Well researched account of the history of Death Metal and Grindcore, I'm not the biggest fan of either but know about the major players (Napalm Death, Carcass, Death etc) which are given a lot of attention here. One thing I found interesting was how "analogue" the scene was back then, something that seems totally alien to today's MP3 sharing culture where you can hear music from kids in West Africa and South America just as easily as the latest Lady Gaga release - the Grindcore scene especially seemed to be built on tape sharing, where certain demos would attain legendary status; passed around and redubbed countless times - blowing young minds with music they'd genuinely never heard anything like before. Chance encounters in record shops (no online forums or social networks to meet likeminded fans) led to bands being formed.

The book loses its way a little by the end with the music becoming less interesting and popular as the initial shock of the new fades away but I doubt there'll be a better book written on this subject. Enjoyed many of the little tidbits of information too - how the production on early Grind releases was so raw as no producers or engineers had ever heard anything like it before so didn't have a clue how to master it, how Earache Records was started basically as a benefits dodge (and how they passed on Fear Factory and Sepultura just before they both blew up) and the term "Death Metal" was coined by a bored high school student. Foreword and several quotes from the late, great John Peel too - he amusingly (and correctly) compares the initial grind recordings to 90s Happy Hardcore which would undoubtedly annoy hardcore metal heads.

Recommended for any fans of the music. ( )