Salutations, and thank you for tuning into Pitch Black.

As many of you are aware, this is the first official issue of Alberta’s hard rock and metal magazine and I am delighted you have decided to join us, even if you were lured here by a search engine gone awry.

At Pitch Black, our focus is on Alberta artists and the international acts that call Alberta home, even if for just one stop along the tour route. Through these efforts, we hope to put Alberta music on the map and become your ultimate source for Alberta-bred hard rock and metal, and all the latest details on your favourite bands visiting our little corner in the West. And whether you’re a musician or music fan, you’re sure to find something that piques your interest.

Isn’t that a delicious notion?

Perhaps one day this might be one for the history books. But, until I can come up with a good punchline for that crackpot idea, how about I introduce you to what you can look forward to in each and everyone of our future publications by unveiling some of this month’s content?

Because the beautiful – when it’s no longer snowing – month of May is when we celebrate Mother’s Day here in Canada, one of the first things you might notice is a bit of a theme.

Managing editor Becca Stone pulls double duty as a full time mum. She’s also a singer who finds time to practice between raising her kids and editing for Pitch Black.

“A good metal show can relieve all the stress, of a day at home being ‘supermum,’” she said, when asked how she balances everything in her busy schedule. Fortunately, members of the Stone family have similar tastes in music.

“On a whole, I like to encourage my kids to choose what they want to listen to; I’m just thankful that most of it is already part of my music collection,” she nodded.

“My oldest, who’s nine, has been to open jam sessions, local festivals and whatnot since he was just a couple weeks old. Music has always been a big part of our family life,” she added. “Every time my husband and I go out to shows my son is always a little annoyed that he’s not allowed to go. My 3-year-old has already been to his first Cradle of Filth gig, albeit I was pregnant at the time…”

Stone makes her writing debut this month through her interview with Red Deer thrashers First Church of Mud, and her kids have been headbanging to their debut album ever since.

“I’m all for kids using aggressive music as an outlet. It’s so good to see my oldest son playing air drums and guitar to aggressive music. I’d much rather that than him beating up his younger brother!”

We’ve also got features on HOMEGROWN HELLIONS Divinity and Exit Strategy who let us invade their brains to find out who’s recording and who’s introducing new band members. We also caught up with Massachusetts metalcore quintet Unearth, Finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani, and Birmingham grindcore gods Napalm Death. And I admit, we did kind of bend our own rules a little bit on that last one.

One thing you’ll notice is that the international acts we cover in Pitch Black are featured the same month you can catch them in action somewhere in the province. Napalm Death will be unable to make their Edmonton and Calgary tour stops this May. Unfortunately, this was due to circumstances beyond my control. Trust me, if I could somehow bend the highway with my mind, I would. Hopefully they’ll be able to return some time in the near future. Until then, a lot of leg work went into securing an interview with vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway. We’ve got it for you in BACKSTAGE PASS and hope you enjoy reading it as much as editor-in-chief Pamela Porosky enjoyed deciphering it between high-speed bus noises. They talked about their mums. And you know what? It was kinda insightful.

So it only makes sense that this month’s METAL MAIDEN is glowing mum-to-be Aimee Vengeance.

“I place a lot of importance on a child being raised in a musical environment. Where would society be on a whole without music?” she asked in response to how she plans on introducing music to her son.

“Music inspires, be it classical or metal and I wish for my child to grow to be a creative person. I also believe he should have the right to decide what he will want to listen to and what he will not. I would not be able to live with myself if I deprived him of the chance to see his dad, uncles, friends or other musicians he holds in high regard. Although, I pray to the Heathen Gods of Metal that he will not take a liking to power metal!”

Dad-to-be is Dead Jesus’ drummer Timothy Prevost, who also provides the percussion for The Order of Chaos, featured in this month’s edition of The Pit Stop.

There you’ll also find photo revues of Cannibal Corpse, Exodus, Neuraxis, and The Merciful, not to mention behind-the-scenes photos of Children of Bodom’s in-store autograph session at Axe.

Now, this is only the beginning, but we’re confident that you’re going to love the music we’re going to love bringing to you. And if you don’t? Well, we’ll still love you, but only about as much as a cat that runs through your legs while you’re walking down a set of really curvy and steep stairs.

As it is now and forever will be, feel free to send in your questions, comments, gripes, complaints and/or female dogs to mistress@pitchblack.ca. If your question intrigues me and seems like something that would be of interest to Alberta’s metal community, I just might emerge from my lair long enough to find you the answers and print them here. And make sure to visit Albert Metal, a prime source for what’s going on in the province, and a place where you can chat with like-minded readers!

So tune in and crank it up,

Mistress Morwyn

The Keeper of the Lair