We Sold Our Souls

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Not only does this book offer a great appreciation for music and musicians, but horror as well. I will admit, there is a fair amount of body horror in this book. I’m not a huge fan of blood and gore, but I found that I was able to stomach it with this book. Mostly because I so enjoyed the story and the characters. It also keeps the pace exciting and drives the plot forward. The 1990s heavy metal band Dürt Würk was on the brink of success when their lead singer, Terry Hunt broke off to launch his solo career as Koffin. He soon sat at the top of the heavy metal genre, leaving his bandmates behind to lead less-than-famous lives. A delight...its incisive social commentary and meaningful character development make The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires not just a palatable read for non-horror fans, but a winning one.”

There are a ton of band references in this novel as well as breaking down the overall culture of what it’s like being a metalhead, preparing to go to an epic metal concert, and just all the little details behind it. I’m pretty sure Hendrix has to be a metalhead since he was completely spot on with everything that goes into being one and the fandom behind it with a great horror twist. If you love metal music, read this. If you love horror, read this. If you love reading the personal journey of a character to 'find themselves', read this. Like a lot of music is, this is a look into the soul of selfish, snobby musicians and the ultimate price they (seemingly inevitably pay) to be successful. I have been seeing Grady Hendrix’s name around on Goodreads for ages, and I’ve been curious: tongue-in-cheek horror, how is that supposed to work? I usually like my horror cosmic and existentialist (I am a basket of giggles, I know!), but at the same time, how does one resist the hook of musicians selling their souls for success? It’s the oldest trope in the book since Robert Johnson (and winked at hilariously in “Jennifer’s Body”, if you can stand Megan Fox). And while I lean more towards punk, I like to think I know my metal well enough to appreciate how much geeking out about the genre Hendrix stuffed in this novel (you don’t have to listen to metal to read this, by the way, but if you do, the references and winks – not to mention the dressing down of nu metal – will make you snort incessantly). A spine-tingling horror novel, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, pill-popping, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul. This revelation prompts Kris to hit the road, reunite with the rest of her bandmates, and confront the man who ruined her life. It’s a journey that will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a Satanic rehab center and finally to a Las Vegas music festival that’s darker than any Mordor Tolkien could imagine. A furious power ballad about never giving up, even in the face of overwhelming odds, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul…where only a girl with a guitar can save us all. My ThoughtsTerrific... Sharply written... [ My Best Friend’s Exorcism] makes a convincing case for [Hendrix’s] powers as a sharp observer of human behavior.” The album itself drew controversy for the usage of Nazi-esque “SS” style versions of the letter S in the title on the cover, further imflaming moral guardians toward the group. In the 1990's Chris was a guitarist in the heavy metal break-out band, "Dürt Würk", until lead singer Terry Hunt sold out for a solo career as "Koffin", taking the rights to all their music and leaving the band in the dust. Terrific...Sharply written...[ My Best Friend’s Exorcism] makes a convincing case for [Hendrix’s] powers as a sharp observer of human behavior, filtered through a fun genre conceit that doesn’t skimp on the spooky—or the bodily fluids.”

Moving along, I completely lost my mind when I realized every chapter was a unique song title from all sorts of metal bands. I literally jumped for joy when I saw there was a REIGN IN BLOOD chapter since Slayer is my all-time favorite metal band. Speaking of which, to see them heavily mentioned in this novel was so awesome. I loved it since it’s so rare I get to read a horror novel that heavily mentions Slayer and many other of my favorite metal bands. Rolling Stone Album Guide". Archived from the original on 6 March 2011 . Retrieved 18 September 2017. The world is a prison, and only heavy metal can save our souls in this darkly comic riff on the Faust legend. Hendrix’s one-of-a-kind novel is an innovative hybrid of ghost story and satire, at once clever, gruesome, and hilarious.”Grady Hendrix has a way of writing that just pulls you into a story and cheer for the down trodden. His writing is engaging, entertaining and can be downright creepy at times. Torn Apart by the Mob: Kris's one ally, J.D., commits a Heroic Sacrifice by getting between her and an angry mob that are aiming for her and is ripped apart by them in front of her as she drives to Terry's last gig. Horrorstör delivers a crisp terror-tale…[and] Hendrix strikes a nice balance between comedy and horror.”— The Washington Post, on Horrorstör Grady Hendrix is the author of the novels Horrorstör, about a haunted IKEA, and My Best Friend’s Exorcism, which is like Beaches meets The Exorcist, only it’s set in the Eighties.