UPDATE! | After a frustrating time in production, we’re pleased to announce that issue 036 is finally making its way through the UK distribution chain and will be onsale in the UK from Wednesday, with all stockists being served by Thursday this week – 28 July. Subscription copies were processed and mailed out yesterday and will reach people from tomorrow too. Check out our distro page here if you have trouble locating copies (a full list of WHS stores we’re carried in is available here and you can also make use of our postcode locator service). Single copies and subscriptions can also be purchased directly from us via the online shop. While we’re sorry for the delay, unavaoidable as it was, we hope you enjoy the issue and agree that it was probably well worth the wait… Here’s some of what you’re in for and the site will be updated with more info shortly:
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“Black metal isn’t something that lends itself to massive popularity.” – Winterfylleth
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On the cusp of the release of their Candlelight Records debut, The Mercian Sphere, English black metallers Winterfylleth have been talking to Zero Tolerance Magazine about the nature of underground black metal in the UK and how it has undergone something of an artistic resurgence of late. During an extensive interview with ZT’s Will Pinfold, guitarist Chris Naughton comments: “We have a healthy respect for the newer bands coming through and we try to promote what we consider to be a strong and emergent movement in black metal that is coming through the UK. I have a record label…through which I’ve signed some bands I would consider to be amongst the best overlooked underground acts out there to give them a chance at reaching a wider audience. I think with those types of things in mind as well as our commitment to helping and spearheading this movement, we would still consider ourselves to be an underground band; one who are perhaps raising our heads above the water, but an underground band nevertheless. I don’t think that being on a small label or being underground is necessarily a help or a hindrance and shouldn’t be romanticised in that ‘before they were big / got too big for their boots’ type of way. If the musicians are passionate about what they do, maintain that passion with integrity in their art and have a personal sense of necessity about what they write then I think that will translate, no matter how big or small the budget or backing they get.”
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Winterfylleth also take time to consider whether an underground band can still be authentically ‘underground’ after signing for a (relatively) large record label. “I think the concept of mainstream, even for bands like Darkthrone or Mayhem is nowhere near the ‘mainstream’ that Kerrang / Q / NME bands are a part of. Black metal isn’t something that lends itself to massive popularity due to its mysterious and often unpalatable sound. I hope a lot of people like our music and are interested by our positive messages and pass that onto others.”
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Winterfylleth’s thoughts on the state of the underground scene in the UK and Ireland spearhead the first of a multi-part special in Zero Tolerance Magazine which aims to dissect and examine the idea of what it means to be an ‘underground band’ in 2010. Also sharing their thoughts in this issue are Mael Mordha, Wodensthrone, The Atrocity Exhibit, Cerebral Bore, Bacchus and more. Scene veterans, promoters and punters have their say too.
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Calum Harvie, editor of Zero Tolerance, commented: “We’ve a tendency in extreme music to use the term ‘underground’ glibly, without necessarily being clear about what it is we’re actually discussing. In this series we’re launching in Issue 036, we aim to rectify that and get to grips with what the underground means. This issue we start at home, taking stock of the underground in the UK and Ireland, and it’s only appropriate that we launch with a celebration of one of our brightest lights, Winterfylleth. As we quickly discover in this issue – and as will be even more apparent when we expand the series in our next issue – is that there is no one universal definition of ‘underground’ that everyone can agree on. It means different things, to different people, in different places, and at different times. And that’s what makes this such a fascinating subject to explore.”
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Issue 036 suffers a further short delay! | Whilst issue 036 was printed and published on Monday 19 July, a head-slappingly stupid logistical cock-up on the part of one of our suppliers has delayed the printers from wrapping the issue ready for racking in the shops. A revised onsale date will be confirmed tomorrow.
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Please note that subscription copies are also slightly delayed as they’re wrapped at the same time as newsstand copies, but they will be processed as a matter of priority as soon as the issue is ready for distribution.
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The wait will finally be over, and fortunately, issue 036 is well worth waiting for…
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Apologies for any inconvenience!
