Choosing Death and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Kindle Edition
 
   
Sell Back Your Copy
For a $1.99 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore
 
 
Start reading Choosing Death on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore [Paperback]

Albert Mudrian (Author), John Peel (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

List Price: $19.95
Price: $14.81 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.14 (26%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Only 10 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want it delivered Tuesday, January 31? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $8.99  
Paperback $14.81  

Book Description

October 1, 2004

This exciting history, featuring an introduction by famed DJ John Peel, tells the two-decade-long history of grindcore and death metal through the eyes and ringing ears of the artists, producers, and label owners who propelled them.


Frequently Bought Together

Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore + Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground New Edition + Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal
Price For All Three: $37.89

Show availability and shipping details

Buy the selected items together
  • In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground New Edition $12.89

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal $10.19

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mainstream rock fans may not be familiar with Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death or Carcass, but over the past 20 years these groups' blend of punk and heavy metal—their grisly lyrics, mile-a-minute rhythms and macabre album art—have found an enthusiastic, loyal fan base of mostly young, almost exclusively male listeners. Mudrian, editor-in-chief of Decibel magazine, condenses painstaking and lengthy interviews to create this informative history of death metal, covering the genre's origin in small clubs and basements on two continents; its spike in popularity and major-label interest circa 1992 ("Godflesh could be the next Nine Inch Nails"); the relative obscurity that followed; and the music's rebirth in recent years. What's astonishing is how normal so many of the featured players seem: behind the facade of Satan-worshipping, gore-flinging aggression, they're mostly a bunch of hardworking dudes who love the music and the outlet it provides for pent-up anger and energy. Mudrian aims largely at fans, and his exhaustive research may tire readers who bring nothing but curiosity to the book. New death metal fans, conversely, will read with an eye to expanding their collections, while older listeners will undoubtedly enjoy the memories and the gossip, along with the fanzine-quality band photos that complement text throughout. John Peel, one of Great Britain's most respected and influential DJs, offers an entertaining introduction.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Mudrian details two of the more esoteric subgenres of heavy metal in appropriate fashion, that is, with photos of the bands, but not definitions of and distinctions between, say, death metal and black metal, abounding. By and large, Mudrian treats grindcore and death metal as interrelated approaches to the verbally gloomy, power-chording world of heavy metal that are leavened by a stiff dose of the punk do-it-yourself ethos and created by musicians who "grew up on traditional heavy metal, thrash and speed metal, punk, industrial and hardcore." Taxonomic considerations aside, Mudrian provides conversational histories of such bands as Cannibal Corpse, Darkthrone, and Sepultra and highlights of interviews with leading subgenre movers and shakers. Altogether, the book is similar to the three Decline of Western Civilization documentaries of outsider music, minus those films' endearing footage of substance abuse and other suicidal behaviors. An excellent shelf mate to Moynihan and Soderlind's Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground (1998)--not as scary for fans' parents but just as insightful and comprehensive. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Feral House (October 1, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 193259504X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1932595048
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly researched and written book on death metal, September 8, 2004
This review is from: Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore (Paperback)
My copy of CHOOSING DEATH arrived in the mailbox last Tuesday. I cannot recommend this book enough to both fans of death/grindcore and people who are not as familiar with this type of metal. I have been an avid fan of death and grind now for over 5 years and I still learned a lot about this book. For instance, I had no idea how important Napalm Death really are/were to death metal. After reading this book I have a better idea just how important Napalm Death are. The author also does a great job in covering bands from the late 1990s to the present day who are pushing the envelope in every sense of the word by combining other influences (Opeth, Nile, Slipknot, In Flames) and bands who continue to push the envelopes of speed and brutality, (i.e. Krisiun and Hate Eternal). Over 2 years of collected interviews make this book something special. Plus, at the end of the book the author provides a list of essential death metal albums throughout the years. To conclude this review, CHOOSING DEATH is essential reading. You will not be disappointed.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely addicting!!, October 18, 2004
This review is from: Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore (Paperback)
Having not caught the death metal bug until 1991, there was a lot of pre-90's groundwork that was being laid while I was in high school listening to Slayer, Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, etc., thinking they were the heaviest bands on the planet. This book shows exactly what was going on under the radar during those formative years, which led to the death metal explosion in the early 90s. This book tells you exactly who made what happen and how some of my now favorite bands came to be, and how they first got their exposure. It details how the major label feeding frenzy of 93-95, combined with other factors, almost destroyed death metal, and who kept the genre going after the dust had settled. It documents how the genre was reborn in the late 90s and covers some of the key players who now carry the torch into the new millenium. Tons of interviews with bands, label execs, producers, and others involved in the scene and lot of never-before seen photos to add to the visual component. I read it all in one sitting, couldn't put it down. Get it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, September 13, 2004
By 
susky (philadelphia, pa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore (Paperback)
As a teenager in the early 90's craving the most extreme metal sounds available, I was a huge fan of the death metal underground. Having just read Choosing Death, I can honestly say that there exists no substitute to capture the thrill and intensity that filled the minds of so many listeners in those days. This book transported me straight back to those golden years where so much excitement abounded within the death metal scene. Having just finished the book, I'm all fired up!! I'll be digging out all my old CD's from the attic tonight!! This isn't a fan-based death metal bio book...no...this is the story of the music from its earliest rumblings through to its international buzz told by the major players in the scene. The story is spun through the words of band members, label owners, record executives, artists, etc... Mudrian does a fantastic job at letting the band members, etc tell the story themselves. It's a perfectly balanced take of the death metal scene from all vantage points. Loaded with incredible photos. Tons amazing stories. I have been hoping someone would do this genre some justice and put out the definitive story. The wait is over!! The definitive story has arrived!!!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
HOME TO NEARLY ONE MILLION PEOPLE, Birmingham, England is second only in population to the country's capital of London. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
death metal records, playing death metal, grindcore bands, death metallers, death metal scene, death metal albums, death metal bands, extreme music, tape trading, extreme metal, hardcore scene, second guitarist, thrash metal, metal act, tour support
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, New York, Mick Harris, Celtic Frost, David Vincent, Earache Records, Extreme Noise Terror, Scott Burns, Arch Enemy, United States, Digby Pearson, Fear of God, Head of David, Beneath the Remains, Bolt Thrower, Deep Wound, Hate Eternal, Iron Maiden, Jeff Walker, Metal Blade, Nuclear Blast, Bill Steer, Jim Welch
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3 books:



What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject