The book that I chose to do for my book review, entitled "Lords of Chaos - The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground", is a very detailed and well-researched anthology of the most extreme form of underground music on the planet: Black Metal. The book is non-fiction, but those who are narrow-minded or unfamiliar with black metal, or heavy metal of any kind, will probably think differently, as the people and events that surrounded the rise of black metal seem like something out of a twisted fairytale. The writers have spent several years researching, conducting interviews, and gathering information from a variety of sources; and the end result is quite spectacular. Intelligently written and well structured, even those who have no idea what black metal is will find themselves immersed in the book's bizarre chain of events.
             Starting off with a preface describing how the production of the book came about, then onto a preamble which provides almost vital background information on the scene, which would be especially beneficial to non-followers of the heavy metal scene. The first chapter focuses on the original heavy metal bands and concentrates mostly on the music itself, talking about how occult and Satanic imagery influenced the early days of heavy metal. We then arrive at death's door, death metal, and the birth of the black metal movement in Norway. No significant band is overlooked. The main focus nevertheless, is on the Norwegian scene, with occasional mentions of the scene's union with Sweden. It is at this point that the book ceases to be solely about music and turns into a sociological investigation of the many crimes that were committed by members of the Norwegian black metal scene, and how they influenced others within and outside the scene. The writers discuss in great detail, the many church burnings, desecrations, and murders that went on amongst several key figures of the Norwegian black metal underground, and why th...