Metal Reviews

Just read through Terrorizer mag with Electric Wizard on cover.

I found it quite boring.

But then I thought about it and I think Terrorizer has been on a downward slope for a while.

And here's my take as to why:

- Too many stupid wannabe funny articles like the Metal sandwiches and letters to David Vincent which generally are not amusing or daft articles where they try to connect certain songs.

I like humour but it has to be funny/amusing - e.g. an older series of articles bagging out band on front cover.

- Interviews seem to be focusing on bands' personal lives. I don't give a shit if someone's dad died or they are feeling a bit sad.

I want tour stories, album writing info, etc - fun, music related stuff basically.

- Reviews are pretty lame now with little description and lots of random words. Also no humour as in the past. Not a fan of 5 star rating system - old 10 point one was better.

In some instances I don't think the reviewer has actually listened to the album they're reviewing as what they wrote has little to do with album.

- No DVD reviews.

- Scope is getting very narrow - emphasis seems to be on pseudo-metal stuff and retro rock wannabes. Not much from the main genres - Death, Thrash, Power or even Black.

- Also seems to be getting more British focused - they used to have bands from around the world. Other than a couple of exceptions, British metal last seemed relevant in about 1991.

- Gig reviews are becoming few and far between.

- News section somehow manages to miss a lot of news.

People still read heavy metal magazines?

I found that amazing too.

I enjoy a magazine, especially on the crapper.

I also prefer books to on screen stuff.

Unsuscribed to Terrorizer awhile ago, chiefly because of the focus - too much on like you say, retro rock, deathcore, that sort of thing, when once it was about pushing musical boundaries in every direction. Considered getting something like Zero Tolerance in replacement, but the internet is a far better (and cheaper!) way of finding new music, you just have to put slightly more effort in.

I will admit that reading while shitting is awesome. Sometimes you don't know how much time has passed once upon the porcelain throne.

Too true!

You also get a CD with Terrorizer which is a great way of checking out stuff one would never bother with. Occassionally a gem is discovered!

Might get the next issue of Zero Tolerance, see how that is.

http://www.ztmag.com/

Unless I'm very much mistaken it was founded by Leon Macey of the wonderful Mithras and his wife... Plus Nemtheanga out of that there Primordial writes for them.

Thanks for the link to ZT.

Instantly web layout is better than Terrorizer or Metal Hammer.

Also interesting comments re: Terrorizer in About section:
http://www.ztmag.com/about.html

Brought a ZT at weekend, smaller than Tez with much smaller writing, but interesting so far, more underground selection of bands and with notable hatred for Devin Townsend...

Hatred for DT!? wtf.

It's coming over so far as the most professional looking underground zine I've ever seen. Worship for King Diamond, interviews with Manilla Road, VON, Incantation, Weapon, God Seed, Nine Covens, Nidingr, Boyd Rice... great stuff. There's a power electronics section and a crust section atop the usual reviews, live reviews, cover artist profile... good stuff, a lot packed in for the price (£3.75 with 2 cover CDs). Looking forward to delving properly through.

Large writing combined with lots of white space and lots of big pictures is a pet peeve of mine yet every magazine I like is becoming afflicted with it.

On the weekend I was comparing National Geographics from 1968 and 1969 with modern ones and the new ones suck. The older ones had more to read and more photos (lots of smaller photos comapred to single double page spreads).

Magazines are turning to shit as a whole I guess.

I feel like magazines are in a vicious spiral of people not reading them, which means having to cut their budget, which means reducing the amount of content, which makes them less appealing to read. It's unfortunate because while I love the internet, the quality control in magazine writing is usually higher.

I prefer magazines. Most websites are terribly laid out and have poor quality control when it comes to content.

A lot of magazines also utilise memory intensive programs that slow them down or don't work on certain browsers.