2025.12.11
Niklas Kvarforth of Shining will soon be stocking copies of all available issues of Convivial Hermit and Ethere for his The Sinister Initiatve distribution in Sweden! This will be the first distributor to stock my magazines in the North to date. I will post an update when the zines make it there but in the meantime you can check out his distro at following link: https://thesinisterinitiative.com/!
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2025.12.06
The era of the penny/one cent is coming to an end in the USA, on the tail end of many other countries that have already abandoned it, and predictably the first thing companies do is round up rather than round down! If credit cards were used exclusively this would not be an issue but, fortunately, physical money still exists and is allowed to circulate outside of the sweaty hands of mega corporations. I have no issue with the penny. A penny now costs four pennies to print in the USA, which is still more value than just almost any American politician, corporate CEO or member of any corporate Senior Leadership team combined.
Coming soon... Top 20 for 2025...
2025.11.23
Check out this amazing black metal band from Kazakhstan, Morte Froide! This definitely would have been one of my top of 2023 had I heard it then... holy shit is this good. Stunning melody and power like the early Swedish masters... what's strange about this album also is that they apparently forgot to put any indicator of the logo or band name anywhere in the package, I have the release from Russia's Soundage (great label). I have no idea what their earlier work is like but this is highly recommended, click the image to go to their bandcamp page.
I've also updated my sale/trade list, please check it out.
2025.11.10
Is it possible that any other government in the West is as dysfunctional and regressive as that of the United States? Firstly, the country should be renamed to DVA, the Divided States of America. Second, just like the Democrats evolved away from the racist southern party to the middle right/corporatist capitalist party it is today the Republicans evolved from the anti-Slavery party to the fascist dictator "give-corporations-all-they-want-all-the-time" party it is today. Why expect good faith negotiations on healthcare in the future from a group that today does not want negotiations? What will change in December? They are obviously lying and they again will compel some ridiculous package to benefit corporations and the private millionaires and billionaires for whose sole purpose they exist. This is a big mistake. They've shown in the last 40 days that ordinary people mean nothing to them as they suddenly started to care about healthcare and welfare subsidies after passing legislation gutting both! Welcome to absurdity! I for one have no faith that any sizable majority in this country will wake up to this... Clock DVA, that's what they should call it, as the clock is ticking for this place to implode completely.
2025.11.06
Some random thoughts for today: someone needs to stop Rogga Johannson from releasing any more music. It sometimes feels like half the promos I get are from his bands. He comes up with death metal riffs like you and I pass bodily functions and as you would expect, it's all garbage. This guy cannot write a good riff to save his life and it seems like his entire life mission is to record as many riffs as possible. Like an American newscaster getting paid by the word, if he was paid by the riff he would be wealthier than Elon Musk at this point. Also, I Voidhanger has to stop signing seemingly every band that sends them material. They already released about 25 albums this year and I don't remember a single one of them. It seems like one is worse than the other. In all, these people are completely polluting an already over-crowded scene and the more I hear this worthless new metal the more I hunker down and treasure my existing collection and the handful of artists that put thought and ideas into the music they record. Yes, this is a grumpy "old guy" post! But even younger listeners who weren't born yesterday must feel it... or don't they?
2025.10.31
Happy Halloween to all readers!
2025.10.30
David Galas of Lycia has released a single from his new album and it's great as expected.
2025.10.29
The older I get the more averse I am to simple explanations to anything, but there are some things that remain simple even now. For example, how do you end the government shutdown in America, any government shutdown? Answer: when government is shutdown, no members of congress, including the executive, get paid. Zero. Nothing. 6-figure salaries plummet to zero instantaneously. And no backpay when government is restored. In addition: with every vote they make for war, i.e. invasions into Venezuela, Iran, Russia, etc., etc., etc., introduce mandatory, explicit laws impossible to obfuscate where their children are forced to serve in the army, and not just washing dishes or working on computers, but on the frontlines, face to face with the people they plan to attack. Problem solved. War instantly averted. As for deficits: 500% tax on all religious properties, in particular Christian churches; all of their income subject to 95% taxation. Those with more than two children see their taxes increase exponentially with each child. Want to have 10 children? Fine, pay 1000% the federal, state and local tax rate you did with one, and 100% each following. Also, Make America Great Again: reintroduce the 1950s 91% federal income tax rate. No, let's make it 98%. They can keep 2% for utilities. Reintroduce раскулачивание/dukulakization. No mercy against the oligarchic scum!
2025.10.28
Last night I actually yelled in my sleep and that yell woke me up. I don't remember this ever happening in my life, at least not in the last 20 years! Among a series of other vivid dreams, I dreamt I heard loud footsteps in my house followed by the door to my room opening with some thin dark figure entering inside. Absolutely horrifying. Interestingly enough, when I woke myself up, I just brushed it aside for the most part, but I still remember it vividly. Appropriate for the Halloween week!
For those who remember the days when black metal was still good, Debemur Morti are going to reissue this beautiful track on 7", check it out: Godkiller - The End of the World.
2025.10.27
Quite a quiet October around here news-wise. I wanted to share that I was reading a comic book recently with art and story by Mark Spears, Monsters Vol. 1. This comic had extraordinary, almost photo-realistic images of the characters and the landscapes, realistic to such a degree that it had me question whether it was really a genuine art product, or some computer effect gallery... well, as it turns out, this guy, who certainly has a lot of talent and whose roots go into the '90s, uses 3D modeling software which he digitally "paints" over. I couldn't find anything online that proves that he blatantly uses AI methods per se, but that he uses heavy digital assistance tools is obvious. In addition to the absolutely idiotic story (that he wrote) that could have been the product of a 9 year old, a kind of repulsion washed over me, as an artist myself, that THIS fucking guy, or guys like him, are what is considered "hot" these days. I swiftly threw the comic book in the trash, where it belongs. I don't care about photorealistic art; this kind of art is only impressive to people who don't have any interest in art to begin with, things that need to be painfully detailed for their small minds to be impressed by, but I was reminded of an artist who aims for a similar vibe: Alex Ross. The big difference between Alex Ross and Mark Spears is that one is a real artist, while the other is a digital hack.
The same applies to AI writing assists. You will never see AI or computer 3D models and programs used in anything I do, art or writing or anything else. I use, very rarely, (old) digital programs like Photoshop to remove some small mistakes in my art, but 99% of it is hand-drawn and real and will always be that way, just like my writing will never be hooked up to any AI.
If AI is used in any art, music or in any writing, it should be made public to have people decide whether they want to support it or not. If not, the product should be boycotted as fake. There is no in-between, in my opinion.
2025.10.06
For those who love the classic Swedish Gothenburg sound from the 90s, I highly recommend these 3 obscure Swedish death metal bands: Iniuria, Hypocrite and Guidance of Sin. Iniuria only released demos and as far as I know, "All the Leaves Has Fallen" is their only CD output. I'm looking actively for their other releases. A really great MCD with a fresh sound and good ideas. Hypocrite is absolutely top class melodic Swedeath and Into The Halls of the Blind is their best album. I would argue it's "up there" with classic Eucharist, At The Gates, A Canorous Quintet and so on. Guidance of Sin features Linus from A Canorous Quintet and Soulseducer is the best of their two albums (6106 is really bad from what I recall). I still haven't heard their demo but I'm sure it's good. Reminds of Moaning Wind which is one of my favorites. Check these out, great music for the autumn!
2025.10.06
Hells Headbangers is finally stocking Ethere #1! Over a year late but glad it has finally arrived in one of the largest distros in USA. Order it here, thanks!
2025.09.24
Fact: 77,302,580 is the number of uneducated, science-unaware, knuckle-dragging, messiah-clamoring voting age adults in the United States, or about 32% of the electorate (with my experience living here I'd thought it would be more than half!). But somehow that still doesn't make me feel any better that I'm in a majority that opposes fascism.
Here is some good and more relevant news: Ethere #1 should finally (!) be in stock in Hells Headbangers in the weeks ahead. Waiting for the payments to go through.
2025.09.17
I recently stepped into a chain store and saw a single little candy bar for $2. I remember when it still cost 50 cents! This doesn't break the bank but what's going on here? It's not made in China, right? And why is China an "adversary"? Who is China threatening? Just not long ago I remember China not getting a single mention in the news. And what's with comedians getting censored via government agencies? Is this right-wing cancel culture? I remember a time when the American First Amendment was taken seriously and it was okay to speak your mind even if it was something disagreeable, as long as you weren't threatening anyone.
Let's hear what Charlie Kirk, the far-right's martyred saint, has to say about this:
"Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment.
Keep America free."
2025.09.15
Ancient microbial life has apparently been found on Mars (link), some of the most important news of our lifetimes that should be at the top of what is being covered by every media outlet. Instead, the focus is on a bloviating, ignorant, perpetually lying orange-skinned moron and some recently departed ultra hardcore Christian guy on record writing that Satanists should have their first amendment rights taken away and that if his daughter was raped at age 10 he would force her to give birth to the child.
Think about this for a second.
This is the world we are living in.
2025.09.12
With all of the hysteria in the news I feel like I have to add my own perspective here and say that, Convivial Hermit and associated productions are opposed to political violence and believe in talking calmly over differences rather than harming or killing people we disagree with. Isn't that really the ultimate failure among intellectual species, when words no longer count? On the one hand it is, while on the other, it also makes sense because it is actually impossible to debate over opinions. It is possible to debate over facts, and that's where I become very frustrated, since people seem to gleefully ignore or treat facts that cause them cognitive dissonance as non-facts. "You are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts" . Actually you are not entitled to even your own opinions - you either have an opinion or you don't have an opinion, there is no legal right to an opinion, and most people's opinions are actually not their own opinions - they're the opinions of others that they borrow out of sloth of thought and a general indifference to the subject in question (cf. all of religion). It is also usually very easy to spot when a person really never expended much cognitive energy into a topic by the predictability and shallowness of their answers and positions. Push a little with information out of linear focus and their whole house of cards should in principle fall down, though it never does, of course, since they will deny the introduction of dissonant ideas by all of the usual tactics: caricature, strawman. non sequitur, etc, full list of logical fallacies here.
Anyway, don't kill your foes: find ways to reduce their power instead, even and perhaps most effectively by ignoring them if possible. Certainly a lot of the narcissistic humanure lurking in the world today would melt away into the gutters if enough people collectively dismissed them into irrelevance. Just my two cents, again., leave it or take it.
2025.09.07
Convivial Hermit #9 and #10 are back in stock at Hells Headbangers, go check them out now! Also autumn seems to have finally arrived here, thank the dark gods!
2025.08.23
I'm wondering if Hendrik Möbus/Darker Than Black will still be in love with Donald Trump's tiny penis once his tariffs will destroy probably half or more of his business under the removal of the de minimis rule: https://flavorcloud.com/the-end-of-the-de-minimis-rule-and-what-it-means-for-international-ecommerce/?goal=0_5f72752a96-37a185db46-451203653&mc_cid=37a185db46&mc_eid=fd15d8de73
Note that this will apparently affect all USPS mail shortly, thus isolating Americans even more as the country descends into full blown nativist fascism. I live here, but I also cannot deny that this is exactly what Americans deserve.
2025.08.18
If I wasn't so acclimated to it, I wouldn't be able to believe how bad new music is today. It's a sea of mediocrity, of style over substance, sealed together by digital programs like Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Cubase making worthless bands' complete lack of ideas stand out in compressed, crystal clear, digitally flat relief... without any "mistakes" (who cares). Every band sounds identical to me and it seems to be a mark of honor in 2025 to have no vision or daring to do anything new. There are a few unusual new bands that try to combine different sounds and genres, hell, they have enough to choose from today, but even their output sounds shallow and ultimately has no replay value. Modern metal fucking sucks, just like this lazy, mercantile modern culture of modern art, films, shows and books almost ALL deserves to be flushed down a large toilet. I listen to 10-15 promos a day sometimes, I give everything sent to me a chance unless the genre is something out of my taste completely, so no one can tell me I don't try or don't know what's going on. Increasingly the only way to find anything authentic these days, full of actual reflection and depth, is to look outside of Western countries in Eastern Europe or fucked up Asian countries or to people aged 40 and up, as most (not all) of this generation is dead to imagination, emotion and creativity. Go fuck yourselves.
2025.08.03
Sales list updated.
2025.08.02
Just a month or so left of the worst season of the year for those that despise being around and seeing other people like me.
Here is a random thought: do those that "collect" digital files also think having digital friends or girl/boyfriends is the same as having the "real", physical thing? I still find it laughable that people pay even one cent for digital music.
Speaking of digital files, I am checking some old Czech demos and recommend Bigotry, a doom/death classic with a sound bands don't know how to make anymore. Inspired me to also check out the demo of Love History who derived their name from a song from this recording.
2025.07.25
Elektroplasma Musik / Terror From Hell Records in Italy is carrying copies of Ethere #1! Check it out here. They have actually had it up for a while but I have not checked until now. Italians no longer have reason to miss out on this rare work of funeral doom worship! Order a copy today or... vaffanculo!
I have not been active with much so far this summer except working on a new mail ad campaign which I hope to get to the shop next week for the available issues.
By the way, everyone check out this brilliant release from American band Apostisy (misspelled Apostasy?), Famine of a Thousand Frozen Years. I only discovered it 18 years too late, but it's at the top of this year's finds. Clicking the image will bring you to their bandcamp page where you can avoid everything they've done after this album (but not before). I've also been checking out everything I missed from Dean Dennis (Clock DVA) and many bands on the Firebox label (RIP) thanks to their DVD comp. Grendel, Chthonian, Manufacturer's Pride... so much old good stuff it almost feels like 2025 is a good year for music...
2025.07.03
Sale list updated.
2025.06.16
All my love to the people of Iran, the bands from Iran I have interviewed and any Iranian readers I've had over the years! The genocidal regime could not stop at genocide on their doorstep and are now spread out among four wars! Deny the fucking propaganda... even part of the so-called Far Right who thought they voted for an anti-war candidate are seeing through this mountain of garbage now. Persistence and strength to the people of Iran in the face of the top two criminal and terrorist nations on earth.
2025.06.14
We are truly living in primitive times... how so much modern technology can coexist with so much stupidity and narrow-mindedness is beyond me. It's remarkable that the race hasn't wiped itself out yet... but we are coming close. Denial of environmental science and epidemiology? Check. Knuckle-drugging parochial nationalism? Check. Nativist supremacism? Check. Primitive reduction of complex problems with simple, easily understood, ready-to-fill-in biases? Check.
I think it might be time to re-read Plato's Republic. He understood that democracy naturally leads to tyranny which is exactly what is happening now all over the world.
Some interest has appeared for Ethere in at Schattenmanns Publishings. I'm waiting for Stefan's response. Nothing new planned yet but it's possible once I get my personal problems in order that I will start some more material.
2025.05.27
I was in the Maryland Deathfest for the funeral doom day, May 22nd, and it was a great experience. I'll post photos later and write about it in the next Ethere.
BTW, I forgot to mention in my last post that Princeton Record Exchange in Princeton, New Jersey, is once again carrying Convivial Hermit 10 and Ethere #1. Check it out next time you are there!
2025.05.21
Hub City Records in Lubbock, Texas (!) will soon be carrying Ethere #1 and all available issues of Convivial Hermit. Thanks to Paul Sanchez of Death By Metal and La Muerte zines for bringing this place to my attention. Check it out next time you find yourself in Lubbock, Texas.
2025.05.12
PRICE TEMPORARILY REDUCED FOR Convivial Hermit #10 for North American customers only ordered via this page! $6 + shipping now in the USA. Check this page for more info and click button below to order. If any questions send me a message here.
2025.05.12
Convivial Hermit #10 is now being sold for $6 + $5 shipping in the USA, for $11 total! Check it out Latest Issue_CH10 or click the button here, thanks!
2025.04.13
There hasn't been much going on here. No news with the zines for now, but a lot of good stuff coming out in 2025!
First, the new Merzbow/Agencement split from Hideaki Shimada, one of my faves from the Japanese noise scene of the 90s, a beautiful package along with his other recent releases. Highly recommended. Second, the new Bergthron "Neu Asen Land", great album as expected, my package also including a reissue of the demo and an absolutely beautiful silver foil stamped reissue of Uralte Gedanken on vinyl (and a killer shirt of Verborgen...). Third, Enterre Vivant's "Akuzaï" - check out the track here. Very different from the boring, run of the mill metal I get every single day, the vocalist is associated with Aeterna Tenebrae and Léthifère, interviewed in my last issue. Fourth and lastly, but most importantly, my friend Cem's new band, Dragonborn, with Johnny Maudling from Bal-Sagoth on keyboards. If you are into that fantasy metal sound minus any power metal bullshit, you need to hear it. Check out the first video here!
2025.03.23
A few bands from the 90s I loved have returned or will be returning, including Gates of Ishtar and Penitent. A review of "Melancholia Redux" will be coming. I also updated the Savage Pilgrimage link below, thanks.
2025.03.14
A longtime reader of Convivial Hermit, Leen Visser, has created his own printed project called Savage Pilgrimage. More information can be found on instagram here. Please check it out and order it now!
Also check out this great independent magazine:
A Dead Spot of Light
2025.03.04
Season of Mist will be restocking Ethere #1 and Convivial Hermit #10 soon. Also Terror From Hell in Italy should now be stocking the zine! Although I do not see it in their store here. Will keep everyone posted but if you are in Italy and would like to order, please reach out to the label owner Stefano.
An update on stock: I have counted and am down to a bit over a dozen copies of Ethere #1 left - which surprises me as I thought I had more. Really appreciate everyone's support.
Last update for today: I am heading into the unknown this year with a new job that I am starting next week, but if everything goes well, Ethere #2 may become a reality later on in 2025.
2025.02.23
Ethere #1 and Convivial Hermit #10 are now in stock at the Princeton Record Exchange (www.prex.com), "one of the leading independent record stores in the world" in Princeton, New Jersey by the campus of Princeton University! Check it out next time you are there! It should be on the racks in the next few days.
2025.02.18
I just realized I was still writing 2024 all throughout this section. It's been a tough year, that's my excuse. I just updated the sales list with some new CDs and classic black metal vinyl, please check it out.
2025.02.16
Copies of Convivial Hermit #10 and Ethere #1 have been sent to Werewolf Promotion (Poland) and Drakkar (France). I'll post the news when they are available to order from these distros!
2025.02.03
New interview with Full of Hell now up in the interview section. Click on the tab above or navigate here. Thanks to Ray Clardy for his contribution. Anyone who wants their interviews published online, contact me and I will see what I can do!
2025.01.13
Happy Belated New Year to all!
I have been slow to post up anything new since I recently was punched hard with one of the worst colds I've had in years, and this is on top of other persisting health problems. But I am starting to get past this completely brutal cold. Here is my advice to everyone: get the flu and Covid shot wherever you live. I can't believe it's controversial to say this. I have big regrets for not immunizing myself last year, it's just not worth the suffering.
I have a few conversations in the process now to expand European distribution, I will write more about them soon!
As always back issues of Convivial Hermit are still available including #10 using Zelle or Paypal. Write to me here if any questions. You can also order Ethere #1 through myself or one of my distributors here. Thanks!
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