The Requiem

#6 $5 (1404 Lyons #13 Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858)
by Scott Hefflon

This being The Requiem‘s winter holocaust issue, much of the information contained within is now common knowledge to aggressive music elitists. But there is always something to learn from the in-depth interviews of The Requiem. Blending both industry gossip and historical perspective, the interviewers create a unified story of each band featured. In truth, some of the interviews seem too literally transcribed, showcasing arrogance, stream-of-consciousness banter, and limited ability in using the verbal medium to communicate a point. Much of the problem, admittedly, is the fact that English is not the first language of many of the bands interviewed. The rest are just dumb. The review section is similarly well-written and thorough. While covering a few household names like Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and all the usual heavy stuff from Earache, Metal Blade, Century Media, Relapse, et all, The Requiem also covers many black/death/ doom artists from around the world. Since many of the innovators of the heavy genre can only be found in well-stocked import sections or pricey mail orders, knowledgeable reviews of these bands are crucial in determining what is worthy of your dollar. Chris Dick’s The Requiem is looking better with each issue: Less black text on dark backgrounds, more and larger photos with higher resolution, and interesting, informative text.