HM (magazine)
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| HM: The Hard Music Magazine | |
|---|---|
HM Magazine, Issue #117, Jan/Feb 2006 |
|
| Editor | Doug Van Pelt |
| Categories | Christian metal |
| Frequency | Bimonthly |
| First issue | Summer 1985 |
| Company | HM |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | American English |
| Website | hmmagazine.com |
| ISSN | 1066-6923 |
HM: The Hard Music Magazine is an American bimonthly publication focusing on both Christianity and hard rock. Articles include news, reviews and interviews with Christian artists. The recurring "So and So Sez" interviews focus on artists who often are not Christians and play in secular bands, in order to discuss their music, upcoming tours, albums, and to determine their views on Jesus Christ and other spiritual matters.
[edit] History
As Christian metal made its break through in the mainstream in 1984—following the release and success of Stryper's The Yellow and Black Attack EP—the regular music magazines did not cover the phenomena of Christian metal music industry very often. In 1985, Doug Van Pelt answered to this demand and published the first issue of Heaven's Metal fanzine. It started out as six-page xeroxed edition covering Stryper. Despite the humble beginning, the classified ad Van Pelt's friend placed in Kerrang! happened to be in the British rock magazine's 100th issue—an issue with 100,000 extra copies. This enormously affected on the number of people ordering subscriptions. During that time almost every Christian record label became interested in Christian metal, and they advertised the newly signed metal bands on their roster on Heaven's Metal since it was the only publication exclusively covering the movement. Soon Heaven's Metal achieved more popularity and became an official, professional publication, with five full-time journalists working for the magazine. Heaven's Metal changed from xeroxed fanzine to professional printer capable of regular magazine format. It achieved a dedicated flock of 15,000 readers, and Van Pelt became a well-known and respected music author.[1]
The name was changed to HM Magazine in 1995, where the HM can also represent "Hard Music". Despite name and format changes over its history, the magazine's spiritual focus remains identifiably Christian, as it follows both the Christian Rock and the Christian Metal movement. Bands' sales usually rose when the ensembles were covered on the magazine. For example, during the mid-1990s, HM was the only magazine that covered P.O.D. The band's label appreciated HM for this and eventually Atlantic Records bestowed upon Van Pelt the gold P.O.D. plaque that hangs in his magazine's Austin offices. Gold records are given to industry figures that impact sales. During the 1990s HM sealed a distribution deal with a major magazine wholesaler that immediately increased its print-run from 13,000 to 22,000 copies and allowed Van Pelt and his co-workers to double ad rates, making HM a stable business enterprise.[1]
Two specific article's greatly bolstered HM's popularity. The first is the band King's X's vocalist Doug Pinnick revealing a fact about his intimate life that caused some controversy. The second is Alice Cooper's interview in 2002 when he for the first time in public admitted being a Christian—he had avoided becoming a "Celebrity Christian"—since other news portals in the world quickly noted this interview.[1][2]
On October 2004, Van Pelt brought back the Heaven's Metal name by starting a new fanzine under that title. Christianity and hard music are also themes of this venture, but produced in a smaller, less formal format. The Heaven's Metal fanzine also focuses on the more traditional styles of heavy metal and bands that are not as mainstream as those featured in the HM Magazine. The Heaven's Metal fanzine is released between issues of the primary HM Magazine.
Van Pelt currently remains the editor and publisher of both the HM Magazine and Heaven's Metal Fanzine.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Langer, Andy (2000-08-07). Heaven's Metal. Weekwire. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
- ^ Alice Cooper goes with God. Charisma News Service. World Net Daily (2000-01-07). Retrieved on 2007-12-11. “Although he became a Christian in the 1980s, apart from brief comments in some interviews the 54-year-old singer has always been guarded about his faith – until now. But in a frank interview with a Christian music magazine [HM:The Hard Music Magazine], he spoke at length publicly for the first time about his love for God and reluctance to become a "Christian celebrity."”
[edit] External links
- HM Magazine (official)
- Austin Chronicle: HM Editor/Publisher Doug Van Pelt's Hard-Rocking Christian Empire 7 August 2000
- Phantom Tollbooth: Heaven's Metal Re-launches As A Fanzine 4 October 2004
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