Zine Review: Strig:Oi! #2

A year after its initial launch, the unholy Greater Wallachian scrolls known as Strig:Oi! fanzine have made a triumphant return with their second edition! The debut issue was quite interesting, but this second attempt really establishes a distinct and recognizable identity for the fanzine.

Featuring brilliant cover art by Missrhyne, which remains consistent with the aesthetic introduced in the first issue, Strig:Oi! #2 continues to narrate the escapades of the StrigOi character (‘strigoi’ in Romanian mythology are troubled spirits that are said to have risen from the grave) and his companions—set against their bonehead foes—through full-page illustrations and comic strips scattered across the zine. Like its predecessor, Strig:Oi! #2 is packed with a sizable poster of its cover art and killer stickers.

However, it’s the textual content that makes this second issue truly shine in the Wallachian moonlight. Author Cezar has done a tremendous job interviewing some really interesting bands and individuals in this issue. True to the spirit of the zine, it begins with an interview with a band that combines Oi! and metal, namely the Dutch-American combo Live By The Sword. And while that interview was already quite lengthy, it’s followed by a huge conversation with the Swedish anarchist black metal ensemble Trespasser, which is easily the highlight of the issue. Though it’s a bit of a surprise to see a full-on black metal band featured in an Oi! zine.

Thankfully, despite being published in English, Strig:Oi! also maintains its focus on the local scene in Romania, with interesting writings (such as the first installment on DIY venues in Bucharest) and in-depth interviews with Romanian acts like Constanța’s thrash/groove metal band Grinder and the iconic Gabi Molotov, a legendary figure in Romania’s punk scene and singer for The Dead Ceaușescus.

Another significant piece is the comprehensive interview with Craiova’s infamous band Terror Art, a group that, alongside others like Critica Radicala, Haos, and Null 00, laid the groundwork for political punk in Romania. This conversation, available in both Romanian and English (translated by Missrhyne, who draws the artwork for the zine), offers a more personal look at the members’ lives. I remember reading some old Terror Art interviews where they mainly talked about politics, but this one is way more personal with reflections on their lives as old punks with families and a life outside the punk scene.

While part of the Terror Art interview touches on the topic of ultras culture in Romania, football fans will enjoy the interview with members of the FC St. Pauli’s supporters group in Chania, Greece. Even if you don’t like football much, this interview is especially interesting in light of the recent dissolution of other European and Greek St. Pauli fan clubs due to the Hamburg club’s controversial stance on the issue of the ongoing bombing of Gaza.

The zine also includes conversations with Picko of the Slovakian fanzine Real Enemy (2003-2019) and the Oi! group The Uncouth from Kansas City, Missouri. The Uncouth, in particular, struck a chord with me as genuinely nice individuals. Overall, the second issue is seriously good. I came for the Trespasser, Terror Art and St. Pauli Chania interviews, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole zine.

Both the first and second issues are available from the zine’s bigcartel store. Some copies are also available at the Contra Records shop in Germany.

Source: diyconspiracy.net