The definitive history of the first 30 years of heavy metal, containing over 100 interviews with members of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, Slipknot, Kiss, Megadeth, Public Enemy, Napalm Death, and more. More than 30 years after Black Sabbath released the first complete heavy metal album, its founder, Ozzy Osbourne, is the star of The Osbournes, TV's favourite 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 30-plus years of heavy metal, delving into the personalities 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 excesses 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.

" Au commencement, le monde n'était qu'une vaste étendue d'obscurité. Là, plongés dans l'oubli, tourbillonnaient les secrets éternels de l'histoire : tout n'était que brume, phosphorescence, ombre et mysticisme. Cette puissance oubliée attendait docilement l'horreur d'une guerre ou d'une catastrophe pour faire éclater ses pouvoirs terrifiants. Longtemps, elle resta ainsi, muette et indéfinie, jusqu'à ce que vienne enfin le jour de la révélation : celui où elle se vit maîtrisée par les mages innocents de Black Sabbath, pères du heavy metal. " Ainsi commence Sound of the Beast. Plus de trente ans après la sortie du premier album de Black Sabbath, Ian Christe nous plonge, loin des clichés, dans l'univers fascinant du heavy metal et retrace son histoire, depuis ses origines au début des années 1970 jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Enrichi d'interviews exclusives de Black Sabbath, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Megadeth, Twisted Sister, Kiss, Slipknot et bien d'autres, et de plus d'une centaine de photos pour la plupart inédites, Sound of the Beast est LA Bible que tout fan de metal se doit de posséder dans sa bibliothèque.

Looks at the history of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden from their formation in 1975 through 2011.

The definition of 'heavy metal' is often a contentious issue and in this lively and accessible text Andrew Cope presents a refreshing re-evaluation of the rules that define heavy metal as a musical genre. Cope begins with an interrogation of why, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Birmingham provided the ideal location for the evolution and early development of heavy metal and hard rock. The author considers how the influence of the London and Liverpool music scenes merged with the unique cultural climate, industry and often desolated sites of post-war Birmingham to contribute significantly to the development of two unique forms of music: heavy metal and hard rock. The author explores these two forms through an extensive examination of key tracks from the first six albums of both Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, in which musical, visual and lyrical aspects of each band are carefully compared and contrasted in order to highlight the distinctive innovations of those early recordings. In conclusion, a number of case studies are presented that illustrate how the unique synthesis of elements established by Black Sabbath have been perpetuated and developed through the work of such bands as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pantera, Machine Head, Nightwish, Arch Enemy and Cradle of Filth. As a consequence, the importance of heavy metal as a genre of music was firmly established, and its longevity assured.

Subgenres of the Beast: A Heavy Metal Guide, catalogs practically all that has been in the world of metal over the last 40+ years. Alternative to Viking & everything in between, this curated collection will cover all of the relevant genres & history of metal, with pictures, summaries & examples.