Reviews – Books

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Books May 21, 2010

Book review – Only Death is Real: An Illustrated History of Hellhammer and Early Celtic Frost 1981–1985

Like many pioneers, Hellhammer took their lumps from everyone, including its own members. They were hobbled by geography and underdeveloped talent, but they built a great mystique around themselves as they toiled to spread their malodorous gospel, only to be sent back to the drawing board after every recording session and demo release. This unlikely but glorious book celebrates their restless existence and enduring influence. It all goes to prove that history—this little slice of history, anyway—is written by the victors.

Rob Hughes reviews the new Hellhammer photo/history book, Only Death Is Real, released recently by Bazillion Points.

Articles, Features, Headline, Reviews - Books January 27, 2010

Bazillion Points: Publishing Paper On Metal

“I think quality and uniqueness are what makes books into big sellers. Reading books is a subversive and uncommercial action from the start. Books are the last bastion of quality and uniqueness in mass culture.”

An interview with Ian Christe, founder and publisher of the Bazillion Points publishing company.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Books July 27, 2009

Book Review: To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica’s Cliff Burton by Joel McIver

To think that it took 23 years for someone to come up with this brilliant notion of paying respects to Cliff Burton, the true backbone of Metallica, by providing a biography of his life is quite shocking. Seeing as metallians around the world have been mourning his passing—and the requisite downward spiral of the quartet give or take a few late-’80s releases—ever since, it’s sad something so obvious has gone under the radar for this long. Hell, even bootleg-ish videocassette Cliff ‘Em All sold boatloads…why wouldn’t this?

Articles, Headline, Reviews - Books June 15, 2009

Doing The Devil’s Work: An Interview with Amy Sciarretto

“I get so many emails a day, through Facebook and even through my personal email account from people who don’t know me – and even people who do know me,” explains music journalist Amy Sciarretto, who teamed up with her friend and colleague Rick Florino to pen Do the Devil’s Work for Him: How to Make it in the Music Industry (and Stay in it) (McCarren Publishing). “I was giving advice away so much that I realized I was giving the same advice over and over again, so obviously there was a need for this information, so why don’t we put it in a book?”