The first complete, feisty and sordid history of American hardcore punk. Angrier, less pretentious and more stripped-down than its artsy, drug-addled predecessor, this harder-faster form of music was never very pretty - an angry and violent outlet for unfocused rage. Packed with information on all aspects of the genre, including oral histories from the stars and now forgotten participants, the book explains the gestation, rise and eventual fall of the hardcore scene along with an exceptionally comprehensive discography. Extensively illustrated with b/w photos.