About LotFP

LotFP is a heavy metal print publication that has released over sixty individual issues since October 1998. Its content is totally independent of record company supervision or interference (no advertising is accepted), and we like to think LotFP contains the most in-depth and critical heavy metal writing currently in print. LotFP treats music as an art form that has value, and we treat heavy metal as a serious form of musical expression. We cover metal bands that are either unsigned or on very small record labels and, in this internet age, we take pride in being a place where our readers discover new bands rather than simply reading about bands they already know.

If you would like your band to be considered for coverage, send a copy of what you want to be reviewed (including lyrics please) to us (write for current address). Do not send sound files, or link to them or to Myspace as we do not listen to music on the computer. Our focus is metal, and our preference is music with meaning and permanence - what is popular right now is meaningless to us. Deep Purple, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and all the 70s bands that laid the foundation for what heavy metal could be... Angel Witch, Holocaust, Iron Maiden, Venom, and the rest of the NWOBHM for defining what metal was... Cirith Ungol, Omen, Manowar, Slayer, and the bands that established US heavy metal... Bathory, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Sodom, and later Morbid Angel, Death, Carcass, Entombed, and the rest that began pushing the limits of what metal could do... Megadeth, Voivod, Coroner, Annihilator, and all those who thrashed... Discharge, DRI, ENT, Napalm Death, and all those that crossed over... Candlemass, Cathedral, Reverend Bizarre, Runemagick, and all those who doom on... Watchtower, Cynic, Atheist, Spiral Architect, and the rest that give us the cleanest kills... Emperor, Enslaved, Sigh, Solefald, and the rest that separated music from the madness... Skyclad, Amorphis, Opeth, Therion, and the rest that kept the 90s fresh... this history is what drives us and we seek the bands today that honor those that came before them by playing real heavy metal from the heart. We prefer to cover independent releases which are intended to be purchased by listeners rather than demos which are designed to attract label attention. Instrumental (and tech!) bands welcome, electro/industrial and racist/fascist bands are not.

We are always happy to do zine trades, but contact us first.

LotFP: Heavy Metal Blog

'allo all...

Just a welcome note concerning LotFP here. This is the 10th anniversary of LotFP (wow...), but LotFP has been dormant over the past two years. This is going to change.

There are a couple reasons why I'm starting this blog. The first is that with my current financial situation, keeping the web forums up right now isn't feasible. Second is that this format allows contributors to post their own content to the blog without waiting for me, and that's not something that's possible with the website. Third is that the blog format is rather informal, so if there is a not-so-developed thought, it can be expressed without so much worrying about how it will look on the blog. Fourth is that print publication announcements should filter out easier in this format.

The first thing on the agenda is get some new content up and running here on the blog. There is a backlog of stuff, going back a year, that was supposed to be in the next printed LotFP. That's way too long for material to sit, and it needs to be released. That will be done over the next month. When printing a physical zine happens again (And for all you long-waiting subscribers out there... printed editions will begin to be released again once the life situation stabilizes...), it wil start from scratch with new stuff.

And... more as I think of it.