Tortured Times April 2008 Issue No. 1

Hey guys and ghouls, just received my copy of Cagayan de Oro based Metal Underground Fanzine maiden issue Tortured Times as conceptualized by my friend and leading frontman Drei of Vercelum (Black/Thrash Metal band from Iligan/Cdo) and his crew. The cover features the Manila Speed/Thrash based band BLOODSHEDD which me and the band had the privilege to play back o back with during the Visayan Metalfest last year. The contents of the fanzine are interviews from the said band and bands hailing from down south of the Philippines including the Cdo/Bukidnon based Black/Thrash Metal band Barabas which me and Killoyed started way back 2005 when I was still in Cdo. Their are also review materials on demos and full lengths released by the bands there including Human Mastication and Vercelum and plugings from various Distros (metal distribution units ). I hope the fanzine would strive on to future issues and best of luck and kudos to the men and women who made it happen. I just want to spread the love and scanned the front and back view of the aforementioned fanzine including the Barabas interview page  (page 22 and 25, do try to zoom in and read it if possible, my scanning abilities suck) which passingly mentiones yours truly as the progenitor of Barabas. For inquiries just look at the scanned images for further contacts or contact me for contact info on the men and women behind the fanzine. Its a very cool effort and helps keep the metal fire burning. Bang your heads and support the metal music movement. Hail!!!

My PILL Zine Contribution

Hey everyone. Just wanna post this short article that I did as a contribution to the Pill Zine Issue No. 3. It's an independently produced, photocopied and free for all supporters of gigs organized by Harikiri Mosh Productions headed by Jan Sunday here in Cebu and from what my friends in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan told me, they've gotten hold of a copy of it too there distributed by supporters as well. Like CEMP, their outfit promotes up and coming hardcore/punk bands. The article I did was about CEMP's current influence and a somewhat retrospection of the Cebu metal music scene from my point of view of course. I'm no authority when it comes to the still thriving metal scene here and all views, opinions and perspective and even errors which may or may not appear evident within the article are all mine and to the best interest as I could and as usual, comments and suggestions for improvement are fairly welcomed. Nuff said, heres the article:

CEMP and the Cebu Metal Scene : A Retrospective
by Chummy “Mangtas” Bertulfo

Cebu Extreme Metal Production or CEMP as it is better known just recently launched the fourth installment of Hellfest last April 11-12, 2008 at the ever accessible Zzubu Rock Bar. It is a yearly gig comprising of bands hailing from different localities in the Visayas region but mostly Cebuano based extreme metal music bands with other guest bands hailing from Bacolod, Dumaguete and Bohol. The participating bands played cover tunes and even their own compositions throughout the two day event. Day 1 and day 2 proved to be successful, as always, there is still a thriving metal fan base here in Cebu and this vindicated that the Cebu Metal Scene is very much alive and kicking some serious ass.

Metal music has always been an integral part of me. When I first heard of Slayer’s Reign In Blood blaring out of my neighbors speaker system, it was piercing and loud and full of raw emotion, Tom Araya spewing forth lashing words and the rest of the gang impaling their instruments to reek ordered chaos. I was intrigued and hooked instantly. From there and a box full of cassette tapes later, me and my high school buddies decided to form a band and profusely jammed and covered the songs from the bands we like and eventually we took part of the 2nd wave of Cebuano extreme metal acts. The proverbial Sodom and his Signos spearheaded the way. Gigs then were meager with little or no support for all things metal. I can only recall being a part of Scream of Cebu Underground Music (SCUM) which was organizing gigs for bands heavily influenced on the alternative and grunge music scene and my band was the only partial to death metal to be a part of it. Extreme metal bands then were only relegated to play on barangay fiesta gigs. Fast forward to 2005 and we have CEMP to thank for for having been conceived and come to being to help the bands out and make metal music formidable again. I have to assume that the year CEMP was conceived was the year that the 3rd wave of Cebuano extreme metal acts started and since then we are still playing great metal music today.

Since CEMPs inception 3 or so years ago by LD Lee and Jerry Reyes, it almost single-handedly revived the metal scene of Cebu whose followers were starting to get jaded and/or shifting to other genres by producing the first ever Hellfest in 2005 and to the grand undertaking of producing the Visayan Metalfest which included bands from Manila (Bloodshedd), Dumaguete (Cookie Monster) and Bacolod (Onslaughter). From minor club gigs to open air major events, the CEMP horde keeps spewing out more and more and it intends to keep it that way. As long as there are supporters and bands with the vision of producing uncompromising, extreme and non-conforming metal music, CEMP will always help usher the flock of the chosen and celebrate the durability and diversity of metal music. It is the bastion of the ever prolific Cebu metal underground scene. There are other music productions and organizations to date but it simply has the largest and consistent stable among others. Masters Jerry Reyes (CEMP Manager) and Bawit Caballes (CEMP Organizer) and a slew of dedicated crew members are really striving and dedicating there time and effort in promoting the local metal bands that need the break and exposure they need to harness there metal prowess. By way of organizing 4 to 6 gigs on average and promoting the songs these bands spit forth from their website to their online communities (i.e. Friendster, MySpace and Forum sites). CEMP gave these bands a niche and an outlet and to help them to connect to the masses.

This jaded metalist is very much proud to be a part of CEMP and will continue in what ever take or form to participate and support the ever eager arms of the local metal music community.

me and Juday (Lame Post part I)

... geeezzz....nothing better to do...for those who don't get this, feel free to contact me...