Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal

Jon Wiederhorn · Katherine Turman

May 2013 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

The definitive oral history of heavy metal, Louder Than Hell by renowned music journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman includes hundreds of interviews with the giants of the movement, conducted over the past 25 years.

Unlike many forms of popular music, metalheads tend to embrace their favorite bands and follow them over decades. Metal is not only a pastime for the true aficionados; it’s a lifestyle and obsession that permeates every aspect of their being. Louder Than Hell is an examination of that cultural phenomenon and the much-maligned genre of music that has stood the test of time.

Louder than Hell features more than 250 interviews with some of the biggest bands in metal, including Black Sabbath, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Spinal Tap, Pantera, White Zombie, Slipknot, and Twisted Sister; insights from industry insiders, family members, friends, scenesters, groupies, and journalists; and 48 pages of full-color photographs.

Ratings and reviews

The early chapters are actually pretty good but when the author descends into genre sub-genre Sub sub genre it starts speaking about obscure bands it begins to drag. And frankly it's the same story again and again. Too much drugs too many girls too much violence.

If you're a metal head, then this book is a must have. Even if there are some bands you do not particularly listen to, it's great reading their stories and finding out cool stuff that happened. Hands down one of my favorites so far!

Most amazing bio on the genre of metal! I have read lot of other metal bios and autos but this by far is the best! Even in the subgenres I don't listen to there are very interesting stories and facts! Well done!

About the author

Jon Wiederhorn is a veteran rock journalist who wrote the authorized biography Ministry: The Lost Gospels of Al Jourgensen and is currently working with Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian on his memoir I'm the Man, due in 2014. In the past, he has worked on editorial staffs at Rolling Stone, Guitar magazine, and MTV. He is a senior writer for Revolver magazine and regularly writes for major publications, including Guitar World, emusic.com, and SPIN. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Katherine Turman is a journalist and the producer of Alice Cooper's syndicated radio show, Nights with Alice Cooper. She was the editor of RIP magazine and the LA Alternative Press and is a frequent contributor to the Village Voice. She formerly produced the live radio show Rockline, and was a music producer for The Sharon Osbourne Show. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.