Indigenous Punk, Metal, and Hard Rock

A Definitive Guide to the Native, Aboriginal, and Pacific Islander Musicians Who Changed Music

Al Carroll

• Publisher: Microcosm Publishing LLC
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781648416170
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music

Native artists have always been central to hard, heavy music: surf rock, hard rock, heavy funk, straight edge, thrash, rap metal, grunge, grind core, and especially black metal. Natives have made their own uniquely Indigenous hard music forms, prehispanic metal in Latin America, Navajo rez metal, and experimental ambient metal in the far north. Beginning with Link Wray's trailblazing guitar sound that gave birth to punk and metal as we know them today and culminating in contemporary acts like the all-female, Maori doom metal and punk band Death and Hatred to Mankind, this eye-opening, encyclopedic history of Native bands and musicians spans the last 60 years. Historian and professor Al Carroll teaches us to listen critically to spot imposters and bigotry, while celebrating the explosion of Indigenous bands during the rise of thrash and later nu-metal, how Native artists in the so-called U.S. gained popularity and radio play overseas while their releases were censored in the States, and the "harder than you" grit of bands originating on Pacific islands.  There's something in this book for every hard music fan. Pick it up if you're looking for a new way to see the music and culture around you or inspiration to create something of meaning to your own community and roots. Get ready to learn about your new favorite band, deepen your understanding of the music you love, and think critically about the dominant culture.  

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• About the Publisher
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One: THE NATIVE ORIGINS OF HARD ROCK
• Chapter Two: NATIVE METAL
• Chapter Three: NAVAJO REZ METAL
• Chapter Four: FAR NORTH EXPERIMENTAL METAL
• Chapter Five: URBAN INDIAN PUNK AND REZ PUNK
• Chapter Six: PREHISPANIC METAL (NORTH AMERICA)
• Chapter Seven: PREHISPANIC METAL (SOUTH AMERICA)
• Chapter Eight: HARD ROCK, METAL, AND PUNK ON NATIVES
• Chapter Nine: ABORIGINAL HARD ROCK, METAL, AND PUNK
• Chapter Ten: PACIFIC ISLANDER METAL AND PUNK
• Conclusion
• Appendix
• Further Books and Films
• Other Books by Al Carroll
• Index
• About the Author