Suspect Device reviews Tear It Down

TEAR IT DOWN - How Crossover Bridged Metal And Hardcore Punk by Alexandros Anesiadis - Earth Island

To start with I should probably say that the music this book covers isn’t my thing, I’m not into metal at all. However, I do have records by quite a few bands featured here - GBH, Discharge, Verbal Abuse, The FUs, Broken Bones, English Dogs, The Skeptix etc, but it’s just their punk stuff I like; for instance I only really like the first English Dogs 12’, ‘Mad Puns And English Dogs’ and although I do have the first album ‘Invasion Of The Porky Men’, I hardly ever play it.

But what I think of the bands featured in this book is irrelevant, if you are into the genres covered here then there is so much for you to enjoy; over 600 pages of info, interviews, flyers and photos. Over 100 bands are featured, as well as labels, zines, artists, bloggers and then even more as individual countries are highlighted.

I will admit to skipping some bands, but I’m just an old punk who has never liked metal or heavy rock and just wants bands to strip everything back to basics. But I realise I’m in the minority and that so many people like their punk and metal and love solos and riffing and heaviness; for those people then this is going to be just as an important historical document as Ian Glasper’s books on UK punk.  

Earth Island (Tony)

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