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!
