Where now to look for metal journalism?

[Slaughterday]

Ride Into Glory is another great site. Mostly articles and guides for certain metal styles, with a lean towards power and heavy metal. Discovered some great albums through there.

https://rideintoglory.com/

[ResidentOfBok]

In a fit of nostalgia over decent metal magazines, I took out a subscription to Decibel last year.

It's not bad. Funnily enough, I'm still drawn to the regular columns (they have Eugene Robinson and Neil Jameson regularly waffling away) and the Album of the Month more than anything. Recently I read a very positive, concise review of one band I'd never heard of being compared to BMD-era Katatonia and Obsequiae (that being Aduanten), so ordered the tape and really liked it - so something still works.

Downside is all the average, uninteresting bands being covered with boring write-ups, but that really is the authentic metal mag experience. 

Is it as good as Terrorizer in its heyday? Definitely not, but it is nice to have it pop through the letterbox every month or so that keeps you relatively in touch with most of what comes out. I thought I'd like the free flexi  single they send with it but I haven't really been bothered playing a single track.

I appreciate sites like Invisible Oranges and Last Rites for sure, but I cannot bring myself to click through multiple reviews online. It just feels ephemeral.  Sitting down with a magazine still has an appeal in its compactness. Those sites that really dive deep - like Bardo - I tend to spend more time on.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I got bored with Bardo sooner than I would have expected. I don't know why, but something about the lines of questioning and style of write up quite quickly made every interview feel the same. I think what Cathal did with the two volumes of Existentiell is the kind of "transcendent" metal aesthetic thing Niklas was originally going for, but fell rather short by comparison.

Definitely agree on the greater appeal of sitting down with an actual printed mag.

[jobrok1]

Didn't realise there was a second Existentiell.
He's always throwing stuff out under the radar.

[ResidentOfBok]

I got bored with Bardo sooner than I would have expected. I don't know why, but something about the lines of questioning and style of write up quite quickly made every interview feel the same. I think what Cathal did with the two volumes of Existentiell is the kind of "transcendent" metal aesthetic thing Niklas was originally going for, but fell rather short by comparison.

Definitely agree on the greater appeal of sitting down with an actual printed mag.

Yeah, the question and answer format can be limited by its own nature - much less space to carve out a sense of the subject for each piece. Also Bardo is all one bloke - right? Might be why it feels so repetitive.

But, and I'm sure this is why it's been a constant going back to the zine days, Q&A gets to the point quick and makes for speedy production!