Immortal – Immortal

A note from former editor of BMG Fanzine (PAN)

Back in the '90s, I ran a humble xeroxed fanzine, inspired by underground publications from the US and Mexico, particularly the legendary Mutilador ‘Zine. My journey into the scene had begun in 1990 through cassette trading, a practice that connected like-minded souls across continents. At the time, Panama had a small but growing zine culture, though most were dedicated to the local punk scene rather than extreme music as a whole. Sensing a gap, I set out to create my own.

For the first issue, I wrestled with finding the right name. Then, a moment of inspiration struck: I recalled Blood, an album by This Mortal Coil, and blended it with the macabre imagery of japanese myth — the ghouls, spectral devourers of the dead. And so, Bloody Mortal Ghouls was born—BMG ‘Zine, for short.

The first edition needed strong content, and I managed to secure interviews with Cannibal Corpse, Therion, and among others Immortal. At the time, I wasn’t particularly drawn to the resurgence of black metal sweeping through Scandinavia, yet I recognized that many of these bands stemmed from the same death metal roots flourishing in Europe. I initially reached out to Harald, better known as Demonaz Doom Occulta, but I addressed my letter to his earlier band, Amputation. By then, that project had already dissolved. To my surprise, he responded, proposing an interview—not for Amputation, but for his new band, Immortal

Back then, everything depended on patience. You wrote, you waited for the post. When I learned that Abbath, whom I knew as Olve from Old Funeral, was involved, handling both vocals and bass, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. Without hesitation, I sent my questions, and the resulting interview found its place in BMG Issue I.

To this day, I still have the letter. I still have the cassette. A testament to an era when ion, persistence, and postage brought underground metal to life in early 90's.

All the best,
Lionel
Viinyl Seeker

I got one for sale if someone is interested you can me