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 music, 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...
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 Summoning, Massacre, Locrian, Nasty Savage, Dark Tranquillity, Death, Trouble, Macabre, Broken Hope and Obituary.
In his 42 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...
Mark S. Dolson was born in London, Ontario, Canada. 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.
In 2001, Dan Lake entered the extreme music realm through the gateways of Faith No More and Tool, wandered a courtyard guarded by Merzbow and John Zorn, roamed the thorny gardens kept by Neurosis and Converge, lost his footing and slid into the oubliette of all things Relapse and Southern Lord, and eventually stormed the citadel to join in the blackest, doomy, deathly rites being performed there (with an occasional Devin Townsend break out on the balcony). Finding time now to indulge his shadow side can be complicated, but somehow between the responsibilities of teaching high school math and raising two young children, Dan makes time for aural punishment, reading fantastically strange stories, taking in the odd zombie film, and making some semi-brutal noise of his own. Dan hopes that his writing and his frequent use of metal in the classroom will infect others with his passion for sonic savagery, aiding in the inevitable devastation (and hopeful end) of lesser musics, played by people who deliberately gel-spike their hair in front of their eyes.
Not much is known about St. John Satansson. And what they do know is probably wrong. They say he's British, and hails from the rural Midlands, although he's been sighted as far north as Scotland, and was last rumoured to be in London.
They say that where he goes the beer runs dry and men spontaneously drop trou. It's thought that he was once a microphone cleaner for Tygers of Pan Tang. Other sources mention that he was once Rohypnol'd by Judas Priest, and woke up naked on a traffic island in Birmingham. His name is mentioned in hushed tones on the toilet circuit, where his presence is felt rather than acknowledged.
He's the shattered, vandalised, mensroom bog the drummer needs to use. He's the soundman high on dope that couldn't give a fuck about your shitty band. He's in sudden burst of feedback, the ripped drum skin, the broken guitar string, the sudden onset of onstage vomiting. He's in he disinterested crowd, the muddy sound, the other bands mates that fuck off within seconds.
What does he want? They might well ask. St. John Satansson wants to feel like he did when he heard metal for the first time. St. John Satansson wants to sift the underground to judge of who have not yet been deemed worthy. St. John Satansson wants your demos. Because bands that get signed just aren't true enough.
Paul Schwarz is not a 54 year old graduate of St. Andrews University. Born in London, England to foreign parents, Paul lived in a small town on the east coast of Scotland longer than many of his friends would have liked.
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'. 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 and tracks and tapes and half repaired hard drives 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...)
Originally from Germany, Julia has lived at various places around the world, always following the opportunities to study interesting rocks. Usually she prefers cold countries with lots of snow because she loves winter sports, but once in a while she ventures out into hotter climates.
For a long time Julia was exposed to classical music playing piano, accordion and guitar. During her studies in geosciences, however, she must have subconsciously decided that her interest in (hard) rocks must be matched with a more powerful type of music.
Living in Norway for several years introduced her to a variety of Scandinavian metal bands which probably take up the largest part of her music collection. Although probably slightly more on the melodic side, Julia's metal preferences range within black, death, doom, Viking, pagan, medieval, melodic, symphonic, progressive and industrial.