The Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal Hardcover – 1 April 2003

I bought this as a surprise for my husband for his Christmas present. He was so excited when he opened it and he has said that it has rekindled his love for the type of music that he grew up on

Great read !!!

5 stars

I gave as a present, the person is enjoying. She actually chose the book.

Really good book for anyone interested in the genre or other closely related genres. Also a good read for anyone interested in music in its social context.

Okay, there's a LOT of space given to Metallica here BUT as they are the biggest selling metal band in history I think their rise and crossover (some would say fall) is a (fair) meter of metal's progress into the mainstream. Let me also say that I'm not a die hard Metallica fan that wants to read their story at the expense of other artists.I found this book absorbing and I must admit a little nostalgic as I haven't listened to that much metal since I was a kid. Although my affection for Slayer and Metallica have stayed over the years, after reading this book I'm hunting down other bands I've thought about exploring but never got around to trying out (or others I had forgotten about, such as Exodus).The section on Norwegian Black Metal I found facinating. I'm not into it myself but I find the whole movement and beliefs interesting to read about.Of course a book like this is always going to be critisised for not including someone's favourite band as much as another, but hey, you can't knock the thorough job Mr. Christe has done here.I'm off to watch Slayer's Still Reigning DVD again.... God help my neighbours.

Christie has pulled off something of a coup here, producing a thorough and satisfying survey of the history of heavy metal, from the ominous tolling of the rain-spattered bell at the eponymous title track of Sabbath's first album right up to works of the 21st century's metal militia.Sure, you'll find things to disagree with (particularly in his album lists -- all the 'right' artists, but some rather left-field album choices), but that's part of the fun. Most metalheads tend to be well-informed aficionados, but I'd lay money on the fact that there will be a few nuggets in this work which will be new to you, not to mention an album or two which you will feel compelled to buy.

Arrived quickly and as described!

Ok, this is a great book to know about the history of Heavy Metal.If you love the metal music like me like all the other metal heads out there, you should go for it and its a great collection for your book shelf.

Criste's subject is heavy metal from its origins at the end of the 1960s to the end of the 20th century, with an epilogue reviewing the state of the field as of 2003. He's fascinated with the whole thing and finds something to enjoy all the way from the most hard-core fringe labor of love and obsession to the biggest spectacles. He wants to understand and to share his appreciation. It worked, at least for me: I don't care for a lot he does, but I get the attraction in many cases where I didn't at the outset.There are serious organizational challenges in writing about times where a lot of things are going on at once. Criste handles them well. Each chapter covers a few years and people working in a shared style and set of priorities, with half a dozen or so bullet points at the outset to date key albums and events. He never has to back up more than a few years to pick up the next thread, and it was always clear to me how different folks were reacting to each other. Sidebars define various sub-genres and provide short discographies.Criste puts a lot of effort on the growth of heavy metal as communities nurtured outside conventional music publishing. First there were exchanges of mail and tapes, then fanzines, later BBSes and Internet mailing lists, newsgroups, forums, and file sharing. As he remarks at one point, this made it possible for bands who never played in person for more than 20 people to sell 100,000 copies of their albums through the labels paying attention to tape trading.I was pleasantly surprised by the global sweep of this book. Criste discusses the social place of heavy metal in dozens of countries, especially where it's an outlet for young people's negativity in places where public negativity toward the official line isn't allowed. The interviews in these chapters are particularly illuminating.In the 2003 epilogue, Criste shows himself aware of the ties between some heavy metal and right-wing extremism. He explicitly warns of the potential for outright fascist use of the music and community. Good spotting.I'm very happy to recommend this book with utmost enthusiasm.

The most beatiful book of metal

Very well written and researched! Satan must have helped out a little in the background. He has some very interesting and worthy metal opinions that he has clearly thought about. It is obvious the author is both a fine writer and a fan.

Bon livre