Trampled Down Under

Established

1983

Publishers

Independent

History

Trampled Down Under was one of the earliest metal fanzines in Australia. It was produced by a small group of metal fans and musicians in Melbourne, with contributors from around the country and even overseas, and lasted for only four editions. It was one of the key promoting tools of the early metal scenes in the early to mid 1980s, written with a working-class attitude, focusing mainly on the Melbourne scene, but also contained material focused on the other areas.

The first edition of Trampled Down Under was very roughly-produced and contained a small amount of content, but further editions were more substantial and had a more professional look. Articles featured included the few international metal artists that toured Australian shores in the early 1980s, articles on the Metal for Melbourne festivals, interviews with Australian bands, and reviews on the then-recent metal releases as well as local demos.

• Edition #1 - late 1983
  • Rush (Fan article), Metal for Melbourne 1983, Ion Drive, Taipan, Heresy (Nothing Sacred), Blackjack, Iron Maiden UK live review, John Meyer, Venom (Fan article), album and live reviews.

• Edition #2 - mid 1984
  • Bengal Tigers, Monsters of Rock Donington review, Uriah Heep, Metallica, Motorhead, Def Leppard, Heaven, album and live reviews.

• Edition #3 - early 1985
  • Axatak, Metal for Melbourne 1984/1985, Blackjack, Nothing Sacred, Prowler, Escape, Magnum, Sweet Jayne, Girlschool, Trilogy, album, demo and live reviews.

• Edition #4 - mid 1985
  • Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Tyrant, Australia's Metallicus - A state-by-state round-up of Australian Heavy Metal, Surrender, live photos, live reviews, album reviews.