In this first-ever atlas of the heavy metal phenomenon, Ian Christe delivers a bird's-eye view of this dark and forbidden music. The ultimate headbanger history, Sound of the Beast reveals tales of concert hysteria, courtroom drama, and musical triumph with: Interviews with Black Sabbath, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Megadeth, Twisted Sister, Kiss, Slipknot, and many others Genre boxes explaining black metal, power metal, thrash metal, nu metal, and more More than a hundred rare and unpublished photos A thirty-year graphic timeline of metal milestones, hilarious metal lists, and the twenty-five most original recordings of all time