There’s something special about heavy metal. It’s energy can draw people together from all walks of life with the common bond of music from 20 people in a rundown club to half a million in a huge stadium. For metal fans, it’s almost like a religion. There is a true feeling of belonging and being as one at a metal show and people are as devout about their music as anything. Those who have experienced this will know exactly what I mean. If heavy metal had a Holy Book, it most certainly would be “Louder Than Hell.”
“Louder Than Hell” takes the reader on a journey through time from the humble beginnings of metal to the metal of today with over 400 interviews providing a true oral history by those musicians who lived it. The book begins with a foreword by Scott Ian of Anthrax and is neatly organized into chapters by time and type of metal. It pretty much covers the gamut from the early days of MC5 and British metal like Sabbath to the metal heroes of today. Whether you’re a fan of thrash, industrial, death metal or nu metal, you’ll find it all here. The interviews are definitely no holds barred covering the debauchery of the road to the infighting among band members. Included in the book are several, very nice color photo sections with everyone from Ozzy to Avenged Sevenfold. Rob Halford of Judas Priest provides an afterword to close out the book.
“Louder Than Hell” provides an in depth look and chronicles the history of this often misunderstood genre of music. It’s a chance to hear stories straight from the horse’s mouth and perhaps provide answers to questions you have always had. If you’ve ever worshipped at the stage of the metal gods, “Louder Than Hell” is a must have for your collection.
