No. 13 - October 2017 | Santa Fe White Metal
It was one of the best things to come out of the White Metal scene in Argentina. Yes, we’re talking about Santa Fe White Metal, which spread the underground movement from the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, from 2004 to approximately 2019. Without pretending to be something it wasn’t and with a direct message, this beloved fanzine was one of the best productions in this regard, and the best part is that it was free, full color, packed with information, and funded by its own founder, Naldo Brizuela, who spread (and continues to do so today) everything related to the underground scene.
Naldo Brizuela himself told us about the origins of the fanzine: “The fanzine became another step in the movement we had started in 2003 with a radio program dedicated solely to white metal (”El Extremo Opuesto”), the only one of its kind in this region, which quickly established itself on the local scene alongside other radio programs. Not only as a program, but we also got involved in organizing underground concerts, always supporting and participating with Christian bands that we invited, obviously covering the costs, since they weren’t bands that the organizers here wanted to produce, but since there was good vibes, they always made room for me. That’s when I thought it would be interesting to put all that activity in writing, recording the dates with reviews, but also introducing these new bands. So, at first, I made a newsletter, 100 copies, photocopied. That was in mid-2004. Then I realized it wasn’t so crazy to make something with more pages and release it every two months, and so in October 2004, issue No. 1 of SANTA FE WHITE METAL FANZINE came out, a name that sought to convey not only localism but also a reference to Judas Priest’s album Defenders of Faith; and a subtle attempt to declare the spiritual principles of Christian Metal, since the fanzine only featured White Metal bands. The name was a real stretch, I mean… but hey, minimalism was never my thing.“
As a way to remember this beloved fanzine, and for those who never had the opportunity to hold it in their hands and read it, here is a copy of issue no. 13, released in October 2017, in PDF format. In it, you will find articles on national bands such as Triade, Guarnición, Altar, Voz de Estruendo, Cruz Metal, Lázaro, Doble Filo, Saint, etc, plus special reports, news (from that time), radio programs, etc., all with a great presentation. It’s truly a luxury! Later on, we will be uploading more issues of this great fanzine, as well as others that were also published, as a way to explore the history of this movement called “White Metal.”
