Happy New Year, dear Maelstrom readers!

We had planned on this issue being a small production, what with the Holidays and album production being traditionally slow at the end of the year, and all. Also, we couldn’t let the issue preceding our fourth anniversary one overshadow the occasion.

It’s a jovial time around Maelstrom. We have, more than ever, a fantastic team of writers. New to the fold is James Gagne, a resident of Massachussetts, whom we actually don’t know all that much about yet, aside from his being a damn fine, budding talent.

Kind of like ferreting out Saddam Hussein from the grips of a tsunami, we found our Indian correspondent, Abhishek Chatterjee, whose whereabouts had been unknown for months. He seems to be back, cleaned up, dried off, and in good health. We hope to have him back as a regular contributor.

The current issue turned into a pretty good one in spite of the forecast. Interviews with King Diamond and Mnemic make it an all-Danish affair, while 34 album reviews should be helpful in guiding you on what to – and what not to – spend your money on.

Since it’s a slow and lazy time, we thought having a slow and lazy contest would be fitting. So this time, we’re giving away all the odds and ends that have piled up around here, namely: Delta Apollyon is Free, Sanctimonious Order Thy Kingdom, Debauchery Rage of the Bloodbeast, Syncronica Paths, The Maldoror Kollective A Clockwork Highway, Dies Ater Out of the Dark, Ghost Machinery Haunting, Deeds of Flesh Reduced to Ashes, Subjekt 2 Change Subjekt 2 Change, Tusk Tree of no Return, Amaran Pristine in Bondage, Walken Unstoppable, Aina Days of Rising Doom, and The Ring Tales from Midgard. We have one copy of each. Let us know what you want. Or don’t. We’ll just distribute randomly. Like being at a kid’s birthday party, or having a Secret Santa thingy, or something. Won’t that be fun? See our contest for details.

Happy New Year,

– Roberto Martinelli

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Mystic Forest" <mysticforest@wanadoo.fr>
To: "Maelstrom Zine" <giorgio75@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Fw: the review
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2004 19:37:26 +0100

Ha, an ALAMAAILMAN VASARAT review ! Great job !... not so often you can see a review about this incredible band !!!

Hey, I got the luck to listen to the best black metal CD since years : Shining "The Eerie Cold"... I dislike their third release, but this one is INCREDIBLE !!! Listen to it asap...

See you

Stefan

Dear Stefan,

We’re still listening to YOUR amazing output with Mystic Forest and Eikenskaden. Thanks so much!

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Tony" <rocksure@maxnet.co.nz>
To: <giorgio75@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Killing
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 23:15:50 +1300

Hi,

You may not like what I have to say here, but if you feel it is worth printing could you please consider adding it to your site as a contra opinion on what has happened.
cheers, Tony Koretz

### Dimebag Darrel's Killing

The topic on every metal fans lips at the moment is the crazed killing of people in a club, including Dimebag Darrel. I think it is a sad thing that has happened, and in no way do I condone the killing. But why is it so surprising that a crazed metal fan would shoot people, when so much metal music portrays death, destruction, doom, Satanism and hate. Surely this is a natural outcome in a way, that what people feed themselves on they eventually become. I will probably take some flack for this, but if people want to play with satanistic ideals why would the result be anything other than death? After all it's what the music teaches. People like to associate themselves with the devil,and they can so easily become like him.

"You belong to your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning...." John 8:44

My point is that if you go to most metal sites, and I have close friends that run some of these, as well as metal radio shows both on the net and on air. Some of these guys play my music on their shows, so I am not knocking these people. What I am saying is that if you have images of demons, skeletons, death and doom, and promote so called "Death Metal" and angry music, why is it so strange that some sicko who is into that stuff goes out and puts it into practice?

I agree most metallers are non violent. Like I say I have some close friends who are in the industry in that field that wouldn't hurt a fly. But I have also been round enough violent/angry metallers who gain fuel from the music they listen to. I enjoy hard rock music etc, but I am also somewhat perturbed by the facination with death, blood etc that pervades much of that music.

Do lyrics such as these help anybody live a better life, become a better person ? I think not. To me it just incites more that's negative and more anger.

“IT BRINGS ME GREAT PLEASURE
TO SAY MY NEXT JOB IS YOU
DON'T YOU KNOW THAT
KILLING IS MY BUSINESS
AND BUSINESS IS GOOD
Megadeth "Killing is my business"

"Out of my mind,
gun up to the mouth
No pretension, execution, live and learn , rape and turn
Fret not family,
nor pre-judged army
This is for me,
and me only, cowards only
Try it"
Pantera "Suicide Note pt 11"

"Homicide-Suicide
Hate heals, you should try it sometime
Strive for Peace with acts of war
The beauty of death we all adore"

Slayer "Disciple"

"Kill
I will
Have my sacrifice

Plead
With fear
I am getting near"

Judas Priest -"Burn in Hell"

I could quote a zillion other lyrics from the metal fraternity. You can give me flack for this, but I don't believe any one is any better off for listening to this kind of stuff.

By contrast I think Alice Cooper's "Last temptation" album hit the nail perfectly on the head in his brilliant use of lyrics throughout. This album sums up the whole picture pretty well in my books. Music can be hard and loud without having to incite violence as is the case with this album. I probably won't make any friends here with this stand, but let's not bury our heads in the sand and pretend there's no correlation between violent music and violent acts.

Tony Koretz
www.koretzmusic.com ###

Dear Tony,

Thanks for your letter. You make some excellent points. As far as Maelstrom HQ is concerned? We didn’t even know Pantera broke up in the first place. Regardless, the event was tragic. And as usual, it’s all about the famous person, while those who were killed in the audience are largely forgotten. Why do we deem fame (and age) as making one life more valuable than another?