Hellraisers (A Complete Visual History of Heavy Metal Mayhem) Book Review

Hellraisers (A Complete Visual History of Heavy Metal Mayhem)

Authors Axl Rosenberg & Christopher Krovatin

Foreword by Matt Heafy

Hardback 288 pages

Race Point Publishing

HOLLYWOOD (Perfect Music Today) 2/16/18/– (Written with humor and insight by Axl Rosenberg and Christopher Krovatin this is an indispensable read for the music lover.

I grew up listening to Rock and Pop and didn’t follow Metal closely. I came to appreciate Metal music and it’s various sub genres while photographing many of the legendary Metal bands during my 35 year career as a music photographer.  Only now however, by reading Hellraisers, have I learned the entire history of Metal music. Specifically the evolution of Metal music through it’s many sub-genres up to the present day. Excellent and sometimes humorous definitions are given for each branch of Metal music. Just a few of the branches discussed are: Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Glam Metal, Hardcore, Goth Metal, Prog Metal. Hundreds of bands are covered but to name just a few: Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Poison, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Napalm Death, Enslaved, Saint Vitus, Korn, Slipknot, Mastodon, Suicide Silence.

The book also addresses various controversies in Metal music such as drum triggers, sexuality in Metal, and a fun look at Metal mascots such as Iron Maidens’ Eddie the Head, and Motorhead’s Snaggletooth. Rosenberg and Krovatin present their book like a fun and funny textbook. They treat the reader like a student. At the end of various chapters the reader is actually given a homework assignment of songs they should listen to which relate to what they have just read such as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, or Killswitch Engage. The reader is also given a list of things they should have in their ‘Starter Kit’ such as a chain wallet, ripped denim jacket, or mirrored aviator sunglasses.

The book features 100s and 100s of photographs of the biggest names in the history of Metal music. I’m of course honored that some of my photos were chosen for the book

The book is a hardcover, hellacious, hell raising read. I recommend it.

$35 Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or direct from the publisher https://www.quartoknows.com/cart/?action=refresh

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