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Dyer, R. (2026). The Underground in China: Metal, Punk, Hardcore and Noise 2013-2021. Ticehurst, East Sussex, UK: Earth Island Books.
Abstract: << 'The Underground in China' brings together more than 350 pages of photography, interviews, and first-hand observations from inside a thriving alternative music scene that rarely reaches Western audiences.
About the book:
In 2013, Ryan Dyer arrived in China with little idea of what lay beneath the surface of its music scene. Within a week, he found himself at an underground show featuring the band Rectal Wench. That night opened the door to a world few outsiders ever see.
Over the next eight years, Dyer travelled across Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, and Shanghai, documenting the country’s explosive punk and metal underground. Armed with a camera and a journalist’s curiosity, he attended hundreds of shows, capturing bands that express what it means to be an artist in modern China.
The Underground in China: Metal, Punk, Hardcore and Noise 2013–2021 brings together more than 350 pages of photography, interviews, and first-hand observations from inside this thriving scene. Featuring over 100 bands across genres including grindcore, black metal, hardcore punk, noise, and experimental music, the book offers a rare glimpse into a creative community that seldom reaches Western audiences.
FEATURING OVER 100 BANDS INCLUDING: The Dark Prison Massacre, Nine Treasures, Torturing Nurse, Frozen Moon, Scare the Children, Rectal Wench, Impure Injection, Suffocated, Dreamspirit, Ritual Day, Black Kirin, Gum Bleed, Dummy Toys and more!
Part photo archive, part cultural document, this is the story of China’s underground as it was lived—loud, chaotic, and defiantly alive.
About the author:
Ryan Dyer is a graduate from the University of Calgary, obtaining a degree in Communications and Media Studies. He has written for the publications MetalSucks, Metal Injection, Rue Morgue magazine, Absolute Underground magazine, New Noise magazine, Neocha and others.>>
[Source: https://www.earthislandbooks.com/product-page/the-underground-in-china-metal-punk-hardcore-and-noise-2013-2021-by-ryan-dyer]
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James, K. E. (2026). Indonesian Death Metal and Indonesian Society. London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.
Abstract: “This book explores Indonesia's vibrant Death Metal underground, which, by many accounts, is the largest in the world. The peak of Indonesia’s Death Metal scene occurred between 2009 and 2013, centered in Bandung, the capital of West Java, a city long known for its art and culture. This book traces the development of the scene in Bandung and other East Javanese cities like Surabaya, Malang, and Kediri, as well as the more conservative Madura Island. It examines the relationships between these scenes through the lens of governing myth and mythscape, focusing on how Bandung came to dominate the national and even regional scene, and the response from East Javanese cities. Drawing on over 90 interviews with more than 60 Indonesian bands, conducted between 2011 and the present, this book offers an in-depth look at this unique musical subculture.”
“Kieran E. James is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the West of Scotland, UK. He researches in Indonesian popular music and society, Fiji soccer history, men and masculinities, Singapore politics, sport history, and sociology of sport.”
“1 b/w illustration, 22 illustrations in colour”
[Source: https://link.springer.com/book/9783032246677]
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Kahn-Harris, K. (2026). The Beautiful Death of Ozzy Osbourne: How Metal Teaches Us To Live. New York, New York; London: HarperCollins Publisers LLC.
Abstract: << Pioneering metal writer Keith Kahn-Harris presents a moving, visionary exploration of Ozzy Osbourne, and of metal music and culture: the potent legacy Ozzy left us.
What is a ‘good death’?
How about this: After years of terrible health, you gather friends and admirers for one last, glorious party. A couple of weeks later, you slip away, surrounded by your loving family. Then, the world comes to mourn. That is how Birmingham’s favourite son, Ozzy Osbourne, died.
By his death in June 2025 – at an age few believed he’d reach – Ozzy was much-loved, far beyond the metal world. Once a feared, demonic figure to some (and a joke to others), his Back to the Beginning farewell concert at Villa Park raised millions for charity.
In concise, arresting chapters moving from Death to Life via Art, Politics, Sex, Bodies, Voice, Family, Myth and more, Kahn-Harris explores how Ozzy – of all people! – attracted such generosity of spirit. The answer, he finds, is deeply embedded within the story and culture of metal – and has lessons for us all. >>
[Source: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-beautiful-death-of-ozzy-osbourne-how-metal-teaches-us-to-live-keith-kahn-harris]
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Necroabyssious, S., Shock, A., & Patterson, D. (2026). Forever Immortal: The Official Biography of Varathron (D. Patterson, Ed.). London, England: Cult Never Dies.
Abstract: << 300 page full colour hardback book with 15 song compilation companion CD
Created in close collaboration with the band, Forever Immortal is the official biography of Greek black metal pioneers Varathron. It traces their journey from humble beginnings in the late 1980s to their present-day successes, drawing on candid interviews and personal recollections to capture both struggle and triumph.
Central to the narrative are the insights of co-founder and vocalist Stefan Necroabyssious, alongside the past and present members of the band. Their story is enriched by key figures within Greek metal – such as Spiros ‘Captain Death’, Jim Mutilator and Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ), and The Magus (Necromantia) – as well as musicians from international acts inspired by Varathron’s enduring influence.
Featuring hundreds of photographs and illustrations spanning every era – many previously unseen – this revealing volume offers a comprehensive and intimate portrait of the band. The result is an essential work for longtime devotees and black metal enthusiasts alike, cementing Varathron’s international legacy. This book stands as a testament to Varathron and Stefan Necroabyssious, a titan of the black metal scene.
The book is available in two formats:
• A standalone book with exclusive 15-song compilation CD
• A deluxe signed boxset with book and exclusive 15-song compilation CD plus 12 art prints, exclusive flag, patch, bookmark, 2 plectrums, signed certificate and reinforced box with hotfoil logo on lid. >>
[Source: https://cultneverdies.myshopify.com/products/forever-immortal-varathron-book?variant=55696962126209]
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Burke, D. W. Persistence, coherence and vernacular practice in 2020s heavy metal culture. Ph.D. thesis, Bath Spa University, Bath.
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