Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Interview with Alex of In Dark Purity Zine 2005

 IN DARK PURITY ZINE

Interviewed by Corix Baluca


NB: Hails, brother! Before we darkened the world, pls. tell all my fucking readers worldwide a little something about your darkest self?

ALEX: Infernal Hails! Alex here of In Dark Purity Zine, from Las Piñas City, Philippines! I live, eat, and shit metal! hahaha!

When did In Dark Purity Zine start and what comes on your mind to start writing shit? What are your purpose, goal why you start writing a zine?

The idea of doing a zine has been brewing in my mind since I was in high school but I never had the means to do one until I started working and had some cash at my disposal. I wanted to do more than just buying tapes, CDs, and T-Shirts to support the bands so I decided to do a zine. IDP's purpose like every zine is nothing but to support the underground metal scene. I write what I feel and hear. I wanted IDP to be as blunt as possible.

We all know that before writing a metal zine, you should be musically inclined metal, when did you first discover metal? How did you become hook with that kind of music?

Let's put it this way. Would you like a car salesman perform a heart operation to someone you love? I didn't think so. I love metal so much and I don't want to read something that thinks Slipknot is the shit! hahaha! My father is a huge fan of Led Zeppelin so I was exposed to guitar oriented music when I was little. He's got all their albums in vynil! My personal interest in music started when I was in 5th grade. We used to have a boarder whom I eventually became friends with. He introduced me to a lot of local and foreign punk and hardcore bands and took me to gigs. Then I started buying tapes and zines with my lunch money! I made sure to go visit Hard Stuff at Tandem, Recto and Nizzle Dazzle at Cartimar, Recto every Saturday... I can't exactly remember how but I managed to listen to Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" and it changed my life! It was the summer vacation before I got into high school. "Seek And Destroy" fucking rips! Then I sold all my punk and hardcore collection and started buying metal merchandise and got into skateboarding along the way. I fucking regret losing all my Twisted Red Cross tapes, though. hahaha! I got "hooked" with metal because of the aggression, intensity, and heaviness of the music. I love the guitar work mostly. I listen to all genres of metal but I am personally into death metal.

Did you have a hard time writing your first issue? What are those common problems that you encounter before you finish your first ish?

I didn't really have a difficult time writing the first issue. Everything went smoothly, I guess. To earn the trust of the fans, bands, labels, zines to cooperate with IDP was a bitch!

You also have a webzine, is that intentionally plan before the printed zine? By the way, what can you say about those people who says webzine SUCKS?!

Yes. IDP is also online. It was launched when I started working on the second print issue. I didn't really "intend" on bringing it online but it was "necessary." Why? Firstly. The print zine doesn't come out regularly. With the webzine I can regularly update what's going on with IDP. This way the entities that have cooperated and sent materials for review will see IDP's output right away and not make them wait for the print zine to come out. Secondly. I find the internet a very useful tool to communicate and it costs less than using stamps. I still do snail mail, though. It’s invented for our convenience so use it! Thirdly. If you have been visiting underground websites there are massive rip off complaints from "Davao City"! It embarrasses the Philippines! IDP online is to show the world that not everyone from the Philippines are rip offs! About people who say webzines sucks? Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I named my asshole In Dark Purity, what's yours?

They say, metal is not just music, and being a true metal you should treat metal as your “way of life”, do you believe in that? If yes, why? If not, why?

I agree that metal is a way of life. Personally, metal is being true to yourself. There is no other form of music that can fully express every human activity but metal, I think, hahaha!

In your existence as a zine, and as a true medium of the underground, what can you say about our metal bands here in our rotting country? Do you believe that there is a u.g metal scene here?

Our country maybe rotten but our bands are fucking killer! The problem is they are not passionate enough to record their material and are lazy to collaborate with the international underground metal scene! Yes, I strongly believe there is an underground metal scene in the Philippines! It's not as strong as compared to other countries but it's thriving. I'd bury IDP if there is nothing to support here!

Who are those local bands that you think kicks mother fuckers weak ass? And what can you say about the FILIPINOMETAL.COM website? There are lots of metal bands there.

Mostly the ones that have released shit. In no particular order: ICONOCLAST, INCARION, END OF MAN, CHAMBER 69, RELIGIOUS NIGHTMARE, NEGATRON, PAGANFIRE, ARCHAIC ARGOT, DFTW, etc… Ah, filipinometal.com, it supports and shames the Philippine Underground Metal Scene at the same time. It supports, as it helps promote bands from the Philippines. It shames, as it supports "bands" with no fucking material!

What do you think are the best things we can do/offer so that our own local underground metal scene will be fucking real and huge?

Everyone should be productive and supportive. Easier said than done but I think that’s what we need.

You also run BERDUGO records, is it exclusively for metal bands? Is there any chance for crust/grind/hc bands or any non-metal u.g?

Yes, I established BERDUGO RECORDS so I can directly help the bands that I am personally into. The releases are not limited to metal bands as long as I like the music then I will personally support the band..

How many releases and your future releases so far?

So far I have released CHAMBER 69's "Labanan Ng Malilibog" Demo CD and COPREMESIS "Demonstrating The Fist" Demo CD (NY Death Grind). I have focused on these two for the meantime for financial reasons. But as soon as I get back on my feet again I'll work on more releases!

By the way, are you in a band before? [ if you had, why it don’t exist that long and what kind of music you played? ] I heard you’ll gonna be playing guitar on Chamber 69, is it true?

I used to play guitar for a death metal band called CARRION. Not the one you see at filipinometal.com, hahaha! We have a two song rehearsal recording but it was never released. We got to play at Club Dredd back in the day with bands like BRUTAL PUNISHMENT, EXORDIUM, THY FLESH CONSUMED, GENITAL GRINDER, DETRHRONED, etc... We disbanded as the members got busy with their personally lives and didn’t have time for the band and our lead guitarist had to leave the country to work abroad. The invite of CHAMBER 69 to play guitar for them was an honor for me but with all the shit that I'm in right now it just won't be possible.

Lets go down to some other topic, besides metal music, I know it would be tiring to you but we all experiencing it [fucking third world], what can you say about our system? What do you think are the reason why we are experiencing poverty? And I guess, we are becoming “fourth world”.

I blame it all on the Marcos'. They fucked the Philippines!

How about God? Do you believe in him? And how about Satan? Pls. tell us your views about those two characters I have mentioned.

I am a non-practicing Catholic. I believe there is a supreme being that's all. I am Catholic for practical reasons. No one would hire me if I write down "fuck religion" when asked about it, hahaha! Satan is a representation of negativity.

Alright, lets change it to some interesting question, who is your crush in the metal scene? Hehe. And by the way, since I don’t have a copy of your 1&2 issues, who are those chick featured in “I AM A WHORE SECTION?”

Crush? You’ve got to be kidding me! hahaha! The vocalist / guitarist of SANCTUS is fine, hahaha! The first whore was Assunta De Rossi and Aubrey Miles was the second. They were not famous at that time, hahaha!

They say laughter is a good medicine and exercise, do you believe that masturbation is better than that?

A cum a day keeps the doctor away! With the nature of my work masturbation is the best form of exercise I get since I stopped skateboarding, hahaha! I heard they legalized masturbation in Canada, hahaha!

Just answer it whatever comes on your mind:

Bianca Araneta?
The pope will never forgive me for the things I’d do to her.

Porn grind?
CHAMBER 69 is the first local porn grind band to surface that has fucking balls!

Punk?
“Maitim na putik, Konting halamang buhay, Hile-hilerang bahay, Fuck you, sir goodbye!”

Mulawin telenovela?
Do you think Aviona’s got feathers for pubic hair?

Religion?
My vision is my religion.

Sexism?
Take the “ism” out.

Glam rock?
CELTIC FROST’s “Cherry Orchards”.

Deiphago and Iconoclast?
Some things just never change but I like it, hahaha!

Homos?
Equality.

Alcohol and beers?
Drink moderately.

Pink Floyd?
“Leave them kids alone…”

Club and bar gig?
The club or bar is not the issue. It’s who is organizing the gig. It’s for everyone’s convenience and safety to have gigs there. It cost’s a little more than usual, though. That’s the purpose of building a club or bar in the first place. Use it.

Whore?
IDP gets labeled as being sexist because of the “I AM A WHORE” section. I do it to show the truth and not humiliate. The whores did the “humiliating” part already. I took over Angel Gabriel’s job to deliver the good news! I’d feature my grand mother is she whores out! I don’t know why people react that way when in fact these things happen. Are you blind? Look around you! Hypocrites! Whoring is not limited to engaging in sex for money. It could be an underground band sacrificing their integrity for mainstream recognition, hahaha! Their logic is they want to show the mainstream that this form of music exists! hahaha! Go play hide and seek and fuck yourselves!

Goth?
Black.

Abu Sayaff?
These fuckers talk about human rights but they kill innocent civilians. I say hang them all fucking gutted!

Davao City?
Everyone reading this take note. Do not deal with entities from “DAVAO CITY.” They are rip off syndicates! They have ruined the reputation of the Philippine Underground Metal Scene. Blacklist these fuckers!

Death awaits us, if you’ll die, what would be the soundtrack while you were brought to your grave?

I want to be cremated. I’d rather burn than become worm food. It would be killer to have DEVOURMENT’s “Postmortal Coprophagia” playing while they roast me.

Aaight, man! Thanx a lot for sharing us your thoughts and views about my damn questions, you fuckin’ rule! Don’t stop supporting our local and int’l u.g creatures, this space is all yours!

You’re welcome and I thank you for the support! I appreciate it. More power to No Bullshit! Zine and all your underground projects!

IN DARK PURITY ZINE INFO:
http://geocities.com/indarkpuritypilipinas
indarkpurity@edsamail.com

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