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Heavy Metal Books

The outside world periodically investigates and analyzes metal to encode in book form its conclusions. For the convenience of our readers, we have assembled a brief guide to society's efforts so far, in a resemblance of order of relevance. Click the image to see options to buy the book.

Lords of Chaos
by Michael Moynihan

Although somewhat uneven, this book chronicles the events in Norway as black metal rose and intelligently presents the ideological viewpoints behind the actions of these musicians, as well as giving insight to the mechanations of bands and personalities in the turbulent world of underground metal.


Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology
by Deena Weinstein

A reasonable summary of most academic study so far, which indulges heavy metal as an extreme offshoot of rock in which rebellion is the prime goal and the fundamental ceremony is the concert. These failings aside, there is very perceptive research here on the origins of heavy metal and the personalities within its culture. The latter is most informative of all aspects in this book and is Weinstein's strength as a writer.


Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture
by Deena Weinstein

A broadly inclusive view at the public perception of heavy metal and its fans which, although limited to mainstream music, captures the unstable origins of modern metal, this book provides a solid foundation for Weinstein's comments on metal.


The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
by Martin Popoff

Short reviews talking about the emotions and social significance of heavy metal bands are Popoff's strength, and he through a fragmented view into hundreds of bands reveals a culture in transition. Including a reasonable small selection of underground metal.


20th Century Rock N Roll: Heavy Metal
by Martin Popoff

A somewhat distanced view of metal as rock music, this book brushes over many of metal's strengths en route to a discussion of its commonality with popular music.


Goldmine Heavy Metal Price Guide
by Martin Popoff

For those who want to enter the intricate world of collecting, an experienced metal journalist outlines the significance and comparative value of classic metal releases of interest to collectors.


Are You Morbid?
by Tom G. Warrior

Although somewhat scattered in focus due to its intense immersion in the personality of the writer and the human emotions of its band, this book establishes the intent of Celtic Frost and its predecessor, Hellhammer, and explains the philosophies of unified concept and music as a presentation of the ideology and desires of an artist (stranded in a mortal body). While conversational in text and often tedious, this retelling answers many fundamental Hessian questions.


Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation
by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett

A sociological study of 100 metalheads including profiles and brief analytical pieces on various aspects of relatively mainstream metal culture. Reasonable and deliberately overindulgently just, this work attempts to find a parent's view of why children who hate society, religion, and conformity turn to metal.


Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music
by Robert Walser

Aimed at the most popular examples of heavy metal, this analysis peers into issues of gender and power as ethnographic vectors of impetus toward participation in the metal genre. The interpretations of reasoning and ideologies behind music, while limited to less than self-articulate examples in many cases, are the strength of this book.


Rocking the Classics : English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture
by Edward L. Macan

Delving into the world of progressive rock in a context of cultural development through history, this book explores the motivations and musicology of progressive rock with a broad but well targetted research base.


Black Sabbath: An Oral History
by Mike Stark and Dave Marsh

A reasonable account of the early days of metal and its slow descent out of the hippie and biker positive hedonism of the day into a new and darker persona. Extensive material on Sabbath personalities and attitudes regarding the creation and presentation of their music.


Riders on the Storm : My Life With Jim Morrison and the Doors
by John Densmore

A useful prescience about politics in dark themed bands can be derived from the lessons learned in this recounting of the rise and fall of the Doors and their enigmatic vocalist Jim Morrison. Densmore is under the grip of Catholic morality and while recognizing it is unable to vanquish it, but it colors the book less than his stunning first-person viewpoint on the action.

Death Metal and Black Metal Search Engine

The Metal Basement

30 07 12 - 14:32

New radio program DJ'd in part by one of our users:

The Metal Basement with Maniacal Michael & the Basement Bunch.

It airs every Tuesday night from 10-12 PM PST.

 

Metal Rising Worldwide

30 06 12 - 08:34

 

Beherit - "Celebrate the Dead"

18 06 12 - 19:34

Black metal + dubstep



Numen - intention = essence
 

Why this blog has been silent

31 03 12 - 05:58

We've moved it.

 

Impiety - Ravage and Conquer

03 03 12 - 06:07

Impiety - Ravage and Conquer



This album is thoroughly enjoyable energetic and simple death metal which incorporates enough hints of melody and harmony to give the songs memorability. However, on the whole it belongs to that category of bands which are guilty pleasure bands by design. They do not aim for profundity, but rather intensity. We might list Vader and Angelcorpse as well, or maybe early Grave, because they have a similar low-tech approach. There is not much that is musical about this release. It is pure rhythm, with the aforementioned musical elements tacked on to keep your interest. But as rhythm, it has the intensity of later Angelcorpse and the raging power of broad basic statements that propelled early Grave. Its songs are not as memorably constructed as those on Exterminate or Into the Grave, have more the intensity of mid-period Vader, but in a time of feeble self-pitying rock bands trying to be hipster "metal," it's gratifying to find something with heart. You will tap your feet to these energetic, propulsive tunes and appreciate the sheer violence out of which they are created. Unlike many recent albums which drag you along for the ride, Ravage and Conquer drops you into the middle of it and makes you fight your way out.

 

Imprecation - Angel of Salvation's Doom (2012)

29 02 12 - 19:08



From their new blasphemous album. Sounds good, with a few nods to 1980s mainstream technical metal, pissing all over 2010s technical metal.
 

DEAD CAN DANCE tour dates announced

29 02 12 - 05:21

SEPTEMBER

19th - HCTAT, Istanbul, Turkey
21st - Earth Theatre, Thessaloniki, Greece
23rd - Lycabetus Theatre, Athens, Greece
25th - MCV, Utrecht, Holland
27th - Grand Rex, Paris, France
29th - Cirque Royal, Brussels, Belgium

OCTOBER

1st - Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany
3rd - Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany
5th - CCH, Hamburg, Germany
7th - Philharmonie, Munich, Germany
8th - Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany
10th - KCP, Prague, Czech Republic
12th - Bkz Oktyabrsky, St. Petersburg, Russia
13th - Crocus City Hall, Moscow, Russia
15th - Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland
17th - Papp Laszlo Arena, Budapest, Hungary
19th - Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan, Italy
20th - Batiment Des Forces Motrices, Geneva, Switzerland
22nd - Auditori, Barcelona, Spain
24th - Casa Da Musica, Porto, Portugal
26th - Royal Albert Hall, London, England
28th - Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, Ireland

Dates for the North American, South American and Asian legs of the tour will be announced shortly, along with ticket sales information

www.deadcandance.com
 

IMPRECATION update

22 02 12 - 17:48

New Imprecation tracks will be unleashed next week, the release should be ready by the end of March. The songs to come are entitled "Hosanna Ex Inferis" and "Angel of Salvation's Doom". - David Herrera
 

SUMMONING working on new materail

19 02 12 - 19:00


19.02.2012
After a longer winter-sleep summoning is back again and ow works constantly for a new release. We promise that in the near future we will regularly update the homepage again, so it will we worth the costs to check the page in regular intervals.

The present situation of Summoning:

In the past years we have worked on new material just very rarely because of different reasons (partly personal, partly being not motivated enough) but since the last months ,we intensified the work for new material and realised, that the old spirit is back again and we are very motivated for a cool new release and we are very committed in every terms of composing.

Meanwhile there are two songs which are fix starters for the album. 4 or 5 songs are in a more advance state and we composed riffs for at least 10 or 15 songs in a very early state. Btw. we still have one finished song from the last oath bound session which also will be in one or another way. so probably this time we are in the luck situation that we have more songs left, so maybe there will be some special limited fan releases beside the normal release, but this is of course just a wish right now.

We hope that until the end of this year most of the material for the new album can be finished. In the moment we have no concrete conception about the lyrical concept. All we can say right now is, that Summoning is still alive and middle earth will awake again. - SUMMONING official web presence


This is encouraging.

It does not sound like it will be soon, but so long as quality is high, it will be massively anticipated.
 

THRASH is not SPEED METAL

18 02 12 - 16:52



Mix together the early CIRCLE JERKS, early BLACK FLAG, MDC, MINOR THREAT, SSD, TERVEET K�DET, and GANG GREEN, and you have something approximating these DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES (so-called by their parents). What can I say--this is manic, intense, tight thrash with great lyrics, and I can't wait till these Houston boys unleash themselves upon the rest of us deprived people. 22 songs.
-Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #5, March/April 1983)

 

PROFANATICA - Sickened By Holy Host / The Grand Masters Session

18 02 12 - 16:51



This oddity features an all new 39 minute mini-album plus the "The Grand Masters Session" Box Set on CD for the very first time. Nearly 80 minutes of true blasphemy & perversion.

PART #1 features 5 new songs plus 2 old classics written and recorded by Ledney with a session member. The performance on this work is much like their primitive NECROVORE-ous atrocities committed in the early '90s and allows for safe assumption of what could have been heard on their long-lost album, "The Raping of the Virgin Mary."

Meanwhile, PART #2 features the same titles but written and recorded by Gelso alongside the same drums & vocals performed on part #1. The execution of this session continues in the more musical direction showcased on their first 2 albums and incorporates soundscapes sonically compiled by the late Aragon Amori. The end result is nothing short of devastating, and the vast contrast between these two sessions takes on the form of an album in itself that is sure to appeal to both old & new devotees of the black cult.

Finally, "The Grand Masters Session" previously available as a vinyl-only 8" Box Set, is a raging 2008 "live in the studio" recording showcasing many of the classics, a few newer hits and an exclusive medley (a conglomerate of 5 songs).

 

SUPURATION retrospective CD release

17 02 12 - 10:10



Yes, the mighty french legend SUPURATION (aka SUP) are back from the crematory in form of a retrospective collection CD which includes all the earliest and most brutal stuff of the band from '89 /'90 when they were in their most Death Metal shape right before they started to experiment with clean vocals and more varied sounds.

"Back from the Crematory" is the generic title of this cult release which is planned for an imminent release on September 16th. The CD includes the awesome band's debut self-financed mini CD "Sultry Obsession" ('90), their only demo "Official Rehearsal" ('90) as well as the impossible-to-find demo of the band's very 1st studio recording "Haunted" under their previous monicker ETSICROXE as well as a 9-song live show, both from '89.

This masterpiece comes with remastered sound and packed in a total old-fashioned layout in contrat to their latter weird & sophisticated designs. Includes killer 12-pages booklet featuring an exclusive retro-interview, liner notes, cover and tons of old photos & flyers. This definitely a must-have release not only for every SUPURATION fan, but for every lover of the good old Death Metal from late 80's and early 90's!!

http://www.xtreemmusic.com/
 

Lord Wind - Ales Stenar

12 02 12 - 07:36

New Lord Wind: not metal per se, but metal in spirit, and it will be hard to beat this impressive CD that I'm already calling as "album of the year."



Note new URL.
 

New SAMMATH

11 02 12 - 12:07

 

YADENU (Yet Another DEMONCY "Enthroned is the Night" Update)

11 02 12 - 12:06

Demoncy (CD) jackets are in production and on their way to completion. No release date has been given yet but we are expecting them roughly around the 22nd of February. - Forever Plagued Records

Can't fucking wait!
 

BLASPHERIAN update

09 02 12 - 17:24

BLASPHERIAN UPDATE:
NEW SONG FOR SPLIT 7" WITH IMPRECATION......FINISHED
2 NEW SONGS,REWORKED VERSION OF 'TO WALK THE PATH...'.... FINISHED
AND NOW WE BEGIN WRITING FOR THE UPCOMING SPLIT WITH CRUCIFIER 'THE POISONERS OF YAHWASTE'...
AND THEN WE RECORD THIS UNHOLY MADNESS....HOPEFULLY SOMETIME IN MARCH/APRIL 2012 ANNO SATANAS...
 

New footage of Quorthon

09 02 12 - 16:42

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:


See also our interview with Quorthon, one of the smartest men in metal.
 

VARG VIKERNES converting to Christianity?

06 02 12 - 20:09

A textual comparison:

A Burzum Story: Part VIII - On Overgrown Paths

'Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.

Bible

How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!' Matthew 7: 13-14

All I can say is... oy gevalt. Ripped shamelessly from Faceplant
 

Another DEMONCY update

06 02 12 - 19:55

Okay FPR confirmed the updated jacket design. I'm waiting to hear back that everything is accepted and in production. Remember everything is done but the jacket so once the jacket is done everything gets packaged and sent to us. I'll confirm once the jacket is in production and then I'll confirm once they give us an exact shipping date. I'll feel so much better once these are in the hands of all who preordered as I know we are at fault for accepting these pre's so damn early, considering the time its taking to get this finished.- FPR
 

Typical Gojira Fan

03 02 12 - 01:34



This from fans of the band who penned this lyrical turd:


I hold my inner child within
And tell him not to cry
"don't fear the living"
One day you will stand as a king
And no fear can erase
This light below us
Each one of us is now engaged
This secret we all have
This truth is growing
And as a warrior I have to fight
I can already feel
The love I'll discover


Is it fair to point out that anyone who thinks this is "poetry" or "profound" is of the level of stupidity found mainly in Twilight fans?
 
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