We have some really exciting news this month from the Pitch Black office. The highly-anticipated 2010 Alberta Metal Maidens calendar is now available! The 13-month calendar features a number of the Metal Maidens featured on the webzine throughout 2009, as well as some you’ve never seen before. The calendar’s official launch took place at Sacred Ally’s fourth anniversary show at Big Al’s in Calgary, Alta. on Halloween night and everyone was so supportive, I can’t begin to tell you all how grateful we are for the support of our readers.

If you weren’t able to make it out to the show, the calendar will be available at various shows throughout Alberta for the next couple of months, as well as online; and, yes, we will ship pretty much anywhere mail carriers go! Proceeds from the calendar, which goes for $15 (plus postage, if applicable) go to keeping the ‘zine pluggin’ down the cyber-trail, and to help us keep supporting Alberta hard rock and metal artists through projects like professional photo shoots and press kit workshops. We’ll have more information posted really soon, so stay tuned!

But, even more important to us is remembering all the things that allow to follow all our artistic endeavours, whether that be writing, photography, music, or any other form of creative expression.

Since 1919, people the world over have been observing Remembrance Day.

These days, some scoff at the annual Nov. 11 ceremonies, many don’t even know what it’s all about. That, to me, is sad.

Traditionally, the day was to mark the ending of the Great War, but has since come to honour all those who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy today, whether you agree with war or “peacekeeping missions,” or whatever you want to call them, or not. War is a reality, and freedom is something that can be easily lost.

Freedom of speech, freedom of expression – these aren’t just concepts, and they’re so often taken for granted.

Freedom is what soldiers fought for.

Sure, there would still be art, there would still be music, but would we dictate, ourselves, what that art what convey, what that music would represent? It’s impossible to say.

But it’s very possible we might not have the openness in society to draw what we want or listen to what we choose, if not for those who sacrificed a great many things, including their lives, to protect those freedoms.

Now, 90 years later, while we remember those who made these freedoms possible, let us also not forget those with the talent to create who embraced those freedoms whole heartedly, many of which were taken from us all too soon.

This year marked many losses in the world of rock and metal.

Dickie Peterson, frontman and bassist for Blue Cheer, lost the battle with cancer just two weeks ago. Peterson, along with the rest of Blue Cheer, are considered the pioneers of heavy metal.

Songwriter, inventor, and guitarist Les Paul left this world for the great big stage in the sky at age of 94. Born in the United States just three years before the end of WWI, Paul was the visionary behind some of the finest musical instruments ever made, and his devlopments on the electric guitar helped forever define the sound of rock and roll.

Tragically, Evile bassist Mike Alexander suffered a blood clot while on a recent European tour and passed away at the young age of 32.

Also gone but not forgotten are Sentenced guitarist Miika Tenkula, former Zimmer’s Hole guitarist Chris Stanley, who had remained strong and positive in spite of Cerebral Palsy for many years, Brian Redman, former guitarist for 3 Inches of Blood, and former Candiria guitarist Chris Puma.

The contributions to our culture through your music did not go unnoticed, and will be missed.