History of KABBALA'zine

Total Japanese underground thrash & heavy metal magazine

KABBALA official website

- Part 1: from 1993 to 1994 -
- Part 2: from 1995 to 1996 -
- Part 3: from 1997 to 1998 -
- Part 4: from 1999 to NOW -

- Part 1: from 1993 to 1994 -

A heavy metal fanzine "KABBALA" was started when I was told by a certain fanzine editor (those days) "Why not make a magazine?" as the casual word. It was planned to start by me in the middle time in 1993, and "KABBALA#1" of the first issue was sold in October, 1993. At that time, it was printed by xelox and edited by very cheap approach. It was only copied 20 page manuscript written with the word processor machine, and photographs in articles were patched as it is in the manuscript directly. Though it was sold for 100 yen, "#1" was distributied about 20 copies a little, and stopped sales. An article reports an interview to SALEM that an UK tour has just been finished and so on. Incidentally, the name of "KABBALA" was taken by the name of mysticism in the Judaism. Why I selected this name for new heavy metal fanzine? it's reason that I didn't use the common words, example for metal, iron, steel...and so on, because I didn't want to judged the contents without read it. "KABBALA#2" was issued early in December, too. An article reports an interview to CASBAH that new bassist has just been met and so on. It is issued in July in 1994, and "KABBALA#3" reports an interview to TERROR SQUAD which were a hopeful newcomer of the far east thrashers and so on. "KABBALA#4" (including the last interview of SALEM) was issued in September in 1994, "KABBALA#5" (including the interview of DISPLACED PERSON and so on) was issued in November in 1994, and "KABBALA#6" (32 page/150 yen: including the interview of CASBAH and MULTIPLEX and so on) was issued in January in 1995 respectively. As the number of times was piled up, quality improved gradually, too, and came to sell about 100 copies in those days.

- Part 2: from 1995 to 1996 -

A descending line was drawn at the time as the peak, and Japanese underground scene in those days was said as "the age of winter". Mamy fanzines became the suspension of activities one after another too, though they were animated with many fans in the beginning of '90's. In the middle in '90's, A Japanese underground metal scene was in a severe condition, as there were a little fanzines acting constantly example for "POISON CHILD" from Nagoya and "SILENT NOISE" "KILLERS" "AETURNUS" from Tokyo. Then it came to cooperate with me as a writer that the young person which was interested in this magazine. He, Mr. Haruhiko Nagafuji liked also Hardcore bands, and he added a new element to an article. Mr. Koichiro Kaneda who lived in Osaka at that time participated in "KABBALA#7" that it was issued in May, 1995 by the form of the contribution. Contents were an interview to CEMMENT, the introduction article of Melodious heavy metal bands in Japan, and so on. It came to use Macintosh from those days for the preparation of the manuscript. Mr. Susumu Tada (ex.-POISON CIHILD'zine) ame to cooperate as a writer from the next issue, too. "KABBALA#8" that it was issued in August, 1995 reports Mr. DIE of the ex-SHELLSHOCK and the interview of NUNCHAKU. It is issued in November, 1995, and "KABBALA#9" reports the interview of TERROR SQUAD and HIDDEN. It is issued in February, 1996, and "KABBALA#10" reports an interview such as SILVERBACK and STONEEDGE. Then Mr. Nagafuji,the first cooperator for me, left "KABBALA" in the reason that he has changed the personal music liking. In those days, we were sometimes called "harsh and provocative magazine" by some of the readers. Manuscripts became digital data completely, and the quality of the layout improved from this "KABBALA#10", too. It is learning to feel a limit in those days to come already to have sold 200 copies and to cope with the xelox duplicator. Though I decided to try that "KABBALA#11" did professional printing for the first time, so it failed because a preparation period was too short. It is issued in July, 1996, and "KABBALA#11" reports an interview such as VIGILANTE, SIGH, CEMMENT. "KABBALA#12" was returned to the xelox again, and an interview such as ETERNAL ELYSIUM, DEFILED appeared, and issued in October, 1996.
(To be continued...).

- Part 3: from 1997 to 1998 -

Under construction

- Part 4: from 1999 to NOW -

Under construction