hell of a job with Varathron: truly an interview to be proud of. Ad Arma! is also a zine for non narrow minded people, as bands like Manes and Thorns also have their spot in this zine. For you only interested in reviews this zine will also be a good one to order. 42 pages full of demo, vinyl, zine and album reviews, especially the first three sections I mention are remarkable as there alot of reviews in those sections. Something a lot of other zines are not capable of filling such sections.

To wrap this one up; you will buy one of the best zines around when you will buy a copy of Ad Arma!

Darkness Treasures – Issue #01

Info

Autumn 2000
42 pages; A-4; xeroxed zine
Black/white; black/white xeroxed cover.

First, I bought a copy of this zine from Damnation Records; subsequently, the editor sent me one for review. Oh well, never mind, support the underground I guess.

It is a simple, xeroxed zine, so don’t expect any high-end Photoshop-style imagery; it looks a lot like what we did with VM #2.

Looking at the reviews and interviews, it’s clear the editor has some sympathy for the raw Black Metal scene, featuring acts like Judas Iscariot and Moonblood. The interviews vary in length, ranging from just five questions to three full pages. However, even with only five questions, the editor of Dark Treasures manages to achieve more than some zines do with twelve. And for the Tolkien fans out there, there is a short story about him in the middle of the zine.

The reviews are of good quality, so I hope Darkness Treasures continues.

Amputation – Issue #6

Info

Autumn 2000
40 pages; A-4; glossy print
Black/white; black/white cover

First of all, I think it’s a bit of a blunder not to print the zine’s postal address. While an email address is provided, don’t underestimate the “almighty power” of snail mail. Perhaps it’s just playing hide-and-seek with me, but I certainly couldn’t find it.

Regardless, let’s move on to this sharp-looking zine from Sweden (I assume it’s Swedish, given the focus on Stockholm). I’m curious about the five previous issues, as there are still several errors in this one; I find it hard to believe nobody has mentioned these occasionally irritating mistakes to the editor. My main gripe is the lack of distinction between questions and answers. There is almost no visual difference between the two; the editor uses tabs, but it still isn’t a pleasant reading experience. I’d suggest adding space between answers and follow-up questions, or perhaps using a different font style (such as bold or italics) for the questions.

Furthermore, using a single column for an entire page, as seen in the Immolation interview, is a design choice I’d avoid. The same goes for the font size; if it were smaller, there would be much more room for additional questions and reviews. However, that’s ultimately the editor’s call.

On a positive note, I can’t find any fault with the photos, which are sharp as a tack. While the quality of the interviews is average, the reviews are much better; both cover the more extreme ends of Metal. If the Amputation crew puts as much effort into the interviews as they do the reviews (and perhaps publishes more of them), I think issue #7 will be well worth a look.

Unholy Terror – Issue #2

Info

Winter 1999 / 2000
62 pages; A-4; paper kind zine
Black/white; black/white glossy cover

This is a great printed zine for all the Death Metal freaks out there! It’s “pure fuckin’ Death Metal,” just as their slogan says. I have to say, the guys make a fair point in their editorial; they claim to be a fanzine and exclusively support the music they like.

Because of this, you can expect reviews along the lines of, “I don’t like melody… enough said,” alongside plenty of praise for anything that is, according to them, pure Death Metal. Personally, I think a lot of you might dislike this style of reviewing, especially if you believe a reviewer should be objective.

That said, the interviews are certainly worth reading, especially the six-page feature with Germany’s Kadath. One particularly interesting part, for me personally, is the start of the Vomit Remnants interview, where the editor mentions his desire to interview Intestine Baalism. According to Dave Rotten of Repulse Records, VM is the only one who have ever interviewed them…a moment to be proud of.

Besides the usual features, there is also a Nile tour report to sink your teeth in.

If you love Death Metal and don’t mind the bias of a true fanzine, go out and buy it!

Ancient Ceremonies – Issue #5

Spring /summer 2000
68 pages; A-4; glossy print
Black/white; Full-colour cover

I remember buying their first issue; it was a sort of “professional” xeroxed 12-page sample. Fast forward a couple of years, and issue #5 arrives with a full-colour cover, two free CDs, and a circulation of 1,500 copies! I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous because Ancient Ceremonies’ trajectory is exactly what I had envisioned for VM. Perhaps the difference is that there are only four of us, whereas they have an entire panzer division of contributors and editors, they even have “Advertising Managers”.

Even so, I wish them the best of luck because Ancient Ceremonies is a fantastic zine. This issue features an interesting segment called ‘The Truth Behind…’, where bands explain the lyrics and deeper meanings behind their releases. Every style of Metal is represented, which is a major plus in my book. Of course, the usual CD and demo reviews are included, alongside zine and gig reports, so any “review-freaks” out there can buy this with their eyes closed.

My only complaint is the layout. While the design is as good as ever, they made the mistake of not distinguishing between questions and answers; the questions aren’t bold or italicised, and there isn’t even a line break between them. This makes it difficult to read at times, so hopefully they’ll fix this for issue #6!

Still, In my opinion, Ancient Ceremonies is one of the best zines in Europe, keep them coming!