"It''s about time someone raised the stakes in metal studies!  Unger''s book is analytically sophisticated, theoretically adventurous, rigorous, and places the academic study of metal music right where it belongs: the heart of contemporary intellectual debates on meaning and purpose in modern societies.  Drawing inspiration from phenomenology, religious studies, and other unorthodox sources, Unger is unafraid to break with both timeworn and newly-ossified conventions in sociology, philosophy, and metal studies itself as he advances his refreshingly original thesis.  This work will no doubt prove highly influential in the global community of metal and allied scholars, now and in the future, and will catch the attention of scholars who may be indifferent to the music but need to hear its message." (Jeremy Wallach, Professor of Popular Culture and co-editor of "Metal Rules the Globe: Heavy Metal Music around the World")

"This book is a timely and significant contribution to our understanding of the meaning and purpose of sound and music in our social worlds. Unger adds a richly theorized analysis to the debate about transgression in extreme metal." (Karl Spracklen, Professor of Leisure Studies, Leeds Beckett University, UK)