Zine points: The Palpable Obscure, Hammer Smashed Sound, Demolish Fanzine

We’re doing more server work this weekend, with potentially spectacular results (good or bad). Some downtime may result, in which case I recommend checking out three metal-related blogs that I’ve been digging lately.

The Palpable Obscure‘s URL is heavymetalfashion.blogspot.com, which is potentially misleading. The site is not about metal, though it clearly shows the taste of a metalhead. “Taste” is the operative word. I couldn’t care less about fashion, but I know good taste when I see it, and this blog is Good Taste with capital letters. It’s sort of a dark version of The Sartorialist: 99% images, mostly of people, but sometimes of other things like nature or films. The images will brighten (or darken) your day in haunting ways.

Hammer Smashed Sound shares some of the same aesthetics. But unlike The Palpable Obscure, it’s about music, and the proprietor is male. The site is a testament to the visual richness of the metal underground. I couldn’t care less about physical music formats now, but I know good packaging when I see it, and this site is wallpapered with it. Cool shirts, cassette tapes, vinyl pressings, band logos: half the fun of metal is looking at it.

Demolish Fanzine is evidence of that. The blog is the online resurrection of an ’80s metal print ‘zine. It presents content from the original ‘zine, complete with present tense text to give the impression that the time is indeed the ’80s. The shtick is goofy but charming, and the proprietor knows his stuff. Recent posts have been about Sacred Reich (an extremely complete history), ’80s metal ‘zines (both pro and amateur), and Hit Parader‘s attempt at an underground metal magazine. You can get lost for hours here. You will emerge happy, educated, and perhaps sporting a mullet.