Maelstrom’s turned to gold... well, at least in terms of how many issues we’ve put out. The big five-oh. Fifty issues ago, our zine was all one page (that you had to scroll sideways to see in its entirety) that featured 17 album reviews and one interview. Since then, we’ve churned out more than 3,500 album reviews, 230 interviews, and 110 concert reports. And our staff is better than ever. You know you can count on us to give you what we think is true about the quality of albums that we cover, and that we’ll never present you with an inane interview. Ever.

We’re pretty set in our presentation, but we’re always looking for little details to make your reading experience better. The latest improvement is being able to look up articles by inputting staffers’ names in our site’s search box. Really dig on Larissa Glasser’s horn-raising reflections on black metal, or want to read everything a past staffer like Jez Andrews had to say without scouring every issue (not that we’d mind)? Look ‘em up. You’ll get a list of everything that particular writer has ever done, by category and in alphabetical order.

This issue features 68 album reviews, six live reports, two vault picks, and four interviews. We hooked up with a bunch of drummers this month, and so you’ll read up about Deicide, Soilwork, and Deathbound through their skinsmen. Last but not least is an interview with Jotunspor’s King Ov Hell, who’s also the bassist in Gorgoroth and a bunch of other mean projects.

Maybe not as stacked as we'd want such a monumentous issue to be, but age is just a number. Anyway, we lost a bunch of reviews because of the Israeli postal system, and Joshua is on leave, traipsing through Japan with former Maelstrom staffer The Condor (hey, why not use our engine to read that guy's articles?).

This month, we're giving away copies of the new Amon Amarth, With Oden on Our Side, and Gaza's sludge/grind nightmare, I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die.

To win a copy, please specify which album you want and answer the following question.

Which famous Uruguayian drummer once played with Amon Amarth, and what album does he appear on?

Here’s to the next 50,

Roberto Martinelli
Maelstrom.nu
1573 Dolores St
San Francisco, CA 94110
USA

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Chrysy Loon" <ascenterra@gmail.com>
To: "giorgio75@hotmail.com" <giorgio75@hotmail.com>
Subject: A question regarding a review of Sonata Arctica
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:54:37 -0400

Hey, I was just curious, (I'm a Sonata Arctica fan, sue me), your review of Sonata Arctica's For the Sake of Revenge said (http://maelstrom.nu/ezine/review_iss44_3154.php) "But the real proof as to your misguided loyalty is right before one of Sonata Arctica's ballads, when the singer barks to a poor fan, "shut the fuck up!" and as he turns away, "I must sing in silence..." We don't think he was kidding."

That's...

Well.

Awful.

But I listened to it and everything, and never heard that. What ballad does it come before? I've been trying to find it and can't.

Thanks.
--
~Loon

Dear Loon,

You won’t find it on the For the Sake of Revenge CD. Check the DVD. It comes before the “Sing in Silence” track.

Thanks for reading,

Roberto