Hi, Maelstrom readers!

Well, so far, so good. We’ve achieved the minimum requisite consecutive issues in order to boast that we’re sticking to our plan of being a monthly zine. Yup, TWO in a row. Yay!

You’ll expect the same Maelstrom.nu as always: Writing that’s zany, insightful, and above all, honest. Interviews that are in depth and not cookie cutter. Coverage of all sorts of non-mainstream artists that aren’t limited to the metal genres.

But, haven’t you noticed our store yet? Oh, yeah, it’s growing every day. We’re also pleased to inform that you credit card customers out there will now be able to buy through us. So check us out! Soon we’ll have a section that lists all our store contents, so you won’t have to sift blindly through reviews in hopes of finding an album that we sell.

Speaking of sifting, we’ve got a new feature for this issue. An internal search engine! Our main Venezuelan programmer man, Jose Perez, has designed a very neat and informative system that will tell you about every article (thousands and thousands) ever written in Maelstrom, and classify them by category (album review, interview, live review, etc...). Look out for more cool features in upcoming issues.

This issue features 6 interviews with such bands as The Crown, Between the Buried and Me and Hwyl Nofio; 68 album review, including the new Akercocke, Hammers of Misfortune, Jag Panzer, Vader, Six Feet Under, and Cold Meat Industry stuff; and a live report and our ususal From the Vault feature.

On to our latest welcome additions to the Maelstrom staff. From the very depths of The Condor’s abode comes Joshua, who right out of the gate has contributed some of the most entertaining and insightful reviews on the site. Our budding DJ and pro journalist extraordinaire, Matt Smith, has recruited a couple of his fellows at the University of Missouri, Michael Gerhart and Mark Kloeppel, to help out with telling you about the latest death metal and metalcore. Welcome, guys.

Time to wrap this up and set you loose on issue #16. But not before giving you Abhishek Chatterjee’s increasingly coveted Picks of the Issue! (Only two this issue due to the extreme retardation of the Indian mail and electrical system)

#1: Psychotogen The Calculus of Evil
#2: Greenfly Hidden Pleasures of a Nonexistent Reality

- Roberto Martinelli