Product Description

The definitive history heavy metal, with over 100 interviews with members of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, Slipknot, Kiss, Megadeth, Public Enemy, Napalm Death, and more. With hundreds of platinum albums to date, heavy metal CDs and ticket sales continue to dominate Billboard and Pollstar charts. More than 30 years after Black Sabbath released the first complete heavy metal album, its founder, Ozzy Osbourne, is the star of THE OSBOURNES, MTV's hippest new reality show. Contrary to popular belief, headbangers and the music they love are more alive than ever. Yet there has never been a comprehensive book on the history of heavy metal - until now. Featuring interviews with members of the biggest bands in the genre, SOUND OF THE BEAST gives an overview of the past thirty-plus years of heavy metal, delving into the personal details of those who created it. Everything is here, from the bootlegging beginnings of fans like Lars Ulrich (future founder of Metallica) to the sold-out stadiums and personal excess of the biggest groups. From heavy metal's roots in the work of breakthrough groups such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to MTV hair metal, courtroom controversies, black metal murderers, and Ozzfest, SOUND OF THE BEAST offers the final word on this elusive, extreme, and far-reaching form of music. Finally longtime fans of the genre have a true history of their music, and younger fans of groups such as Slipknot and System of a Down can learn where it all began.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #761527 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Customer Reviews

Rich and Detailed HM Tapestry
Having heard that there was an author out there attempting to summarize the past 33 years of metal in a single volume, I was shocked and awed at the superb quality of the outcome. Christe begins with Black Sabbath I and quickly moves forward with his battle plan -- almost nothing escapes his field of vision along the way. The pop culture moments -- like Van Halen's arrival on the scene, MTV's discovery of metal, Crue's Shout at the Devil, and Metallica's big crossover in the 90s -- float like beacons above a morass of fascinating detail on bands like Celtic Frost, Napalm Death, Sepultura, and the creepy crawlers of Norway. Nobody has done better at depicting the difference between Stryper and Deicide, two bands at the opposite poles of planet metal. If your idea of heavy metal is Guns N Roses, you will enjoy this book immensely -- if you swear by Slayer, Metallica, and Megadeth, Sound of the Beast will outright be your Bible, read and re-read until its pages are tattered and torn.

A remarkable achievement
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.

Frustrated Metallica Biographer Occasionally Acknowledges Existence of Metal Influences Outside of USA
While this tome claims to be a definitive history, it is largely a biography of Metallica, with other bands seemingly relegated to the odd paragraph as footnotes to the Metallica story. The influences of bands outside of the USA and the existence of metal culture are all-too-often glossed over so that the author can return to the Metallica story. Having read "Lords of Chaos" and "Choosing Death" (black and death metal histories respectively) it is disappointing to see the influence of the Scandinavian and British metal scenes relegated to the sidelines just to free up a few more inches for the Hetfield/Ulrich/Mustaine saga. Christie should have chosen a more honest title for this rather insular book. It's a good book, but the title promises a scope it does not deliver.