Bang Your Head

“Bang your head! Metal Health’ll drive you mad!” — Quiet Riot Like an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music on steroids, Bang Your Head is an epic history of every band and every performer that has proudly worn the Heavy Metal badge. Whether headbanging is your guilty pleasure or you firmly believe that this much-maligned genre has never received the respect it deserves, Bang Your Head is a must-read that pays homage to a music that’s impossible to ignore, especially when being blasted through a sixteen-inch woofer. Charting the genesis of early metal with bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden; the rise of metal to the top of the Billboard charts and heavy MTV rotation featuring the likes of Def Leppard and Metallica; hitting its critical peak with bands like Guns N’ Roses; disgrace during the “hair metal” ’80s; and a demise fueled by the explosion of the Seattle grunge scene and the “alternative” revolution, Bang Your Head is as funny as it is informative and proves once and for all that there is more to metal than sin, sex, and spandex. To write this exhaustive history, David Konow spent three years interviewing the bands, wives, girlfriends, ex-wives, groupies, managers, record company execs, and anyone who was or is a part of the metal scene, including many of the band guys often better known for their escapades and bad behavior than for their musicianship. Nothing is left unsaid in this jaw-dropping, funny, and entertaining chronicle of power ballads, outrageous outfits, big hair, bigger egos, and testosterone-drenched debauchery.

Written with candor and the wisdom of experience, this account tells of struggles with substance--and with self--and of strength both in and out of the ring for the wrestler known as The Missing Link.

Featuring 666 standout metal songs from 1960 to the present day and illustrated with sleeves, flyers, posters and magazine ads, this is a feast for fans who love it loud. 666 Songs to Make You Bang Your Head Until You Die delves into the dark corners of hard rock and metal, unearthing hidden treasures and shining fresh light on old favourites. From pioneers like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, through million-sellers like Van Halen and AC/DC, to skull-crushers like Pantera and The Prodigy, and young bucks like Bring Me The Horizon and Paramore, the selection charts the evolution of the genre over the last 60 years. Each entry is packed with reviews from contemporary musicians, quotes from bandmates and fascinating trivia. Written in an informed, entertaining and irreverent style, 666 Songs to Make You Bang Your Head Until You Die is a must-have for metal lovers.

“Bang your head! Metal Health’ll drive you mad!” — Quiet Riot Like an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music on steroids, Bang Your Head is an epic history of every band and every performer that has proudly worn the Heavy Metal badge. Whether headbanging is your guilty pleasure or you firmly believe that this much-maligned genre has never received the respect it deserves, Bang Your Head is a must-read that pays homage to a music that’s impossible to ignore, especially when being blasted through a sixteen-inch woofer. Charting the genesis of early metal with bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden; the rise of metal to the top of the Billboard charts and heavy MTV rotation featuring the likes of Def Leppard and Metallica; hitting its critical peak with bands like Guns N’ Roses; disgrace during the “hair metal” ’80s; and a demise fueled by the explosion of the Seattle grunge scene and the “alternative” revolution, Bang Your Head is as funny as it is informative and proves once and for all that there is more to metal than sin, sex, and spandex. To write this exhaustive history, David Konow spent three years interviewing the bands, wives, girlfriends, ex-wives, groupies, managers, record company execs, and anyone who was or is a part of the metal scene, including many of the band guys often better known for their escapades and bad behavior than for their musicianship. Nothing is left unsaid in this jaw-dropping, funny, and entertaining chronicle of power ballads, outrageous outfits, big hair, bigger egos, and testosterone-drenched debauchery.

The first incendiary collection of stencils and graffiti from Banksy, presented and bound in a handy pocket sized high quality format. Rarely have art and politics been put to such fine, and overtly public, use. Mix the irony and juxtaposition of John Yates with the beauty of the finest aerosol art, and you'll have some idea of how good this really is. The reproductions are interspersed with an excellent array of quotes, statements, letters and a beginners guide to painting with stencils. Very, very good.

Banging Your Head Against Heaven attempts to open a lighthearted, yet essential conversation by looking at the human endeavor of religion in a different light. Today, the human race not only possess the technology to destroy ourselves, but through religious fanaticism the ideal means to fulfill that destiny. Can we avoid annihilation? Using humor and natural curiosity as the guide, this book takes the reader on an inquisitive journey into the perplexing world of organized religion and the increasingly risky effect it has on society. It puts forth the notion that we must begin to free ourselves from the mire of believing that remarkable humans walk this earth in step with the mystical truth of the cosmos. And it shows how, for our own good, we must gain a new perspective on faith. Because if you envision the perfect tool humanity could offer terrorists and hate groups to assist them in wielding evil in the world'it couldn't get much better than organized religion.

Instant National Bestseller! Wall Street Journal bestseller; USA Today bestseller; Publishers Weekly bestseller; international bestseller. An inspirational book by self-made musical superstar, Russ, reminding you that it starts with YOU, to believe in yourself, and to get out of your own way. Twenty-seven-year-old rapper, songwriter, and producer Russ walks his own path, at his own pace. By doing so, he proved that he didn’t need a major label to surpass over a billion streams on Spotify/Apple Music, get on Forbes’ 2019 “30 Under 30,” make the Forbes‘ “30 Under 30 Cash Kings” at number 20 for most earned, sell out arenas across the U.S. and around the globe, and become one of the most popular and engaged rappers right now. His method was simple: love and believe in yourself absolutely and work hard no matter what. In this memoir, Russ inspires readers to walk to their individual rhythms and beat their biggest obstacles: themselves. With chapters named after his most powerful and popular songs, IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD will reflect on the lessons he’s learned from his career, family, and relationships. He’ll push readers to bet on themselves, take those leaps of faith, and recognize struggles as opportunities. With illustrations throughout consistent with the brand Russ has built and his fan base loves, IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD will give readers an inside-look at the man and the motivation behind the music. A lover of books like The Alchemist and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Russ delivers a short, potent, inspirational, raw, and honest book that gives readers a way to find self-belief and unlock their potential. Fans already rely on Russ as an inspiration of confidence; now, he is taking it to the next level with this book, which will contain lyrics from his music and visuals that reflect his inimitable style.

Prologue : getting to Immokalee -- To beat one of us is to beat us all! -- Bang your head against the wall long enough, and you have to admit it starts to hurt -- Campaigning for fair food -- Has anyone talked with these guys? -- Eyes wide open -- Forging the path by walking it -- "Value" can have a different meaning -- What difference? -- Designed for the future