Posted on: October 26, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Filter (Phillippines) #4 / $? / 20M / [email protected] /

As the title suggests, this is not the Filter zine of the United States. This Filter is a half-sized magazine that deals primarily with the punk/ska/hardcore music scene in the Philippines. This is not a typical cut and paste operation, as the layout seems to be very strong and professional through each of the zine’s 20 pages. While I have no clue where any of the cities are that are covered in the scene / country report, I find it interesting that the same problems surrounding American (small) bands are those that confront small bands in the Philippines. The one piece that I wish would have been given more space was “Gun-Down Centerpiece”, which discusses an attitude and belief shift in an individual that was captured by the military. I don’t know the military situation in the Philippines, but I guess I presumed that it was pretty normal. From Maya’s piece, it seems pretty rough and tumble there, and I wish ey would have went further into this discussion, or that there might have been a postscript to the story that explains the situation on the ground. IT is this political piece that gives Filter a little boost that it is able to ride for the rest of the magazine. There is a little bit of a focus on the music side of things, but if Filter is able to go and vary up their content in later issues, this zine will be even stronger. Email the author for a copy or send a few bucks their way.

Rating: 5.5/10

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