About: Sound of the Beast
Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal is a 2004 book by Ian Christe, documenting the history of heavy metal music and its origins. The book argues that heavy metal began with Black Sabbath in 1970, then traces the emergence of 'proto-' heavy metal bands including Budgie and Captain Beyond. He continues through the 1970s with hard rock bands such as Van Halen, Kiss, and Judas Priest, then charts the emergence of NWOBHM, practiced by Iron Maiden and Raven, and thrash metal acts such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, and subsequent genres including grindcore, death metal, and black metal.
