D.U.S.K. - 28 EP (Fist in the Eye Records)

D.U.S.K. is a collection of experimental music inspired by the grim darkness of the far future!

Warhammer 40,000’s tag line is “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” That phrase, along with the game’s oppressive bleakness in concept and imagery, has led to the coining of the phrase “grimdark”. The game and its setting have inspired hobbyists worldwide to create miniatures exploring the nightmares of a war-torn future, each trying their best to embody the nihilistic horror of grimdark. This inspiration has also captured the imagination of musicians, though this receives less attention on hobby blogs and websites. The legendary British death metal band Bolt Thrower famously released a Warhammer 40,000-themed album called Realm of Chaos, which included Games Workshop artwork for the album cover (my teenage self thought Bolt Thrower was far too harsh for my tastes, though I eventually came to appreciate the band as I got older). While extreme metal might seem like the obvious choice to explore a desolate future, other genres have been doing the same with equal success. Dark ambient musicians like Lustmord have been trawling the depths of cosmic bleakness for decades (Lustmord’s album Dark Matter has a song called "Astronomicon", which was created using audio from cosmological recordings acquired during space missions from NASA and other sources). Simon Heath's dark ambient record label Cryochamber abounds with artists creating droney music to score any dystopian science fiction film/story/game effectively. Heath even created a Warhammer 40,000-inspired playlist. Beyond dark ambient music, other experimental music genres lend themselves well to grimdark settings, merging elements of noise, tape loops, field recordings, and dungeon synth. D.U.S.K., a compilation EP of experimental music created by miniature gaming hobbyists, is a new example of music inspired by war-torn futures.

28 Collected Kickstarter!

We are excited to say that 28, in conjunction with Dave Taylor Miniatures, just started a Kickstater campaign to publish a physical version of 28 magazine, collecting many excellent articles from the past 6 issues of the digital magazine! Since the first issue was released in 2018, people have been asking for a printed version of the magazine, so we are happy that this is finally becoming a reality. The three of us have been involved with 28 since its inception, where we have been editors and writers. The printed volume will be a 320-page, hardback book, with almost 50 different articles. One of these articles was written by the three of us, talking about our Vastarian: Dreams of the Pious open invitational! We encourage everyone to look at the Kickstarter and consider getting a copy!

28 Vol. 6 out now!

John Blanche is the feature artist!

We are excited to announce that volume 6 of the digital magazine 28 is finally out! As always, it is free to download from their website. It is filled with all sorts of grim hobby content, along with an interview from the legendary John Blanche! We also wrote an article for the issue, talking about our inspiration for starting Vastarian! It was a long road completing the volume, but we are glad it is finally complete and hope you enjoy it!

32, Chapter 12 - H.P. Lovecraft on vinyl, an interview with Chris Bozzone of Cadabra Records

In this episode of 32, Eric and Greg Wier interview Chris Bozzone, a composer and musician from Cadabra Records. Cadabra Records is a vinyl record label that has been tirelessly promoting weird fiction, both newer and older authors, with amazing spoken word recordings of short stories, each with their own musical accompaniment. Since their start in 2015, they have produced a staggering number of releases featuring classics by H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Clark Ashton Smith, and M.R. James, along with newer authors like Thomas Ligotti, Jon Padgett, and Matthew M. Bartlett. In the episode we talk about how the record label started and how they produce so many varied works. We also touch on the live performances they do, like the recent Nightlands Festival.

32, Chapter 5 - Steve Rowlinson + Folk Horror

“an environment built, not for man, but for man's absence." J G Ballard.

In chapter 5 Alexander Winberg is joined by hobby enthusiast Steve Rowlinson and they discuss folk horror and how it creeps into games like the Weald. We also talk about community creation and the peculiar kind of person who is attracted to all this strangeness. And of course, we round it all out with a good chat about folkhammer, where Warhammer meets folk horror and everyone is strange.

32, Episode 4: Drachenfels

The start of Warhammer Horror.

For the fourth episode of 32, Eric Wier and Alexander Winberg talk about the 1989 horror classic Drachenfels by Kim Newman, of the Anno Dracula fame. We chat about the novel’s interesting place in the Old World, and how things have both stayed the same and also changed in the Warhammer world since it was first written. We also talk about its unusual characters and interesting plot structure: a jailed playwright and vampire from Bretonnia creating a dramatization of the defeat of the dreaded Drachenfels.

28 Volume 4 is out!

 

Volume 4!

I am excited to say that the fourth volume of the Inq28/AoS28 magazine 28 is out and free for download! It has been a long time in the making, collecting and editing articles, but it was worth the wait! Like the previous issues, it is filled with all sorts of exciting articles covering topics like terrain building, painting, photography, and converting models. While my brothers and I did not directly write an article in the new issue, we were responsible for curating questions and contacting the creators of MÖRK BORG for the interview within the new issue. So if you haven't already, go download the new volume!

32, Episode 2: War of the Orks

Quite a different direction from the Black Library.

I am happy to say that Alex and I were able to record the second episode of 28’s podcast, 32! In it, we discuss the contentious topic of the children-friendly Warhammer Adventure books, having both read the 4th entry into the Warped Galaxies series: War of the Orks. Give the episode a listen to learn what they thought about the story and the series as a whole. If you are trying to find it on your favorite podcast platform, I suggest searching: 32 Team 28.

32, a 28 podcast

I am proud to say that we have been a part of the digital magazine 28 since its foundation, working alongside the rest of the 28 team and all of the talented contributors. Putting out each issue is a lot of work, from collecting submissions, to editing, to doing the graphic design. As a result, since its foundation in 2018, we have released three volumes (with a fourth in its final stages, as I type this). This slow release schedule got the team talking about the possibility of starting a podcast. This would allow the team to release more regular content, giving us the opportunity to share what we are currently excited about in our own hobby journeys. After a little more discussion, we quickly recorded our first episode, focusing on the miniature game Forbidden Psalm, set in the MÖRK BORG universe. Although we are still working out the format for the episodes, including who hosts each and what we talk about, Alexander Winberg (Creative Director of 28) and I hosted the first episode.

28 Presents: International Women's Day

The first International Women’s Day issue of 28!

 

To celebrate International Women’s Day yesterday, as well as Women’s History month as a whole, the digital magazine 28 created its first special issues, in the form of 28 Presents: IWD2021 special. In this 55 page free magazine, they celebrate the incredibly talented women who take part in this miniature hobby. It features 23 remarkable hobbyists who excel at miniature painting, sculpting, illustration, game design, Twitch streaming, and cosplay. If you have not yet, we highly encourage you to take a look at this new issue of 28, and start to follow some of these incredible hobbyists!

Odd Sided Dice Podcast: 28 magazine

 

Last week I was privileged to have the opportunity to be a guest on the Odd Sided Dice podcast, an excellent miniature wargaming podcast by Kieran Byrne and Ian Weighill. Being big fans of the 28 digital magazine, they asked if one of the 28 team would be willing to be a guest on their podcast. Being one of 28’s editors, and having listened to a few episodes of their podcast in the past, I jumped at the opportunity. We had a great discussion about the 28 magazine and where it is going in the future. I also had the opportunity to talk a little about how Between the Bolter and Me started.

28 Volume 2 is Out!

Volume 2!

I am excited to say that the second volume of the Inq28/AoS28 magazine 28 is out and free for download! It has been almost a full year in the making, but I think it was worth it, as this issue is almost 50 pages longer than the inaugural issue! Like the first issue, it is filled with all sorts of exciting articles covering topics like terrain building, painting, and narrative events like Mordheim 2019. I feel really honored to have been a part of the magazine, writing an article about sculpting, and helping with the editing process! If you haven't go download the new volume!

28 the magazine is here!

Your day has come denizen... 

Almost a year ago, we announced that we were going to be involved in creating/contributing to a digital magazine focusing on Inq28 and Aos28 called 28. We are incredibly excited to say that the first issue is complete and is available to download for free! It is filled with all manner of excellent articles, covering things from painting to the creative process. It has been great to help make the magazine a reality, but most of the credit has to go to all of the talented contributors, and particularly James Sherriff for all of the graphical design, formatting, and editing. We hope you all enjoy the issue! Now time to start thinking about issue two…

28 the Magazine

We are excited to reveal that the three of us from Between the Bolter and Me will be contributing to the newly-revealed digital magazine: 28! 28 is a free bi-annual magazine that focuses the Warhammer hobby with an emphasis on creativity and exploring the more esoteric elements of Games Workshop’s settings. Excitingly, the first issue is to be released this fall! Although we do not want to give too much away, you can follow the magazine to hear of new developments on their website, along with facebook and Instagram!