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A review by tdbrwn
Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion by Harry Sword
An entertaining tour through musical history which effectively culminates in the drone/doom of Sunn O))), Sleep, Electric Wizard, etc. The introduction mentions that the book was originally intended to be a history of doom metal and I think it's helpful to still think of it in these terms because otherwise the choices made about what to include/exclude might seem odd. Without that frame in mind, it can feel like the focus on drone has been forgotten at some points so that the author can write about whatever music they particularly like (e.g. the sections about punk).
The author obviously had to be selective (and I think they did a good job of it, all things considered) but, personally, I would have liked to read more about the ambient-drone world (Stars of the Lid don't even merit a mention?!) and dub (which receives a few illustrative references but no extended treatment beyond the short section on The Bug/Kevin Martin). All that said, I had a great time reading this and my to-listen pile has inevitably grown as a result.
The author obviously had to be selective (and I think they did a good job of it, all things considered) but, personally, I would have liked to read more about the ambient-drone world (Stars of the Lid don't even merit a mention?!) and dub (which receives a few illustrative references but no extended treatment beyond the short section on The Bug/Kevin Martin). All that said, I had a great time reading this and my to-listen pile has inevitably grown as a result.