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Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries
Founded in 1985 in Sarpsborg, Norway, Slayer Magazine quickly rose to prominence by championing countless unsigned death metal pioneers. The pages of the magazine became a written gospel for the fledgling extreme metal underground, combining eye-ripping graphics, brutally honest writing, and a relentless and sick sense of humor. As black metal rose to prominence in Norway in the 1990s, Slayer Magazine remained the final word on the moods and motivations of those dark times. This book is densely illustrated with early candid photos of classic heavy metal bands including Kreator, Mayhem, Emperor, Darkthrone, Napalm Death, and Morbid Angel. In addition to rare archival material unseen in decades, the book includes unreleased and exclusive interviews and artwork, including historical photographs, and never-before-seen portrait photography by editor Jon "Metalion" Kristiansen.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
744 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 17, 2018
at some point i thought i will never make it to the end of this book, it's so massive. but finally i did! what a book, really. i give five stars because of the huge commitment of jon to the slayer mag, because of the ton of information about bands that are relevant to me. also the historical aspect, the progress of the scene, the obvious changes that happened and that maybe were not even consciously there for Jon, but anyway happened because of the shift of the scene, him as an individual and so on.. it was really really interesting and i sympathise a lot with this legacy, that slayer magazine has left behind. now i must stress, that there are many things i do not agree with in this book and in many cases my personal views differ greatly. there were times i wanted to get angry at Jon, almost.. haha! but this does not change the fact how influential slayer was. also i never got into death metal very much, and not into thrash metal at all. so many of the bands Jon loves are totally blank pages for me. i love the dark, back then death metal called bands, for a lack of a better word, before black metal was named. i also like some death/doom and death/black. so for me the older slayer mags were more interesting. later on Jon moved towards old thrash and this does not interest me. still i read every damn word in this tome, haha! i would have liked more info on black metal bands in later issues, but alas, Jon had turned his back completely to those. which is a shame in my eyes, but ok, his choice! despite all of this, i still have to give five stars. it's just such a massive bulk of information and simply history of extreme metal music, which is hard to find anywhere else. well, i need a break now. that was intense, haha!
April 30, 2012
Slayer Magazine was in the right place, in the right time, around right people.
Contains a ton of historical value, a very interesting read. Altough sometimes the interviews are not so interesting and the 'zine does not go so deep into the ideological etc views of the bands like some recent 'zines go (Call from the Grave, The Sinister Flame etc).
Kristiansen's introductions for every chapter were very interesting to read and added a lot to book (instead of just being a collection of slayer magazines).
I also founds some old bands that I had to track down and listen to, a little treasure cove.
Recommended reading for everyone interested in extreme metal scene. And remember to support the printed 'zines of today, long live the underground!
Contains a ton of historical value, a very interesting read. Altough sometimes the interviews are not so interesting and the 'zine does not go so deep into the ideological etc views of the bands like some recent 'zines go (Call from the Grave, The Sinister Flame etc).
Kristiansen's introductions for every chapter were very interesting to read and added a lot to book (instead of just being a collection of slayer magazines).
I also founds some old bands that I had to track down and listen to, a little treasure cove.
Recommended reading for everyone interested in extreme metal scene. And remember to support the printed 'zines of today, long live the underground!
June 28, 2011
an essential document for anyone remotely interested in the extreme metal. contains full reprints of issues 1-20 of slayer magazine as well as commentary which gives primary documentation of the earliest demo bands, the explosion in the late 80s, the shift towards black metal in the mid 90s and aftermath of the events in norway
December 12, 2017
From Thrash Metal to all the branching subgenres of Extreme Metal to Norwegian Black Metal to Thrash Metal back again to mere exhaustion with the whole genre, this book covers 25 years of Metal history from the perspective Jon 'Metalion' Kristensen. It is interesting to read how the sheer enthusiasm of the early zines showed the whole myriad of sounds that later solidified into today's well known subgenres (Death, Black, Doom, Grindcore, etc...) and then the later numbers show the dissatisfaction of the author in how things turned out to be. Maybe if he had a less purist view of Extreme Metal, and followed the styles that somehow kept the extremiy torch going on (goregrind in the 90's, Brutal Death in the new millenium), he could have maintained the zine going, but it's his history not mine, so it's better to dwell in the dark depths that Metalion had to offer to the Extreme Metal crowd and learn from them.
May 28, 2018
Love a good Zine anthology. Cometbus, Touch & Go, xXx, Ultra Damaged, they're all great. What sets this apart is the forewords and chapter introductions to give each issue some context within that period of time, rather than just pages of photocopies. The early issues are entirely in Norwegian, but they're still great to glance at, as all the pages are so aesthetically pleasing. From Issue 5, you can read every page top to bottom. There is a ridiculous amount of content.
It's expensive, heavy and bloody massive, but it's totally worth it. Get it, if you have even the faintest interest in death, black or thrash metal.
It's expensive, heavy and bloody massive, but it's totally worth it. Get it, if you have even the faintest interest in death, black or thrash metal.
January 31, 2023
This mammoth book with almost incomprehensible text of the tinest font & poorest quality was indeed a great reading & undertaking. This book is as raw as a reading experience (as well as art & photography) as one will get. The interviews, the insight, the subculture of the metal genres & communities (and artists) were all so fascinating & in their own ways a peek into the vast world of underground zines & artists/bands. Any lover of music & even anthropology will find this book to be a definite cultural oddity & a fascinating read (if they don't get a headache at times while trying to read the liw quality text & somewhat broken English & grammar).
February 6, 2022
This is a treasure ! Man I miss old school zines ! This is a absolute must have for underground metal fans. I just wish someone would do a collection like this for say Uni-Force zine and early Maximum RockNroll.
The only thing is it is SO HEAVY !! Im layin in bed and can barely hold it up after 10 minutes ! :)
The only thing is it is SO HEAVY !! Im layin in bed and can barely hold it up after 10 minutes ! :)
August 27, 2024
Absolutely worth it for anyone into black metal or other extreme metal genres from the late 80s through the mid 00s! This thing is HEFTY! Jon's introductions to each volume are wonderful - I do not know him personally, but he seems like such a genuinely warm soul who has weathered much in his life. Huge thanks to him for putting this tome together!
April 6, 2019
I love to read old band interviews and this book has more than enough. Also several sections with Metalion's comments on the period each magazine came out (and was being worked on). Sometimes the English language is mercilessly butchered but that's part of the charm of old metal zines.
October 26, 2021
The essay on Dead, the early days of Mayhem, and the pressures of young celebrity is worth the price of admission alone.
November 7, 2023
Solid gold. The kind of book you can just open to any page. Definitely something to read while drinking beer to Hell Awaits and waiting for the edibles to kick in.
February 2, 2017
OH HELL YEAH BOI
June 11, 2023
The definitive tome on the history of Norwegian black and death metal, along with highly insightful memories and reasonings on behalf of Metalion. A truly carefully and generously compiled work in every sense.
January 31, 2016
I very much enjoyed this omnibus edition of Norwegian metal magazine Slayer, but not for the issues themselves. Aside from the first few issues being in Norwegian, which I can't read, even the English issues aren't that well-written. I'm sure that when they were new, they were a good source of information, but Metalion doesn't seem to have created a source of enduring criticism or journalism the way Touch And Go (another zine of which I own a Bazillion Points omnibus edition) did.
No, the reason to read this book is the autobiographical narratives from Metalion that come before the reprints of each issue. Not only does he tell a lot of great stories about the Norwegian Inner Circle and all the other European and Australian metal bands he was hanging with at the time, he offers the first insider perspective I've encountered from that whole era that seems genuine and human. His sincerity when he writes about how he wishes he could have helped convince Dead not to commit suicide, his obvious grief and confusion around Euronymous's murder--for once, a figure from that scene appears to be expressing himself honestly, rather than striking some cool, above-it-all more-metal-than-thou pose. It's a much-needed voice where the history of that era of metal is concerned. The inserted narratives are only around 100 pages of the entire 700-plus page book, but between reading those and glancing through the actual zine reprints, I feel like I got a worthwhile reading experience.
No, the reason to read this book is the autobiographical narratives from Metalion that come before the reprints of each issue. Not only does he tell a lot of great stories about the Norwegian Inner Circle and all the other European and Australian metal bands he was hanging with at the time, he offers the first insider perspective I've encountered from that whole era that seems genuine and human. His sincerity when he writes about how he wishes he could have helped convince Dead not to commit suicide, his obvious grief and confusion around Euronymous's murder--for once, a figure from that scene appears to be expressing himself honestly, rather than striking some cool, above-it-all more-metal-than-thou pose. It's a much-needed voice where the history of that era of metal is concerned. The inserted narratives are only around 100 pages of the entire 700-plus page book, but between reading those and glancing through the actual zine reprints, I feel like I got a worthwhile reading experience.
December 30, 2022
Si sos un creador de Fanzines, este libro es un gran documento que sirve para aprende lo que es llevar un fanzine underground por tantos años. Este libro es una completa maravilla, lleno de anécdotas, fotografías y lo mejor, totalmente documentado con los números de Slayer Magazine, así que uno puede ver como con cada número fue creciendo,no solamente en calidad de diagramación, si no en calidad de contenido. Simplemente perfecto
July 1, 2014
Very heavy, as far as the original magazine articles go. The addendums to them, in which Jon tell about the time he made it, what he went through and his views on the situation are very good tho.
Only few of the interviews or reviews were interesting enough for me to read them properly, most of them I just scanned through and read snippets here and there.
Collectors item, for sure.
Only few of the interviews or reviews were interesting enough for me to read them properly, most of them I just scanned through and read snippets here and there.
Collectors item, for sure.
September 14, 2011
So glad this is put together, a great collection with some excellent insights.
October 23, 2013
riktigt jävla bra!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews