BELCHEPON  (Malaysia)
Issue #1, 1999
I could not exactly review this zine since this a promo copy made in the size of A4 folded into 2 size, second generation copy (not copied and reduced the size from the master copy). I am sure in the original size it will look better (58 page, A4 size, in English, xeroxed) . So I will talk about the content because the layout and quality is not something good to talk about. Interviews are with Mortuary Ancestor, Vociferation Eternity, Random Zine (Malaysia), Thy Primordal, Siebenburgen, Primitive Symphony (Sweden), Heidenreich (Austria), Twilight Opera, Noitavalkia (Finland), Angelkill, Myrmidon (USA), Sanatorium (Slovakia), Frozen Shadow (Canada), Archean Harmony (Malta) and scene reports from South Africa, Malta, Norway. BELCHEPON managed to interview some obscure underground metal acts that is new to me. The interviews are vary, the question is the same so its depends on the band's answers to make it an interesting read or not. The Norwegian scene report is made by Imhotep Magazine and he just write anything that just pop-up in his mind at that time, so this is not a complete review. I expect a report about new and unsigned bands from there. 2 articles of Malay occultism presented here, 1 is taken from a newspaper (or a magazine, I'm not sure but I've read it somewhere) and re-translated in English. Another one is composed by Faizal himself. Good story, only the grammar have to be improved. The news and reviews are a bit outdated. If you don't have the money or enough promo to review, why don't review our local stuffs instead ? My rating will be more I think if I have the chance to look the actual released of this zine.
c/o M. Faizal Abd. Rahman, 40 Kg Pulau Tiga, Jln Stesen, 35000 Tapah, Malaysia. faery668@hotmail.com
3/5