FERAL NOISE Issue #1 now available.

What is the point of producing an actual printed zine in this information saturated age? As everyone knows, the internet is an instant volcano of up to date news. Gone are the days of relying on printed matter as a valuable outlet for news, especially in the music industry. Magazines, periodicals, zines, whatever you want to call them now seem to be catered only to the dedicated reader. Also the pool size of extreme music publications has decreased, particularly in the DIY zine arena. The black hole of countless music websites and blogs is single handedly destroying the demand for printed matter. Eagerly waiting for a new magazine to discover the current is a notion that is now half dead and rotting on a pile of diseased fecal matter.
So the obvious has been stated, back to the original question: why make a zine? For one, it is for my own personal entertainment, but two, to produce each issue as a solid statement in time, a microcosm of what events transpired during the current issue’s print time. It is a piece for reading in the present and a relic in the future for reminiscing.
Websites eventually get deleted and all that information vanishes into cyberspace. However a zine is something in the physical world, something that can be touched, an item that can be collected. Basically a testament that will remain in your possession forever, well until you wipe your ass with it or trash it.
Now with that boring garbage out of the way, I will discuss the real highlight of this publication - the bands! This first issue is across the board in that regard, some are long standing war torn titans and others are fairly new powerhouses looking to get their name abroad. Although they have slight stylistic differences, two things they all have in common are a self driven motivation and an unquestioned savagery. All are extremely proactive in playing shows, recording and doing their part in support of their respected scenes.
Being a fan of all bands present, I was extremely excited in regard to the content. Included is a nice conversation with Cryptos as he gives some insight about his Wraith Metal horde, Spectral Manifest and the ever present Dread Lair label. Also is an information saturated interlocution with Austin’s extremely busy black metal entity Humut Tabal. To add to the great roster, I was extremely pleased to have longtime Houston underground legends Krullur on board, as they discussed their current resurgence and some memories from the past. Also we have Brimwylf, the band formerly known as Iapetus. They are a relatively new group that brings a fresh black metal approach with a rock feel. Another treat is from the popular San Antonio black metal dwellers Plutonian Shore. They were gracious enough to give an interesting personal interview. To top all that off is the bonus DVD! That piece of plastic includes promo videos and live footage.
Overall, I am pleased with this debut issue. It took some time to get all the content together and completed. Unfortunately a few bands did not make the deadline, however I look forward to having them included in the next issue. With that being said, Texas is a state chock full of great bands. So having a shortage of groups to include in forthcoming releases will never be a problem.
For those in Houston, the current issue can be found at these fine establishments: Sound Exchange, Vinyl Junkie and Domy Books.