📖 Overview
David Konow is a Los Angeles-based journalist and author who specializes in writing about entertainment, popular culture, and heavy metal music. His work has appeared in publications including The Village Voice, Deadline, and Rolling Stone.
Konow gained recognition for his 2002 book "Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal," which chronicles the history of heavy metal music from the 1960s through the 1990s. He later wrote "Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films" in 2012, examining the evolution of horror cinema.
As a journalist, Konow has written extensively about the film industry, music business, and various aspects of pop culture. His reporting often focuses on behind-the-scenes stories and industry analysis.
His articles and books reflect a particular interest in documenting cultural movements and entertainment industry trends from an historical perspective. Konow continues to contribute regularly to various media outlets while based in Southern California.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate Konow's research and insider interviews in "Bang Your Head," highlighting how he captures both major events and lesser-known stories in metal's history. Several reviews note his straightforward writing style makes complex industry developments accessible.
What readers liked:
- Comprehensive coverage of metal's evolution
- Behind-the-scenes industry details
- Clear chronological organization
- Mix of well-known and obscure band histories
What readers disliked:
- Surface-level treatment of some significant bands
- Editorial errors and fact-checking issues
- Focus skews toward mainstream commercial metal
- Abrupt ending that doesn't fully explore metal's 1990s developments
Ratings:
Amazon: 4.1/5 from 89 reviews
Goodreads: 3.8/5 from 642 ratings
One reader on Goodreads noted: "Great introduction to metal's business side, but lacks depth on the music itself." An Amazon reviewer wrote: "Strong on industry stories but needed more about underground scenes."
His more recent horror book "Reel Terror" has limited reviews online, with a 3.5/5 on Goodreads from 41 ratings.
📚 Books by David Konow
Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal
Chronicles heavy metal from its 1960s origins through its 1980s peak to the 1990s decline, featuring interviews with musicians and industry figures.
Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films A comprehensive examination of horror cinema from the silent era through modern times, including filmmaker interviews and behind-the-scenes details.
We Could Be: Bowie and His Heroes Documents David Bowie's musical influences and relationships with artists who shaped his work, including Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Marc Bolan.
Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films A comprehensive examination of horror cinema from the silent era through modern times, including filmmaker interviews and behind-the-scenes details.
We Could Be: Bowie and His Heroes Documents David Bowie's musical influences and relationships with artists who shaped his work, including Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Marc Bolan.
👥 Similar authors
Chuck Klosterman writes about popular culture, music, and entertainment with a focus on cultural analysis and behind-the-scenes stories. His work covers rock music history and societal observations similar to Konow's approach to chronicling entertainment stories.
Steven Davis specializes in music biographies and histories of rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses. His research methods and interview-based narratives align with Konow's documentation of metal and grunge scenes.
Mark Yarm focuses on the Seattle music scene and grunge movement through oral histories and first-hand accounts. His work provides comprehensive coverage of the Pacific Northwest music culture that Konow explored in his writing about Nirvana and their contemporaries.
Neil Strauss conducts in-depth interviews with musicians and entertainers to create detailed portraits of their lives and careers. His writing style combines biographical elements with cultural context similar to Konow's approach to music journalism.
Legs McNeil chronicles punk rock history and underground music movements through direct sources and participant interviews. His documentation of music subcultures parallels Konow's examination of alternative music scenes and their impact on mainstream culture.
Steven Davis specializes in music biographies and histories of rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses. His research methods and interview-based narratives align with Konow's documentation of metal and grunge scenes.
Mark Yarm focuses on the Seattle music scene and grunge movement through oral histories and first-hand accounts. His work provides comprehensive coverage of the Pacific Northwest music culture that Konow explored in his writing about Nirvana and their contemporaries.
Neil Strauss conducts in-depth interviews with musicians and entertainers to create detailed portraits of their lives and careers. His writing style combines biographical elements with cultural context similar to Konow's approach to music journalism.
Legs McNeil chronicles punk rock history and underground music movements through direct sources and participant interviews. His documentation of music subcultures parallels Konow's examination of alternative music scenes and their impact on mainstream culture.