Book Reviews

The Merciless Book of Metal Lists
Howie Abrams & Sacha Jenkins
Street: 04.09

Folks seem to have an uncontrolled OCD like need to categorize bands, make top ten to top 100 lists. I for one however don’t like lists other than making a playlist to keep track of current musical listening. I always cringe when Nov.-Dec. Rolls around and it’s time for SLUG’s top 5 lists. The biggest reason for this disdain is after my list is created I find something better or that should’ve been on that list. Abrams and Jenkins do a good job at making a bunch of lists, and having some cool friends make some too. It’s all done in good fun because the authors fully admit any metal junkie is going to disagree. About a quarter of the way with the lists the writers bias shows and the lack of any metal genre outside of Heavy Metal and thrash are absent – well there is death metal list that has Celtic Frost in it which is outright blasphemy itself. –Bryer Wharton

We’re Pregnant
Words:  Nathan C. Martin
Photography:  Akasha Rabut, Sophie T. Lvoff, and Grissel Giuliano
Press Street
Street: 03.2013

We’re Pregnant is a zine my friend, and former SLUG staffer Nate Martin created based out of New Orleans. It’s composed of three short stories Nate wrote and decorated with abstract photographs from some great up and coming camera slingers. The stories Nate wrote are dark, disturbing, and poetic. Three things I really like when I read. My first thoughts after I read We’re Pregnant was it’s got to be a reflection of how one may feel about living in New Orleans these days. Although it’s a city that’s gentrifying quickly there’s still a darkness and desperation looming there from a cloud of Hurricane Katrina. We’re Pregnant is published locally in New Orleans, and is available through press-street.com. It’s always great to see a former SLUG staffer doing something awesome with their writing talents, so don’t be a dick and get yourself of We’re Pregnant … or get an abortion, I don’t care. –Mike Brown