Once you see the zine with the title like this one, you know you want to read it. And as a fellow zine-creator, I feel more than a sympathy to a fellow man doing this stuff, so itās not a rocket science that ā obviously ā I want to know more about it.
Therefore, I had to ask Ed some obnoxious questions…and the answers will be your punishment, ha!
Hey, bro, how are you doing?! First and foremost, thanks a lot for your time doing this interview!
All good, man, cheers! Right now, as Iām writing, Iām catching up on listening to some sick new stuff I received in the mail. Thereās always something making its way to me, itās hard to keep up haha. Thanks for the interview, happy to oblige.
Well, letās jump straight into the questions, shall we? So⦠what has urged you to start doing a zine in the first place? Have you had any previous experience doing an underground publication? Is/Was there any particular publication you might consider an inspiration for your publishing efforts?
Choppinā Headz is my contribution to the extreme music underground. Iāve been a fan of the whole spectrum of brutal music for years, but unlike many people who are into heavy shit, Iāve never been able to give back by making my own noise. I do attempt to play drums, but itās really just a distraction; Iām nowhere near competent enough to play in a band. I had a go at screen printing, since Iāve also made my own shirt designs in the past (using a stencil!), but I found that to be an art I couldnāt get along with. The theory is simple, the execution is not! Shout-out to all the printers making killer merch, you guys rule. So, I decided, instead of doing something I donāt know much about, I should do what I know, which is writing and print layouts.
Now, Iām by no means an expert at either of those, but itās something Iām familiar with from work, so it made sense. The first lockdown was the catalyst for pushing me to actually do the zine. That shit fucked with my head pretty bad, and I needed something to focus on ā something that was my own and that would be its own reward. So, the zine was catharsis for me and also allowed me to put creative energy into something I care a lot about.
As I mentioned, I have some experience in print layouts, but nothing in the style of a zine. The cool thing about zines is that you have total freedom to make it what you want. There arenāt many times in life you can say that! Plus, anyone with the basic idea of what a zine is can put one together.
In terms of inspiration, thereās nothing exactly that shaped the look and the style of Choppinā Headz. Most of the zines Iād been exposed to prior to starting were real-deal, grimy DIY cut-and-paste efforts, which to me is the quintessential style. Choppin Headzā has a little of that flavor, but it also has a more formal, magazine style. One thing I will say about a lot of zines I had read in the past, is that they werenāt really that well written. I mean, to the point where they sometimes didnāt make proper sense or didnāt really say anything. Once again, I will say that I am by no means an expert writer, and I admire anyone who takes time to put the ridiculous amount of effort it takes to put a zine together! But I wanted to make sure the writing in Choppinā Headz was something I put a lot of effort into, not just bashed out in a hurry.
Youāll notice that the reviews never mention other bands, and the āFor fans ofā¦ā sections are tongue in cheek ā this is intentional. I never liked the idea of forming of an opinion of a band in the context of another band, of someone elseās creative output. I think itās an insult to the band in question, like their efforts are only valid when theyāre linked to someone elseās. I take the work as it is, and write about its qualities in isolation. Sure, thereās a good chance that a given band has been heavily influenced by another one, and it might be glaringly obvious, but you still have to look at their output for its own sake ā it has its own value, regardless of influences.
I considered including all of the noisy genres Iām a fan of, but decided this would spread it too thin. So I decided to stick with grindcore, death metal and noisecore. Death and grind are like conjoined twins, and sometimes itās hard to know where one ends and the other begins. Noisecore is not to everyoneās taste, but to me itās the ultimate realization of the fuck-the-world punk attitude thatās found in grindcore.
Finally, I simply had to include horror movies. Iāve been watching them for over thirty years and I wonāt be stopping any time soon!
With the state of the printed press nowadays ā āthanksā to the always rising postage, especially to/from abroad ā have you had any doubts before starting your operation…you know, likeā¦.will I be able to sell all the copies? Wouldnāt the postage kill the whole idea…you know, that kind of stuffā¦
Publishing in print was always going to be a challenge, but I think itās totally worth the pain! I have personally never got used to reading on a backlit screen ā it hurts my eyes and kills my interest. Plus, I have a deep-seated love of physical books. I grew up reading all sorts of horror novels, and I loved admiring the cover art āin personā so the speak. Thereās something about reading from the printed page thatās natural. It just feels right!
But youāre absolutely right, itās goddamn expensive. The Choppinā Headz motto is āfor the scene, not the greenā. Iām pretty sure I would suck at being a businessman even if I was aiming to make a profit from the zine, but the reality is I barely break even, if at all. But, like the motto says, thatās not the point. The point is contributing to the scene I love so much. Itās its own reward. I do limited runs of all issues, around 50 copies, which is not very economical. But so far thatās worked out OK. Iāve done the occasional reprint too, so thatās always an option if I run out.
Shipping (or āpostageā as we English prefer to call in), is a big factor. Itās a rip-off right now and doesnāt look like itās going to improve any time soon. That said, I have sent zines to a lot of places around the world, and itās cool to see people in diverse nations getting into it.
So far, youāve done 4 issues…for those who donāt know, how often do you publish the zine? Do you keep any periodical schedule, or, as itās mostly the case with many zines, when you have all the content you need to fill the pages?
I started out thinking I would put out an issue every couple of months, about 6 a year, since theyāre relatively short at 50-odd pages, but it became clear quite early on that that was too ambitions haha. Hours and hours and hours go into those meagre 50 or 60 pages, and I have to fit it around my day job, so itās a slog. That said, when Iām gifted with amazing artwork to dedicate a handful of pages to, and really insightful interviews, it makes it a lot easier. But, then again, that can sometimes slow you down, since everyone works to their own schedule ā they have lives to live too, so you canāt expect too much of them and be pushy with getting stuff out of them. I am eternally grateful for all of the contributors and, really, thatās the gold in each issue ā not my rambling crap!
The other thing that I had no idea would take so long is the actual printing. Iām not sure if this is the case with all companies, but with the outfit I use it can take up to three weeks from sending the files to getting the finished copies. I tend to forget this, and Iām psyched that I have an issue roughly on time, as promised, and then Iām like ā shit, it has to be printed, dummy! But these things canāt be rushed, just like everything in the metal underground.
What would you say are the reactions to your publishing efforts so far? I have no doubt you will have a lot of positive appraisal, however, have you encountered any negative ones? If so, what would people complain about?
Iām pretty amazed that the reception of Choppinā Headz has been entirely positive (at least to my knowledge!). As I said earlier, the zine is for the scene, so it means a great deal to me that itās appreciated by all the maniacs out there. It seems like the extreme underground is mostly a place where everyone sees the effort and passion behind whatās being put out, even if itās not to your personal taste, and is willing to support it in some way or another. To see the zine in distros in legit operations like Me Saco Un Ojo, Grindfather Productions, Maggot Death, Caligari Records and Blast Addict is an immense source of pride for me. Shout-out to all you guys, you fucking rule!
Iāve also been lucky enough to have some exposure on two absolutely badass YouTube channels: Vital Vinyl Vlog, presented by Adam Schnellenbach in the US, and Liam, who does The Death Doom Metal Head in the UK. Both these guys are incredible at what they do and are an invaluable source of inspiration when it comes to seeking out the sickest new releases. To see the zine being talked about favourably by those guys is really exciting.
I imagine some people might find the fact that there are quite a few reviews, versus having mostly interviews, kind of a shame. Interviews are timeless, and can be read years later after they were conducted, but reviews have an expiry date to a certain degree. You might have already bought the record Iām talking about, in which case the review might be less helpful or interesting. But I love thinking about how to describe the noise Iām hearing ā itās always pretty challenging ā so Iāll always include them. You canāt please everyone, so itās pointless to try!
As mentioned above, print-publishing is not easy. On the one hand, itās easier to do a pro-printed publication, on the other hand, postage costs make print publishing quite prohibitive. But the print is not dead yet! Do you keep tracks on other existing zines? Would you consider them a competition of sorts? Obviously, every publisher considers their work the best (well, I did! š ), however, if you can name a few…what are your favourite underground publications, both defunct and still running?
I love the fact that there are other zines emerging right now! Itās really cool to see how different people approach the challenge. Sometimes, Iām like, āOK, I wouldnāt have done thatā or āDamn, thatās a wicked idea!ā. Itās inspiring to know that other people are going through the agony of getting a zine over the finish line. It seems like every one out there at the moment is pretty unique, which makes sense, since itās such a subjective endeavour ā especially if youāre a one-person operation like Choppinā Headz.
I always try to pick up a zine when I spot one in distro, but in terms of ones that have really caught my attention, there are a few. How can I not mention the supremely esteemed publication known as Rubber Axe Webzine? Seriously though, your efforts are incredible, not least because youāre clearly a glutton for punishment, sitting through all of those truly awful horror movies and then writing about them! Youāre a better man than I. For printed zines, I have to shout-out fellow UK-based ziner Charred Magazine (created by the very talented artist and musician @charred_vulture). This publication is crafted amazingly well and has a ton of hand-drawn illustration, which is the mark of a real-deal zine. Another from the UK is Mercenary press zine (@mercenarypress), which is as strong and true as the slaying heavy metal that is featured in its pages. From the US, I love Frozen Screams (@frozen_screams_imprint). John is clearly a master graphic artist and has a passion for the VHS-era horror aesthetic. The bands on his label are also sick as fuck. And, of course, how can you not love the Headsplit newsletter? Cut-n-paste supremacy, the old way. Plus, the writing is great. Finally, my dude King Ink, the evil mastermind behind Exhale the Ash zine (@exhale_the_ash_magazine). If youāre lucky enough to have any of those in your collection, youāre doing OK.
Let me guess…youāre working on a new issue, right? If we can have a sneak peek under the hood…what goodies do you prepare for your readers in it?
Haha, of course, the new issue is in progress! (Though Iām off to a slow start this year.) I often give away some of the stuff thatās coming in the next issue at the end of my reviews, mostly so I donāt forget what I wanted to include! So, for example, in the next Sick Samples section, which looks at audio samples (usually from movies) used by a given band, Iām going to cover the Aussie goregrind project Meatal Ulcer. Goregrind and garish, gargling sound effects are often inseparable ā it seems like itās a tradition in the genre. The dude behind this outfit is clearly a horror-film obsessive. He uses very intense-sounding samples that adds to the already brain-scrambling intensity of the āmusicā thatās assaulting your ears. For example, one of his tracks features a bit from the scene in The Exorcist III, where a possessed Brad Dourif is raving in a demonic fit. Itās scary as shit in the film, and when coupled with the pulverising force that is Meatal Ulcer, youāre in for a fucked-up time. The number of obscure films Iāve identified from an audio sample Iāve loved the sound of is ridiculous. When a movie sample is isolated, without the accompanying visuals, it takes on a whole other level of effectiveness. It impresses the imagination more intensely.
Iām going to be reviewing death metal from Greece. I like to focus on what are possibly lesser-known areas of the world when it comes to death metal. As a rule, the Europeans seem to have a more idiosyncratic approach to the genre, which makes for a more interesting and challenging listening experience. That said, in response to the fact that a lot of people who cop the zine are in America, Iām going to introduce a new section called Altered States, which will focus in US bands. Iāve resisted this so far, since I think there are zines out there that are doing it better than I could, and US death metal and grind gets so much coverage already, it really doesnāt need any more! That said, I will be seeking out the weirder stuff, to make it worthwhile.
The movie review for this next issue pushes the boundaries of the bad movie experience ā itās Beyond the Seventh Door, which features a bewildering performance by the unforgettable Lazar Rockwood. Itb was released on Intervision Picture Corp, which is a goldmine, if youāre mining for fossilized movie turds.
I like to mix new features in where I can, so the rest will hopefully come to me soon!
I consider doing interviews is probably most interesting aspect of doing a zine…working on inties, is there any artist you would want to interview, considering it ā maybe a sort of – a pinnacle of your writing career? While talking about interviews, which one are you so far proud of the most? And letās milk this topic to the full (haha)…what do you hate the most regarding the interviews, if there is anything you hate about them?
Absolutely ā as I said, interviews donāt age like reviews, so theyāre essential and possibly the most valuable aspect of a zine. Itās funny, because I think Iād rather interview people who are making a splash in the scene at the time of writing, rather than getting an interview from a āclassicā band. In death metal especially, people worship the old gods obsessively. I mean, thereās an argument to say that, for example, nineties death metal was the pinnacle of the genre, and so to have an interview from a band from that era would be the sickest, but I want to represent the future classics, the torch-carriers of today.
My favourite interviews Iāve been granted so far are from Ryan, the drummer from UK tech-death titans, Cryptic Shift, and the insanely talented and highly original artist Karina Monzon, who most people will know from the album art of Cerebral Rotās LPs. Ryan gave such detailed and insightful answers, and even though it was essentially ādrum talkā, it has a wider relevance and gives a really cool picture of the band. I was really surprised at the chilled-out and humble approach Karina has to her work. Cerebral Rotās āExcretion of Mortalityā was one of the biggest death metal records of 2021, and the cover is unmistakable. But Karina was like, yeah, I just did it for my buddies, no big deal. Her tattoos are also crazily distinctive and Iād be proud to be inked by her!
The absolute worst thing about interviews, for someone putting them together for a zine, is one-word answers. Are you on crack, motherfucker?! Have you ever actually read an interview?! The whole point is that theyāre informative and entertaining ā the word āyesā does not contain these qualities, nerd. Then again, maybe too much of an answer is just as bad⦠Iāve probably written too much here. Guess Iām a crack nerd too haha
What would be your message to anyone thinking of publishing a zine? And while we are at that, what would you say positives/negatives of underground publishing ā particularly, in you case ā are?
If youāre thinking of putting a zine out, be prepared for just how long it takes to put it all together, and donāt bother if youāre hoping to make a business out of it. Other than that, do it any way you can. The Headsplit newsletter is just a handful of pages, but the quality and detail in those pages makes it one of the best out there. You donāt need to use a pro printer, you donāt need to be the best writer ā people will appreciate your effort, especially if you make it unique. Thatās probably the biggest part of it ā make it special, and make it weird!
The biggest drawback is having to limit the runs your do, creating a frustrating scarcity. But itās a Cacth-22 ā you probably canāt afford to do a huge run, not least because you donāt want to be storing mountains of issues in your tiny flat haha, but itās always a bummer to have to say that something has sold out. Itās a fine balance that I guess you get better at with time.
And coming to the end of this nice chat…any last word to the readers?
Thanks, firstly, to Rubber Axe Zine for dedicating space on the virtual page to my nonsense. I hope Iāve made it worthwhile for your readers! Secondly, thanks to anyone who supports the efforts of ziners around the world by spending their hard-earned cash and precious time on their output. Iām willing to bet that 99.9% of people who are involved in putting zines out there are doing it purely to share their passion for audio destruction, and your support is priceless. Lastly ā protect ya neck, motherfuckers! (PS ā yeah, I stole the zineās tag line from Wu-Tang. Fits perfectly, not sorry.)
Cheers! Evil Ed
Contact: https://www.instagram.com/choppin_headz_zine/