Sound of the Beast is based on a narrative drawn from over a hundred original interviews with members of Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Kiss, Judas Priest, Raven, Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, Saxon, Exciter, Dio, Twisted Sister, Armored Saint, Plasmatics, Misfits, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Possessed, Hirax, Bathory, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Voivod, Nuclear Assault, Sepultura, Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, Deicide, White Zombie, Public Enemy, Danzig, Soundgarden, Fear Factory, Mayhem, Emperor, Immortal, Mortiis, Slipknot, Death and other bands.

Greg Burk, writing for the LA Weekly in 2003, dubbed Sound of the Beast: "The first book to chart the vector of not just metal’s origins, but the myriad mutations through which it continues to infect the planet."

Brent Burton, writing for the Washington City Paper, deigned that "Like Nick Tosches' 1977 Country, Christe's Sound of the Beast takes a deep-focus view of music that most regard as one-dimensional—drawing attention to some of the rawest purveyors of each subgenre.

And on Metallica: 'Kill 'Em All might have been the first record fast enough that when fans played it to the point of skipping, a full chorus could be captured in a single revolution of the vinyl.'

Christe also falters when he inexplicably attempts to beat metal's 'white music' rap without any ammo: Hard rockers Phil Lynott and Slash are among a mere handful of names enlisted for the cause.