5625 Glen Erin Drive Unit #57
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada
L5M - 6V2
Price: C$3.99 Canada / ??? Elsewhere

Review online: August 17, 2002
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud

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The previous issue of this magazine did not have too much stuff of interest to me, but #19 more than makes up for it. This is the 5th anniversary issue, and the editor-in-chief has an article recounting the origins of the magazine, and his comments on the first 15 issues. Very interesting. There are so many bands interviewed in this one (length ranging from half a page to a couple of pages), so I'll probably miss some, so here's an hopefully complete list: Avernus, Today is the Day, Arch Enemy (with Angela, half the interview being her comments about all the hoopla surrounding the band getting a female vocalist - a must read), Krieg (yes), Nile, Misery Index, Arcturus, The Great Deceiver, Soilwork (yuk…), Heaven Shall Burn, Rotten Sound, Dolorian, Lilitu, The Wounded, High On Fire, Commit Suicide (…), Abaddon Incarnate, Rain Fell Within, Dimension Zero, Pitchshifter, Pessimist, December Wolves, Teeth of Lions Rule The Divine (I think they could have chosen a longer name), Penance, Ordeal, Tribes of Neurot, Seth, Souldivider, Star One, Serberus, Trails of Anguish, Skinlab (oh my…), Brand New Sin, Wolf (hilarious interview), Callenish Circle, Amaran and Poison the Well. As usual I skipped the 100% hardcore section. As you can see from the list, this issue features of good number of lesser-known bands, many usually covered only by fanzines.

If you still need a reason to get this issue, here's the icing on the cake: The mother of all Iron Maiden articles, which covers pretty much all of the band's career, with excerpts from interviews. Too lazy to read the official biography? Read this and you'll have the essential. Also a road report from the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.

The regular stuff is here: Tons of CD reviews (including one page of re-issues), zines reviews, and the supposedly funny Kevi-Metal's Rimshots column. Well, I guess it doesn't fit my sense of humour. :)

This quarterly zine has grown quite a bit over the last 5 years and this 96-pages issue is definitely one of the best, so pick it up. ;)