Hard Metal magazine

James Hetfield and Kirk Hammet from band Metallica promoting Hard Metal festival , photo published in Hard Metal magazine No 4 , photographer : Konstantin Polzovic - location Budapest date august 1991.

### Illustrator

* Branislav Bane Kerac
* Momcilo Mirovic Crni

### Publisher

Dnevnik , Novi Sad , Yugoslavia

Hard Metal magazine was Yugoslavian heavy metal monthly magazine .

It was the publishing continuation of the Explosive fanzine.

Hard Metal was printed and distributed in the period from may 1991. to may 1992.

Editors were Aleksandar and Konstantin Polzovic

## Start

All start  in 1990. when editor of biggest newspapers pubishing company in Vojvodina region aproached Konstantin Polzovic and propose him to create a real magazine with major distribution in Yugoslavia .

At the time director of newspapers distribution company was amazed with Explosive fanzine and letters that Explosive records received from whole Yugoslavia and abroad.

Deal was signed on 2 years and Konstantin Polzovic as editor receive contract and fee for preparing content.

Magazine is planed to represent best design with original unique content and photographs, most interestting interviews and reviews , to be printed mostly on colur pages with high quality paper and affordable price .

Name was given by Konstantin Polzovic , Branislav Bane Kerac did logo design and Momcilo Mirovic Crni did airbrush retouche on logo .

Shortly after other prominent and well known Yugoslaivan classic rock and heavy metal  journalists  was called to participate in creating Hard Metal :  Obrad Boba Skrbic , Branimir Bane Lokner , Jadranka Jankovic and Aleksandar Polzovic

## Distribution

Territory of former Yugoslavia todays Serbia , Croatia , Montenegro , Bosnia and Herzegovina , North Macedonia and Slovenia .

Sales point : Newspappers stalls around 2000 across whole Yugoslaviia

## General Content

Every number contains heavy metal news , reviews , ads , songs tablatures and lyrics , readers pages , charts , demo bands corner ,concerts reviews and many more informations.

Each issue also contained exclusive guitar school from guitar player Al Pitrelli ( Alice Cooper ) as well as comic cartoon made by most famous Yugoslavian cartonnest Branislav Bane Kerac alias Baker .

## Content

### No 1 May 1991.

cover Blackie Lawless ( WASP )

free gift sticker : Slayer

interviews : Pantera , Annihilator , Dave Mustaine ( Megadeth ) part 1 , Pergament , Kings X , plus Napalm Death , Poison . Steve Clark ( Def Leppard ) , Uriah Heep , Budgie , ZZ Top , Love / Hate

posters : Poison , Megadeth , White Lion

circulation 30000

### No 2  June 1991

front page Mike Tramp ( White Lion )

posters : Vixen , Slayer , W Axl Rose & Michael Monroe

interviews : White Lion , Megadeth ( part 2 ) , Demoniac , Slayer , Bloodbath plus Helloween , The Extreme ,Vixen , Black Sabbath , Motley Crue , Queensryche , etc circulation 40000

### No 3  july / august 1991

Cover : Angus Young ( AC/DC )

posters : Metallica , Sepultura , Bon Jovi

interviews : Sepultura , White Lion , Bonfire , Bombarder , plus Pink Cream 69 , Guns N Roses , Epidemic Zone , Donnigton 1991 : AC/DC , Metallica , Megadeth ,Sacred Reich , Heathen , David Lee Roth , Gary Moore ; Circulation 40000

### Event Hard Metal Festival / august 1991

To comemorate succes of new magazine in august 1991 first ( and last ) Hard Metal magazine festival was held in Novi Sad  . Among others bands Annathema , Bombarder , Bloodbath and Demoniac were performed.

### No 4  september / october 1991.

Cover : Metallica

poster : Guns and Rose , Skid Row ,

Since we obtain exclusive interview with Metallica , front magazine cover was printed in 5 colours ( instaed 4 ) with silver ( metal ) print as 5th colour and exclusive report Donnington festival 1991 - AC/DC , Metallica , Motley Crue , Quennesryche , Black Crowes plus Obituary , Van Halen , Sank Rock ,Testament and others ,.. Circulation 60000 ( Absolute highlight )

### No 5 Februar 1992

front cover : Richie Sambora ( Bon Jovi )

posters : Queensryche , Guns N Roses , Sadus

interviews : Skid Row , Scorpions , Dan ReedNetwork , Skid Row , L.A. Guns , Type O Negative plus  Kreator , Crna Udovica , The Cult  and others

Circulation 20000

### No 6 May – June 1992.

Front cover : Sebastian Bach ( Skid Row )

posters : Metallica , The Extreme , Iron Maiden , Pestilence

interviews : D.A.D. , Hanoi Rocks , Skid Row , Death , Extreme , Bloodbath , Slayer , Mind Funk , Morbid Angel , Iron Maide , Eric Carr ( Kiss )

Circulation 20000

## End

In july 1991. war begins in Slovenia. Local secessionists armed with Germany provided weapons attacked young Yugoslavian soldiers and killed 18 year old boy from Novi Sad in front of TV camera. No one knew what was coming next.

Shortly after Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia,  America and Nato urdged authorities in capitol Belgrade that any use of military force from Yugoslavian army against secesions republics will be forced US and Nato military intervention .

Deterioration of the situation in the country continues and bank payments and money transfers between republics stopped and magazine did not receive any income from 1000 + selling points in Slovenia and Croatia .

Hard Metal No 4 was last issue distributed and sold in whole Yugoslavia.

Kind of peace agreement was signed and situation calmed a bit until january 1992 when final escalation of conflict began .

Numbers 5 and 6 of Hard Metal magazine suffer with less pages,  on cheaper paper and only partial distribution with much less circulation.

Total sanctions from America , their western vassals and UN was imposed to what is left from Yugoslavia primarly targeting Serbia .

Export , Import , trade and money transfers were blocked and it become impossible to work or travel anymore .

Inflation started with prices changing every day and new banknotes were printed with higher numbers but lower and lower value.

Lack of electricity, gas and import products were forcing economy including publishing companies to stop.

That was end of best ever Yugoslavian heavy metal magazine Hard Metal.