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Greetings! Please tell us a bit about Costa Stoios?
What releases have been haunting your stereo and turntable lately?
Hello Dale. How are you?
I’m a 26 year old maniac, still obsessed by the power and untamed rebellion
of metal music. I’m a student, but the main part of my life consists of
Tales Of The Macabre magazine and my small label Iron Pegasus. Releases that
have been haunting my stereo lately and mostly my own releases, haha…but
seriously, I was listening a lot to Agatus, Dawn Of Martyrdom, Alpha Centuri
(new killer band, medieval heavy metal with class!), Autopsy, Venom etc.,
ect…But to be honest with you, 85% of today’s releases don’t’ excite me
anymore, most of it is just boring unspectacular, sad but true, but perhaps
I’m getting too old for it (well, I don’t think so), we’ll never know?!
Although I have heard of Tales Of The Macabre for
quite some time, I did not see it for myself
until issue’s # 4 and 5. For those who have not read your fanzine could you
introduce them to Tales Of The Macabre and the music / spirit it embodies?
When did you start the mag, how many copies were printed of each issue? Did
you use the same printer each time?
Tales Of The Macabre is a
pure and honest underground metal magazine that started in 1993. I did 5
issues so far, the first issue had an addition of 500, the 2nd
one 1,000, the third 1,500, the fourth one 2,000 and the fifth one about
2,200…My mission is to present bands that are still fresh and unknown to
most readers, bands that are rooted in the underground and play music with
real spirit and refreshing energy. I don’t care about images, music is all
that matters. The attitude and concept of Tales Of The Macabre hasn’t
changed during the years, so you can call it a conservative metal mag, based
on the old bands that created heavy / black / death metal (like Venom,
Bathory, (Ancient) Iron Maiden, Possessed and all those hordes). The title
of “Tales Of The Macabre” is from an old Slaughter (Canada) song, true
heaviness! And if you listen to that song, you’ll know what my magazine’s
spirit is all about. Everyone who does not know Slaughter’s “Strappado” LP
are advised to go for it, even if you pay US $50 for it! No, I didn’t use
the same printer, #1 & #2 was done by one company, #3, #4, #5 was done by
another one which seems to be my permanent printer now. Now I’m finishing
#6, it’ll be out when you read these lines, available for US $5. Get it,
‘cause it worth the money, no shit, no asslicking, no betrayal of my own
attitude. Tales Of The Macabre is not one of those whores who gets paid by
shitty labels to write positive reviews of fucking boring releases. Death to
false metal! Posers must die…
What qualities must a band possess to be interviewed
by you? Which interviews throughout the mag’s history are you most proud of?
Do you feel you have progressed with each issue, bettering the one before
it?
Bands have to play music
that makes my blood run faster! That’s the most important quality…and a band
should be serious in what they are doing! I’m proud of all of the stuff I’ve
done so far, but it was cool to interview Root’s Big Boss, Bulldozer’s A.C.
Wild, Burzum (as it was the first critical interview back then, 1994),
Venom’s Cronos etc., etc…too many to mention. Yes, I think there was some
sort of progression with each new issue, but I generally don’t care that
much about progression as long as I managed to feature enough bands that I
like. It’s really hard right now to find enough great bands to be included
in the magazines, real underground bands are getting rare actually. So it a
took fuckin’ long time until Tales Of The Macabre #6 was completed. My
personal dream is to meet Cronos one time, he’s the incarnation of black
metal (I agree with this – Dale), with the hooligan spirit and raw attitude.
 Please
list for me your fave bands old and new? What are the best fanzines old and
new in your opinion? What fanzines influenced you in the beginning of Tales
Of The Macabre? Do you care if a ‘zine is xeroxed or pro-printed?
Ha ha, what a question,
there are so many bands I really worship. Ok, let’s start…Old ones? Venom,
old Slayer, Possessed, Hobb’s Angel Of Death, The Unsane, Infernal Majesty,
Bulldozer, Messiah, Iron Angel, Blood Feast, Razor, Exorcist, Sarcofago,
Hellhammer, Slaughter, Bathory, Iron Maiden (with Di’Anno), generally NWOBHM
acts. Death (1st LP) / Mantas, Deathstrike, Destructor, Whiplash,
Tank, Armoured Angel, old Kreator, Mutilator and many more. New ones? I
don’t know if all of them are “new ones” but anyway…Dekapitator, Mayhemic
Truth, Pentacle, Darkthrone, Beherit, Samael (1st), Treblinka,
Barathrum, Amon (Czech), Sadistic Intent, Blasphemy, old Burzum, Agatus,
Impeity, Mortuary Drape, Decayed, Grand Belial’s Key and many more…You see
mostly underground bands, because that’s the place where you can find the
heaviest and most honest uncommercial metal. About zines…I like mags like
Blackthorn (Denmark),
Hammer Of Damnation(Finland), Mortician(Holland), etc…Great stuff, pure and
heavy as fuck! Nowadays there are only very few useful mags/zines
around…most of them are from Middle/South America, but I can’t remember
their names. No. it’s ok if a zine is just a xeroxed one as long as the
footage is cool. Why should we care about professional printed and full-coloured
magazines if the bands that are included suck? I think (and hope) you
agree…(Oh I do! – Dale)
What kind of child were you
growing up? What is the school system like in Germany? Did the wall coming
down effect you personally in any way and what was it’s effect on the German
metal scene? I hear postage in
Germany
is extremely expensive is this true and does it make hard for you to keep
your prices down?
I was a wild child, always
into racing with my bicycle, playing war in the forest with wooden guns,
etc…but when I entered school, things were different due to the pressure
that was on me. The school system is not the best, 13 years I had to serve,
I was 19 years old when I left, and I was never a guy who loved to learn all
that shit, I preferred partying and drinking beer, listening to heavy music
and looking after girls (that I couldn’t get unfortunately). No, the coming
down of the wall didn’t effect me in any way. I’m living in the western part
of Germany, and until now I was never in the former GDR region.
But the union of both German states helped black metal getting popular and
trendy, because the former GDR – youth was really getting into it, all the
image and stuff they sucked into their heads. That’s why cliché black metal
clowns had and have an easy game in our country, You’re right, postage rates
are very high here in
Germany,
especially air mail letters and packages, they’re really crazy! That’s why I
sent this letter from Holland, haha. It’s hard to keep our prices down if
the customers want their stuff to be sent by air mail, but most of them are
ok if I send the mail by surface…
Please update us on what is happening currently with
Tales Of The Macabre? Has issue # 6 been released yet? If not when can we
expect it? Any new surprises for the legions to feast their eye’s on? Will
it once again feature a cult double page poster as in past issues!?
Tales Of The Macabre #6 is
out when you read this! The title of it says it all: “Posers Nightmare
Returns…”, with Inquisition, Gospel Of The Horns, Witchfynde, Hadez,
Dekapitator, Nifelheim, Mayhemic Truth, Alpha Centuri, Pagan Rites (Fucking
killer! – Dale), Asphyx, Venom (aaaaaarrrrgggggghhhhh hell yeah!!! – Dale),
Black Angel, Denial Of God, Zemial, Nunslaughter, etc…(Can you tell why I
did this interview as Costa has tastes very close to mine!! – Dale) Yes, a
poster will be included too, but not of an old band this time as it’s a
common thing to do these days…just be surprised. It was very hard to do this
issue, because it was no easy job to find enough bands that fit into the
concept of the magazine. Well, check it out for yourself…I think you’ll like
it if you still enjoy the cruel side of metal.
Okay now let us know about your young record label
Iron Pegasus records? What prompted
you to start your label? Please list and tell us a few words on all of your
releases thus far?
You release only vinyl, am I correct? How many copies has each release been
pressed in? Are your releases limited or will you always re-press them? What
is coming up for Iron Pegasus?
I first called it Pegasus
records, but then I found a 70’s Rock LP released by a label with the same
name. So I just added Iron in front of it. Then, all of a sudden, a band
appeared called Pegazus from Australia, playing awful neo-heavy metal crap
ala Helloween, etc…I don’t like them at all, and I don’t want my small label
to be related to those nice boys. But what can I do? It all started after I
heard the Metalucifer CD “Heavy Metal Drill”, released through a mini-label
in Japan. I thought this is fuckin’ cool stuff, pure NWOBHM ala ancient Iron
Maiden, but seriously done, no bullshit and was a bit sad that this band was
still so unknown here. I wanted to support Metalucifer and re-released the
CD for the international market, with different artwork, etc., limited to
1,000 copies. That’s how Iron Pegasus started. Then, I re-released Sabbat’s
first two albums, but on vinyl only. “Envenom”, a heaviiiievil album that
pleases all Venom / Slayer lunatics, was limited to 333 copies, black vinyl.
Additionally, I did 100 picture discs (+ LP sleeve) for die hard fans and
collectors! It looks fantastic and is only available from my address.
“Evoke”, the second album, I released on 333 copies picture disc. Then, I
re-released the first Sabbat EP’s from 1985-1989 on one LP album called “The
Sabbatical Rites”, again limited on 333 copies, Black/heavy metal played
with skill and feeling. My next releases will be Mayhemic Truth’s farewell
album “In Memoriam”. If you love old and
 epic
Bathory, then you have to
get it. Killer!!! It’s the best German Black/epic metal release, you better
believe me. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed. Then, Zemial’s “For The
Glory OF UR” will follow, primitive but very effective “in your face”
black/death metal ala Hellhammer, old Burzum and probably Varathron. Pure
energy calls the animalistic spirit inside your body. I’ll also do Impeity’s
new album “Skullfucking Armageddon” on vinyl and a 10” split with Pentacle
and Desaster. So you see, I’m quite busy, but the label goes step by step
only as I don’t have much money to spend, shit! Vinyl is very important for
me, I love Eps, LPs, Pic discs. I don’t care about CD’s too much, but people
demand it, so I have to do it as well to promote the bands. Only vinyl is
limited and will not be re-pressed. The repress stuff is like a betrayal to
the loyal fans that already bought the albums (What about this EP’s
re-release then? – Dale). I’m the same
kind of guy like my customers, wild headbanging man who is always looking
for more destructive sounds to satisfy his soul. I’ll try to build up a
certain image and name with Iron Pegasus. When people hear the name, they
should think of the heaviest metal of all kind, be it black/thrash/heavy
metal, but with attitude and heart. Again, death to false metal.
You
have seen my ‘zine, what are your opinions on it? What did you like or
dislike? Do you like fanzines printed on newsprint? I think printing costs
in Europe must be pretty low as most ‘zines are done totally pro with color
glossy covers (here it costs a big fortune to print like this!)?
It’s a good one, the name
seems to be from Venom, right? (Yes it is from the mighty gods of might &
mayhem!! – Dale) Not all bands are my favorite ones, but reading interviews
with Dark Throne or obscure bands like Ossuary is very cool. Pegazus sucks,
hahaha…That’s what I dislike. As already said, for me it’s not very
important
if the print quality is
very high or not (Spoken like a true metal maniac! – Dale). It’s the footage
that matters. Hmm, about the print costs. I pay about 2,30 DM for each copy
just to get it printed. Is it expensive? You decide…(I guess it would
probably double that cost here – Dale)
In your mag you often mention about trendy labels.
What are some labels/bands you currently see as being trendy? Do you boycott
such labels/bands?
Hmm, it’s hard for me to
name any labels that are trendy. Let me say it in different words…most of
the labels are trendy. Labels that I regard as great ones are Merciless,
Conquistador, Damnation, Warlord recs., N.E.P., Evil rec., etc…The trendiest
label must be one Holland and also one from Germany…I think you what I’m
talking about, don’t you?!? (Yes, I think I know which ones you speak of…
-Dale). I do not boycott them, but I do not support them either. Just “leave
them in hell”, haha…But to be honest with you, the labels that I view as
trendy ones usually don’t deal with me as my releases are too different or
untrendy or whatever for them and their mailorder. Trendy bands get boycotted
of course, I do not buy their releases, don’t go to their gigs and don’t
talk to their fans. There are more trendy bands around than untrendy ones,
unfortunately. But hope that the situation will change soon…
Thank you very much my metal brother for taking your
time to fill out this interview! It is muchly appreciated!! Please tell us
some final w ords
and your favorite German foods!?
Dale, it was really great
to do all this for your magazine, thanks for your great support. More mags
like Canadian Assault, please,
haha. German food? Sauerbraten mir Kartoffel Knodel und Apfelmus (Sorry
Costa,
I hope I spelt this right as you wrote these words messy and I do not know
German - Dale).
Got it? Haha…Fuck I don’t know how this is called in English. Just come to
Germany and taste it. Oh, if there are any beautiful metal ladies out there,
come to my house…I’ll cook this
meal for you before we make love all night. Write to: Costa Stoios, P.O. Box
1462, 56804 Cochem/Mosel, Germany Fax # : + 49 2671 915148
To all you readers:
Always be faithful to the metal spirit, don’t be frustrated by the trend
shit…good music is always existing, you just have to be patient while
searching for killer bands, deep in the depths of the underground (the only
place for good mayhemic honest hardware). Keep the faith! Aaarrrgh….
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