Interview with

CHRIS FORBES STARTED METAL CORE FANZINE AND DISTRIBTION YEARS AGO, AND HIS 'ZINE IS THE LONGEST RUNNING FANZINE OUT THERE, AND HEY, IT'S FREE! HE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED WORLDWIDE THROUGH-OUT THE METAL COMMUNITY AND PRAISED FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS IT. HERE'S WHAT WE HAD TO SAY...

U.F. -CHRIS, WHAT GOT YOU INTO METAL MUSIC, AND WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START A FANZINE? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE WAY THE METAL SCENE IS SHAPING THESE DAYS AS OPPOSED TO THE WAY IT WAS IN THE '80'S?

CF: I got into metal music from my brother years ago. He had all these KISS, STYX, UFO, etc records that would I borrow. When I got a bit older I remember buying a AC/DC record as well and from there I was hooked on rock music. I think that is was magazines such as Creem and Circus that led me to metal music. I statrted reading about bands like Rainbow, Riot, Raven and stuff and it just progressed from there. I was like a kid in a candy store as I wanted more...more...more. The way it came about as far as my zine was that I started reading fanzines and a guy name Scott Helig had his own little zine called "Total Thrash" and I was doing some writing for him. I was sending him so much stuff that he said to me "why don't you start up your own zine?" I took that as a bit of a challenge and decided to start my own zine. I put my first issue out in dec of 86 and I am still here today. As far as the metal scene goes I feel there is way too many bands and labels releasing less that average product. That is why i think the scene isn't as strong as it is. Back in the late 80's I would go to shows and their would be 2000 people at shows now you are happy if you get 200. I mean there are still some great bands out there, but no way the quality of the bands of yester-year that is for sure.

U.F. -DO YOU FEEL A LOT OF BANDS LACK IN TALENT DUE TO TRYING TO OUT-DO THE NEXT BAND, AS FAR AS BEING EXTREME GOES? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EVERY NEW BAND TRIES TO BE "FASTER" OR "MORE SATANIC" THAN THE NEXT, AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY FORGOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BLACK METAL, DEATH METAL, AND HARDCORE BANDS...

CF: Oh yeah any bands with lack of talent will try to latch on to some type of gimmick. Look at Slipknot I think they sound like all these other Pantera wannabe bands, but they got the mask gimmick working for them and they are making a ton of money. I finally heard their cd the other day and I thought it was nothing special at all. Back when the scene was starting ever band was trying to be faster than Metallica, then it was Slayer, etc. Lots of the small demo bands were trying to claim they were "the fastest band on earth" or black metal bands trying to "out evil" one another. It was actually quite amusing looking back now. I don;t know much about the hardcore scene now so I can't really comment on that.

U.F. -I WANTED TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE WHOLE HEADBANGER'S BALL DEBATE...I MEAN, IF THEY REPRESENTED METAL CORRECTLY (I.E: NOT WITH THE LIKES OF KORN, LIMP BIZKIT, DEFTONES, SLIPKNOT ETC.), WOULD YOU WANT IT TO COME BACK? A LOT OF ANAL RETENTATIVE METALHEADS WANT METAL SO REMAIN IN OBSCURITY FOREVER, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO TURN ON MY TV AND NOT SEE THE BACKSTREET BOYS OR THIS HORRIBLE THUG RAP BULLSHIT.

CF: Well Headbanger's Ball played a lot of the lighter stuff and only the last 2 or 3 videos were even underground metal. Yes I would like to see it come back if they could give it a nice mix of some of the lighter stuff as well as play a good dose of the heavier side of metal as well. Also give out more metal news and tours and stuff as well.

U.F. -I KNOW YOU MANAGE IMMOLATION, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER BANDS YOU MANAGE? ALEX (EX-GOREAPHOBIA) BOUKS FROM PERFERSERATH TOLD ME THAT YOU MANAGED BLOODSTORM AS WELL...HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF STARTING YOUR OWN RECORD LABEL ONE DAY? DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE METALCORE TO THE NEWSTANDS SOMEDAY, LIKE METAL MANIACS HAS, OR ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING FOR YOU NOW?

CF: I don't manage BLOODSTORM, I just put their cd out on Soul Sold Music, which is a label me and Tom from IMMOLATION started. I also work with another band called SAPPIC ODE. No I think I will keep Metal Core right where it is now. I mean I don't make much money off it nor do I care. I think doing it on newsprint and printing 10,000 of them is more than enough. Maybe a glossy cover one day who knows

U.F. -HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A BAND OF YOUR OWN? DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS? I KNOW YOU ARE A BIG WRESTLING FAN, AS WELL AS A METAL FAN---HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MANY RECENT METAL/WRESTLING COLLABORATIONS? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE WHOLE GOTHENBURG SCENE, WITH DARK TRANQUILITY AND IN FLAMES ETC.?

CF: Yes i sang in a band called The Log back in 89. It was a side band with me and 3 members of the band DEADLY BLESSING. We played about 12 live shows at a club called Bonnie's in Atco, NJ. We also did a 12 song demo as well. I might put a MP3 on my site of one of our songs. They were very short in vein of SOD and DRI. I screamed my lungs off ha ha. I used to take guitar lessons for a short time, but quit cause I thought I was going to be a big football star. As you can tell that didn't work out ha ha. I think music and wrestling are cool and I see ECW is doing a thing with farmclub.com and though I am not into what farmclub.com plays and stuff, it is cool as it helps ECW which needs all the help they can get now. Not into DARK TRANQUILITY nor IN FLAMES too much. Saw them a few months back in Phila (IN FLAMES) and they didn't do much for me. I am more into the older thrash and death metal stuff myself.

U.F. -IF YOU WANNA BOOT US AN OLD COPY OF YOUR DEMO, WE COULD REVIEW IT MAN. YEAH, I MYSELF HAVEN'T GOTTEN TOO FAR INVOLVED WITH MANY NEW BANDS EITHER, JUST THE OTHER DAY I DISCOVERED ATHEIST'S "PIECE OF TIME", AND I MUST SAY, IT'S KILLER! WHAT 3 CONCERTS HAVE YOU BEEN TO, THAT YOU FEEL ARE THE MOST MEMORABLE? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RECENT RESUGENCE OF THE "NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL (BRIT METAL BANDS FROM AROUND 78-82)" BANDS, AND THE RE-DISCOVERED INFLUENCE OF THAT SOUND IN TODAY'S METAL? WERE YOU EVER INTO IT?

CF: 3 concerts that is tough. One had to be the 1st time I saw AC/DC in 79 with Bon Scott. another was the "Clash of the Titans" with SLAYER, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and ALICE IN CHAINS. Just to see those 3 big thrash bands playing in an arena was incredible. And there was a ton of people there and SLAYER just killed. The 3rd has to be SLAYER in 1985 at City Gardens in Trenton,New Jersey where I dove off the stage during "Chemical Warfare" and almost killed myself. Oh yeah I was into some of the NWOBHM stuff. Bands like RAVEN, SAXON, DEF LEPPARD, HOLOCAUST, SWEET SAVAGE, MOTORHEAD, are all killer bands. I think it is great some of the newer bands are playing stuff in that vein.

U.F. -OK CHRIS, THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS INTERVIEW, YOU'VE BEEN GREAT, AND IF YOU HADN'T NOTICED, I USED YOUR INTERVIEW STYLING TO BASE THIS INTERVIEW ON, HEHE... SEE THE IRONY HERE? ANWAY, IF THERE ARE ANY 'ZINES, OR BANDS YOU MIGHT WANNA PLUG, NOW'S THE TIME. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER WORDS, JUST SAY IT! WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT PUT INTO THIS INTERVIEW. PRINT OUT THE METAL CORE ADDRESS HERE TOO, ALONG WITH YOUR CONTACT INFO. HAIL METAL CORE!

CF: I would like to thank you for the interview. Zines to check out huh. Snakepit, Candaian Assault, Slayer, are just a few killer zines out there. Anybody wants a copy of my zine it is $2 and I send like 12 other zines with mine so its a bargain. Feel free to check out my web site as well it is very different from other web sites. Keep it heavy and always keep it metal.

Metal Core

Chris Forbes

P.O. Box 622

Marlton, NJ

08053

email: metalczine@aol.com

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