Read Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal Online
Authors: Jon Wiederhorn
From the overdriven volume to the crunching intensity, metal is a catalyst, offering the ability to let go, be explosive, and let out that primal scream. It’s a universal experience that means as much to a teenager with angst as it means to a middle-aged person in a midlife crisis. At a metal show these days, particularly one by a band that has had a long career, you see fifteen-year-olds and fifty-year-olds—and they’re giving each other the devil horns, the universal metal salute. It’s a shared and meaningful moment, one that will last long after Judas Priest, Metallica, and Korn—or whatever bands are dominating the scene at any given moment—have come and gone.
Metal isn’t just defined by the music artists create. From one decade to the next, it’s about signature looks, styles, and attitudes that unify a generation and differentiate them from ones that came before. “Oh, you think that band is fast and brutal? Well, check
this
one out!”
Metal is music for the ages, and as it continues, metal bands will continue to break boundaries and defy barriers. Each subgenre offers its own set of codes and conduct, and its fans absorb these mannerisms as if by osmosis, slamming, stage-diving, and moshing their way toward both the end of the world and the next evolution of the art form. It’s like a religion, such believers, such followers are the people who love metal. It’s more than a passion: it’s a lifestyle. And it’s a lifestyle for life. Once a metalhead, always a metalhead.
At its primitive core, the way metal makes us feel touches us at the most basic, animalistic level. It’s different from any other kind of music because of the power and influence it possesses, and it will be another forty years before we can truly trace the many paths and forks in the road musicians will take to create new variations on the common themes of rebellion, aggression, and unification.
ABBATH (OLVE EIKEMO):
Multi-instrumentalist for black metal bands Old Funeral and Immortal.
VINNIE PAUL ABBOTT:
Drummer for Pantera and Damageplan.
MARK “PSYCHO” ABRAMSON:
Vice president of promotions for Roadrunner Records.
STEVEN ADLER:
Ex–Guns N’ Roses drummer.
MICHAEL ALAGO:
ex-A&R for Geffen, Interscope.
GENE AMBO:
Photographer.
JONATHAN ANASTAS:
Bassist for Boston hardcore bands DYS, Slapshot.
IAN ANDERSON:
Singer/flautist for Jethro Tull.
TOM ANGELRIPPER:
Singer, bassist, founder of German thrash band Sodom.
PHILIP ANSELMO:
Ex-Pantera singer, 1987–2003; Down, 1991–present; ex-singer, Superjoint Ritual, 1993–2004; guitarist for Arson Anthem.
CARMINE APPICE:
Drummer for Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck, Bogart & Appice.
VINNY APPICE:
Ex-drummer for Black Sabbath, Dio, Heaven & Hell.
TOM ARAYA:
Singer/bassist for thrash band Slayer.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Founder, guitarist, vocalist for experimental noise band Today Is the Day.
TREY AZAGTHOTH:
Guitarist for Florida death metal band Morbid Angel.
SEBASTIAN BACH:
Singer, ex–Skid Row, solo artist.
MATT BACHAND:
Guitarist for Boston metalcore pioneers Shadows Fall.
SUSAN BAKER:
Cofounder of the Parents Music Resource Center (P.M.R.C.), 1985.
PAUL BALOFF (b: 1960, d: 2002):
Singer for Exodus, 1981–1986, 1997–2002.
FRANKIE BANALI:
Drummer for Quiet Riot.
JACOB BANNON:
Vocalist for hardcore band Converge.
PAUL BARKER:
Ex-bassist for The Blackouts, Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Lard, USSA; solo artist.
CHRIS BARNES:
Ex-vocalist for Florida death metal band Cannibal Corpse; singer, Six Feet Under.
KEITH BARNEY:
Ex-guitarist for Orange County metalcore band Eighteen Visions, ex-vocalist for Throwdown.
LEE BARRETT:
Head of Candlelight Records.
GEOFF BARTON:
British journalist, ex-editor of
Sounds
, founder of
Kerrang!
.
CHRIS BEATTIE:
Bassist for hardcore metal band Hatebreed since 1994.
TOM BEAUJOUR:
Ex-editor of
Revolver
, editor of
Guitar Aficionado
.
JEFF BECCERA:
Front man for thrash band Possessed.
BURTON C. BELL:
Vocalist for industrial band Fear Factory, Ascension of the Watchers.
JOEY BELLADONNA:
Singer for Anthrax, 1984–92, 2005–06, 2010–present; ex-Belladonna.
CHARLIE BENANTE:
Drummer for Anthrax, S.O.D.
CHESTER BENNINGTON:
Vocalist for Linkin Park.
GLEN BENTON:
Front man for Florida death metal band Deicide.
PETER BESTE:
Photographer.
KARL BEUCHNER:
Singer for metallic hardcore band Earth Crisis.
CHUCK BILLY:
Singer for thrash band Testament.
MARTIN BIRCH:
British rock and metal record producer.
BETSY BITCH:
Singer of Bitch.
RITCHIE BLACKMORE:
Ex-Rainbow, ex–Deep Purple guitarist; Blackmore’s Night.
RANDY BLYTHE:
Vocalist for Lamb of God.
MARS BONFIRE:
Canadian rock musician/songwriter.
WES BORLAND:
Guitarist for Limp Bizkit, Black Light Burns, Big Dumb Face.
NICK BOWCOTT:
Guitarist for New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Grim Reaper.
KURT BRECHT:
Vocalist for crossover metal band Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (D.R.I.).
JUSTIN BROADRICK:
Ex-guitarist for Napalm Death; ex-drummer for Head of David, Fall of Because; front man for Final, Techno Animal, Godflesh, Jesu.
CHRIS BRODERICK:
Megadeth guitarist, ex-Nevermore, ex–Jag Panzer.
REX BROWN:
Bassist for Pantera, Kill Devil Hill; ex-Down.
KEITH BUCKLEY:
Vocalist for experimental metalcore band Every Time I Die.
NIK BULLEN:
Ex–Napalm Death bassist and vocalist, 1981–1987.
SCOTT BURNS:
Ex-producer at Florida’s Morrisound Studios.
WILLIAM BURROUGHS (b: 1914, d: 1997):
American author. Wrote
Naked Lunch
and
Junky
, both of which referenced the term “heavy metal.”
CLIFF BURTON (b: 1962, d: 1986):
Metallica bassist, 1982–1986.
JOHN BUSH:
Armored Saint vocalist; ex-Anthrax vocalist, 1992–2005, 2009–2010.
GEEZER BUTLER:
Cofounder and bassist of Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, GZR.
BIFF BYFORD:
Singer for New Wave of Heavy Metal band Saxon.
JOHN CAMPBELL:
Bassist for Lamb of God.
CARL CANEDY:
Drummer for The Rods, ex-Manowar, ex-Thrasher; record producer.
JERRY CANTRELL:
Guitarist, backup singer, co-founder for Alice in Chains; solo artist.
DANNY CAREY:
Drummer for Tool, ex–Green Jellÿ.
SCOTT CARLSON:
Vocalist and bassist for Repulsion, ex-Death, Genocide.
STEPHEN CARPENTER:
Cofounder and guitarist for Deftones, Kush, Sol Invicto.
IGOR CAVALERA:
Cofounder and former drummer for Sepultura, currently with Cavalera Conspiracy, Mixhell, ex-Nailbomb.
MAX CAVALERA:
Cofounder and former front man of Sepultura, currently front man of Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, ex-Nailbomb, ex–Fudge Tunnel.
CARLOS CAVAZO:
Guitarist of Ratt (2008–present), ex–Quiet Riot (1982–2000), ex-Snow.
ROB CAVESTANY:
Guitarist, cofounder of thrash band Death Angel.
PHIL CAIVANO:
Ex–Monster Magnet guitarist.
DINO CAZARES:
Cofounder and guitarist of industrial metal band Fear Factory, Divine Heresy, Asesino, Brujeria.
JACKIE CHAMBERS:
Guitarist for New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Girlschool.
JUSTIN CHANCELLOR:
Bassist for Tool, ex-Peach.
CHI CHENG:
Bassist for Deftones, currently in semiconscious state following 2008 car accident.
BOB CHIAPPARDI:
Founder of Concrete Marketing/Foundations Forum/F-Musicfest.
STEFFAN CHIRAZI:
Journalist, editor of Metallica magazine
So What?
JOHNNY CHRIST:
Bassist for Avenged Sevenfold.
RICHARD CHRISTY:
Drummer, ex-Death, ex–Public Assassin, Charred Walls of the Damned; radio personality,
The Howard Stern Show
.
MIKE CLARK:
Guitarist for crossover band Suicidal Tendencies.
RYAN CLARK:
Vocalist for Christian metalcore band Demon Hunter; art director.
BRIAN COGAN:
Professor, author.
RICHARD COLE:
Ex–Led Zeppelin road manager.
JAZ COLEMAN:
Front man for punk/industrial pioneers Killing Joke.
PHIL COLLEN:
Guitarist for Def Leppard, ex-Girl.
ANDY COLSEFNI:
Ex-Slipknot vocalist, Painface.
MONTE CONNOR:
Ex-VP of A&R, Roadrunner Records.
ALICE COOPER:
Front man for the Alice Cooper Band, solo artist, pioneer of “shock rock.”
CANDY COOPER:
Journalist.
COUNT GRISHNAKH (VARG VIKERNES):
Front man of Norwegian black metal band Burzum, ex–Old Funeral.
ANTHONY COUNTEY:
Bad Brains manager.
SHAWN “CLOWN” M. CRAHAN:
Percussionist of Slipknot, ex–To My Surprise, Dirty Little Rabbits; filmmaker, photographer.
JEANNIE CRANE:
Groupie.
PETER CRISS:
Ex-KISS drummer; solo artist.
CRONOS (CONRAD LANT):
Venom singer and bassist, 1979–87, 1995–present; ex-Cronos.
ROBBIN CROSBY (b: 1959, d: 2002):
Ex-Ratt guitarist.
ABE CUNNINGHAM:
Deftones drummer.
BRANN DAILOR:
Mastodon drummer, ex-Lethargy, ex–Today Is the Day.
PAUL D’AMOUR:
Ex-bassist for Tool, soundtrack composer, front man of Feersum Endjinn.
MIKE D’ANTONIO:
Bassist for Overcast, Killswitch Engage.
GLENN DANZIG:
Ex-singer/founder for the Misfits, ex-Samhain, Danzig front man.
TERRY DATE:
Producer.
DANI “FILTH” DAVEY:
Front man for UK black metal band Cradle of Filth.
JONATHAN DAVIS:
Vocalist of Korn.
KATON W. DE PENA:
Front man of crossover thrash band Hirax.
DEAD (PER YNGVE OHLIN) (b: 1969, d: 1991):
Ex-vocalist of Norwegian black metal band Mayhem.
MIKE DEAN:
Bassist for crossover band Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.).
WARREN DeMARTINI:
Ratt guitarist; touring and session guitarist, solo artist.
DEMONAZ (HARALD NAEVDAL):
Vocalist and guitarist for Norwegian black metal band Immortal.
AMIR DERAKH:
Guitarist, keyboardist, ex-Orgy, ex–Rough Cutt, ex-Firehouse.
MIKE DeWOLF:
Guitarist for Taproot.
PAUL DI’ANNO:
Ex–Iron Maiden singer, 1978–81.
BRUCE DICKINSON:
Iron Maiden singer, 1981–93, 1999–present; ex-Samson.
“DIMEBAG DARRELL” ABBOTT (b: 1966, d: 2004):
Ex-Pantera and Damageplan guitarist.
RONNIE JAMES DIO (b: 1942, d: 2010):
Singer for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and the revamped Black Sabbath group Heaven & Hell.
DON DOKKEN:
Dokken singer and founder.
JON DONAIS:
Guitarist for metalcore bands Aftershock, Shadows Fall.
LEE DORRIAN:
Ex-vocalist for grindcore band Napalm Death, founder of doom band Cathedral; owner of Rise Above Records.
RYAN DOWNEY:
Band manager; journalist.
K.K. DOWNING:
Ex–Judas Priest guitarist.
DAVID DRAIMAN:
Vocalist for Disturbed, Device.
DR. KNOW:
Bad Brains guitarist.
KEVIN DuBROW (b: 1955, d: 2007):
Quiet Riot singer.
ADAM DUCE:
Machine Head bassist.
FRED DURST:
Front man of nu metal band Limp Bizkit.
ADAM DUTKIEWICZ:
Drummer and guitarist for former band Aftershock, ex-drummer, guitarist for Killswitch Engage, Times of Grace.
SUSANNA EDWARDS:
Film director.
DAVID ELLEFSON:
Bassist and co-founder of Megadeth, ex-F5.
JOE ELLIOTT:
Vocalist for Def Leppard.
BOBBY “BLITZ” ELLSWORTH:
Singer for thrash band Overkill.
SULLY ERNA:
Vocalist for Godsmack, solo artist.
RICK ERNST:
Director, executive producer, at Roadrunner Records.
TOBIN ESPERANCE:
Bassist for Papa Roach.
EURONYMOUS (ØYSTEIN AARSETH) (b: 1968, d: 1993):
Founder and guitarist of Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Murdered by Burzum’s Count Grishnackh.
DAVE EVANS:
Ex-singer for AC/DC.
EVIL (MORGAN STEINMEYER HAKANSSON):
Guitarist for Swedish black metal band Marduk.
AUDREY EWELL:
Movie director.
BOB EZRIN:
Record producer.
DEZ FAFARA:
Vocalist for nu metal band Coal Chamber, death/thrash band DevilDriver.
BRIAN FAIR:
Vocalist for Massachusetts metalcore pioneers Overcast and Shadows Fall.