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!
