This new issue of Streetcleaner marks my first contact with the mag and all-in-all I’ve to say it’s a pretty solid offer. They’ve got quite a wide range of interviewed acts, both in terms of popularity and musical style, from RHAPSODY and VILE unto BLOT MINE and DEPRESSION. For the BOLT THROWER title-story they even managed to get Jo Bench to answer their questions, which is rather unusual since she usually isn’t involved in promotion activities. Unfortunately there seems to be some good reason for that, since she really hasn’t too much to say, despite the interesting and partly even provoking questions. My main criticism besides the often too positive and not very in-depth reviews is the fact, that although the mag is quite entertaining, it doesn’t have too much new to offer for the "insider". Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the hard work and the enthusiasm that went into this, but it doesn’t open any new perspectives or makes me curious about music I might have missed. The last issue of the Lamentations Of The Flame Princess zine included a very interesting essay about the state of the actual scene and it once again made it very clear that the complete established Metal press is simply a marketing tool for the music industry. Thus, underground zines should really focus on bands, that don’t get adequate media coverage due to the lack of financial support via the big labels. Of course, bands like BOLT THROWER or MY DYING BRIDE are no less brilliant because they’re on bigger labels. But what about acts like PENTACLE, SLOUGH FEG, ALLFATHER or GEIST? All of them released interesting albums lately and deserve much more attention than they actually get. A stronger focus on acts like the aforementioned and a stricter selection of the reviews could turn a solid zine into something really special. You can order STREETCLEANER # 17 for 2,- Euro (+ 1,- Euro for postage and packing) through Wolfgang Schmeer, Fichtenstrasse 5, 64739 Höchst / Odw., Germany. Included is a promo-sampler by Metal Age Productions featuring acts like AVULSED, KOLDBRANN and RIEFENSTAHL. Website: www.adnoctum.de