Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture

Rating:
Summary: Very informative! A must for every metalhead!
Review: This is by far the most intellectual book ever written on the subject of Heavy Metal! This book goes into great depths regarding the birth of the stlye, both in terms of its musical roots, as well as the image associated with this genre. It has an almost sociological evaluation of the fans of metal and what their lifestyle consists of. This book also enlightens us as to why critics - both from the liberal left as well as the conservative right - detest this style of music. It later goes on into the fragmentation of the genre (regarding the Thrash metal scene and glam rock). There is a final chapter which deals with the genre during and after the nineties, but the vast majority of the book deals with the '70s and '80s. There is a slight (North) American bias, concentrating more on bands that are from English speaking countries (namely the U.S., the U.K. & Canada) but some European bands are also mentioned. It was an enjoyable read and there are many examples illustrated by the author to make the reading less dry. Highly recommended for fans of the genre and for those who are trying to understand the genre.