Doomed to Fail

"""Anselmi’s conversational tone, fervid storytelling, and passion for his subject combine for a fascinating piece of music history that the obsessive cult of metal fans will devour."" —Library Journal ""A comprehensive, thorough, and passionate view of doom, that music set to the pace of the downtrodden. The writing is sharp and true as the teeth of a hell hound biting into flesh. This book is a fitting homage to a sound and style of music that finds refuge in the hearts of those who are ready and able to take it in—and in turn brings salvation to those low enough to seek it."" —Ethan Lee McCarthy, guitarist-vocalist of Primitive Man ""With authority, empathy, and insider knowledge drawn from his own life experience, J.J. Anselmi stitches together a history of metal subgenres that coalesces into a formidable tome, as monolithic in scope as the music it champions."" —Jason Heller, author of Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded ""Doomed to Fail is a true labor of love. Author J.J. Anselmi’s veneration for doom, sludge, and the various other children of the grave spawned by a couple of hard-luck lads in Birmingham all those years ago positively leaps off the page, and he packs this tome with enough detail to make even the most devoted doom dog bow their head in praise. From Maryland to Sweden, Japan to New Orleans, and so many other godforsaken points in between, this book is a celebration of the almighty riff in its heaviest form. Doom or be doomed.""—Kim Kelly, former VICE editor and renowned metal critic ""...half the fun is finding a new band and listening to their music while simultaneously reading Anselmi’s colorful and highly-visual descriptions."" —DC Music Review"