Kyle's Book Review RIFF KILLS MAN BY MARTIN POPOFF

Book Review: Riff Kills Man

by Kyle Nonneman

[Note: this was composed in prison where proof-reading facilities are notoriously bad. Please don't hold that against the author. You can contact Kyle through the address listed at the end of this entry.]

Riff Kills Man is Martin Popoff's first book. Later on, Popoff would become to traditional hard rock,proto/ heavy metal what Metalion is to extreme metal. Popoff's later books provide the definitive analysis and exegesis of many of the old gods.

Riff Kills Man is an autistic spectrum-esque completionist collection of 1,942 record reviews self published as a book. This is no "Nurse With Wound List". A lot of this is heavily focused on the majors and a lot of coverage is given to staple brand name acts. The focus on the exoteric is obvious.

Popoff is an expert archivist and a dedicated open minded fanatic. But he's admittedly out of his depth and comfort zone when he attempts to review the few examples of extreme metal included in this book.

Appallingly giving Bathory's The Return,Morbid Tales and Pleasure To Kill lower ratings then Stryper.

His lack of knowledge of extreme metal is made glaringly obvious in the very broad and incorrect way he uses the term grindcore as a convenient pejorative catch-all term to broadly describe various extreme metal records that have little to do with grindcore.

Popoff, I think, included token early examples of extreme metal despite personal feelings and lack of context for completionist archival state. The bad reviews serve the purpose of adding to the cult infamy and inaccessibility of the extreme bands covered. 

The book was published in 1992 . So information on those extreme sub-genres was still somewhat underground and inaccessible. So you can overlook Popoff calling Bathory grindcore and Danzig brutal black metal. The lurid and creative prose use to hilariously roast Hawkwind is very accurate constructive criticism backed by Popoff's informed opinion. It's also hilarious and makes you want to seek them out regardless of the rating But the extreme metal reviews are mostly conjecture filtered through the perception bias of a dedicated old school metalhead.

But you'll find a lot of info on obscure Nwobh, traditional heavy metal and hard rock bands buried alongside unfiltered commentary of major label bullshit. He provides some great insight on how much the Black Album sucks for example if you didn't already know that....So you can overlook Popoff dismissing Gorguts Erosion Of Sanity as grindcore. When in fact it was a cult classic that attempted to move old school death metal away from its speed obsessed thrash roots into more atmospheric,technical and progressive directions. And focus instead on tracking down all the traditional obscurities you'll discover within the labyrinthian confines of this tome.

Popoff neglects to mention how Randy Rhodes improvised and slightly reworked Iommi's iconic riffs. And doesn't make any comparisons between Eno's original Baby's on Fire and Roth's cover. Let alone the iconic solo in Eno's version.

You can buy this off Amazon or direct from Power Chord Press.

Popoff's work is mostly self published.

Support the underground.

Kyle

You can write Kyle at: 

Kyle Nonneman
#16534211
Snake River Correctional Institution
777 Stanton Blvd
Ontario OR 97914-8335

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Review: American Power Metal (Martin Popoff) a Kyle Nonneman review

 

APOPTHELEMA 
Review: American Power Metal (Martin Popoff)

by Kyle Nonneman

[Note: this was composed in prison where proof-reading facilities are notoriously bad. Please don't hold that against the author. You can contact Kyle through the address listed at the end of this entry.] 

POPOFF ARCHIVE SERIES 6 :AMERICAN POWER METAL

BY MARTIN POPOFF

I listen to primarily black/death/doom/thrash .

I love more traditional stuff like Angel Sword, Reverend Bizarre, Warlock, Mercyful Fate and of course my favorite Manowar song is Demons Whip.

I was raised on rock but my knowledge of traditional heavy metal and power metal is somewhat lacking.

This book introduced me to a lot of the more obscure acts keeping it true and offered a lot of insight and exegesis on the legendary acts featured I was already familiar with.

You have a lot of soulless disposable extreme metal nowadays because with the notable exception of Deathhammer's Evil Power Lp and Hooded Menace, a lot of the current crop of deadbangers draw influence from only death/black/grind and deem themselves too brutal or kvlt to listen to the more traditional work let alone take influence from it.

So you have an incestuous corruption of metal's ability to evolve.

The classics of death and black were rooted in tradition, like Chuck's obsession with Gamma Ray.

So what if the interviews may not be as exciting or subversive as Metalion's work but its still an essential book for anyone who gives a fuck about true metal.

As essential as Deathhammers Evil Power album.

Popoff focuses his interviews primarily upon the music not sordid war stories, Ferraris, and trivial scene politics.

There's some interesting revelations In here.

Like Manowar trashing Nwobhm and praising Primus.

There's also some great interviews with Yngwie that don't bring to mind the B side to Bohemian Rhapsody.

Iced Earths interview brought up Spawn.

The fierce independent fuck the majors creator owned DIY agenda of Todd McFarlane isn't brought up but it was likely an influence on metal.

It sucks the Spawn movie soundtrack mentioned by Iced Earth turned into a comp of techno remixes of shitty rap rock/alt radio rock trend slaves.

I felt betrayed by the Spawn soundtrack and movie when I was a kid.

It was a Cold Lake moment....

More people should take the time to study Popoff's work.

Amazon doesn't carry this book you have to order it directly from the author

Www.martinpopoff.com

But seeking out obscurities is part of showing your dedication to the underground.

This book's $30 bucks for a trade paperback.

Not as fancy as a Bazillion Points release but its got a lot of heart and integrity.

Lot

A lot of he power metal bands in this book talk about a non ironic resurgence of true heavy metal that isn't mere atavistic fetishism and trendy pastiche.

A lot of them do a good job at it but the still criminally underrated Deathhammer fucking slays most of them

You can contact Kyle at:

 Kyle Nonneman

 #16534211

Osci

3405 Deerpark Dr SE

Salem OR 97310

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