Sound Of The Beast
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Sound Of The Beast
''Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal'' is a 2003 book by Ian Christe, documenting the history of heavy metal music and its origins. The book argues that heavy metal began with Black Sabbath in 1970, then traces the emergence of 'proto-' heavy metal bands including Budgie and Captain Beyond. He continues through the 1970s with hard rock bands such as Van Halen, Kiss, and Judas Priest, then charts the emergence of NWOBHM, practiced by Iron Maiden and Raven, and thrash metal acts such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, and subsequent genres including grindcore, death metal, and black metal. Source interviews ''Sound of the Beast'' is based on a narrative drawn from over a hundred original interviews with members of Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Kiss, Judas Priest, Raven, Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, Saxon, Exciter, Dio, Twisted Sister, Armored Saint, Plasmatics, Misfits, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Possessed, Hirax, Bathory, Hellhammer, C ...
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Ian Christe
Ian Christe (born 21 March 1970 in Biel/Bienne) is a Swiss/American author, disc jockey and the publisher of Bazillion Points Books. He attended Mynderse Academy, The Clarkson School's Bridging Year, and Indiana University Bloomington (1987–1990). Writing and broadcasting Christe is the author of the heavy metal history book '' Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal'', published in English in 2003 and subsequently translated into French, German, Finnish, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Croatian, Italian, Czech, Serbian, and Polish. A weekly radio show known as '' Bloody Roots'' was launched in 2004 based on the book, on the Hard Attack/Liquid Metal station of Sirius XM Radio. Hosted by Christe, the show focuses on specific eras or styles of heavy metal, with Christe discussing them in-depth. He also hosted a brief daily spot on the Sirius Buzzsaw channel for several years. His first published work was in the ''IAN'' fanzine, and he started as a r ...
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Death Metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, featuring double kick and blast beat techniques; minor keys or atonality; abrupt tempo, key, and time signature changes; and Chromatic scale, chromatic chord progressions. The lyrical themes of death metal may include slasher film-style violence,Moynihan, Michael, and Dirik Søderlind (1998). Lords of Chaos (2nd ed.). Feral House. , p. 27 political conflict, religion, nature, philosophy, true crime and science fiction. Building from the musical structure of thrash metal and Black metal#First wave, early black metal, death metal emerged during the mid-1980s. Bands such as Venom (band), Venom, Celtic Frost, Slayer, and Kreator were important influences on the genre's creation. Possessed (band), Possessed, Death (metal ba ...
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Misfits (band)
The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Over the next six years, Danzig and bassist Jerry Only were the group's main members through numerous personnel changes. During this period, they released several extended play, EPs and single (music), singles, and with Only's brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, Doyle as guitarist, the albums ''Walk Among Us'' (1982) and ''Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood'' (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has undergone many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the group's only constant member. The Misfits disbanded in 1983, and Glenn Danzig went on to form Samhain (band), Samhain and then Danzig (band), Danzig. Several albums of reissue ...
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Plasmatics
The Plasmatics were an American punk rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed by Rod Swenson and Wendy O. Williams in New York City in 1978. They were a controversial group known for chaotic, destructive live shows and outrageous theatrics. These included chainsawing guitars, destroying speaker cabinets, sledgehammering television sets and blowing up automobiles live on stage. Williams was arrested in Milwaukee by the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Police before being charged with public indecency.Skanse The Plasmatics' career spanned five studio albums and multiple EPs. The band was composed of lead vocalist Wendy O. Williams and various other musicians rotating behind her over time. Aside from Williams and manager Rod Swenson, guitarist Wes Beech was the only other permanent member of the group. Guitarist Richie Stotts was a co-founder of the band and a mainstay of the pre-breakup core group (1978–1983). After the full breakup of the band following the rel ...
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Armored Saint
Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1982. Since 1990, the band has consisted of John Bush on lead vocals, Joey Vera on bass, Jeff Duncan on guitar and the Sandoval brothers (Gonzo and Phil) on drums and guitar, respectively. Of the current lineup, Bush and Vera are the two constant members. To date, the band has released eight studio albums, one EP, two live albums and one compilation album. As one of the leaders of the Los Angeles heavy metal scene, Armored Saint achieved moderate success during the 1980s with their 1983 self-titled EP and first three studio albums: '' March of the Saint'' (1984), '' Delirious Nomad'' (1985) and '' Raising Fear'' (1987).Armored Saint - chart history
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Prior to the release of their fourth studio ...
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Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York (state), New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song), We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with Music video, music videos noted for their sense of slapstick humor. Besides their music, the band is equally remembered for their hairstyles and wearing of female clothing and make-up, leading to a categorization in the glam metal scene of the 80s. Twisted Sister evolved from a band named Silver Star, and experienced several membership changes before settling on the classic lineup of Jay Jay French (guitars), Eddie Ojeda, Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda (guitars), Dee Snider (lead vocals), Mark Mendoza, Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (bass), and A. J. Pero (drums) in 1982. It was this lineup which recorded the band's first four albums. Twisted Sister's first two albums, ' ...
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Dio (band)
Dio was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Dio left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice. The name Dio was chosen because it made sense from a commercial standpoint, as the name was already well known at that time. The band released ten studio albums and had numerous lineup changes over the years, with Dio himself being the only constant member. Guitarists included Vivian Campbell, Craig Goldy, Doug Aldrich, Warren DeMartini, Tracy G, Jake E. Lee and Rowan Robertson. The band dissolved in 2010 when Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer at the age of 67. R. J. Dio has sold over 50 million records worldwide. Biography Origins and ''Holy Diver'' (1982–1983) In 1982, disagreements originating over the mixing of Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath's ''Live Evil (Black Sabbath album), Live Evil'' album resulted in the departure of Ronnie James Dio and Vinny ...
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Exciter (band)
Exciter is a Canadian speed metal band from Ottawa, Ontario, formed in 1978. Named after a song by Judas Priest, they are considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and cited as a seminal influence on the thrash metal genre. Despite many changes in personnel, as well as two break-ups (first in 1989 and again in 1993), Exciter has managed to keep a small but dedicated following over the years. History In 1978, the band Hell Razor formed in Ottawa, Ontario. It consisted of vocalist and drummer Dan Beehler, guitarist John Ricci, and bassist Allan James Johnson. In 1980, the band changed their name to Exciter and recorded a demo which they then sent to Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records. Varney included one song from it, "World War III", on the compilation album ''US Metal Volume II'' in 1982. Shortly after that, the band was signed to Shrapnel. In 1983, they released their debut album, '' Heavy Metal Maniac''. Exciter signed a record deal with Jon Zazula's Megaforce Recor ...
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Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Barnsley in 1975. As leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), they had eight UK Top 40 albums during the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. They had numerous hit singles on the UK Singles Chart and experienced success all over Europe, South America and Japan, as well as in the United States and Canada. During the 1980s, Saxon established themselves among Europe's most successful metal acts. The band tours regularly and have sold more than 23 million records worldwide. History Formation and early years (1975–1979) Saxon came together from components of two Yorkshire bands: S.O.B. and Coast. The former was initially called Blue Condition, forming in 1970 with Graham Oliver on guitar, Steve Dawson, Steve "Dobby" Dawson on Bass guitar, bass, and John Walker on drums. Their style was blues rock and hard rock. Shifting the line-up, Blue Condition changed their name to S. ...
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Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), Venom's first two albums, '' Welcome to Hell'' (1981) and ''Black Metal'' (1982), are considered major influences on black metal, thrash metal and extreme metal in general.Kahn-Harris, Keith''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' Oxford: Berg, 2007. . Their second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the black metal genre; as a result, Venom were part of the first wave of the genre, along with Mercyful Fate and Bathory. History Early years (1978–1981) The band was formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978. The original personnel came from three different bands: Guillotine, Oberon and Dwarfstar. The original Guillotine featured Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and Dave Rutherford on guitars, Dean Hewitt on bass guitar, Dave Blackman on vocals, and Chris Mercater on drums who replaced Pa ...
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Tygers Of Pan Tang
Tygers of Pan Tang are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band who are part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They formed in 1978 in Whitley Bay, England, and were active until 1987. The band reformed in 1999 and continue to record and perform. The name is derived from Pan Tang, a fictional archipelago in Michael Moorcock, Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné fantasy series whose wizards keep tigers as pets. History Early days (1978–1983) The Tygers of Pan Tang were formed by guitarist Robb Weir (born Robert Mortimer Weir, 1958), Richard "Rocky" Laws (bass), Jess Cox (vocals) and Brian Dick (drums). They played in working men's clubs and were first signed by local independent label Neat Records before Music Corporation of America, MCA gave them a major record deal. After several singles, they released their first album, ''Wild Cat (Tygers of Pan Tang album), Wild Cat'', in 1980. The album reached No. 18 in the UK Album Chart in the first week of its rel ...
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Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) movement, and are cited as a formative influence on various metal subgenres, including speed metal, thrash metal, and power metal, as well as the hard rock/glam metal scene of the 1980s. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with poor record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when their sixth studio album '' British Steel'' brought them notable mainstream attention. During the 1970s, the core of bassist Ian Hill, lead singer Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing saw a revolving cast of drummers (with Les Binks being the only one who played on more than one album), ...
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