Book review – Jon Wiederhorn & Katherine Turman – Louder Than Hell

Harper Collins Australia
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

Dubbed “The definitive oral history of metal”, Louder Than Hell attempts to explain the history, appeal and influence of heavy metal music from it’s roots with The Kinks, MC5 and more.

Wiederhorn and Turman break each movement in the evolution of heavy music down to it’s own chapter, interviewing many of the key players in bands that range widely from Anthrax and Alice Cooper to Killing Joke and Testament.

What emerges is a preponderance on sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, at the expense of any proper exposition on the music itself. It’s obviously an integral part of the rock n’ roll lifestyle, but by weighting the book heavily in that direction the authors have missed an opportunity to approach the cultural significance of heavy music on a deeper level.

Despite this, Wiederhorn and Turman have crafted a reasonably thorough and entertaining collection of time lines that provide a great starting point for a metal newcomer, but not a lot of new ground for those already familiar with the music. For the definitive history of metal, however, we will have to wait a bit longer.

Category: Book Reviews