The magazine was established in 1995 by Claus Müller and was released for free in A5 format. The focus was initially on
new wave, gothic rock, electro, and industrial music. With the third edition in May 1996, the magazine was published for a fee and in A4 format. Since 1997, the focus has shifted increasingly to
heavy metal. However, other genres such as
Goa trance,
intelligent dance music,
ambient,
drum and bass, and
techno, are represented in the magazine. Each month has a goth-related cover, often featuring a semi-nude female model. It is generally considered one of the top three music magazines in Germany, along with
Zillo and
Sonic Seducer.
Orkus is the official sponsor of the
Amphi Festival and releases DVDs of the event in their issues at the end of the year. ==Content==