Matt Karpe – författare

Rising to prominence in 1994 on the back of their eponymous debut album, Korn ushered in a new sound within heavy metal which many would try and imitate in the years that followed. Earning themselves the title of "The Godfathers of Nu Metal", the Bakersfield quintet has sold well over 40 million records, they have topped charts all around the world, and they have also won multiple awards which include two prestigious Grammys. Still firing on all cylinders after three decades, Korn continues to produce powerful and accessible anthems in the present day.Korn On Track covers all the band's studio releases thus far- from their 1993 demo tape, Neidermayer's Mind, to their thirteenth studio album, The Nothing, released in 2018. Reviewing every track and delving into the stories behind many of them, also discussed is Korn's largely unheralded unreleased material, and B-sides which also include songs exclusively featured on movie soundtracks.

Linkin Park have never followed trends; they’ve set them. In fearlessly shattering the mold, the band has constantly set new standards throughout their career by seeking to transcend the confines of genre and pushing the boundaries of experimentation.But at the core of Linkin Park has always been the vulnerability of their lyrics, and the raw emotion with which they are expressed. Through dynamic vocal interplay and a melting pot of combustible instrumentation that has long been fused with soaring melodies and stadium-sized hooks, Linkin Park’s ability of turning their pain into music would ultimately define a generation and provide sanctuary for the disillusioned.Lost in the Echo: The Story of Linkin Park documents the band’s meteoric rise, from their humble beginnings and the struggles they faced along the way, to the stories behind every album and the endless successes that followed. It also investigates the devastating passing of their iconic frontman Chester Bennington, and how Linkin Park was eventually able to rebuild and reinvent themselves in the wake of such tragedy.Featuring interviews with a handful of musicians who either toured with Linkin Park or who consider them personal friends, as well as those who have been inspired by the band to forge their own careers in music, Lost in the Echo isn’t just a biography of Linkin Park, it’s the electrifying journey of one of the most ground-breaking bands of the 21st century.This book invites readers to feel the pulse of Linkin Park’s music, while reflecting on the power of connection and healing.

Nu Metal: A Definitive Guide revisits one of the most remarkable eras of heavy music, when mainstream charts, magazines, radio, and TV were all taken over by a host of diverse artists performing their own brands of hard rock and heavy metal.This book features an A-Z run down of the movement's most influential artists, from the main players such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Slipknot, and System Of A Down, to the lesser-known acts who may have only released one or two albums yet still made a lasting impact. It also looks at the new breed of bands coming through today who still share nu metal's original aesthetics.The book also includes exclusive interviews with musicians from some of the original movement's most prominent acts (Coal Chamber, Kittie, Staind, Taproot, and more), plus informative essays on its record producers, its collaborations with hip-hop artists, movie soundtracks and a brief history of heavy metal as a genre. Nu Metal: A Definitive Guide is the most in-depth book ever to be released on the most successful period in heavy metal's lengthy history

It may have taken them a few years to achieve a stable line-up, but Faith No More did just that with the arrival of enigmatic frontman, Mike Patton in 1988. By 1990, the San Francisco quintet were flying high on the back of their third album, The Real Thing, and the influential anthem for a generation, 'Epic'. Becoming a household name and mainstream chart botherers with colourful and diverse songs ranging in style from heavy metal to jazz, and rap rock to lounge music, Faith No More refused to follow trends and instead pushed forward with a gung-ho attitude and a talent for songwriting built around sonic experimentation. The band released the critically acclaimed Angel Dust, as well as King for a Day...Fool for a Lifetime and the ironically titled Album of the Year records, before stunning fans by parting ways in 1998. Faith No More in the 1990s is the story of a largely rewarding but tension-filled decade for rock music's greatest underdogs. Providing a detailed timeline of events, frenetic touring schedules, and most importantly- the songs, this book documents the rise and progression of one of the most distinctive bands of all time

The Smashing Pumpkins rose to fame during the grunge movement of the early nineties, however, the Chicago quartet's soaring guitar-driven anthems and beautifully crafted ballads instantly set them apart from their Seattle contemporaries. Possessing not one but two magnum opuses in their extensive back catalogue- the moody and reflective Siamese Dream, and the sprawling double-disc, diamond-certified Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, found the band once tipped to be the next Nirvana entirely in a league of their own.The Pumpkins' career has been meticulously orchestrated by Billy Corgan, a songwriter for the ages who has never shied away from exploring and expanding the boundaries of alternative rock. Without his immeasurable creativity and irrefutable desire, the Smashing Pumpkins would never have achieved the successes which came their way.The Smashing Pumpkins on track revisits the band's triumphant first decade, uncovering the stories behind the songs on their six studio albums released during this period, as well as standalone singles, movie soundtrack entries, EPs, and a whole host of B-sides and rarities. Also acting as a detailed biography, this book is an essential guide to the music of one of the nineties' biggest rock bands.

In a year containing groundbreaking releases from the likes of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, and Van Halen, 1984 also saw Prince return bigger and bolder than ever. Not content with solely focusing on the lead acting role in his semi-autobiographical movie, Prince worked overtime on a set of songs for the accompanying soundtrack album, and the results were there for all to see upon the unveiling of the masterpiece that was Purple Rain.Arriving at a time of significant world change, and with his eccentric and talented backing band - The Revolution - in tow, Prince's rise to superstardom was cemented with a set of delicious dancefloor hymns. These included the power ballad of all power ballads, a lead single void of customary songwriting traditions; and a track so controversial that it brought about the establishment of the PMRC, and the creation of the 'Parental Advisory' label.Purple Rain celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024, and this book digs deeper into the writing and recording process of the diamond-certified album. Also discussing the stories behind the songs, and the host of B-sides to have followed over the years, this book also pays tribute to Prince - the inimitable mastermind behind the entire Purple Rain project.