PITS OF UNTUMNO
The one and only official zine-page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/801100986593133/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Pits of Utumno is a zine originated as an idea some time in 2014, so that means that we exist some three years already. During that period, six issues were published, exclusively via the one and only offecial zine page (facebook group). Many people and those who follow the zine were asking me so far why I do not have a paper version, or web-site, or at least a blog, but from the day one I wanted to keep the whole story as simple as possible for many reasons: lack of money for printing because we are existing with no money whatsoever in out budget, the zine staff are consisting of only one member, lack of time to do everything on some decent level so that I would be satisfied. So, as it is now, I believe that it is the best I can do at the moment, because the zine is one-man project.
One of the main characteristics of this zine is that is is published exclusively in fully readable pdf format, which is uploaded on mediafire platform for free download. This way, it is cheep (read free) zine, but I regularly encourage everybody who decides to print the issue for him/herself only to make a selfie with the issue and upload it on facebook page od the zine-group. At the moment, the group is numbering 224 members, so I can say that I have 224 readers, or at least, 224 persons who are following the zine on facebook. And here I would like to thank each one of them for their support. Without each one of you this zine would not exist.
No. 1, a pilot issue, came out some time in 2014, with only one idea – to create a zine that will not be sold, but which will be a free tool for promotion extreme metal scene (bands, gigs, fashion, promoters, publishers, and so on).
The idea for the front cover was to be back-side of Denim Jacket with patches, the one thing you can recognise a metalhead by, if you see him/her on the street. “Patches” are basically bands that are covered in interviews section of the issue, with no particular idea that the one which is at the back-patch is more important than the one which is on the small patch. From the start, the idea of the zine is that any band from Serbia is equally good as any band from any other country. And, what is even more important, bands from Serbian metal scene will have advantage, because the zine is designed as a tool for promotion of domestic metal scene and small bands which are small only because they are not promoted as they deserve. So, in interview section, we’ve had Mayhem (the only interview which was translated, only because in it Attila Chihar is giving many personal details about himself, and I thought that it will be interesting to have it in No. 1), French djent band Kadinja, and Serbian bands: speed-thrash
legends Heller, death-thrash band Infest, newcomers Superhammer, and black metal band Kolac, and black metal one man project Rdja.
Second part is entitled “Introducing” and in it we have introduced four bands: Decrepancy (death metal), Murder (black thrash metal), Chaos Apparition (death-doom metal), and Abhoth (atmosferic death-doom metal).
Third part are Live-raports, in which we have published a live raport from the Tripple Thrash Threat Fest, but writen by the members of bands that took part in the festival itself: Marko Todorović (bass/vocals of Alitor), Miloš Priestkiller Stošić (vocals of Deadly Mosh) and Vrag (vocals of Speed Merchants).
Fourth part of the issue are reviews. It is worthy of noticing here that from the day one the zine has had excelent contacts with several domestic labels: Grim Reaper Records, MIner Records, Jesboligakurac Records, Grom Records and Tmina Records, whose releases are regularly present in the Reviews section of the zine.
After so many positive reactions (Milosh Grob Shebalj, bass in Kolac, even paid 1700 dinars – 10 beers on some gig in Serbia, to print the issue for himself in full color) I have decided that the zine is something that is recognized as necessary for the scene, because of the lack of any promotional tools of that kind in Serbia. But for No. 2 I have decided to spend some more time on the design itself.
On the front page on No. 2 is a piece of art that I do not know wher I’ve got it from, but it is a dude that works in blood (lyteraly). I sincerilly hope that he does not work with his own blood, because I am keep on askimg myself what will he do when he run out of material? But aniway, No. 2 came out at the beginning of 2015.
I have decided to make some editorial changes in the zine itself. In the issue I have keept only three parts: Interviews, Live-Raport and Reviews. In Interviews section, for the first time, I
have had some foreign bands: Schammasch (avangarde black metal from Switzerland), brutal death metalers Defeated Sanity from Germany, Proklet and Necro Forest (black metal bands from Croatia), blackened death metal band NordWitch from Ukraina/Hungary and melodic folk-death metal band Verka from Macedonia. This already rich group of bands wasjoined by domestic metal bands: black metal band Eris, speed-thrash legends in ex-Yugoslavia – Bombarder, death-thrash metal band
Alitor, melodic metal band Orest, and thrash metal band Kobold. So in total, that was eleven interviews.
In Live Raport part we have had raports from United Metal Festival No. 4 (bands: Thundersteel, Marica, War Engine, Putrid Blood, Obscured, and Wolf’s Hunger) and promotional gig of black metal band The Stone (for the release of their new album Nekroza), with the guest-apearance of two also black metal bands – Paimonia and Mor. Together with the Reviews section of the issue, we’ve had 68 pages of extreme metal on one place. I knew that the worko n preparation of the issue will pay off 100% because I’ve got a video made by Maria Masha Dementieva, Ukrainian vocalist in the band NordWitch, in which she is turning the pages of the issue printed in full color. Hail Masha for this.
Then came the time for No. 3, which came out some time near the half of the 2015. From that issue I’ve decided that on the front page I will have band-front page. The only condition that
the band have had to meet in order to be on the front page is that it is a band from ex-Yugoslavian metal scene. For this issue, the first band that was on the front page was atmospheric death-doom metal band from Montenegro Abhoth. First interview in the issue was also with them. The rest of the interviewed bands were: female-fronted black metallers from Czech Republik – Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, brutal gore-grind split-interview with Necrotic Disgorgement and OMFG (O My Fucking God) Less from States, Another Czech black metallers Sekhmet, Greek atmospheric black metal band Septuagint, Swedish punk-death metal band Turbocharged and thrash metal band Slave Pit from Macedonia. Domesti scene was represented by blackened death metal band Obscured, melodic death metal band Anguish Sublime, all-female speed-thrash metal dools Jenner, and drumer of ex-Yu death metal legends Dead Joker. Also, for the first time, I have interviewed somebody who is in the bussiness of gig and festival
organisation, a man who stands behind almost every bigger name that visits our country and one of the main organisers of Explosive stage on Exit Festival, Milan Rakić, who is a representative of MH Concerts from Slovenia who are the main organiser of Metal Days Festival in Tolmin. I have also published the interview with my colegue editor of the zine Marena, Vidoje Murić.
In Live Raport I have had reports from three gigs, two in Dom Omladine in Belgrade, and one in The Quarter club in Novi Sad, the best two venues in the country for this kind of events. The one gig I have to mention of those three is The Night with Machine Head, that happened on 21.09.2015 in Belgrade. This issue was also closed with the Reviews section.
No 4. came out at the end of 2015 and in the beginning of 2016. This is the first issue with the proper logo of the zine (first of its versions). On the front page of this No. is black-thrash band Redenik from Belgrade. They are also featured in first of the interviews. Their interview is followed by an interview with Swish thrash metal legends Battalion, Serbian crossover-thrash metal band Nadimač, Dutch death metal band Bodyfarm, Serbian experimental doom one man project The Temple of Gnosis, brutal death metal band God Dementia from States (this time I would like to thank Zack Smolenski for the CD), and colegue Predrag Georgijev of Celtic Slavic Webzine. Interview with the Label owner pf Grim Reaper Records Miroslav Djurčik and one of the most-informed musitians in Serbia Luka Milošević (Speed Merchants, Deadly Mosh, Istruliti). The issue was concluded with regular chapters in our story – Live Raports and Reviews.
Issue No. 5 is the first one with brand new current zine logo (credits to the graphic-designer Borislav Kiković who works for the publisher Miner Records). On the front page are death metal legends Sacramental Blood. In the interview section, they were joined by power-thrash metal bend Angel Seed from Croatia, black-thrash metal underground legends Wolf’s Hunger from Serbia, speed-thrash band Enemy Inside from Bosnia and Herzegovina, old school doom-death metal band Godless Enthropia from Italy and melodic doom metal band Motus Tenebrae also from Italy. We’ve also tried to do something new in this issue. We have conducted and interview with Jelena Petrović of Rod, a group of very tellented artists who are producisg souvenires inspired by old Slavic and Serbian religion and culuture. As usual, we have finished with Live Raports and Reviews.
The last issue, No. 6, was actually the first issue that is done in black and white. The reason for that is the fact that I’ve wanted to cut the costs of eventual printing of the issue, for anybody who decides to print it for itself. On the front page of this issue are thrash metal newcomers on Serbian metal scene, band Deathonation.
In the Interviews section, they are joined by hardcore legends from the label Miner Records, Croatian band Bad Blood (this time I would like to thank Milan von Stone, the executive director of the label), speed-thrash metal band Prisoner and black-thrash metal band Karakondžula from Serbia and technical death metal band Ritualizator from Republika Srpska. I was proud to publish in this issue, also, the interview with Milan von Stone, my good friend and regular contributor to the Reviews section of the zine through his metal label Miner Recordings. Also, Milosh Grob Shebalj, bass player in black metal band Kolac from Belgrade hate introduced his non-band activities through his own Some Kind of Distro, the place where you can buy or trade underground extreme metal
releases, patches, zines, badges, and so on. In Live Raports section, it has to be mentioned, is the raport from traditional Metal Day Festival, that is regularly happening every year at the beginning of Avgust in Šid, as a part of town festival Sumer of Šid.
At the moment, I am actively working on the preparation of No. 7 of the Pits of Utumno zine. I can announce that on the front page I will have all-female melodic death metal band Nemesis from Serbia. They will open this issue with an interview. Who will join them, you will soon be able to see. So stay tuned and expect unexpected. I will try to enrich the zine with some new graphical solutions, and I cannot wait to see it done.
The plan for the future is that Pits of Utumno zine will exist as long as there is any interest for it. So far, the things are quite positive, so I believe that we will celebrate No. 10 in no time. And for that jubileum, I am preparing one big surprise. But, let it be trully surprise. Thank everyboody who is following the zine on our official facebook page. We exist for only one reason – promotion of those bands who are not known to the wider audience. We are and underground zine, and we will stay that was as long as we exist. Hail metal!!!
