Sombre Eve #4

Sombre Eve 'zine, issue 4 (1994)
Interviews:
The 3rd and the Mortal
Sigh
Naked Eve
Bethlehem
Abyssic Hate
Dawn of Winter
As Serenity Fades
Dogmeat
Chorus of Ruin
Divine Eve
Key of Alocer 'zine
Deinonychus
Articles/Biographies:
Beyond Dawn
Opera IX
Discomposure
Bathory - Still in the Woods (a tribute article by Shane)
+review section, more reviews and quotes scattered around

Mega

Tonight's 'zine hails from Australia  and it is the fourth and either final or at least the last of this particular incarnation of Sombre Eve, made by Shane Transvaal D. (Gospel of the Horns, original vocalist) and Tracey A.H. (some chick, moved to UK). Tracey was supposed to take over S.E. and keep doing it in England but I've no idea if this came to be and Shane was going to start another 'zine. I'm equally clueless to what came out of that.

These are my typically haphazard scans from a copy I bought used, solely based on seeing it was an old 'zine I had not read before. I've also downloaded a scan of the first issue, dating to '92 with the same editors and reading that one we discover they initially planned to do an all doom 'zine but branched out right from the start. This trend is evident still on the fourth issue, which features a couple of very familiar names as well as some surprises too (Dogmeat in particular). Layout is simple, old schoolish and much to my liking, clear to read and without fancy stuff. The only issue I really have is the way they tend to split words to two lines in places, like this:

Excerpt from Abyssic Hate interview

That's really an eyesore, but a minor issue looking at the big picture. The interviews are generally interesting, as they should it being their fourth issue already, and reviews are quite good too. Some of them being very enthusiastic shall we say. The quotes sprinkled around the 'zine are a nice personal touch and not an overused idea so points from that even if some of them are a bit cliché. Having reviews both gathered in a section of several pages and also spread around amongst the other text feels a bit disorganized but again it's not much of a sin. Actually it's kinda fun having them like this instead of boring alphabetical meticulous sorted-by-media version of "professional magazines" don't you agree?

Color Climax

Another peculiar thing is how they've the cover sort of upside down as you might notice from the main image. See above for a tilted shot and marvel at the wear and stain of the copy in my possession. That should be enough for now, recommended for browsing even if the bands did not tickle your fancy, it's a good read. Oh, and I'm curious about Shane's old band Aetiology mentioned in the first S.E. issue, wonder if they ever recorded anything? At least they performed live and apparently had been formed by members of Pyuria and Demoniac which most likely did not have releases out. Anyone know? Wehrwolf? Fenrirsson?