some ultra-Rare underground fanzines/newspapers & magazine reviews/articles

Way back in the early days of metal, one had to do all the self-promoting they could afford in order to increase awareness about their band.

There were no computers, no internet, but plenty of glue, scissors, and xerox machines available! The underground fanzine scene was basically the only method bands and fans had of connecting.

Placing ads, sending out tapes for review, and trading addresses was all standard operating procedure.

....from "RockHard USA"

We would haunt metal record stores like Bleeker Bob's & Rock 'n Roll Heaven and bought up as many 'zines as we could find. Scanning each issue for info, contacts, and ad information.

Many of these publications had a very small print run, and very few lasted more than a few issues.

The best ones were well-written, informative
and entertaining, no matter how cheaply they appeared.

But ya gotta admit, that old photo-copied
look has a cool funkiness to it!

from "Heavy Fucking Metal" fanzine...

A review in Metal Forces (which was like TIME magazine compared to the cheaply xerox-ed ones) virtually guaranteed dozens of requests from smaller 'zines for material.

Many bands were launched through this magazine by simply making sure they got a copy of your demo tape. This issue featured a review of our "demo of doom" tape and also had a very ghey pic of early Pantera on the cover. (R.I.P. Dimebag)

....from "Metal Forces" (England)

We formed many great relationships with these 'Zines and their writers.

I would say overall, we garnered 85% positive reviews from these rags.
(Is it any wonder we are considered "underground thrash legends?" )

Making little money from sales, it was truely a labor of love for all involved in the underground metal scene.

from "Your Flesh"...

After many gigs, sales, and reviews from all over
the world, our local paper, finally decided to do
an article on us.

I think the broad who wrote the
piece really just wanted a helping of
Patty's leather-like shank.

...from the "Staten Island Advance"

slam hour playlist

more reviews/articles/ads

...some old playlists

our last effort to get signed...

pestilence from Italy ...

...from "Rock Hard" magazine (Germany)

from "Universal Brain Basher"...

more from
Heavy Fuckin' Metal

...from "Hard Rocks" newspaper

thunderbolt magazine from germany...

As a result of all this promotion,
every week I'd go to the PO
box and get more fanmail,
orders for stuff,
and more requests
for materials from
other fanzines.

Today, it would
be considered "viral"
marketing!

don't know where this one's from...

...gotta love these two flyers!

many fanzines were cheaply published, some never came out-by "fans" whom just wanted to glom
freebies from bands and labels. (note: thankfully, none of these fanzines were in that category!)

this was the tape we used to give to the sound guy...
not a review, but pretty funny (read the instructions)

some ultra-Rare underground fanzines/newspapers & magazine reviews/articles
Way back in the early days of metal, one had to do all the self-promoting they could afford in order to increase awareness about their band. There were no computers, no internet, but plenty of glue, scissors, and xerox machines available! The underground fanzine scene was basically the only method bands and fans had of connecting. Placing ads, sending out tapes for review, and trading addresses was all standard operating procedure. ....from "RockHard USA"

We would haunt metal record stores like Bleeker Bob's & Rock 'n Roll Heaven and bought up as many 'zines as we could find. Scanning each issue for info, contacts, and ad information. Many of these publications had a very small print run, and very few lasted more than a few issues. The best ones were well-written, informative and entertaining, no matter how cheaply they appeared. But ya gotta admit, that old photo-copied look has a cool funkiness to it! from "Heavy Fucking Metal" fanzine...

A review in Metal Forces (which was like TIME magazine compared to the cheaply xerox-ed ones) virtually guaranteed dozens of requests from smaller 'zines for material. Many bands were launched through this magazine by simply making sure they got a copy of your demo tape. This issue featured a review of our "demo of doom" tape and also had a very ghey pic of early Pantera on the cover. (R.I.P. Dimebag) ....from "Metal Forces" (England)

We formed many great relationships with these 'Zines and their writers. I would say overall, we garnered 85% positive reviews from these rags. (Is it any wonder we are considered "underground thrash legends?" ) Making little money from sales, it was truely a labor of love for all involved in the underground metal scene. from "Your Flesh"...

After many gigs, sales, and reviews from all over the world, our local paper, finally decided to do an article on us. I think the broad who wrote the piece really just wanted a helping of Patty's leather-like shank. ...from the "Staten Island Advance"

ripping headaches	metal hammer
psychomania	slam hour playlist
more reviews/articles/ads	metal mania

...some old playlists	our last effort to get signed...
yes, we did get some negative reviews...	pestilence from Italy ...
...from "Rock Hard" magazine (Germany)	from "Universal Brain Basher"...
from Japan	more from Heavy Fuckin' Metal
...from "Hard Rocks" newspaper	this is an old Ad from "Silver City", whom we were good friends with and were very influencial & supportive of the emerging 80's metal scene.

from germany... As a result of all this promotion, every week I'd go to the PO box and get more fanmail, orders for stuff, and more requests for materials from other fanzines. Today, it would be considered "viral" marketing!

...from Italy

...subterranean voice fanzine As a result of the many friendships that were formed during these times, some exist even to this day (see MetalCore) It was like a thrash brotherhood of sorts, and some of these writers went on to bigger and better things (Monte Conner at RoadRunner for example) We used to get mail/orders from all over the world, even from behind the Iron Curtain! (the underground tape-trading community was far-reaching, indeed!) And fan mail! Some mail conversations (especially with female fans) carried on for years, lasting the life span of savage thrust. Many, many requests for t-shirts, tapes, stickers, buttons, fanzines, & vinyl were the norm. Remember, this was all without a record deal! Constant diligence, promotion and research was the key. 1st, we'd scan through the fanzines and gather adresses, then select the worthy ones. We then sent out a promo kit which consisted of a tape, bio sheet, 8X10 photo, sticker, business card, and re-printed articles...all enclosed in a custom printed folder with our logo on the front! Many industry people told us it was "THE most professional looking package ever received from an unsigned band!" In order to obtain these 'zines, you had to frequent the heavy metal stores, make purchases, bullshit to the employees/fans, etc. ...just to keep up with what was happening. But it was a chore we loved.

don't know where this one's from...

...from Denmark Of course, not being content with simply seeing our band in dozens of 'zines, we decided to issue our own fanzine, 'THRUSTAZINE' ...20 some-odd pages all about savage thrust! I recall a great many hours spent literally clipping & pasting together this fanzine. The idea came about when I picked up a copy of a fanzine from FL band nasty savage at rock 'n roll heaven. I said: "hey, we should put one of these out!...I could do this!" ... In reality I possessed zero experience except for a bunch of band flyers I had designed. Also, I had nothing except a pile of other underground metal 'zines as a guide, and a bunch of old horror & adult magazines/newspapers to cannibalize. See the infamous 'THRUSTAZINE' click on the cover above to read 'em!

...gotta love these two flyers!

like most places we played, these clubs are gone...

Bobby Boch & a vintage pass

2 way old shots of ed from the very first gig in 1985



many fanzines were cheaply published, some never came out-by "fans" whom just wanted to glom freebies from bands and labels. (note: thankfully, none of these fanzines were in that category!)




this was the tape we used to give to the sound guy... not a review, but pretty funny (read the instructions)