Painkiller Magazine is China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

's first heavy music

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

 and a legally registered enterprise for print media productions by Chinese State Authority.

Based in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, it was founded in September 2000 and started off publishing quarterly; the frequency in 2006, is now one issue every two months.

Their current average circulation is 40,000 copies; sold in all major cities of mainland China (Beijing, Chengdu

Chengdu

Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...

, Xi'an

Xi'an

Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...

...), as well as Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 and Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

.

The magazine's language is Chinese, and has correspondents, foreign editors and contributors in the USA, UK, & Germany for interviews, foreign news, and features.

Unique to Painkiller, the magazine has a Front Cover with the title in Chinese and a back cover with the title in English and normal publication is 84 pages in both color and black & white with a fold out color poster.

Every issue also has a cover CD and a 'Metal In China' section which promotes and introduces bands on the local Chinese heavy metal scene in which several city scenes are presented and Chinese heavy metal is explained including its function as a 'rebellion of denial' due to the new sound movement.

The content focuses on articles and interviews, photographs of live concerts from around the world and in China, CD reviews, and posters – mainly with foreign metal bands from the genres: Heavy metal, power metal

Power metal

Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...

, progressive metal

Progressive metal

Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...

, nu metal

Nu metal

Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...

, hard rock

Hard rock

Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

, metalcore

Metalcore

Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...

, darkwave/gothic/industrial, hard core, thrash metal

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

, death metal

Death metal

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

, black metal

Black metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....

, grindcore

Grindcore

Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....

, etc.

Further activities include the support of the local metal underground, the organization of concerts, CD distribution throughout China, and certain internet activities. Painkiller recently co-promoted the German band, EDGUY

Edguy

-Demos, AFM years :Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affectionate epithet for Mr. Edgar Siedschlag, their math teacher at the time. In 1994, the band released two demos, Evil Minded and Children of...

, for a concert in Beijing in March 2006.

Painkiller’s official website is : http://en.painkillermag.com and a ‘Metal In China’ link which is a separate website and forum http://www.rockinchina.com which promotes and comprehensively introduces the local Chinese heavy metal scene.

Both websites are in English and Chinese.

Previous cover artists in 2005-2006 have been:

PK21 : Front Cover – Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...

 / Back cover – SATYRICON

PK20 : Front cover – LACUNA COIL / Back cover – NAGLFAR

PK19 : Front cover – DESTRUCTION / Back cover – NIGHTWISH

PK18 : Front cover – SOULFLY / Back cover – CHILDREN OF BODOM –

PK17 : Front cover – montage of Anthrax

Anthrax (band)

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...

, ARCH ENEMY, SENTENCED & H.I.M. / Back cover – NEVERMORE