Yes that is correct, for the first time! Heaven’s Metal Magazine goes back in print for special 40th Anniversary issue! Limited to 1,000 copies only and originally released at this years Immortal Fest I and II and you can now get one of the remaining copies! We secured 50 copies of this very special one time physical pressings!
Double sided covers with cover stories from Bride and Saint for all you classic metal heads! But that is just the beginning tons of new articles, reviews and more! Get your copy today while you can!
Here's the back story for ya......
“I was talking to Anthony Gober of Anchor Merchandising,” explained Editor Doug Van Pelt. “He asked me for any leads on printers, because he was planning on creating a program guide for the upcoming Immortal Festival dates. One thing led to another and I asked him, “What if we made a special 40th Anniversary edition of Heaven’s Metal Magazine, which could also serve as a program guide of sorts. That’s how this one-time return to print came to be.”
The 14-man Heaven’s Metal karew (aka editorial team) quickly rolled its sleeves up and started crafting original articles for this print edition.
“I recently just joined the team,” said Christian Metal Group founder Jimmy Lamar Sorrells, “and it has been an honor to work with these guys. I love supporting and promoting these bands in the metal scene and what better way to do than with an amazing print magazine for the 40th anniversary”
“Designing a Heaven’s Metal Magazine cover has been a lifelong dream,” said Seth Metoyer, President of Broken Curfew Records, “especially for the 40th anniversary issue. It was an absolute joy interviewing Dale from Bride and Rey from Sacred Warrior for this special edition. The entire Heaven’s Metal team poured countless hours into this release, and I hope the passion, legacy, and sense of community we’ve all built together in the Christian metal scene shines through for all the fans.”
“It’s about time Heaven’s Metal Magazine was back in print,” said Chris Gatto, who is pictured in the new issue as a sword-bearing viking in a kilt (check out the “Meet the Karew” page when you get this issue). “Make paper magazines a thing again!”
“It’s so cool to see Heaven’s Metal in physical print again after all these years,” said Loyd Harp. “I started reading the magazine as a teenager in the late 80s, and getting to work on this issue has been really rewarding.”
“Not everyone on the team was happy, though. “I’m stoked that Heaven’s Metal is back in actual print now,” said Jason McLaren. “I’m sad I couldn’t contribute to this one as much as I liked in terms of extreme metal coverage, but it’s all about Immortal Festival, so it’s all good. As someone who still buys actual physical copies of albums, it’s so good to see a physical metal mag coming down the pipes as well!” Like the rest of the karew, McLaren was able to contribute as a proofreader and vocal member of the steering committee, as it were.
“This is the first issue in print with the mighty fine modern Heaven’s Metal logo on the front,” said Van Pelt. It will be available at the Immortal Festival I weekend, which kicks off on July 25 in Versailles, Ohio. It will also be available while supplies last at the HM Press online store. A few other online retailers will be carrying it, too. Loyd Harp’s store, Girder Music, Boone’s Overstock, and Roxx Productions.
“People have asked,” explains Van Pelt, “if this means Heaven’s Metal Magazine is back in print – like permanently. That is not the plan. If you only knew the machinery needed to make that happen (editorial effort, advertising sales, retail sales, postal permits, just to name a few hurdles necessary), you’d know that this party and celebration is a moment. Anything can happen, of course, but we just want you to know that the plans for this is a one-time publication to celebrate our 40th anniversary.
“There are lots of ideas up in the air, though. Printing volumes of Heaven’s Metal Magazine archives by year, maybe in hardback. I’ve been thinking about doing a Back Page collection of all those back page graphics and messages that were on the back of each issue.* And how knows? Maybe we’ll celebrate our 41st anniversary next summer!”
“Just in case you were wondering what the two different cover images represented, this 40th Anniversary special edition is a ‘double-flip’ cover, or as some call it, a ‘flipbook.’ I did this over the years with some issues (like HM #122 with Pillar & Skillet, #127 with As I Lay Dying & Paramore, #131 with P.O.D. & Showbread, #132 with War of Ages & Kutless, #133 with Underoath & Anberlin, #137 with mewithoutYou & Zao, #139 with Skillet & White Collar Sideshow, #149 with August Burns Red & Sleeping Giant), and even with the Heaven’s Metal Fanzine (#71 with Once Dead & Eternal Ryte. It made it easier to ‘spread the love,’ so to speak, when it was hard to decide whether to put Pillar or Skillet on the cover.
This issue makes its debut at the Immortal Festival I on July 25th and remaining copies will be distributed until gone!