Raising Hell

November 25, 2019
Wiederhorn follows up Louder Than Hell with another oral history of heavy metal, this time focusing on “war stories about danger, volatility, and jaw-dropping chaos.” The chapters are organized by subjects, including booze and drugs, fighting, groupies (Ministry’s Al Jourgensen is one of several musicians who had sex with mothers and their daughters), incidents reminiscent of This Is Spinal Tap (the mockumentary gets an entire chapter), and nausea in all its forms (Mötorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister knows that musicians try to keep up with him when drinking together and says, “That’s madness and a lot of them end up getting sick”). The tales exhibit a seemingly bottomless appetite for destruction yet are more fun-seeking than rebellious. The book takes a broad perspective of bands that are not solely metal but are musically extreme comrades in arms, such as Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, Pantera, Warrant, Nine Inch Nails, and Limp Bizkit; Wiederhorn also touches on lesser known bands, including the Sword, Goatwhore, and Kittie (one of the few female groups in this male-dominated gathering). While the book might seem to some like a B-sides anthology, its colorful descriptions of mayhem serve as an astute cultural study.

January 10, 2020

Drug-fueled orgies, frenzied concerts, and mosh-pit mayhem--even the seemingly tamest of heavy metal bands have shocking stories to tell. Compiling some of the wildest accounts from Judas Priest, Quiet Riot, Sepultura, Morbid Angel, Fear Factory, Anthrax, Slayer, Pantera, and other groups, music journalist Wiederhorn takes a slightly different approach than with his previous book, Louder Than Hell, a heavy metal oral history. There is no overarching narrative here, just a collection of tales organized by topic: confrontations with law enforcement, drug and alcohol use, and sexual encounters. The loose organization makes this volume easy to dip into at any point rather than read straight through. Not all of those quoted are well-known artists, but nevertheless the entries will all entertain. One gem involves Mark Slaughter, lead vocalist for Slaughter, who dove off the stage into the crowd at a concert and was dragged out of the venue by a security officer who mistook him for an unruly fan.

VERDICT Metal devotees will devour, casual fans will enjoy browsing, but all music lovers will have a blast.--Brett Rohlwing, Milwaukee P.L.

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