Heavy

How Metal Changes the Way We See the World

Dan Franklin

$26.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Constable
25 May 2021

Rock & Pop music; Heavy Metal music; Popular culture

'A weighty discussion of metal, for both passionate fans and neophytes' Guardian

'Heavy opens an ornate portal into a murky subculture, illuminating the marginalia as well as the big beasts' Sunday Times

What exactly is heavy metal music? How deep do its roots go?

Long established as an undeniable force in culture, metal traces its roots back to leather-clad iron men like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, who imbued their music with a mysterious and raw undercurrent of power.

Heavy unearths this elusive force, delving deep into the fertile culture that allowed a distinctive new sound to flourish and flaying the source material to get to the beating heart of the music. From the imminent threat of nuclear apocalypse that gave rise to Metallica's brand of volatile thrash metal to Bloodbath and Carcass, the death metal bands resurrecting the horror of medieval art.

But there are always more lines to be drawn. Cradle of Filth and Ulver trade in the transgressive impulses of gothic literature; Pantera lay bare Nietzsche's 'superman'; getting high leads to the escapist sci-fi dirges of Sleep and Electric Wizard; while the recovery of long-buried urns in the seventeenth century holds the key to the drone of Sunn O))).

Dissecting music that resonates with millions, Heavy sees Slipknot wrestling with the trauma of 9/11, Alice in Chains exposing the wounds of Vietnam and Iron Maiden conjuring visions of a heroic England. Powerful, evocative and sometimes sinister, it gives shape and meaning to the terrible beauty of metal.

By: Dan Franklin
Imprint: Constable
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 196mm, Width: 126mm, Spine: 32mm
Weight: 265g
ISBN: 9781472131034
ISBN 10: 1472131037
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 25 May 2021
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dan Franklin has written about metal and heavy music for over ten years. He is a contributor to music and pop culture website The Quietus. Heavy is his first book.

Reviews for Heavy: How Metal Changes the Way We See the World

"Fascinating . . . powerful -- Elif Shafak * The Spectator * A weighty discussion of metal, for both passionate fans and neophytes . . . Yet what elevates Heavy from being a simple love letter to metal is the way in which Franklin situates heaviness within the ""iron-rich bloodline running through the bedrock of culture"" . . . a book that pulls off the trick of offering something to both passionate fans and neophytes -- Keith Kahn-Harris * Guardian * Heavy opens an ornate portal into a murky subculture, illuminating the marginalia as well as the big beasts -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times * A wildly entertaining journey into the heart of musical darkness -- Liam Cagney * Irish Times *"