AMP was an American music magazine founded in 2003, by Brett Matthews. It featured interviews, album and live reviews and band journals. Online, it featured exclusive videos and audio, as well as video game reviews. It ceased publication in 2013.
About
AMP was published monthly by American Music Press, with a print run of 80,000 copies. It focused primarily on punk, hardcore and metal music. Some of the prominent editors were Lucas Andrews, John Joh, Johnathan Marshall, Lisa Root, Jake Round, Tony Shrum, Sean Stepp, Chris Taravella and Nick White.
History
Matthews' beginning in music journalism started in 1996, with a fanzine he wrote titled Hit List. It lasted three years. AMP, and a sister publication Hails & Horns came together, circa 2000. AMP broadened focus from the undergroundmusic scene, which allowed for coverage of bands not featured in its contemporaries Maximumrocknroll and Alternative Press. He notes in an interview with Metro Post-Telegraph, that eventually "AMP started getting out of its sector and started getting too big." In 2012, NOFX lead vocalist and bassist Fat Mike funded the magazine. AMP ceased publication in 2013. An official notice from Matthews read, "we thank you for your more than a decade of support, and undying love and celebration of that which is our underground. It has been an amazing ride, and we can't wait to see what awesome magazines arise to tell the story of the shape of punk to come."
''AMP Magazine Presents''
Between 2003 and 2011, AMP released over two dozen CD samplers, as well as five genre compilations titled AMP Magazine Presents, including material from Atreyu, Every Time I Die, Madball, New Crash Position and Sick of it All. A review by AllMusic for the first compilation, Hardcore, Vol. 1, says "it's a solid mix of tracks all the way through, perfect as a mix tape for scene veterans, but even better as an introduction for newbies," adding that "for them, it probably should have come with earplugs." Two DVD video albums were also released. ;Albums
