HORRIBLE EYES
Issue # 3
(87 pages, A4, printed, in English)

‘Zine editor Ronald was kind enough to give me a copy of the third issue of HORRIBLE EYES. I bought the first a couple years back, even if it was written in German at the time, just for a PENTAGRAM interview I couldn’t obviously read. Now it is an entire different matter, as HORRIBLE EYES is comprehensible by the vast majority of the Metal heads of this world. A fortunate event if you ask me, as I see this fanzine as one of the very best existing presently. Ronald handles almost everything by himself, with the occasional help of his contributor Pjier. What impresses me the most is the high level of Ronald’s writing. He shows a lot of intelligence in his questions to the bands, avoiding all the common clichés, and always comes up with articulate and sensitive points of view. Besides, the layout of the issue is without peer, from the Lovecraftian cover (drawn by Dutch artist Manuel Tinnemans, also interviewed in this issue) to the exquisite frames used. I have rarely seen such a beautiful and tasteful work of art and Ronald can’t be caught wrong at any moment in that regard. And be sure that the content (be it the interviews or the reviews), reflects the class visually showed. One can’t find the usual bands featured here, as Ronald picked up rarely interviewed acts. Tell me where else you could see a STARGAZER (enigmatic gods of intricate and conceptual Death Metal from Australia) interview? Or an IRON MAN (gods of Doom from the USA) one? In fact, Ronald has chosen to follow an unusual path by featuring extreme (mostly) Black and Death Metal artists alongside with heroes of the traditional Doom Metal scene. Then for example, together with the aforementioned interviews, you could find within the pages of this issue features on the French Doom lords NORTHWINDS, as well as on Swedish Black Metal hordes WATAIN, and the list could goes on and on. The overall result turns out to be really original and fresh this way, offering a captivating reading experience. The icing of the cake is no less than two separate very well printed posters of PENTAGRAM (the Doom band) and WARHAMMER (two of my favourites acts of all time!), clipped in the way you will not do any harm to the rest of the mag while removing them (only ads at the back). I could praise this godly fanzine for hours, so it’s better to end the review here because I think I made myself perfectly clear about the fact you have to buy this. In doing so, you will support somebody who truly deserves it while having the pleasure to add a superb acquisition in your collection. A high class piece of work indeed! Contact: horribleeyes@web.de.

Edouard Vergriete

Edouard Vergriete

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