Hellraisers: A Complete Visual History of Heavy Metal Mayhem Hardcover – October 24, 2017

I loved this book - the photos are amazing, the writing is really good. Book was great

Photos were fantastic! Some of the best rock band pictures I have ever seen!

A MUST HAVE FOR ANY METAL HEAD

The conceit propelling Axl Rosenberg and Christopher Krovatin's 'Hellraisers' is that they are tenured professors providing a semester-long course in the history and culture of heavy metal; the fact that they are tenured allowing them to “say pretty much whatever” they want. This formula works surprisingly well.Each lavishly illustrated chapter provides information on a particular genre or subgenre of heavy metal from proto-metal to deathcore and djent and includes an audio homework assignment comprising key tracks to which one should listen. The chapters are interspersed with free-standing mini-essays on topics such as heavy metal bass playing, festivals or yet more sub-genres.Inevitably those ‘studying’ this book will challenge their teachers on certain points. If Black Sabbath are “the first heavy metal band” then why are they listed as one of the big four “proto-metal” bands? Why is Arthur Brown mentioned as a pioneer of shock rock but not Screaming Lord Sutch? Why is The Beatles’ Come Together part of the homework for proto-rock but not Helter Skelter, especially given that there’s a section on the Manson Family’s murders?In the big scheme of things, however, these are all minor quibbles. Both the heavy metal novice and the dedicated metalhead should find this book informative and entertaining because the authors communicate their knowledge and enthusiasm with a great deal of humour. The latter is apparent from the very start of the book, as it’s dedicated “to the Birmingham sheet-metal machine that ripped off two of Tommy Iommi’s fingers”.Heavy metal may be, as the authors claim, “antisocial and misanthropic by nature” but this book is one that anyone with any interest in heavy metal should warmly embrace.

'Hellraisers: A Complete Visual History of Heavy Metal Mayhem' by Axl Rosenberg and Chris Krovatin is an irreverent journey through the different genres and evolution of heavy metal.From the early days of proto-metal through the new wave of British heavy metal and glam metal and on in to deathcore and djent, this is a fun look at each sub-genre. I learned who listens, where the bands are generally from and who the main bands are. There are lists of songs to listen to, and pretty hilarious lists of what you should look like and wear if are into these genres. There are also shorter articles on smaller genres and things like the criminals of metal and things like drum triggers.I haven't listened to heavy metal since the glam metal days, so I learned a lot about how things grew and changed in the music. There are lots of pictures, and tons of humor. I had a really fun time reading this!I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Hellraisers by Axl Rosenberg and Christopher Krovatin is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late October.Oh, this is fantastic: Rosenberg and Krovatin do their best to define (yet not partition) different sub-genres of metal within its greater pantheon and highlight the personas, instruments, mascots, and celebrations that make it so, well, metal. I adore and feel represented as a metal fan with the authors' use of bitten-tongue-in-cheek humor, base palette of white-noise vertical black denim, and liberal use of photos & illustrations.

Review: Would give this one more than 5 stars if possible. Opened it for a quick glance and couldn't stop reading. I read late into the night and finished the next morning. I'm not a metalhead, although I do like some of the work of the more popular bands mentioned here - such as Led Zeppelin as a precursor of heavy metal, and later bands such as Judas Priest, Guns N' Roses, Dio, etc. But even when writing about sub-genres (and sub-sub-genres), this book sizzles with great writing and incredible wit. The authors manage to be serious at the same time they are also making cutting, offhand remarks about certain bands and their individual members (and their fans). The lists of top songs in each genre are invaluable for discovering more, and I'll be working my way through them. I hope someone has built playlists on YouTube. This is an opinionated book, and the better for being one. It's one of the most enjoyable music books I've ever read. (Lots of great pictures also!)

It’s a gift so I haven’t taken the plastic off, but the book had a hard trail and is stuffed and scraped in several places, it’s not looking nice for a gift .

It was exactly as I thought it would be. Even more awesome in person, thought the "quizzes" or whatever were a little cheesy but my boyfriend loves it! Big thumps up! 👍

Bought as a gift for heavy metal fan who loved it