Alarm #13 – Full Size/108 Pages[Burnt Zine]
$5 / No Trade / Full-Size / 108 Pages / info@alarmpress.com / http://www.alarmpress.com / Alarm Press, PO Box 200069 / Boston, MA 02120
For a magazine that is so glossy (with a color insert in the middle of the zine), there is absolutely nothing in the content department. Seriously, there are three opinion pieces, about 10 interviews with bands and individuals, 1 short story, and about 60 reviews. And this is a 100+ page magazine! Honestly, I am all for the minimalist approach, but there should be at least some maximum to the white space that one uses on a page. The advertisements in the magazine are pretty common, but nowhere near as bad as some of the other large-run zines (Such as Skyscraper and Maximumrocknroll) that one can go 8 pages without seeing anything content-related. Some of the interviews in the magazine are just your average necessary reviews (The Bouncing Souls and Piebald), but some actually break out of the punk-emo axis (Illogic and El-P). Pretty much, what saves Alarm from being a complete washout in my eyes is the fact that the editor has this open ideology about music, even choosing to review rap and dance.
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com