This Deicide hardcover book is part of the "Screaming Ancient Incantations" 4-cassette boxset limited to 1000 copies, released by Darkness Shall Rise Productions in 2023. Since DSR still has the book available separately from the box, I decided to get one right away. Needless to say, it's a very good and thoughtfully put together book that fans of Amon and Deicide will certainly enjoy. The book opens with an exclusive interview with Steve Asheim, specially compiled by Steven Willems for this boxset. Eleven pages in all, where Steve tells interesting stories about his first big metal concert, his musical influences, the Tampa scene, the Morrisound studio, Amon's two demos, the first three Deicide albums, touring at the time, among other things. This is followed by 14 pages of Amon material, such as band and live photos, demo covers and credits, concert posters and reviews. Then comes a section on the debut album "Deicide". The 42 pages are full of super cool band and live pictures, gig and tour posters, interviews and reviews from various metal magazines and fanzines. This section also includes a great 4-page interview with Monte Conner, as well as liner notes by renowned musicians such as The Magus, Alex Colin-Tocquaine, Manu Joker, Mathias Lodmalm, Dan Swanö, Faust and Mortiis. Oh, and the obligatory album cover, credits and all the lyrics are there too. The next section is dedicated to "Legion", so you'll be treated to 62 pages of pure awesomeness. Alongside the album cover, credits and lyrics, you'll once again find plenty of killer band and live photos, and even photos taken in the studio during the recording of "Legion". For this part, Frank Harthoorn, Ed Warby, Alex Krull and Piotr Wiwczarek were interviewed and the liner notes were written by Jeff Tandy, Andy Kaufmann, Bob Bagchus, Silenoz and Michal Huk. The last section of the book focuses, of course, on "Once upon the Cross". This 32-page section contains the album cover, credits, all the lyrics and lots of fantastic photos. In addition, there is a 5-page interview with Seth van de Loo and liner notes from Thomas Sulzbacher, Trevor Nadir, Michele Toscan and NecroniosferatuS. Finally, on the last page of the book, you will find the DSR's acknowledgements. In short, if you found it interesting, the book has 168 pages in total, with excellent print quality and most of the photos in color. Die-hard fans of Amon and Deicide should order this excellent book from one of the links below!!!

The wait is over, the book that many have been waiting for is finally here. After reading it, my first impression is that this is definitely a well-crafted, valuable publication that is interesting and engaging from start to finish. Furthermore, thanks to its well-thought-out and well-structured chapters, it is very easy to read, understand, and delve into its content, even if we find a few slightly confusing facts here and there. The author, S. Monleón, has done a fantastic and thorough job in researching, gathering facts, interviewing the individuals involved, and ultimately filtering all the information collected, sparing no time in order to achieve the true goal. According to him, it took more than 15 years to complete the book, so hats off to his determination and commitment in portraying the life, death and legacy of Jon Nödtveidt and Dissection. The book consists of 11 chapters (I think the significance of this number needs no explanation), and begins with Jon's death, the circumstances surrounding it, and its impact on the extreme metal scene in Chapter XI, which also bears the title of the book: "Far Beyond All Light". This chapter also covers Dissection's final concert, its preparations, and its culmination at Midsummer Massacre, but there is much more to it than that. Chapter X, i.e. "Eleven to Kill the Ten", presents the fruitful years (both musically and spiritually) following Jon's release from prison in 2004. There we can read about the formation of the new line-up, the "Maha Kali" single, the "Rebirth of Dissection" DVD, various tours and festivals (including their exclusion from the Metalist Festival and subsequent cancellations as a result), and the start of recording the band's magnum opus, the album called "Reinkaos". Chapter IX deals with "The Prison Years", but also touches on the possibilities of recruiting new or even "old" members and selecting a suitable studio (all of which ultimately failed, at least in their initial form) for the fearful return. The three chapters mentioned above are found in the first part of the book, entitled "Fear the Return". This is followed by the second part, "The Priest of Satan", which is divided into eight chapters. Personally, I really liked Chapter I: "Restless and Wild", which is about his school years, school bands, tape trading, fanzine editing, concert organizing and his many musical activities prior to the formation of Dissection. The information is compiled in great detail, with many super rare facts. Chapter II: "Fireborn" – a detailed overview of Dissection's early period, starting with the band's formation, their first rehearsal recording, their first live performance, the creation of their first demo "The Grief Prophecy", their relationship with the Norwegian scene, the release of their 7" EP "Into Infinite Obscurity", and some of their amusing side projects. This period, more precisely 1991, represents the most significant non-musical event for Jon, namely his participation in the True Satanist Horde, founded by It. Chapter III: "Enter the Eternal Night" continues the story from 1992, starting with the pre-production demo and continuing through to the studio recordings of the debut album, which became the timeless masterpiece "The Somberlain". In addition, Jon's involvement in bands such as The Black and Ophthalamia during this period was also mentioned there. Chapter IV: "The Beginning of the End of the First Era" reflects on problems related to John Zwetsloot and his exclusion from the band, who was quickly replaced by Johan Norman. Jon's involvement in Terror and his connection to Nifelheim are also mentioned there, as well as Dissection's contract with Nuclear Blast Records. Chapter V: "Storming the Gates" contains detailed information about the recording of the band's monumental second album, "Storm of the Light's Bane". And as it should be, it is full of truly fantastic facts and memories, which I personally appreciate very much. So, this chapter touches on a number of interesting topics, including Jon's pivotal role in the M.L.O. and the founding of Outbreak with his brother Emil, to name just a few. Chapter VI: "The Scythe is Raised" is full of tour stories and some festival appearances that took place between 1996 and 1997. But we can also read about Peter Palmdahl's departure and Johan Norman's strange disappearance there, as well as other interesting facts about M.L.O.'s activities and, of course, other people's opinions on the matter. Chapter VII is entitled "The Public Enemy". It discusses the murder at Keiller's Park and how it divided Jon's friends, the scene, and Dissection fans. The book concludes with Chapter VIII: "Return to Chaos". And as such, it outlines Jon's ideological essence, which not only came to the fore in M.L.O., but is also fully reflected in the lyrics of "Reinkaos". In addition, the book includes the author's preface and an afterword entitled "Legacy", as well as an afterword by Erik "Tyrant" Gustafsson, final words by Set Teitan, and the obligatory acknowledgments. There is also a fantastic photo gallery, which is 32 pages long and contains rare color and black-and-white photographs. Unfortunately, this book is not free of typos and incorrect dates, but these are completely insignificant compared to its content and ideological message, so don't worry about them at all. Furthermore, the good news is that these will be eliminated in the second edition, which will be published soon. The hardcover book measures 233x155 mm. The cover features hot foil stamped printing, which is simply stunning. There are 240 pages in total, printed in high-quality matte black (except for the 32 color and glossy pages in the photo section), although many blank pages with no information also have page numbers, which I would gladly remove from the second edition, but these are again minor details that have no impact on the book and its content. Need I mention that this is required reading for all Jon admirers and Dissection fans in general? I hope not. Well, get your copy now and discover the undiscovered!!!

First of all, I would like to emphasize that Attila Dudás, the boss of Fekete Terror Productions, came up with a truly excellent initiative when he compiled these past interviews into a printed book. I say "past", because the interviews, 50 in total, were conducted between 2003 and 2010. All of these interviews were conducted by two diehard metal fans, László Dávid and János Stauderer, and were previously only available online on their website, which of course bears the same title as the book, i.e. Magyar Metal Legendák, which corresponds to Hungarian Metal Legends in English. Secondly, these interviews provide a candid insight into the Hungarian underground scene, with a particular focus on its beginnings. In addition, these interviews are mostly quite long and very professionally structured, which means that not only were in-depth questions asked, but the answers are also abundant, honest, and very exciting, mostly containing a lot of useful and extremely rare information. The book is in A5 format, has a total of 352 pages, is written entirely in Hungarian, and is printed in black and white. In fact, there aren't too many photos and logos in it, but understandably, the emphasis is on written content. Since it was prepared in a hurry, there are a lot of typos in it, but they are not significant, if you ask me. The layout is quite simple, with interviews lined up one after another. Okay, I think it's time to list the contents, so you can read the following interviews in it: Almighty, Angel Reaper (interestingly, they did three interviews with them), Antichrist, Anubis, Armageddon (three interviews as well), Atomic, Barbed Wire, The Bedlam (two interviews), Beyond, Corpus Albicans, Cultic Pulp, Attila Csihar, Death Trap 'zine, Detonator, Diktátor, Dissect, E.Z.L. 'zine, Fantom, Feszültség 'zine, Fix, Gladiátor, Intense Agonizing, Krakatau, Lady Macbeth, László Lénárd, Maelstrom, Zoli Maróthy, Mayhem, Metal Mirror 'zine, Mirror (two interviews), old Moby Dick, old Ossian (two interviews), Panic 'zine, Pestilence, Plague/Answer 'zine, Rotor, Sámán (two interviews), Subject, Emese Tátrai, Thunder 'n' Grind 'zine, Unfit Ass., Vas Macska & Witchmasters. As you can see, the content is quite extensive. In addition, Attila's foreword (or rather a brief overview of his career) can be found on page four of the book. So, if you want to know more about the beginnings/development of the Hungarian metal scene, or are simply interested in the very first Hungarian metal bands and fanzines, then this publication is a must-read!!!

The 19th issue of the Nihilistic Holocaust newsletter once again features very interesting content. The first interview is a four-page, fairly long and in-depth conversation with Steve Miller, Mortiferoth's drummer. Steve proved to be a good interviewee, providing answers full of useful information about the band's background and activities, as well as their plans for the future. If you're into old school death metal but haven't heard of Mortiferoth yet, I highly recommend listening to their 5-song EP titled "...To the Abyss". This trio from Queens, New York, is definitely a band worth keeping an eye on, and I personally can't wait for their new release. Well, following this excellent interview, there are four pages of criticism entitled "Extractions from the Putrid Corpse" about the most obscure underground publications, in which we can read honest opinions about the latest releases by bands such as Charred Remains (Germany), Nightfeeder (USA), Coffin Curse (Chile), Volteadores (Chile), Rosary (Poland), Dark Insanity (USA), Fossa Comuna (France), Horrified (Mexico), Putrefilth (Serbia), Reaktöri (Canada), Tarrare (Argentina), Poison Void (Singapore), Blood Offer (Italy) and Uhritoimitus (Finland). This colorful parade of reviews is followed by the second interview, in which you can perhaps get to know the Singaporean band called Poison Void a little better. I write "perhaps" because in the two-page interview, the questions were mostly longer than the answers themselves. Apart from that, of course, the outcome of the interview is not too bad. The last two pages contain more reviews, this time of releases by the bands Gorencephalic (Brazil), Slovgh (Denmark), Holt (Hungary), Agathocles (Belgium), Maläd (Ukraine), Disrotter (USA) and Burying Place (Lithuania). This November issue is 12 pages long, in A5 format, with the same high-quality printing as before. Plus, don't forget that it's free! So, if you happen to order something from Nihilistic Holocaust distro, you're sure to get a free copy of the latest issue!!!

The Romanian underground fanzine, aptly named Slowly We Rot, was launched in 2012 and has published 24 issues so far, which is 2 issues per year. To be honest, it's a pretty diehard commitment to the underground and its depths that you rarely come across these days. So hats off to the editorial staff. I also have to admit that I was not aware of the activities of this cool fanzine until now, but thanks to a fabulous deal, Adrian sent me the latest issue along with some old ones, for which I am very grateful. Now let's talk about the quality and content of Issue #24. First of all, it is printed on premium quality, glossy A4 paper, with a total of 48 pages in black and white. The design is old-fashioned to the core, with an easy-to-read font size and high-quality images. But what I like most is the dedication of the editorial staff (there are five of them, by the way), which you can feel directly from the great and deep interview questions or any of the reviews written. Secondly, their publication really tries to focus on the most obscure and lesser-known underground acts who are in dire need of support, which is very admirable. However, some of the bigger names in the death & black metal underground are also featured in this issue, which is absolutely great, especially as they are some of my favorites. The most interesting interview in this issue is with Tobias Cristiansson from Necrophobic. I loved reading every inch of the conversation. This interview was conducted by new collaborator Daniela, who has also interviewed death metal greats such as Unleashed and Benediction. A great addition to the staff, for sure. I also quite enjoyed reading the laconic Severe Torture and Illdisposed interviews. But there are many and varied interviews in this issue, so I'll leave you with the names of the other bands interviewed: Mausoleum, Unhinge, Divine Defecation, Evilucifer, Dödsmarsch, Nightrage, AmongRuins, Necrocock, Sathanas, Tsjuder, Wedding Party, Cerberus, Karnak Seti, All Is Ashes, Sanity, SoulreaperS, Satanic Priest, Chanid, Blemish, Blasphemous Goat Vomit. As you can see, there is quite a lot to read there. To this should be added the mandatory review pages for material published in 2023 and 2024, except for one released in 2020, which represents a total of 51 reviews. They also launched a new column called "Topic of the issue", in which 14 bands were asked for their views on paranormal activity, supernatural events, demonic possession and exorcism. There is also an "In their own words" page, which accompanies the bonus compilation CD of 16 tracks with over 73 minutes of playing time, with commentaries (if available) by the bands concerned on their own compositions. To sum up, Slowly We Rot is a fantastic fanzine that does its best in the name and under the banner of the underground. This is a highly recommended underground publication for underground people!!!

The 10th issue of Tales of the Morbid Butchers fanzine was delayed for some reasons and was published only a few months after the planned release date. But it's finally here, and the content is, as always, vast and varied. It's immediately noticeable that the cover of Issue #10 is printed on glossy, premium quality paper, while the inside content is of the same quality as before in terms of design and paper. This time you get a total of 212 pages, in the usual A4 format, printed in black and white of course. The editorial staff, namely Dr. A, Size, sorger, Sz. and Neverheart, have collected a huge amount of material, both interviews and reviews. There's also a 6-page interview with me about my underground activities (Castrum, Unfocused, Hulla and Encomium 'zine), which I really appreciate and am grateful for the opportunity. The other interviews are with Aldaaron (France), Animal Man Machine (Greece), Bafomet (Japan), Burning Apparition of the Master (USA), Darkstorm (Poland), Feaces Christ (Germany), Funeral Whore (Netherlands), Iron Steel (Hungary), Insane Hellride Entertainment (Hungary), Ködfolt (Hungary), Razor of Death (Poland), Satanic Warmaster (Finland), Sodomy (USA), Spectral Despair (Hungary), Sun & Moon Records (Romania), Morgh (Hungary) and Rigorist (Hungary). This issue contains a lot of concert/tour reports, filling 29 pages, which is quite a lot, isn't it? And of course, there are the inevitable vinyl, cassette, CD and fanzine reviews, which you can enjoy on exactly 100 pages this time. If that's not enough, you'll also find Kovács Kálmán Zsolt's special report on South and Central America, 25 pages of experiences. Well, a lot to read for sure. This jubilee issue is limited to 150 copies and, as always, is published entirely in Hungarian, so don't wait too long and get it now to support the underground's print publications!!!