Three different book covers
Following the discovery of my Facebook page dedicated to my photos of the Hard Rock and Metal world - The Power Age - Hans Verbeke contacted me to see if I would agree to contribute to illustrating his book with the many photos I took in the 1980s of the Belgian and international Metal scene. I immediately accepted, even though I didn't expect to spend so much time searching for, scanning, and often retouching my archive images.
The authors Hans Verbeke and Onno Hesselink, finally used 55 of my photos to illustrate their book. Including the cover with Lemmy and the one with James Hetfield (limited edition). The photo of Jeff Hanneman from Slayer was taken by the French photographer Pierre Terrasson.
Heavy Sounds in the West is a detailed historical account focusing on the coming of age of heavy metal and hardcore specifically in West Flanders, the western province of Belgium (West Vlaanderen). The book highlights how these underground music scenes exploded in this relatively quiet, rural region, around areas like Poperinge and Kortrijk, despite its unlikely setting far from major urban metal hubs.
Having been involved in both the Belgian and international Metal scenes, I had the opportunity to photograph a very large number of bands. Since I knew most of the major English, German, or American bands at their beginnings, I was able to build friendships with some of them, which often gave me privileged and exclusive photos.
Key features include:
- Over 400 pages (around 402 pages in most listings).
- More than 300 full-color photographs, many previously unpublished.
- Stories, anecdotes, and insights from the scene, featuring big names like Slayer, Metallica, AC/DC, and local Belgian acts or events.
- It draws on rare archival material, personal accounts, and visual documentation to chronicle concerts, bands, venues, fanzines, and the broader subculture in the region during its formative years (primarily the 1980s–1990s era, building on earlier hardcore/metal waves).
- Hans Verbeke (based in Kortrijk, Belgium) is a key figure in documenting Belgian underground music—he previously co-authored The Story of H8000 Hardcore (2019), a reference on the influential H8000 hardcore scene from the same area. Onno Hesselink is a punk/hardcore veteran and graphic designer who was active in the 1980s scene.
The book has been praised in metal media for its obsessive detail, high production quality (oversized paperback format), and for shining a spotlight on an underappreciated regional scene, essentially putting West Flanders "on the map" in global heavy music history.
"A monumental, lovingly crafted document that's essential for fans of metal history, especially the European scene".
It's available in physical paperback (around $40–50 depending on retailer) and Kindle/ebook formats, sold through sites like Amazon, the publisher's site (earthislandbooks.com), and specialty metal/punk shops. There was a release party in June 2024, and it has its own dedicated website at heavysoundsinthewest.com for more info.
If you're into metal history, and the ever-growing hard-rock/metal scene in Belgium, this seems like a must-read deep dive!
