LEGION OF TORTURE 1 (2009)

April 2009, 40/A5 pages, xeroxed, English, interviews: INFERNAL CONJURATION, EVIL DAMN, PATHOGEN, LANTERN, RECRUCIFY, NECROFUCKER.

Pretty old stuff here, as this Peruvian zine has been unleashed into the metal area five years ago. This meeting is my first contact with a piece of underground press coming directly from the land of the Incas, but general impression is simply good. Maybe LoT isn’t something unique, for sure it isn’t a shit too. And the only person responsible for these words of metal is Juan (also in the Death Invoker band) bringing inties with unknown South American bands, from the deepest gulfs of the underground, on the other hand, I can admire six page Iron Maiden report. Yes, these Gods of heavy metal were playing in Lima for the first time on 2009, 26^th March, and everything has been listed by Juan himself. And believe me, it is a real pleasure in reading such words full of passion, devotion, variation and childish joy sometimes. In addition, Juan interviewed Valentina, the member of Peruvian Iron Maiden fan club, and the first person who entered the gig. Anyway, I consider Juan a brave man. Including such commercial (!) item and the band always can be a bone of contention among the metallers and the ‘trve’ ones. But I don’t give a shit about them!

Ok, let’s back to the rest. My main complaints refer to so-so English. It’s not a difficult task to find language mistakes or just common typos, but I know the next issues of Juan’s work and I can assure that this beast will improve it definitely. The interviews are good, I mean, I just like the questions he asks, strictly to the bone and with no ass-licking. And the best one is the first intie with Mexican Infernal Conjuration due to long and full informative answers. Juan delivers 22 musical reviews and 15 pieces of press, not too much indeed, all rather short although the author has always interesting and frank point of view, bringing a proper insight what is all about.

As the debut, it’s a decent thing. Juan took the main influences directly from the old times: cut’n’paste method, some biographies (Goat Tyrant, Incisor, Bastardator), flyers. Fortunately he didn’t give up and released another two issues, both improved a lot, in A4 format, and more controversial due to bands answers. Great to hear that the four is scheduled, I hope to read it soon!

Juan Carlos Alarcon Ruiz

Av. Aviacion 2459 - San Borja

Lima 41 - Peru

70/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written on September, 2014)