The founder of CoC has seen a lot in the 10+ years since the inception of this magazine. Being a 30 year old software engineer working ungodly hours usually doesn't afford Gino the luxury of much free time. As a result, his contributions to the magazine focus more on administration and leadership as opposed to trying to keep up with CoC's incredible cadre of talented writers. Gino's musical interests are varied and diverse. Given his sole criterion of originality, his tastes span a wide spectrum. To name a microscopic sample, Gino regularly listens to Absu, Judas Priest, Gorgoroth, The Future Sound of London, Carcass, Bob Dylan, Darkthrone, Bob Marley and Drudkh. The past 10 years have seen many changes in Gino's life. From starting Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto through to graduating. From getting married and leaving Toronto to settle on the seacoast of New Hampshire working for a start up company to leaving that company to join the sales organization of another wildly successful software company. Through it all, the one constant has been CoC and its unwavering commitment to quality and longevity.

December soul, born three decades ago. Spellbound by extreme metal, Pedro was the first European contributor to be brought through the gateways of CoC, back in January 1997. In addition to his work as reviewer and co-editor, he implemented the engine behind this website; a gallery of living chaos.

Jackie was unleashed on the unsuspecting citizens of Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1980 - the same year that saw AC/DC release their arguably definitive masterpiece, _Back In Black_. Nine years later it was ironically a chance encounter with AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" that would start him down heavy metal's long and winding road. Ask him about music today and he's likely to namecheck Morbid Angel, Death, Emperor, Cannibal Corpse, Immolation and Burnt By The Sun as some of his personal favourites, but odds are that he'd be equally happy spinning Depeche Mode, Mark Lanegan, Faith No More or Tindersticks. On the rare occasions where he's not occupied by something related to music, his eyes are glued to the comedic majesty that is Seinfeld, while he has also been known to terrorize the Xbox Live community on a regular basis. Still other times might find him poring through his ever-expanding comic collection, or watching a film. Unfortunately though, all these pursuits require large quantities of the almighty buck, and as one William H Gates Esq continues to ignore his repeated requests for a "donation" to his retirement fund, he currently moistens the corporate machine as a sales manager in central London to make ends meet. Now playing:

1. Darkthrone - _Circle The Wagons_
2. Annotations of an Autopsy - _Reign of Darkness_
3. Burzum - _Belus_
4. Fear Factory - _Mechanize_
5. Down - _Nola_

Chris Flaaten, '78, has recently completed a Master's Degree in Business and Economics at BI, Norwegian School of Management. A look in his CD-shelves reveals a taste going in many directions. From wanting to rock with Twisted Sister at the age of six through digging the theme from "Transformers - The Movie", pure '80s metal, and counting down with Europe, it was clear which direction Chris' taste in music was taking. From a base of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Testament things started to happen in the early '90s. Dream Theater would lead way to bands like Spock's Beard, Spastic Ink and Spiral Architect while Death sparked a heavy interest in melodic death metal. Anathema and My Dying Bride also made a big impact in the first half of the 1990s and are still two of his favourites. Being Norwegian, a strong appreciation for black metal should be no surprise, and it is perhaps mostly Scandinavian extreme metal that piles up in the shelves. Melancholic intensity is what counts the most, it seems, as his favourite albums are Anathema's _The Silent Enigma_ and Opeth's _My Arms, Your Hearse_. Apart from metal, Chris also enjoys various classical and jazz music, expecially Vivaldi and Pat Metheny, respectively. Chris has earlier contributed to Norwegian Scream Magazine and, after finally getting on the Internet in '98, a few obscure webzines. Chris can also be found on EFnet as CF.

Quentin Kalis hails from Cape Town, South Africa. He first experienced heavy music in the Autumn of '93 when he heard the relatively heavy sounds of the Wayne's World soundtrack and Guns N' Roses. His first taste of the more extreme side of heavy metal came in the following year when he heard Napalm Death and Obituary. Despite constant changes in taste since then he has always listened to metal in some form or another. Although he has a strong dislike for the mainstream a number of less commercial artists from outside the metal realm have caught his attention in recent years, including the disturbing ambient of Atrium Carceri and the beautiful heathen tinged folk of Fire +Ice.

Kostas was born in a misty Greek town next to a lake, but just before he became a man, he moved to England to study. After a degree in Electronics and a Masters in Software and Algorithms, he started working as a software developer. Some years later, fed up being a slave, he took his fate in his hands and started freelancing in the London financial market as a software contractor. Having been neck deep in this music that forms our lives since the age of sixteen, at some point he swam out to get rid of all the crap polluting this scene, masquerading as music, gave a long hard shake and emerged clean. Now, he scouts the labels, the bands, the 'zines and the Internet for what is quality, heaviness, meaning and innovation in the metal scene. He still occasionally gets a whiff of the bad stuff, but that is what 'delete' is for.

Jeremy is a newcomer to the ranks of CoC, having cut his teeth on such underground staples as Power Play and Sea of Tranquility, as well as the not-so-underground All Music Guide. Having moved from the music-friendly and environmentally hospitable climes of Austin, TX to the frigid, sports-obsessed Indianapolis over the past year, it can be said that his career trajectory closely mirrors one well-known Prince of Darkness. He frequently wonders why the barren, windswept plains of the American Midwest fail to produce the same frenzied artistic dementia that Scandinavia is notable for. However, unlike his Miltonian counterpart, Jeremy does one day hope to redeem himself by once again moving where the weather suits his clothes. In the meantime, he can frequently be caught speeding up the freeway to the Windy City when he's not staunchly ignoring the local sports action. UPDATE: Erm, now back in Austin as of April '08, so Indy and I are good now, better for each other long distance it turns out.

A cynic at heart, Alexandra has been outspoken for many of her 22 years, the past 7 of which have been metal-centric. One of the newest and youngest contributors to Chronicles of Chaos, she has plenty to say. From the USBM v. Euro-BM tirade to the impact the internet has made on metal, Alexandra stays close to the music she knows and loves. Her Swedish heritage keeps her close to black and folk metal, but hailing from Texas opens the thrash and new power-violence communities. When she's off her soap-box she's dragging her way to an eventual degree in anthropology and history. Just recently stumbling upon the seemingly [and ever so hopefully] growing Texas black metal community, she hopes to help hone it's abilities and find a way to satiate the thirst of a worldwide black metal drought. When not trying to become the Joan of Arc de métal noir, Alexandra is on a crusade to save the face of women in metal. From knitting to video games to Russian lit, she's always open for intelligent conversation. But be forewarned; this little one packs a punch.

Colleen was actually never passionate about music whatsoever until she discovered metal; a boy she met at university gave her At The Gates' _Slaughter of the Soul_ . . . and it's been a long and interesting journey since then. These days, she is more often than not spinning some old school thrash, atmospheric / pagan black metal, trad doom, and hilariously upbeat folk metal. Infatuated with Northern Europe, she has relocated from her hometown in Buffalo, New York to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland where she is working towards an MSc by researching the installation of information / communication technologies in the developing world, whilst studying electronics part-time. While an enthusiast of really good literature and abysmally bad B movies, she is usually off hiking or doing battle in roller derby -- (and listening to something suitably grim, of course).

Hailing from a secluded village in the North of Wales, Paul's love for metal was in his heart from an early age, after seeing a vision of Linkin Park's video to "Crawling" on the TV. Although it may not be considered one of the evilest bands, the lyrics definitely had a profound impact on him and made him want a heavier, faster, and scarier musical ride to experience. Having moved early on in life to a new country created periods where all there was to do was listen to music, and it didn't take long for Paul to find other nu-metal bands like Korn. But this nu-metal fascination soon wore off, and instead of moving forward with friends to see what the next "br00tl" band would be, he decided to take that trip back and dive into the earlier metal scenes listening to Black Sabbath, Megadeth and Death to name a few. This introduction to heavier bands inspired a love for the extreme. Soon black metal and death metal albums were to become the sole purpose for Paul needing money, and unholy sounds would be constantly coming out of his bedroom. Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Behemoth, and Emperor would soon take a stand on his CD rack.

Dan was born in a wretched hive of scum and villainy called Scotland, and has spent 24 years mooching about like a clueless anus. His heroes include Bruce Campbell, Steve Austin (the wrestler), Al Swearengen and Daniel 'O Donnell. He was born the same day as Ghandi, but Dan doesn't like Ghandi. All Ghandi did was sit on his arse all day. When he isn't listening to horrible noisy goregrind, he listens to dour folk/acoustic music. Well, with a face like his you'd be miserable too. Dan's favourite film is 'Doom' starring Dexter Fletcher.

Aly was born in Cairo in the summer of '87; a year when thrash metal became well established on the pros list of "Why humans walk the earth?". Life in Cairo is very stressful, and the sheer violence and aggression of thrash and death metal seem to even that out for him. Also, as opposed to popular belief, life in Cairo is no longer camel dependent. Cairo is the biggest city in the Middle East and Africa, with an approximate population of 18 million; just imagine how many camels would be needed. Aly holds a bachelor's degree in Materials Engineering and currently works at an Engineering firm. He also likes maps, history, some Philosophy and football. Aly enjoys the comedic works of George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld and the sit-com "The Big Bang Theory", the wholesome quality of the Looney Tunes, and gazing at the Red Sea and its monolithic mountains that cover the whole eastern coast of Egypt. He doesn't believe that absolute values should exist in music; there is no "album of the year", no "best guitarist ever", and nobody is "singer of the month". Feel free to recommend to him anything that lies in the vicinity of thrash and death metal; he usually does. Now playing:

1. In Mourning - _Monolith_
2. Immolation - _Majesty and Decay_
3. Primordial - _To the Nameless Dead_
4. Blueneck - _The Fallen Host_
5. Mumakil - _Behold the Failure_

Mark S. Dolson was born in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1975. Mark's interest in metal began in 1987 when he discovered Metallica's _Garage Days_ EP. "An amazing EP, and my first taste of real metal", Mark recounts. "I'll never forget the look on my parents' faces when I played the "Last Caress / Green Hell" cover for them on the family stereo -- it was utterly priceless". 1990 was a watershed year for Mark when he discovered Annihilator's _Alice in Hell_ (1989), Nuclear Assault's _Survive_ (1988) and Megadeth's _Rust in Peace_ (1990) -- all of which are consummate thrash albums. After purchasing Entombed's _Clandestine_ on cassette tape in 1991, Mark became a loyal devotee of all things European death metal. Some of his all time favourite albums are: Kreator's _Extreme Aggression_ (1989), Carcass's _Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious_ (1991), Entombed's _Clandestine_ (1991), Disharmonic Orchestra's _Not to Be Undimensional Conscious_ (1992), Gorefest's _False_ (1992), Edge of Sanity's _The Unorthodox_ (1992), _The Spectral Sorrows_ (1993), and _Purgatory Afterglow_ (1994), My Dying Bride's _Turn Loose the Swans_ (1993), Obliveon's _Nemesis_ (1993), Novembre's _Arte Novecento_ (1996), Mental Home's _Upon the Shores of Inner Seas_ (2000), Omnium Gatherum's _The Red Shift_ (2008), Synestesia's _Feeniks_ (2009), along with many others. Mark attended the University of Western Ontario, where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. He went on to study at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in the Anthropology of Medicine. Mark briefly studied at the University of Toronto, where he started a Ph.D. in Public Health Sciences, but soon decided to return to the University of Western Ontario in order to pursue a Ph.D. in Anthropology.

Paul Schwarz is not a 24 year old graduate of St. Andrews University, but one of those descriptions does still apply to him today - whenever you are reading this, barring some unforseen scandal or similar. Originally from London, England, Paul lived in the small town on the east coast of Scotland where he gained his degree in Philosophy and Ancient History until May 2004, when he moved back to London to seek fame and fortune - read: a "real job". Back in 1998, Paul took a year out which included a trip to Canada, allowing him to personally meet most of his fellow CoC writers - an experience he is STILL struggling to overcome. Yet Paul has come back for more time and time again, regularly meeting up with Euro- and other CoCers at regular intervals - perhaps he has a plan... Introduced to "rock n'roll" via Guns 'n' Roses in the Summer of 1993, Paul's collection has mutated much over the years that have followed. An example? The first time he heard 'November Rain' he hadn't yet realised what a steaming, self-indulgent turd of a song it was. But a healthy mix of many genres of metal, hardcore and extreme music generally, along with various rock n' roll, prog rock, jazz, fusion, folk, 'classic rock' (if you like that term to really mean something - Paul ain't so sure) and other variously classifiable albums haunt his collection to this day. (His regularly revolving playlist will provide snapshot examples.) An ability to talk until the cows come home -- if they ever do... -- is something Paul possesses and fondly cultivates (though there are some who say he's getting quieter... though others call THOSE people crazy...) Now playing:

1. Manilla Road _Crystal Logic_ (1983)
2. Manilla Road _Spiral Castle_ (2002)
3. Manilla Road _The Deluge_ (1986)
4. Dethonator _Dethonator_ (2010)
5. Electric Wizard _Let Us Prey_ (2003)

Finding himself in a part of the United States considered to be somewhat “less-than-metal”, Aaron McKay has enjoyed his tenure with Chronicles of Chaos since his first contribution back in issue #33. Having had close ties with the Florida death metal scene, McKay's taste for extreme music flourished unabated. Aaron currently embraces his position as contributor to the world's finest internet magazine, CoC. Reveling in nearly all styles comprising the metal community, specifically, he can be observed gorging on a regular diet of Massacre, Nasty Savage, Dark Tranquillity, Death, Macabre and In Flames.

David began his quest for musical extremism at the dawn of the nineties, with classic hard rock and heavy metal acts such as Scorpion, Iron Maiden and Guns 'n' Roses. Upon discovering the masterpieces _Ceremony of Opposites_ by Samael and _Covenant_ by Morbid Angel in 1994, he instantly swore an allegiance to extreme metal, an illumination which has since become his raison d'être. When not dormant to the majestic sounds of Grieg, Sibelius or Mussorgski, David's most basic instincts drive him mainly to Swedish death metal acts like Dissection, Hypocrisy, Sacrilege, In Flames or At the Gates, but also to the raw harshness of Norwegian black metal sorcerers Mayhem, Immortal, Emperor, Satyricon or Gehenna - generally all styles of metal music that may emotionally breed aggressiveness, mysticism, and hatred for the plague of monotheistic religions. Other bands whose works have particularly seared him comprise Marduk, Death, Vader, Meshuggah, Slayer, Sacred Reich, Iced Earth, My Dying Bride, Katatonia... A proud Breton in his late twenties, David is also the former editor of Descension 'zine (RIP) - a fanzine which, unsurprisingly enough, was dedicated to extreme metal.

James was born in the northern English wastelands of Merseyside in May 1977. Proving that some people really are "born metal", he anticipated the impending decline of the British scene and convinced his parents to move to Australia a mere five-and-a-half weeks later. Raised by his classical music-obsessed father, he gained a keen sense of melody and structure, while from his mother, a former Rolling Stones and Beatles nut, he gained the desire to rock. Somehow, he ended up playing the violin for about eight years, but inspired by zeniths of the metal kingdom such as Billy Idol, he discovered the heavy stuff around the start of the '90s and proceeded to decimate his bank account and popularity by buying and playing loads of death, thrash and black metal tripe. Yes, he even used to do Deicide drive-bys at the local church - all part of the metal maturation process. In 2000, James decided that the sunniness and good health of Australia weren't fitting for a black metal elitist, so he went to London to make his mark in the I.T. contracting industry, before moving onto the true mecca of the black metal mega-elite.

"I like big ass vicious noise that makes my head spin. I wanna feel it whipping through me like a fucking jolt. We're so crushed by our pathetic existence we need it like a fix." Crude but rightful words by the young Steve Albini -- back then an underground devotee and soon to become guitarist, producer and one of the most prominent figures on today's underground. This definition reflects the way we all fall in love with extreme music -- the pure rush of adrenaline, the obsession that is to last a lifetime. Hard rock, blues rock, black metal, death metal, industrial, ambient, neofolk -- these have all proven to be much more than a passing interest. Extreme music has provided catharsis, mystique, power, enchantment, joy and burning passion. From all time favourites Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden to Norwegian black metal masters Emperor and Burzum to the December songs of Katatonia and the bleak beauty of Tenhi and Forseti, it has been quite a journey. And it goes on and on.

In his 36 years on this Earth, oscillating between rotting and flourishing on a daily basis, Chaim has learned that there are no absolutes; no ideals, no principles. Everything is negotiable; today's villains are tomorrow's saints, and vice versa... As soon as he's given up on his life's love for the passing 20 years, namely metal, it pulls him right in again, with another mind blowing, mind boggling musical artistry. So scarce they are -- these masterpieces of emotion and dim light -- but so invigorating, wonderful and awe-inspiring; the essence of life... For these fragile rays of light in the infinite darkness he lives and struggles and hopes; a wanderer, a sewer-poet, pretentious and discouraged. All dichotomies lie within this flesh, all extremes and contradictions. This is how he lives, this is how he writes...

In 1983, on the 8th of an April Ethereal, Adam Lineker was quietly unleashed upon the world. Spending most of his rural childhood lost inside his own imagination, in the company of vikings, orcs, vampires and The Legion Of Doom, it wasn't long before his outward personality became defined by music. A trainee classical musician for most of his school days, Adam essentially discovered metal by accident. Characteristically stumbling upon some Iron Maiden songs on the soundtrack of the computer game Carmageddon 2, Adam's taste in music spun off on a tangent, becoming a devout Maidenite as he began his A-Level years, and mildly disturbing his ever supportive parents. Scrabbling eagerly around like a nOOb in an MMORPG for all the worldly knowledge of this thing called METAL, and naively shelling out for KERRANG! every week, Adz tentatively explored the upper layers of the underground. Introducing himself to what his friends dismissed as 'all that gothic screaming', Adam became partial to Black Metal, and started wearing pentagrams to school and what-not. After joining his first band, and watching it break up over a girl, Adam attended the University of St. Andrews, to read Classical Studies and Philosophy. There he was lucky enough to become friends with Paul Schwarz and that was the beginning of the slippery slope of metal addiction, which has solidly consumed his waking hours and his wallet for the past eight years. The present day finds Adam leading something of a double life. By day he his a Teacher of Classics, RE and Critical Thinking at a West London secondary school, guiding the young and hopeful through the peaks and troughs of Key Stage academia. By night he is dedicated to his duties as a member of the band DETHONATOR. One day these two lives will cross, and the resultant carnage will vaguely echo the destruction caused by Egon Spengler and Pete Venkman when they crossed proton streams in Ghostbusters. Only with a lot more corpsepaint, and a giant Mortiis replacing Mr Stay Puft. In the meantime, Adam tries to relax by playing World of Warcraft and drinking beer. Sweet, sweet beer.

Born in Hawaii, raised in Washington and now living in the conservative south, Yulon now attends a private university and majors in both English/Philosophy. Hearing the sounds of Mercyful Fate, Venom, Morbid Angel, Death and other classic acts at 12, her musical states haven’t strayed away from the evil and extreme side of metal. Now 18, the occasional piano piece, ambient drone or some fuzzed out slab of experimental madness may find its way to her, but black/death metal is a mainstay while King Diamond/Mercyful Fate remain constant favorites. She also writes for her own webzine, Tanin'iver Zine.

Hailing from the midlands gives one an equal chance of turning out either a boorish thug obscuring the desolation of existence in an endless procession of football matches, casual sexual encounters, pints of insipid lager and broken bottle fights; or an embittered and pretentious shut-in husk screaming out one’s incoherent rage and frustration vicariously through the work of artists immeasurably more talented, motivated, and successful than oneself. It is left to the judgement of the reader whether or not the fact that Oxford emerged into the latter category is a boon. The musical odyssey that brought him to the metal fold is too complex and mind-blowing to be related in this limited space, but suffice to say he enjoys many heavy flavours, chiefly doom, stoner and progressive, as well as jazz, funk, electronica, ambient and all manner of 1970s hard rock. He is most likely to be found complaining profanely about the modern idiom like a grumpy old man (never let him hear you say the word "awesome"). Reaching the cusp of his fourth decade has honed his musical appreciation to what he would laughably deem "maturity", but what everyone around him rightfully identifies as "snobbery".

Simon was born in Melbourne, Australia. His life is wrought by all things negative only held together by a single thread; obscure music. The onset of music began at an early age and since has slowly disintegrated from big name acts like Darkthrone, Mayhem, Behemoth and so-on into an obsession of ambiguous noise and indecisive static. As well an appreciation for the underground metal scene, Simon's musical knowledge transcends far beyond the realms of Extreme Metal. Any tunes with true emotions embedded into them is worthy of appreciation, in his eyes at least. Now playing:

1. Panopticon - _Panopticon
2. Lifelover - _Dekadens_
3. Okera - _The Black Rain _
4. V/A - _Diluvian Temperals_
5. Portal - _Swarth_