"REALM OF SHADES" Fanzine Issue No. # 07 (***Fanzine Review/-s***)

"REALM OF SHADES"
Fanzine
Issue No. # 07
(Price: 2,00 Euro)

Okay, and after reviewing the issue no. one of the "NO SLEEP UNTIL METAL" fanzine it's now about time to do a review of the first born one of the fanzines of Andre "Der Bucklige" B. a.k.a. the "Cowboy" and this fanzine is none else than his "BENEATH THE TREES"... ah... I mean... his "REALM OF SHADES" titled zine. Okay, WTF?!? "BENEATH THE TREES" turned for what reasons ever into "REALM OF SHADES" and the "Cowboy" decided to continue the counting of the numbers of his pubished issues also with his new named old fanzine. Isn't this a litlle bit like, hm, wait, hm, let me say it this way so: Isn't this not in one way or another some sort of cheating?!? ;-) And "Cowboy", one personal question: Why the fuck didn't you send me an issue no. six or at least informed me back then that it was finally released by you?!? You damn bastard called "Old Beerhand";-)!!! So okay, this zine respectively issue came out early fall or so last year and I really want to say sorry to Andre that the review is coming up online and ready to read that late and with a so big delay... Sorry man!!! So, okay, onward we march into and through the further review;-):  This fanzine started up under the name of "BENEATH THE TREES" and today is running wild ;-) under the "REALM OF SHADES" banner. Started as a Black Metal fanzine with a huge Pagan/Viking impact it turned out to focuss more and more on (Old School) Trash Metal as well as a lot of Traditional Heavy/Power Metal and some Death Metal, while Black Metal as well as Pagan/Viking Metal isn't anyhow dominant more anymore. No matter if "BENEATH THE TREES" or "REALM OF SHADES", the zine always was and still is heavily anti-P.C. even NSBM and so isn't featured here in the content of the current issue (even AFA faggots would or will see this in a total different light or so, I would bet), but a btw pretty if not very pleonastic, infantile, ''mentally handicapped'', totally ''sticked-in-the-mud'', reactionary and bitterly and poorly nonreflective open to the far right as pseudo-rebellious anti-P.C. disguise attitude and world-view on politics, subculture and stuff like this you simply can't deny anyway anyhow by reading through the zine. Anyway, more strange is this totally redundant attitude of being opposed to the Internet, MP3's, MP3-Players, I-Pods, CD's, DVD's, CD-R's, etc. pp. and daming this all as bitter trends that destroy the true spirit of D.I.Y. Underground bands that before this all had it far better and easier with releasing lousy self-copied tapes and just be able to sell it for something like hundred copies ''worldwide'' and then just have to trust in that some of the guys who bought their tapes self-copy it enough to spread it on in their friends-circle etc. pp. and on and on than now with having Bandcamp sites and stuff like this and being able to get in contact with potentially interested listeners from around the world in a second and becoming far more well-known than before without that heavy costs anyhow, but hm, who am I... Nah, this attitude is really ridiculous and I have not a single clou why the "Cowboy" is spreading and believing such bullshit anyhow. But however... let us call it Old School (...) or better ''Old School'' (...) and let us live them all on in their strange world of ''pseudo-elitistic'' True Underground Metal Maniac bullshit attitude and world view... On something around 62 pages the "Cowboy" is giving us some nice introduction words (always good), big bunches of reviews of records, concerts and zines, tons of pictures of weird guys wearing black/white make up, of typical and also pretty much 1980's styled Heavy Metal guys, of naked chicks showcasing their naked boobies and asses and clits to us the readers, demons, monsters, devils, skulls, Metal record covers, 1980's movie pictures, pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, Klaus Kinski and typical Metal band logos, promotions for bands and zines and distros and labels, as well as a big bunch of interviews with APOLION, AXE BATTLER, CHRISTBASHER, CRIMSON AEON, DEMONA, WITCHING HOUR, WYROCZINA and the "PAPYRUS" fanzine, and even I know not a single band and checking them out on the web I know now why and that's because of the fact that they simply don't play ''my'' music (and why should they anyhow, I mean...) I have to say that all interviews are truly great to read stuff, and on the front cover is a nice little tribute to the almighty VENOM, and that's always a nice thing. I think that if you are into Underground Metal musick you really should have to read this great little zine, it's great fun to read through it, even you truly don't have to agree on all the propagated redundant bullshit in here. It's written in german and in great tonguing, it's D.I.Y. Old School in a black and white cut and paste lay out done in a copy shop work way. I don't know if there are still copies floating around but if you're interested in it send a mail to the "Cowboy" and maybe get it. Great read, always much fun and pleasure, point and fact. Hopefully the next issue will finally come out soon. Cheers & Oi!

(beneath_the_trees@gmx.de)