The Requiem

#5 $4 (c/o Chris Dick, Mt Pleasant, MI)
by Scott Hefflon

I’ve been following this now-quarterly extreme music magazine for a few issues. Now 64 pages with color glossy cover, it’s looking better than ever. The reviews range from the 15 interviews to a good number of CD reviews and some unsigned demos. Filled with contact info and a lot of European bands. While probably half the bands reviewed are unknown to me, (and I do this for a living), that’s usually the case when you specialize in genre. Solid, descriptive reviews cross-reference with other bands so even if you haven’t heard the name, you get the rough idea; my main criticism is that they don’t inject much of their own opinion. If a release sucks, just say it does and why. Since there are so many mediocre bands clogging up the death/doom/grind/noise/industrial metal genres, there is a need to praise what is great and innovative and criticize that which is just more of the usual filler. Packed with info, logos, photos, and artwork to accompany the text, this is one of the most thorough and comprehensive guides to extreme music.