Grady Hendrix is fast turning into one of the trendiest names in horror and his affectionate account of a washed-up heavy metal guitarist fighting internal demons (and some real ones) in “We Sold Our Souls” will ensure his star continues to rise. If you’re a heavy metal fan this novel is a dream come true, with the author name-checking countless bands and throwing in a multitude of musical pop-culture references along the way. As a life-long heavy metal fan I had fun counting the number of bands mentioned I had either seen in concert, enjoyed listening to, or had CDs lurking in my collection. For the music lover it really was highly entertaining. At certain points you might even forget you were reading a horror novel.

I’ll be interested to see how “We Sold Our Souls” goes down with non-heavy metal or knowledgeable music fans, although there is still much to enjoy, I doubt they will find it as entertaining. As horror novels go it is both light and undemanding, and without picking up on the knowing musical nods it could fall flat for some readers. But I hope not. For instance, every chapter is named after a famous metal song or album, a non-metal is not going to appreciate these quirky points of reference.

I recently reviewed David Peake’s bleak nihilistic masterpiece “Corpsepaint” which is about a washed-up, drug addict, black metal singer. I mention this now because these two books have a strong heavy metal connection, however, that is where the similarities end. Hendrix goes for nostalgia, familiarity and in many ways taps into the fun clichés surrounding metal, whereas Peake does the opposite and refuses to play with the devil-horn stereotypes. Hendrix ultimately sees hope in the love of music and Peake’s “Corpsepaint” only darkness and despair. If you have never heard of the David Peake novel be sure to check it out. You’ve not going to smile knowingly like you will when you read “We Sold Our Souls” but I guarantee you will never forget it. In a weird way the novels compliment each other, so read them both!

Selling your soul to the devil for success in the music business is a story as old as his hills, going back to Robert Johnson and his “Crossroad Blues” or even further in time with the original classical Faustian German legend. This is Grady Hendrix’s riff on that famous story which begins in the basement of teenager Kris Pulaski who is teaching herself to play guitar by listening to Black Sabbath riffs. An older kid she vaguely knows from school sticks his head in the window, Terry Hunt, and the two form a band called Dürt Würk and go on to have limited success. They break up on the eve of releasing a new album ‘Troglodyte’ which Kris believes is going to be really successful. However, the master tapes of this album mysteriously disappear and in musical circles this record becomes a cult, mainly because nobody has heard it.

The story is mainly told in the present day with Kris Pulaski now in her mid-forties and working as a washed-up hotel receptionist. In the two decades since Dürt Würk split up Terry Hunt subsequently became the biggest musical star in the world with his band Koffin, which was formed out of the ashes of Dürt Würk, but without Kris. Continuing to gig with other bands but with limited success, Kris never really got out of the shadow of being in the same first band as the legendary Terry Hunt. “We Sold Our Souls” begins with Koffin announcing a series of farewell shows which Kris decides to travel to and confront him about the demons from their past.

Note that this is a heavy metal geek talking so feel free to disagree; when the plot takes a supernatural Lovecraftian turn, I struggled to take it seriously partly because it has a 1970s Led Zeppelin or progressive rock feel to it, if you’re familiar with Zeppelin perhaps something like “Houses of the Holy” or “The Song Remains the Same”. The band Dürt Würk were from the 1990s, one of the reasons they failed to find success was because they were sandwiched between grunge in the early 1990s and nu-metal later in the decade and their sound did not fit with the times. Were they a seventies sounding rock band existing in the nineties? I couldn’t quite put my finger on what they were, perhaps in the same ballpark as the Nine Inch Nails or other industrial bands.

“We Sold Our Souls” has a really terrific ending, and if you’re a metal fan in particular, some of the music scenes in the closing sequences may well send shivers down your spine and you’ll be digging out your air guitar. However, again with my heavy metal geek hat on again, I did wonder how many young women would be standing watching extreme acts such as “Cannibal Corpse” or “Wolves in the Throne Room” who are as far as the mainstream as one can get! There were also some really funny scenes, once featured Terry Hunt excitedly thinking he had ‘discovered’ a new killer riff for a song, only to realise he had heard it before on an Iron Maiden album from thirty years ago.

There is much to smile at in this fun novel, and I’m not sure I’ve come across any with so many musical references. Even the mighty thrash legends ‘Slayer’ make a cheeky appearance, not long before Dürt Würk split up they were kicked off the tour for badmouthing the headline band and trashing their hotel, another great metal cliché. Kris was a feisty rock-chick lead character who really loved her music and there were plenty of enjoyable larger than life support characters thrown into the mix. The supernatural element was not introduced, or revealed, until quite late in the novel and I thought this strategy worked very well.

“We Sold Our Souls” will have you cranking up your favourite metal album to ten in no time at all. If you were ever in a band you’ll be cheering for Kris all the way, and if being in a band never got beyond being a pipe-dream or playing air guitar in front of your bedroom mirror you’ll still be cheering for her.

We Sold Our Souls in a word? Epic! In three words? Epic, epic, epic! I mean- it’s about heavy metal- how can it not be epic, right? Am I saying ‘epic’ too much? 😀

Anywhoo, what a satanic ride this one was… I mean, not only was the plot utterly devilish and filled with dark, sinister agendas and death and gore and other horror-y stuff, I also- seriously- laughed at some scenes… Like the piss-scene in a Best Western lobby. It was disgusting and horrible but I laughed. So hard. Sue me.

The book starts off by filling the reader the detail of the background, of the beginning of it all slowly, but surely… and epically, naturlich! We get to know the beginnings of Dürt Würk and the members of the band. Ambitious group of young ones with individuality in spades, wanting to take over the world with heavy metal one location, one club at a time.

But it’s tough going for them… and just as Dürt Würk are certain they’re going to have a breakthrough, everything flops, like a limp, wet sock. Not only did Terry break up the band but he went and started his own- Koffin- and it’s freaking nu metal! Sacrilege of the highest order!

Now, 20 years later, most Dürt Würk members have settled in to their lovely suburban mansions with a partner and kids. But not Kris. She’s just a Best Western worker and, rightly so, bitter. The light of her life- music- has been taken from her.

Nothing stays hidden behind closed doors, though, especially in a horror novel. Behind the doors- this is where the monster is! Or escape… You know how it goes- they always open the door and go looking for trouble! Kris can no longer sit back and as Terry, who left all of the Dürt Würk members coughing up the dust as he took off towards his stardom, makes his comeback on stage, Kris knows that it’s time to dig up the bones of the past.

Thus begins the incredible unravelling of the plot as Kris insists on going head first into that one night 20 years ago that changed everything. What ensues is truly quite difficult to describe. It’s fast-paced, hard-core and totally gripping. But it’s also covered in conspiracy, madness and death. And betrayal and escapes. But, tap into metal, and you can do anything…

And then… We Sold Our Souls is about more than just revenge by ex-band mates. It’s an example of a heavy metal way of life, it’s a case study of the value of music and a piss-take on the mainstream auto-tuned radio waves. It’s a shout out to calloused fingers and aching necks and certain kind of passion… No excuses made for what matters most in this book…

… and it’s made good with that added bit of craziness… Kris is a helluva woman. She’s heavy metal down to her very core and her stamina and willpower alone are the driving force of this novel. She finds herself in situations that would break a person mentally in half, but Kris? She’s no quitter and she will see things through to the very bitter end against the most powerful evil. To the bitter end, I said… well, that is actually open for debate… 😉

We Sold Our Souls is a novel of strong beginnings, unbelievable realities, claustrophobic crescendos, gruesome deaths and unimaginable prophecies looking for heroes… Oh! And the chapters are named after the best albums- Bathory, Manowar, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth and so on… ! Thoroughly enjoyable, much recommended!

Full disclosure, I am a huge Grady Hendrix fan. His novel Horrorstor is one of may favorites and I had the pleasure of attending his two presentations at the 2018 Overlook Film Festival…I am also a metalhead. It’s like this book was written for me and it did not disappoint. 

We Sold Our Souls opens on young Kris Pulaski learning to play Black Sabbath’s metal classic Iron Man. A few years later as she’s playing those opening riffs for the thousandth time, she hears a knock at her window and a voice ask “is that Sabbath?”, beginning her friendship with Terry Hunt. Kris and Terry start the heavy metal band Dürt Würk, that along with bandmates Scottie Rocket, Tuck and Bill (who replaced the original drummer, JD), enjoyed success playing bars then moving up to larger clubs, the pinnacle of their career being opening for Heavy Metal legends, Slayer, until Terry got them booted off the tour.

Terry decides that in order to make it big he needs to leave the band and go solo. He starts the Nu Metal band Koffin, dubs himself The Blind King and has his bandmates sign contracts that they will never play any Durt Wurk again- including the un-released album “Troglodyte” that Kris thought would have been their ticket to stardom. 

Years later Terry is a rock god about to embark on his final tour, while Kris is working at a Best Western, living at her mom’s house and no longer making music. After a tragedy strikes one of her former bandmates, Kris sets out across country, facing horrific obstacles along the way, to confront the person who stole her dreams of a life of playing music, and to find out what really happened the night the members of Dürt Würk signed those contracts.

Hendrix punctuates his novel with pop culture reference, drives the story forward with interviews, news pieces and uses classic metal albums to title each chapter. We Soul Our Souls is Darker than Hendrix’s previous novels, touching on subjects like rampant consumerism and how women are represented in the heavy metal community, but it remains a rocking good time of a book that promises you will never look at the UPS man the same way again. I wish this book came with a soundtrack because you are going to be ready to rock by the time it reaches its last epic notes.

Read this in your basement after you’ve learned the opening riffs to Iron Man.

Fast paced and full of gore, this has all the makings of a cult classic. The concept of selling out; literally selling your soul, your creativity, your passion and your spark for fame and fortune rings true in this age of plastic pop culture. With tributes and nods to some of the biggest names in metal, this is a celebration of all things great and good about heavy metal.

As several reviews have already posted - this book centers on Kris- forty something washed up musician who was once in an up and coming metal band and tries to find out where things went wrong. Describing any more than that isn't really going to do it justice- other than it is a extremely creative story that I wouldn't recommend missing! I'm not sure what it is about Grady Hendrix's writing but I am always so excited to get to the end to see what happens! I am not the biggest fan of this particular genre- but have really enjoyed some of his previous books (My Best Friend's Exorcism, Horrorstore) and this one was no exception. It wasn't necessarily scary but definitely had a creepy factor to it- in a good way. I confess I did have to skim through a couple parts when it came to some particularly gory details- but nothing that I'd deem offensive. In short, he's a great writer- I finished this book in one day.

Nothing makes me sadder than the fact that Grady Hendrix is a dude. He continually writes the most complex and inspiring female leads, it is a true tragedy to me that buy buying his books I am not supporting more female writers in the world of genre fiction. This isn’t to say that I don’t think men shouldn’t write women, in the same way that I think that being white or straight shouldn’t stop you from writing POC or queer characters – hell, everyone needs more representation and I can never get enough of a good thing – but there is something about finishing a really good book filled with truly awesome female characters and remembering that it was all written by a man that leaves me feeling a little empty.

WE SOLD OUR SOULS is one helluva guitar solo. Grady Hendrix brings the heavy metal to the horror masses. I really enjoyed PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, so I figured I'd give this one a read. It's a compelling page-turner.

The story centers around a heavy metal band from the 1990s called Dürt Würk. The band was about to hit it big, but the lead singer Terry Hunt went solo. He rocketed to stardom as Koffin, while his former bandmates got mundane jobs. Two decades later, former Dürt Würk guitarist Kris Pulaski uncovers a disturbing secret from her past. Terry Hunt's success may have come at the price of his former bandmates. The title tells you everything you need to know, or does it?

Kris Pulaski must find answers. She hits the open road, reconnects with her bandmates, and confronts the man who destroyed her life. Grady Hendrix takes you from Pennsylvania to a Satanic rehab center and finally to a Las Vegas music festival. Some of the scenes are vividly brutal. Kris Pulaski is a top-notch hero. She kicks so much ass!

I like the author's writing style. WE SOLD OUR SOULS reads quick and the story flows smoothly. The feel-good ending wasn't what I was expecting, but it does leave hope, which is a good thing. I was expecting something darker, but it was still good. I felt like I kind of heard and read this story somewhere else before. It felt like a familiar story.

Overall, this story is enjoyable. If I'm being honest, I finished it rather quickly. The cover art caught my eye, but what kept me reading is Kris Pulaski, the female protagonist. She made the book better. I was right there with her the entire journey. I was cheering for her to kick some ass and she does. She is intelligent, strong, and she can handle her business.

I love books and stories based on/around music, especially rock and roll and heavy metal. It makes for a great read. WE SOLD OUR SOULS is heavy metal turned up to 11. You should give this one a read.

Recommend!

In 1975 Black Sabbath, the band that many believe originated ‘heavy metal’, had released what we would probably call a ‘greatest hits album’ these days, with tracks from their previous six albums. Called We Sold Our Soul For Rock & Roll, it cherry-picked the tracks that fans counted as favourites.

The problem? It was released without the band or their manager’s knowledge, part of a deal between their new record label and their last. Allegedly, the first the band knew of the album was when fans brought them to concerts to be signed.

Why this is relevant here? Well, author Grady Hendrix clearly knows this. I’m sure that the name of his latest novel is no coincidence, a story where the rise and fall of a rock and roll band meets Stranger Things, where corporate sell-out and backroom shenanigans are part of the deal.

The story is told through Kris Pulaski, founding member and guitarist of Dürt Würk, a rock band brought up by learning Black Sabbath guitar riffs, who almost made it big in the ‘90’s, and then broke up for reasons that will be explained through the novel. Now twenty years on, Kris, having given up on the big dream, spends her time working as a receptionist at a Best Western in a small backward hometown and generally being abused by the local clientele.

Her life is changed when she sees hears of Terry Hunt, Dürt Würk’s ex-singer, planning a reunion-farewell tour of the band he created after Dürt Würk. We discover through backstory how the demise of Dürt Würk led to the formation of Koffin by the ex-singer, in a deal that took away Kris’s rights to her material and left her ruined. Dürt Würk’s last album, Troglodyte, which was never released, and has become something of legendary status. Made in a rundown house in the woods, the rumours about Kris’ masterwork album, and why it was never released have become mythical.

As the backstory develops, we determine what caused the breakup of the band, something that will be familiar to anyone who knows their rock-band history. And as this is a Grady Hendrix story, we discover, with a Lovecraftian twist, what really happened that night the band broke up. Kris cannot remember what happened herself (drugs & rock and roll, right?), but is determined to finally get to the meaning of what happened that night by meeting up with the ex-members of her band and even Terry Hunt – who may have a more sinister reason for his success.

For anyone who knows Grady’s previous work - Horrorstor, My Best Friend’s Exorcism and the non-fictional Paperbacks from Hell - will know that he excels in reinvigorating the 80’s tone of those mass-produced novels of the 1980’s. This one clearly plays homage to Stephen King, but also any of those books from that time. (I’d personally recommend George RR Martin’s The Armageddon Rag as a similar, alternative read.)

It’s not particularly deep, nor meaningful, but it does what it does right. Fans of Stranger Things will ‘get it’. Anyone who has formed a band in a garage or basement and *nearly* made it big will sympathise (and perhaps wince!) at some of the things that happen here. And what is most important is that Grady elicits the emotion, the power, the almighty good created by being part of a band – the camaraderie, the sheer buzz of creating and playing music, to fans who love your work. This is never a book that attempts to poke fun at its material – instead, through empathy, it makes the reader’s inner-teenager want to go start a band all over again.

In my youth I was never part of a band – but this book makes me wish I was. And therein lies its secret. This is a book written by someone that cares about its subject matter, and you can tell. Moreover, Grady manages to make the reader feel, to care about his characters and to connect with emotions from a time when things were simpler. Sometimes you just need a guitar….

When such relatable elements of youth are added to the more supernatural elements, the result is that the combination works. There are moments of horror that I found quite creepy, and there’s definitely parts that claustrophobic readers will cringe at.

In short, if you are a Horror fan and are/were a fan of ‘90’s rock/metal, you will love this book. If you’ve ever felt yourself to be an outsider, and that your love of music is not understood, if you’ve been derided for your enjoyment of rock and metal, and yet, despite this, have stayed true to your own beliefs, We Sold Our Souls will speak to you.

It’s a great read. Just be careful next time you feel the need to include some occult leanings in your lyrics….

Thank you ! so much for the opportunity to review this book. I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

By far my favorite book by Grady Hendrix! loved it! This book grabbed me by my soul and did not leave my thoughts until I finished it. And yet , it still lingers...

An imperfect leading lady taking on an adventure to find herself while seeking revenge for being wronged. Add a dose of paranormal, sprinkle in some Metal Rock and you have yourself a party. Wow! The whole premise of this book was a refreshing, Good old fashioned Horror at it's finest!

I have read Horrorstor and My Best Friend's Exorcism , which I completely enjoyed but this book took horror to a new level. Bravo to Mr. Hendrix... I have become a true fan.

4.0 Stars

Kris was in a heavy metal band called Durt Wurk, but right before they were about to hit it big, the band fell apart. Twenty years later, she's the night manager at a Best Western and her life has been miserable since the split. Her former bandmate has skyrocketed to Stardom as Koffin. Kris learns that her and her bandmates souls may have been the price for Koffin's success. She embarks on a journey and will stop at NOTHING until she confronts him.

This was a fun, fast-paced story. I personally, don't have a relationship with heavy metal specifcally, but that did not keep me from connecting with the story. There were some great brutal scenes in there that really made the story. Grady Hendrix also took the Faustian bargain device and wrote a story for modern audiences. It left me thinking about the state of our "soul".

Incredibly fun and entertaining horror novel! I found this really engaging and readable and think it will appeal to a wide audience, including those who don't think they like horror. Great work from Grady Hendrix.

My first book by Grady Hendrix definitely lived up to the hype! As a huge metal fan, this novel took me back to simpler times and brought back great memories. When delving into the topic of heavy metal, it is easy to perpetuate cliches and prejudices against metalheads, however, Hendrix managed to perfectly capture the essence of the metal scene.

Kris is a great protagonist: her struggles, her shattered dreams, the pain of being betrayed, the rage. All of these feelings are incredibly well conveyed by Hendrix's writing. After reading the synopsis I thought this would be the classic story of some metalheads summoning the devil with their music and exchanging their souls for fame, therefore I was pleasantly surprised to see how the author took that basic idea and transformed it into something original, fresh and entertaining.

I only have two more minor complaints: after Kris witnesses the existence of the supernatural, why would she be so reluctant to believe a conspiracy theorist who was trying to help her? And also, the story lacked some creepiness. Otherwise, this is a super fun read with clever twists and turns that I will definitely be recommending to all my metal loving friends.

We Sold Our Souls does a clever spin on the Faustian ‘bargain with the devil’ premise by setting it in the world of heavy metal music. It’s like a mash-up of an old VH-1 Behind The Music and The Devil’s Advocate. There were some harrowing scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. The one that sticks out is when the heroine, Kris, is crawling through a tunnel that is gradually getting smaller and tighter. I’m not claustrophobic, but that scene made it hard to catch my breath! Though for all the scenes like that (and giving Grady Hendrix credit for finding a new take on this age-old tale), something was missing in it, something that made me want to flip the page excitedly to find out what was going to happen next. I found myself putting the book down for several days before picking it up again. All the ingredients were there, but for me the sum was not greater than the parts.

This books' greatest strength is in its main character, Kris. Hendrix has always been so good at writing flawed and well rounded protagonists, and I think that Kris is his strongest yet. While she is rash and makes some questionable decisions throughout the book, you completely understand why she does what she does. She lives, breathes, loves metal, and having that taken away from her has driven her to the point of desperation. I loved following her as she goes to confront her former friend Terry, and loved that we get information and a background of not only her band, but many aspects of metal as a whole as she makes her journey. The references to metal always felt organic and well placed, and it gave a wider scope to the narrative. That said, once again Hendrix gets a little bogged down in the 'horror' aspects of this book, and I felt like he relied on cliches within the genre in spite of the fact he made a valiant effort at avoiding them. I was more freaked out by real world horrors within the story than by the demonic aspects, and sometimes it led to moments that felt rushed and haphazard for the sake of a 'scary' moment.

With all that in mind, I did enjoy reading "We Sold Our Souls", and I think that people who like Hendrix will find a lot of like within its pages.

I swear...Grady Hendrix made a deal with the devil to write something this damned good. An amazing mash-up of really uncomfortable horror, metal music & culture, scathing commentary on consumerism, humor, and insight as to how/why bands have such dysfunctional relationships.

Once again, Grady Hendrix is back with another fantastic, self-aware horror novel.

Playing with the classics tropes of the genre, this novel was smart and well written. The narrative was very fast paced and action packed, bringing along the reader for an entertaining adventure.

This novel will particularly appeal to readers with a background in music, specifically heavy metal. This is book was still accessible to less musically-inclined people, like myself, but I know I was the perfect target audience for the book.

If you enjoy Grady Hendrix's novels, heavy metal or deals with the devil, I definitely recommend checking out this one!

I received a copy from Penguin Random House Canada.

what i love about the grady hendrix books i've read is that though the books don't take themselves too seriously, it's pretty obvious the respect hendrix has for the subject. we sold our souls is no exception. though i'm not a heavy metal fan by any means, i appreciate the love letter to music this book essentially is (with a loving mention of my girl dolly too!)

it's not a perfect book; some of the characterization is inconsistent, (sometimes kris is ok with killing, sometimes she's not. why is terry fairly chill about allowing her to play with him on stage after all they've been through?) and the ending left me feeling lukewarm. but it is a really, really fun book to read. i loved that the main character was a middle aged rocker chick who bonds with a latina metal fan named melanie part way through the novel. melanie is a small but important character, and i love seeing women having each other's backs.

also, just want to give a brief content warning for sexual assault. if you know anything about the disaster that was woodstock '99 then that'll give you an idea of what i mean.

so to sum it up: not my favorite hendrix novel (hello, my best friend's exorcism, will anything top you ever?) but lots of fun and some truly creepy imagery. now i'm off to listen to dolly!

Grady Hendrix might be the best voice writing horror today. There’s something special about the way his books pay homage to classic horror, yet manage to feel fresh and unique. Just as I felt I was being lulled by a formulaic piece of 80s horror like I read as a kid, Hendrix just lets loose, and just like when I was a kid, I’m basically unable to do anything but read until I finish this book. Another amazing thing? One of the most terrifying elements of the book, the UPS Men, are sparingly used, and not explained. I both hope he has the wherewithal to not write a book about them, and obsessively hope they are featured in more stories.

I usually give myself a 100 pages before I throw in the towel but I only made it to 90 pages with this book. Difficult to read, story all over the place, mired down in superfluous paragraphs.

2/5

This felt like a story that could have worked with a different tone. It felt like it took itself too seriously for the type of story it was. If it had been written in a similar style as John Dies at the End I think I would have loved it. But as it was, I just couldn't get into it and it felt ridiculous. 

The first thing that put me off this story was the incessant references to bands in the beginning. Now, I love all those bands, but it felt really unnecessary and took me out of the story. Nostalgia and pop culture references can work really well (e.g. Ready Player One) but they have to feel like they are part of the narrative and not just added for the sake of having them there. For me, nothing I have read before has truly epitomised the meaning of 'Member berries' quite like this book.

Member Judas Priest? Yeah, I member! 

Nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia. It got better as the story went on, or at least it felt less heavy handed, but I really wish it had been dialled back in the beginning.

I will give this story credit for having the most claustrophobic scene I have ever read. Well done. It didn't feel particularly realistic how the protagonist got to that moment, but it genuinely had my heart racing during those pages.

Overall it was hard work finishing this book and the ending felt underwhelming.

Thank you to Quirk Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this title to review!