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Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2017 5:10 pm
by ION BRITTON
Damn the Machine – The Story of Noise Records is the tale of Europe’s most groundbreaking—and important—heavy metal record company of the 1980s. Founded in the shadow of the Berlin Wall by self-proclaimed anarchist Karl-Ulrich Walterbach, Noise’s key bands—Celtic Frost, Coroner, Gamma Ray, Grave Digger, Hellhammer, Helloween, Kreator, Running Wild, Sabbat, Stratovarius, Tankard, and Voivod—were brash, innovative, and highly influential, helping shape the global metal scene as we know today.
With first-hand accounts from Walterbach, his bands, employees, and fellow music industry comrades, Damn the Machine provides an unflinching look at the tumultuous history of Noise Records. Amidst the classic albums and legendary bands came court battles, contract squabbles, botched tours, disastrous shifts in sound, and complicated, sometimes strained relationships between Walterbach and the bands he was responsible for. Damn the Machine shows few metal record companies have a legacy comparable to Noise’s.
https://deliberationpress.com/books/
Has anyone bought it already? Your impressions?
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:33 pm
by Noisenik
I read its feature in Rock Hard mag in German, and I'd say it's well documented. It's not just about music, it describes pre-Noise years as well, and what Mr. Walterbach had been doing as a young man (speaking very politely, I'd call him an activist, but best read for yourself). Quite interesting, even surprising to majority of readers, I dare say.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 5:47 am
by ION BRITTON
Thanks, Nenad. Do you happen to know if members of all bands signed to Noise are being interviewed?
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 2:32 pm
by Noisenik
I gather one chapter is dedicated solely to legendary Thrashing East gig with Kreator, Tankard, Coroner and Sabbat in Werner-Seelenbinder Halle in east Berlin in 1990. In the feature Sneap, Gerre, Vetterli and Mille have statements in brackets, so they must have been interviewed recently or once in recent years. I doubt that there are whole interviews with Noise bands, as books are written in third person with citations interwoven in the text, interpreted in contexts of various events and happening. I especially doubt there's an interview with Celtic Frost, since Tom Gabriel launched counterview in previous Deaf Forever mag. I guess Vendetta aren't featured either. I hope, I will manage to obtain the book, there was only one Noise Records label after all. I missed "Are You Morbid" and I am still hitting my head with stone bcs of that.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:08 am
by Avenger
This looks interesting. I'll probably purchase a copy once the price comes down.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:21 pm
by Yronbeast86
A friend of mine received a physical copy of this and he highly recommends it.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 7:48 am
by GulliverFoyle
Avenger wrote:This looks interesting. I'll probably purchase a copy once the price comes down.
Book depository has it for $26-27, if you cannot wait.
https://www.bookdepository.com/Damn-the ... 0692637135
Btw, the over artwork is probably made by the same artist who did the cover of Jeff Wagner's "Mean Deviation" book. (If I wasn't a Scrooge, I'd tattooed that cover)
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:04 am
by Noisenik
GulliverFoyle wrote:
Btw, the over artwork is probably made by the same artist who did the cover of Jeff Wagner's "Mean Deviation" book. (If I wasn't a Scrooge, I'd tattooed that cover)
Yeah, it's the same artist.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:35 pm
by Avenger
GulliverFoyle wrote:Avenger wrote:This looks interesting. I'll probably purchase a copy once the price comes down.
Book depository has it for $26-27, if you cannot wait.
https://www.bookdepository.com/Damn-the ... 0692637135
Btw, the over artwork is probably made by the same artist who did the cover of Jeff Wagner's "Mean Deviation" book. (If I wasn't a Scrooge, I'd tattooed that cover)
Thanks but I can get it cheaper on Canadian Amazon. The price in your link is $34 CAN which is far too much for any paperback book.
I'll wait until it drops. Those pages aren't going to unprint themselves.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:10 am
by whiteravenmetal
GulliverFoyle wrote:Avenger wrote:This looks interesting. I'll probably purchase a copy once the price comes down.
Book depository has it for $26-27, if you cannot wait.
https://www.bookdepository.com/Damn-the ... 0692637135
Btw, the over artwork is probably made by the same artist who did the cover of Jeff Wagner's "Mean Deviation" book. (If I wasn't a Scrooge, I'd tattooed that cover)
*cough Voivod *cough... Anyway this book sounds pretty awesome, a must have!
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:31 pm
by loxx
Avenger wrote:
I'll wait until it drops. Those pages aren't going to unprint themselves.
This.
German version is available too, some guy on amazon is complaining a bit that lesser known bands are not even mentioned let alone interviewed. Not wild about Walterbach's transition from anarchist to capitalist either.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:17 pm
by DaN
Yeah I'm always looking to expand the Metal library and this looks like a must-read. Crossing my fingers someone will be selling it at KIT.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 12:53 pm
by DaN
I finished this last week. It's a great read if you're interested in the history of both the major and some of the minor players of the label + it also gives an interesting insight into the shady world of record label politics. As a whole it's for Metal nerds only tho'
...and reading of how Helloween wanted to be the new Beatles cracked me up
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 7:40 pm
by DMR
DaN wrote:I finished this last week. It's a great read if you're interested in the history of both the major and some of the minor players of the label + it also gives an interesting insight into the shady world of record label politics. As a whole it's for Metal nerds only tho'
...and reading of how Helloween wanted to be the new Beatles cracked me up
Sounds like it's really good. I'll have to pick up a copy.
Re: Damn the Machine - The Story of Noise Records Book
Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:44 am
by GulliverFoyle
DaN wrote:I finished this last week. It's a great read if you're interested in the history of both the major and some of the minor players of the label + it also gives an interesting insight into the shady world of record label politics. As a whole it's for Metal nerds only tho'
...and reading of how Helloween wanted to be the new Beatles cracked me up
Any mention of the Conception band?