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Doomed to Fail

The Incredibly Loud History of Doom, Sludge, and Post-metal

J J Anselmi author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Rare Bird Books

Published:26th Mar '20

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Doomed to Fail cover

  • Sludge came out of the doom metal and hardcore punk scenes in the 1980s
  • The Melvins were a seminal bands for sludge, doom, and post-metal, they also influenced Nirvana and grunge
  • Sludge was mostly from Louisiana and the southern US when it first started
  • The New York Times called Sludge and doom, "The shorthand term for the kind of rock descending from early Black Sabbath and late Black Flag is sludge, because it's so slow and dense."
  • These genres are known for their slower tempos, dark subject matter, and a heavier sound than other types of metal
  • Many of the bands covered come out of Louisiana, specifically New Orleans; Aberdeen, WA; and Wilmington, NC
  • Many of these bands are hugely influential of some of the biggest bands of all time—like Black Sabbath, who was clearly very inspired by Coven—but they don't get the recognition they deserve for this

    • Doomed to Fail explores the heaviest music the world has ever heard, tracing doom, sludge, and post-metal as their own distinct (and incredibly loud) traditions. Anselmi covers the bands and musicians that have impacted those styles most—Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Melvins, Eyehategod, Godflesh, Neurosis, Saint Vitus, and many others—while diving into the cultural doom that has spawned such music, from the bombing of Birmingham and hurricane devastation of New Orleans to glaring economic inequality, industrial alienation, climate change, and widespread addiction. Along the way, Anselmi interweaves the musical experiences that have led him to proudly identify as one of the doomed.

    "Anselmi’s conversational tone, fervid storytelling, and passion for his subject combine for a fascinating piece of music history that the obsessive cult of metal fans will devour."
    —Library Journal

    "A comprehensive, thorough, and passionate view of doom, that music set to the pace of the downtrodden. The writing is sharp and true as the teeth of a hell hound biting into flesh. This book is a fitting homage to a sound and style of music that finds refuge in the hearts of those who are ready and able to take it in—and in turn brings salvation to those low enough to seek it."
    —Ethan Lee McCarthy, guitarist-vocalist of Primitive Man

    "With authority, empathy, and insider knowledge drawn from his own life experience, J.J. Anselmi stitches together a history of metal subgenres that coalesces into a formidable tome, as monolithic in scope as the music it champions."
    —Jason Heller, author of Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded

    "Doomed to Fail is a true labor of love. Author J.J. Anselmi’s veneration for doom, sludge, and the various other children of the grave spawned by a couple of hard-luck lads in Birmingham all those years ago positively leaps off the page, and he packs this tome with enough detail to make even the most devoted doom dog bow their head in praise. From Maryland to Sweden, Japan to New Orleans, and so many other godforsaken points in between, this book is a celebration of the almighty riff in its heaviest form. Doom or be doomed."—Kim Kelly, former VICE editor and renowned metal critic

    "...half the fun is finding a new band and listening to their music while simultaneously reading Anselmi’s colorful and highly-visual descriptions."
    —DC Music Review

    ISBN: 9781644280645

    Dimensions: unknown

    Weight: unknown

    312 pages