Maelstrom - Editor's Greetings

Editor's
Greeting >>

Whew! Here it is, issue #7 of Maelstrom. We're moving along quite well, as this issue sees even more content than some previous issues put together, with 67 album reviews and nine interviews.

You may notice, if you're a regular reader of this page, that the format is again changed. Steppenvvolf has been hammering away in the Maelstrom toolshed and has come out with his version of the mysterious and potentially wonderful cascading style sheet, which he swears will will make all of lives easier. Great work! When we finalize our design, we'll go back and make all previous issues uniform, and fix all the broken links and messed up graphics in our archive section. We promise.

But back to the here and now. We are most pleased to bring to Maelstrom readers a talk with Kanwulf from the essential black metal band Nargaroth. We at Maelstrom like to think of it as an exclusive, and why not? Kanwulf hasn't given an interview in three years. What's more, Kanwulf really bares his soul to give some incredible insight into the heart of this tortured artist.

Maelstrom continues in its mission to cover more than just metal music by bringing you interviews with two excellent projects on the Crowd Control Activities labeut his improvised ambient/jazz band, Supersilent's Helge Sten (whose name may ring a bell to you if you're a total black metal geek). Also on hand are the experimental/drone work of House of Low Culture and the "psychoactive electroacoustics" of Israel's Chaos as Shelter.

We at Maelstrom go beyond the music. We don't believe that only bands that have something new to sell should be interviewed. In fact, they don't have to be bands at all! In this issue you will find an interview with Christophe Szpajdel, who is responsible for what seems like 25% of all the black metal logos out there, including Emperor and Nargaroth. Ever wanted to know who this guy is? Here ya go.

In more of a pure metal vein, we're thrilled to talk to Tom Angelripper of German thrash metal legend Sodom, the scathing black metal force known as Abigor, the up and coming Texas dark metal band Vesperian Sorrow, and death metal sick puppies Pungent Stench.

We'd like to welcome a new writer to our staff, the mysterious Condor. Who or what is he? We're not sure, but he's got a lot to say, and he loves music. Check out his favorite albums of 2001. What, does he work in a record store or something?

Speaking of which, we've included staff picks for top records of 2001 at the end of this greeting from the editor. So check those out, along with our regular live reviews and From the Vault picks!

Cheers,

Roberto Martinelli (with Enslaved in Chicago's Metal Haven, December 13, 2001)

And finally, one of our readers had this to say:
From: TMinarchic@aol.com

Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 03:23:57 EST
Subject: Your "writing" and "taste" is music are complete shit
To: roma@maelstrom.nu

If you go to school for writing then you should give up now. You absolutely suck shit and so does your taste in music. Real writers don't go to fucking school! I never took a writing class in my life and I've written for every 'zines I've ever wanted to and tons of magazines. Use you mommie and daddy's money for something else college boy.

Dear TMinarchic,

Thank you for your valid point. Obviously you didn't need to go to school to develop your splendid vocalbulary or to master English grammar and punctuation. Certainly these publications that you mention (whatever they may be) are overjoyed to have such an expressive and succinct person such as yourself. I'll drop out of school straight away. - Roberto

Well, he does put forward a convincing argument. I mean he's written for every "'zines he's ever wanted to," and *tons* of magazines. And obviously real writers don't go to school, because TRUE writers are born with an inherent grasp of the nature of language and the subtle nuances of the written word from day one; as opposed to having these talents educated into their minds through the system. It's in their genes, college boy ;) - ~Vargscarr~

Our favorite albums of 2001

Roberto Martinelli's favorite albums of 2001 (alphabetically)

Aborym - Fire Walk with Us
Absu - Tara
Aereogramme - A Story in White
Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro
Apocalyptica - Cult
Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise
Enslaved - Monumension
Friesen, Eric - Friesenburg Concertos
Hammers of Misfortune - The Bastard
House of Low Culture - Submarine Immersion Techniques Vol.1
Leviathan - Seven + Slaveship
Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
Nagelfar - Virus West
Nargaroth - Black Metal ist Krieg
Origami Galactica - Stjernevandring/ Eesti Lissed Silmad Suda
Pig Destroyer - Prowler in the Yard
Stars of the Lid - Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
Supersilent - 5
Tertium Non Data - Hers is Blood

Jez Andrew's top ten of 2001

1)Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
2)Dark Funeral - Diabolis Interium
3)Akercocke - Goat of Mendes
4)Impending Doom - Apocalypse III: The Manifested Purgatorium
5)Rhapsody - Rain of a Thousand Flames
6)Death - Death & Raw:Live In L.A
7)Iced Earth - Horror Show
8)Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro
9)Hypocrisy - 10 Years of Chaos and Confusion
10)System Of A Down - Toxicity

~Vargscarr~'s top ten of 2001 (some are 2000 or 1999 releases, but didn't reach British shores until 2001)

1) Marduk - Infernal Eternal
2) Graveland - Creed of Iron
3) Marduk - La Grande Danse Macabre
4) Graveland - Raise Your Sword
5) Thunderbolt/Kataxu - split
6) Tsjuder - Kill For Satan
7) Krieg - The Black Plague
8) Gontyna Kry - Welowie
9) Children of Bodom - Follow The Reaper
10) Nargaroth - Black Metal Ist Krieg

to

Matt Smith's top albums of 2001

1) Lamb of God - New American Gospel
2) Macabre - Dahmer
3) Aphex Twin - Drukgs
4) Amon Amarth - The Crusher
5) Thy Infernal - Warlords of Hell
6) Lost Soul - Scream of the Mourning Star
7) From Autumn to Ashes - Too Bad You're Beautiful

Laurent Martini's fave albums of 2001

1) Travis - The Invisible Band
2) U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
3) Pulp - We Love Life
4) Echo and the Bunnymen - Flowers
5) Push Kings - Feel No Fade
6) Hedwig and the Angry Inch Soundtrack
7) The Cure - Cut Here (a single but it's amazing)

The Condor's MASSIVE top list + other stuff he liked

The Condor's absolute top 25 albums of 2001:

1) Solefald - Pills Against the Ageless Ills
2) Greg Weeks - Awake Like Sleep
3) Khold - Masterpiss of Pain
4) Scott Tuma - Hard Again
5) Hammers of Misfortune - Bastard
6) Boris - Flood
7) Borknagar - Empiricism
8) DJ Scud / Rich Kid (Panacea) - Murder Sound
9) Rhythm & Sound - s/t
10) Nagelfar - Virus West
11) Burning Brides - Fall of the Plastic Empire
12) Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
13) Converge - Jane Doe
14) Gate - My Dear Sweet Reluctant Sweetheart / The Lavender Head
15) Parson Sound - s/t
16) Stars of the Lid - Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
17) Nitsch, Hermann - Harmoniumwerk Vol 1-12
18) Sunroof! - Bliss
19) Crest of Darkness - Project Regeneration
20) From Autumn to Ashes - Too Bad You're Beautiful
21) Therios - II
22) Thorns - s/t
23) IBM - The Oval Recording
24) Broken Promises - Dying Before the First Step
25) Heartscarved - ...and Tomorrow We Escape

The rest of The Condor's tops (alphabetical) of 2001:

Abigor - Satanized (A Journey Through Cosmic Infinity)
Acid Mothers Temple - 41st Century Splendid Man
Atomsmasher - s/t
Avenged Sevenfold - Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
Bal-Sagoth - Atlantis Ascendant
Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper
Chris Clark - Clarence Park
Dirty Lust - When Fear Envelops Your Spirit
From Autumn to Ashes - Too Bad You're Beautiful
Guapo - Great Sage, Equal of Heaven
Jag Panzer - Mechanized Warfare
Joe Jones - Solar Music
Libido Space Dimension - s/t
Monster Magnet - God Says No
Morris, Chris - Blue Jam
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Origami Galaktika - Stjernevandring/ Eesti Lissed Silmad Suda
Pharaoh Overlord - #1
Rival Schools - United By Fate
7000 Dying Rats - The Sound Of No Hands Clapping
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Ted Leo / Pharmacists - The Tyranny of Distance
Tool - Lateralus

The Condor's fave 2001 reissues:

Hanoi Rocks - Back To Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks - Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks
Hanoi Rocks - Self Destruction Blues
Hanoi Rocks - All Those Wasted Years
Hanoi Rocks - Lean On Me
Hanoi Rocks - Oriental Beat
Tower Recordings - Folk Scene
Earth - Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars Live
Radio Birdman - The Essential (1974-1978)

The Condor's alphabetical 2001 runners up (Oh...So Close) :

Aereogramme - A Story in White
Apocalyptica - Cult
Berkowitz Lake and Dahmer - Contraception of the Gods
Berkowitz Lake and Dahmer - Drain Salmon Forgery
Company Flow - and Cannibal Ox... Aesop Rock... Rjd2
David Shire - The Conversation OST
DJ Scud / Rich Kid (Panacea) - Murder Sound
Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down
Laddio Bollocko - As if in Real Time
Lesser - Gearhound
Mark Lanegan - Field Songs
Overhang Party - Otherside of
P.G. Six - Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites
Pernice Brothers - The World Won't End
Philip Jeck - Vinyl Coda IV
Rhythm & Sound - s/t
Roland Kirk - Domino
Rotoscope - Great Curves
Salvatore, K - The Counterfeiter
Supermachiner - s/t
Terry Riley - You're No Good
Thai Elephant Orchestra - s/t
The Stereo - No Traffic
Unwound - Leaves Turn inside You
V/A - Extreme Music from Africa
Waiffle - And the Blood Will Come down like aCurtain
Webb Brothers - Maroon
When - The Lobster Boys


	ISSUE 7


	Highlights of this issue : 9 Interviews including: - CHRISTOPHE SZPAJDEL - NARGAROTH - SODOM 65 Album Reviews including: - ANAAL NATHRAKH The Codex Necro - ANATHEMA A Fine Day to Exit - ANGRA Rebirth - BORKNAGAR Empiricism - EMPEROR Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise - ENSLAVED Monumension - GRAVE DIGGER The Grave Digger - KHANATE Khanate - SAXON Killing Ground - SIGH Imaginary Sonicscape - SODOM M-16 - SOLEFALD Pills against the Ageless Ills