It’s always great to see new underground (print) zines popping up, especially if their main focus is the support of the more obscure and unknown acts, rather than just following the footsteps of the major magazines. The guys at ANCIENT SPIRIT TERROR decided to label their publication "Blasphemous Metal Zine", which (at least in the case of this first issue) basically means Black Metal from start to finish (the 9 pages long SADISTIC INTENT and the DEMONIC CHRIST interview being the only exceptions to the rule). Apart from those just mentioned two, you’ll get interviews with more or less known acts, such as HANDFUL OF HATE, NECROPLASMA, MORRIGAN, EVIL WAR, SURRENDER OF DIVINITY, GRAVEN, LEVIFER, EMINENZ, INQUISITION, TSJUDER, ABAZAGORATH, AKERBELTZ, HAVOC VULTURE, GOATFIRE, BLOOD STORM, UNHOLY ARCHANGEL, DEATHGATE ARCKANUM, WIND OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS, THORNSPAWN, HORNA and MANIAC BUTCHER, as well as 20 reviews. The writing style is kinda close to what the guys at Necromaniac Zine deliver (which means, quite amusing), the layout simple, yet (due to its ancient symbols and drawings) very well fitting, and the backcover features a classic VENOM pic from 1979 (I really wonder where the hell they managed to find that)… So, all in all a very solid debut issue, except for some little things here and there, but as it’s mostly not really fair to criticize a zine at such an early stage already, my following remarks should more be seen as advices for the future rather than real negative comments. First of all, something must have gone wrong while transferring the computer files to print (I suppose the originals simply had the wrong dpi size), which looks a bit messy here and there, and the number of reviews is definitely still too little. Both should be improved next time. The overall writing lacks in real criticism (everything in this issue more or less gets praised) and some of the editors comments (for example the permant slagging of DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH) as well as the "Hail Satanism" mentality comes across really dumb and childish. Two of the interviews got published in English, which I would not continue doing in the future either (doesn’t matter how stupid the original answers of the band in question may have been) – and that’s it already… So, in general I really enjoyed reading these 80 pages and if you don’t have any problems in understanding the German language either, you should definitely make sure to order yourself a copy as well. It sells for 2,50Euro at this address: Vasili Vasilopoulus, Postfach 104108, 44041 Dortmund, Germany, Email: ancientspiritterror@yahoo.de