ENSLAIN Magazine
Issue #5, Spring 1999
rating: 3, 5 of 6
Yet one more fairly good mag, although in contrast to METAL CORE (see below), it doesn’t seem to be much underground… :(
Coming with the good printing quality and having 30 pages in the whole, it is comprised of inties with FEAR FACTORY (yuck!), MORBID ANGEL, CRADLE OF FILTH (now you see why ‘it doesn’t seem to be much underground’?), SEPULTURA (would you like me to comment anything? I hope not), MORTIFICATION (how the hell did this christian crap got here???) and KILGORE. Now you got me? I mean, did you understand why I rated it with only ‘3, 5’ of ‘6’? Yes, I don’t like any of the bands (with an exception for MORBID ANGEL) featured in this magazine. Also, the interviews could be MUCH longer while the questions could be MUCH more personal and non-typical. So this edition appears as somehow of no interest to me… By the way, if it’s OF interest to anyone of you, Enslain also has plenty of reviews (demo, CD’s, concerts…), ads (as always!) and other stuff.
Email: ENSLAINmag@aol.com
(review by Herr Stalhammar)

GRIMOIRE OF EXALTED DEEDS
Issue #15
rating: ???
Well, it seems like this ‘zine is rather popular in the underground, and I guess I know why. Bill (the editor) managed to create something really different, however this ‘difference’ often turns into something utterly incomprehensible. The whole ‘zine is full of pics of half-naked girls as well as few cartoonish drawings (or photos???). The interviews featured in this issue are with: THE CROWN (most funny one! I was close to the hysterical state of mind while reading it…), GWAR, DYING FETUS, KOROVA, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, IN AETERNUM, DARK FUNERAL, GARDEN OF SHADOWS, MORGION (featuring really entertaining story ‘bout their singer), THE SINS OF THY BELOVED, MALIGNANCY, ODHINN, HOUWITSER, ELEGY Records and ABOMINATOR (the most ‘angry’ interview (talking about the band’s answers) here) + few articles and Metal Monster’s Biting Words (reviews section… by the way, how do you like the labels like “Gaypalm”, “Dick, Please!”, “Blackscum” or “Oshole”, eh?!). Most of the inties feature Bill mocking the bands or, at least, being close to it, however there’re few of them that are ‘normal’, so to speak. Bill definitely has a good sense of humour, but it happens the way there’re ‘too much of him’ (both, Bill and humour), if you get what I mean… Check it out anyway, it’s rather entertaining reading, especially if you’re drunk as fuck. (Herr Stalhammar)

METAL CORE (free magazine)
Issue #25, 1998
rating: 5 of 6
This is a magazine published by Chris Forbes, the guy who’s responsible for IMMOLATION’s management, and here we have it’s twenty fifth issue. Hard to believe, but Metal Core was started back in 1986, therefore it strikes as this mag is one of the oldest UG editions in the world. The paper’s quality is quite mediocre (the same goes for pics), although if speaking about design in the whole, it’s rather pleasant. In fact, it’s not the kind of thing I care about much, since I prefer to pay more attention to the mag’s contents. And it’s quite interesting to read through when it comes to Metal Core. This issue features long and in-depth inties with bands like AGENT STEEL, THE CHASM, BLOODFEAST (R.I.P.) + The Grimoire Of Exalted Deeds ‘zine and Metal Nightmare Fanzine (what about doing an interview with me, eh?) as well as articles on GRIEF OF EMERALD, DESTRUCTOR, SOILWORK and DEVILYN (Chris also does publicity for Listenable Records, so there you go), lots of reviews, some ads and one really entertaining story (which has nothing to do with music, though). Decent magazine, highly recommended.
Email: METALCZINE@AOL.COM
(review by Herr Stalhammar)

PULL THE CHAIN newsletter
Summer 1999, #17
rating: 5 of 6
This is a newsletter only, not a zine, you know, therefore I guess we shouldn’t demand the same from this edition as we could demand from a magazine of full value. Pull The Chain features only reviews as well as some news. The reviews on both, demo / promo stuff and “official” CD’s, featuring bands like f.ex. CRYPTHOWL, FESTERGUTS (these acts should be familiar to our Russian readers), AFTER FOREVER, VORPHALACK (Greece), MACABRE OMEN, VITRIOL and many others (demo section) + AGALLOCH, VOMITORY, EMPYRIUM, AUTUMNBLAZE, AMSVARTNER, ENTHRONED, GARDEN OF SHADOWS, EWIGKEIT, IN AETERNUM, RAGNAROK (UK), SEPSISM, MARDUK etc., when it comes to CD’s. All the reviews are written in a really good way, i.e. so you can decide whether you should buy this album / demo or not. As to news… most of them appear as ‘label news’, frequently sent via email to zines and radio stations. By the way, Pull The Chain claim to provide only latest news, however what about the following lines: “NASTROND’s “Age Of Fire” (13 pure black metal tracks) is out on Napalm Records”??? As far as I know, the CD mentioned above, was unleashed back in 1997!!!
Email: pullthechain@skynet.be
(review by Herr Stalhammar)