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Ian Christe

Ian Christe

Ian Christe is the author of Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal available internationally in thirteen languages, and Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga. He is also the publisher of Bazillion Points Books, home to Swedish Death Metal by Daniel Ekeroth, Hellbent for Cooking by Annick Giroux, Sheriff McCoyby Andy McCoy, Dirty Deeds by Mark Evans, Touch and Go by Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson, and Mellodrama: The Mellotron Movie DVD.

Bazillion Points Books

Bazillion Points blog

Interview with Ian Christe

19 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Boss Hog: Manhattan Miscreants In Heat: Boss Hog

Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, Spring 1990

WELL, I NEVER expected to see a photographic representation of the "Playboy Party Jokes" vixen on a rock album cover either, but it comes as ...

The Boredoms: Yip-Yip-Yip-Yip-Yip-Yip-Yip-Yip-YEEEOOOOWWW!!! for the Boredoms

Report and Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, March 1993

IT’S THE FRESHEST sound around, if you ever get the chance to hear it. The Boredoms play the space jazz rap music of the ...

Beat Happening: Black Candy (Sub Pop)

Review by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, April 1993

THIS 1989 RELEASE more than adequately summarizes the appeal of this maudlin trio of Treeville, Washington, based anti-rockers. Captured at a time when the ...

Nirvana: Incesticide (Geffen Records)

Review by Ian Christe, Warp, June 1993

ORIGINALLY INTENDED for release by their former label under the name Cash Cow, this collection of fifteen tight and tuneful Nirvana rarities has one of ...

Royal Trux: Very Sad Trouser Twins: Royal Trux

Profile and Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, June 1993

NEIL HAGERTY AND Jennifer Herrema are a tightly-tied 20th century Hansel and Gretel that the candy path led too far into the dark forest. Parts ...

Tindersticks: Marbles 10”

Review by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, July 1993

THIS WELL-TEXTURED export from the British outback contains comfortably-paced soothe rock dominated by strange choral organ riffs. Two of the four songs feature slightly ...

Royal Trux: Royal Trux

Review by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, August 1993

ROYAL TRUX is as much a rock’n roll fairy tale as a musical ethos, a terribly incomplete story without the first chapter. This inspirational ...

Urge Overkill: Saturation

Review by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, September 1993

JUST WHAT THESE overambitious bastards are attempting this time is anybody’s guess. Having severed their ties with practically everyone in the Chicago underground who ...

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion: Extra Wide (Matador)

Review by Ian Christe, Warp, November 1993

JON SPENCER'S grunge-blues attitude army swims in the stewed funky swankness of young Elvis, classic Cramps, new Beastie Boys, and any band with a regular ...

Zoviet France: Collusion

Review by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, November 1993

INSIDE AN artful cardboard CD holder, liner notes for Collusion explain that Zoviet France refused to participate in compilations for many years for two reasons: ...

Onyx, Run-DMC: Run DMC/Onyx/Boss: Palladium, NYC

Live Review by Ian Christe, Your Flesh, Summer 1993

PASS TWO METAL detectors and a sixteen-point patdown, then descend three stories of padded stairs into a vast ancient theatre outfitted with video gear. ...

Flaming Lips: The Flaming Lips: Transmissions From the Satellite Heart

Review and Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, 1994

WHEN THE FLAMING Lips look out at the world from Oklahoma, it must seem hurried and strange. They don't let it affect them. Transmissions ...

Big Black, Rapeman, Shellac, Steve Albini: The Hard Golden Tone of Shellac: An Interview with Steve Albini

Interview by Ian Christe, Warp, 1994

MICROPHONE CONNOISSEUR and billiardsman Steve Albini has recorded albums for the Pixies, Nirvana, the Jesus Lizard, and PJ Harvey. He doesn’t know when to ...

Napalm Death: Noise International: It’s Napalm Death for World Music

Report and Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, August 1994

THE LANGUAGE OF death metal can be as undecipherable to outsiders as street grafitti, but the meaning is as clear: "Stay away – I ...

Dead Norwegians, Israeli Disco and Satan's Penis: The Pulp Reality of the Metal Underground

Overview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, 1995

"SOME IMAGINE for some weird reason that Death Metal is something normal and available for everyone," Morbid/Mayhem vocalist "Dead" told an interviewer prior to his ...

Smog in a Wild Kingdom of Burning Love

Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, 1995

BILL CALLAHAN has spent so much time alone that almost all he can do is be true to himself. He is absolute Bill, and people ...

Scorn

Report and Interview by Ian Christe, Metal Maniacs, February 1995

"NOBODY'S REALLY interested in Scorn in England," admits animated Mick Harris, the band's drum programmer. "We get great reviews, but there's not any attention for ...

Thinking Fellers Union Local 282: Don’t Shoot the Optigan Player: Thinking Fellers Union Local 282

Interview by Ian Christe, Alternative Press, March 1995

LAUGHTER COMES for some reason, spilling out to surprise you while watching the Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. They are the original unpredictable multi-dimensional ...

Darkthrone: Black Metal: Not Dead Yet

Comment by Ian Christe, Arthur, May 2005

Catching up with Scandinavia's black metalists. ...

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