Author J.J. ANSELMI To Release Doomed To Fail: The Incredibly Loud History of Doom, Sludge, and Post-Metal Book
By
Larry Petro,
News Monkey
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 @ 12:41 AM
Out February 11, 2020
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In 1968, BLACK SABBATH turned the rock music world on its head by playing blues-based music at a snail's pace through thundering amps, essentially forging a sonic template for what would¯years later¯become known as doom metal. In the decades that would follow the Sab's rise, myriad masters of riff followed suit: BANG, SIR LORD BALTIMORE, LUCIFER'S FRIEND, PENTAGRAM, URIAH HEEP, and many more, pushing the style in darker directions and deeper underground. On February 11, 2020, Rare Bird Books will release Doomed to Fail: The Incredibly Loud History of Doom, Sludge, and Post-metal, from author and musician J.J. Anselmi. The 312 page tome dives deep into heavy music's dungeon, exploring the tectonic timeline of the weightiest music the world has ever heard, and tracing doom, sludge, and post-metal as their own distinct (and incredibly loud) traditions. View a trailer for Doomed to Fail below.
With Doomed to Fail, Anselmi chronicles the bands and musicians that have impacted these interrelated 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 deaths at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, the bombing of Birmingham and the 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.
Doomed to Fail is available for pre-order now (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound).
"I’ve had it in my head for years that I wanted to write a book specifically about heavy music, but it took me quite a while to figure out how to go about it," says Anselmi. "Reading books like Lords of Chaos, American Hardcore, and Choosing Death, made me think about how no one has given doom, sludge, or post-metal the same treatment by locating the music in a social context and tracing its evolution. Needless to say, it’s overdue."
"There’s also a part of me that wants to help establish doom, sludge, and post-metal as their own artistic traditions," the author continues. "The distinctions between doom and sludge especially can get really hazy, but there’s a big difference in approach and mindset between bands like TROUBLE and NOOTHGRUSH. I think we owe it to such artists to honor and recognize those differences. Countless art critics have written about Impressionism, Cubism, and every other visual arts tradition, pinpointing the cultural and philosophical ideals that led to those varied approaches to painting. Doom, sludge, and post-metal deserve the same attention and critical reverence. Plus, with such intense and seemingly unsolvable problems plaguing the world, slow metal with a pessimistic bent only seems more relevant by the day."
Doomed to Fail examines the birth, evolution and continued transformation of slow-motion music, from blues music's fundamental formation to blues metal's part and parcel pioneers and through to today's somber rock standard-bearers who continue to creatively propel the movement. "Doom metal is not for the impatient or quick to judge. It’s not for the hurried and the rushed. It’s for those of us who believe in slowing down time, even if just for an hour or two, and letting the riffs rid us of of our pain," writes Kerrang! Editorial Producer Cat Jones in her forward. "Doom was, in fact, doomed to fail from the start. And that’s fine -- success was never the point."