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.
