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Headbanger!
Win a free print copy of this book!
5 days and 01:12:19
15 copies available
U.S. only
The 1980s are ablaze with Satanic Panic hysteria, and no one is feeling the heat worse than teenage headbanger Mark Looger.
His chain-smoking, Bible-thumping mother has declared war on his heavy metal way of life, trashing his records… ruining his chances with Tori Payne… even calling the barber!
Driven to the brink by her righteous fury, Mark dares to meddle in the dark arts and…
HYPNOTIZES HIS MOTHER!
At first, it totally rocks! She’s making him breakfast, handing over her Diners Club card, and letting him throw the biggest party Liberty Bend has ever seen!
But wait… oh no! Her hypnotized mind is also a slave to heavy metal itself! Every twisted lyric she hears becomes a command she must obey!
And as the hi-fi is cranked to 666, the night erupts into a bloodbath of unholy horror… becoming everything the PMRC, the six o’clock news, and your parents ever warned you about!
Headbanger! is an outrageous and hilarious love letter to 80s metal culture. A savage horror-comedy about music, mind control, and moral panic that finally answers the ultimate question:
What if heavy metal really did make you do bad things?
“A wildly entertaining blend of gore, humor, and heavy metal with a nostalgic eighties vibe.”
— Reedsy Discovery
His chain-smoking, Bible-thumping mother has declared war on his heavy metal way of life, trashing his records… ruining his chances with Tori Payne… even calling the barber!
Driven to the brink by her righteous fury, Mark dares to meddle in the dark arts and…
HYPNOTIZES HIS MOTHER!
At first, it totally rocks! She’s making him breakfast, handing over her Diners Club card, and letting him throw the biggest party Liberty Bend has ever seen!
But wait… oh no! Her hypnotized mind is also a slave to heavy metal itself! Every twisted lyric she hears becomes a command she must obey!
And as the hi-fi is cranked to 666, the night erupts into a bloodbath of unholy horror… becoming everything the PMRC, the six o’clock news, and your parents ever warned you about!
Headbanger! is an outrageous and hilarious love letter to 80s metal culture. A savage horror-comedy about music, mind control, and moral panic that finally answers the ultimate question:
What if heavy metal really did make you do bad things?
“A wildly entertaining blend of gore, humor, and heavy metal with a nostalgic eighties vibe.”
— Reedsy Discovery
270 pages, Paperback
Published January 14, 2026
3 people are currently reading
2822 people want to read
About the author
Audie Harrison
1 book10 followersAudie Harrison is a writer, filmmaker, and animator. A graduate of the CalArts Character Animation Program, his writing and directing credits include the punk-rock indie feature The Last American, the Cartoon Network series Uncle Grandpa, and Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! for Warner Bros. Animation.
Headbanger! is Audie’s debut novel, born from a lifelong devotion to heavy metal, horror movies, and Saturday-morning cartoons. He lives in Pasadena, California, with his family and a collection of dusty guitars.
Headbanger! is Audie’s debut novel, born from a lifelong devotion to heavy metal, horror movies, and Saturday-morning cartoons. He lives in Pasadena, California, with his family and a collection of dusty guitars.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 10, 2026
This entertaining banging novel combines 80s nostalgia, heavy metal, and a gory narrative packed with humor as well.
All Mark wants to do is rock. He's got his eye on a girl who seems to really like him and, at first, things are looking up. Until his mother gets involved. She's uber religious and when she finds out about his music and crush, she forces him to change his ways, going so far to make him cut his hair (the horror is real with that as I've been there).
But when Mark rebels in a heavy metal way, he's going to accidentally unleash hell and it might be too late to put the pin back in the supernatural grenade!
This novel works on a lot of levels. If you like heavy metal, nostalgic narratives, a slice of 80s gold, and enough dark humour to wash it all down with, this one will do it for you! Plus there are some absolutely bloody deaths that'll make your skin crawl. Sometimes all these different elements don't quite live up to expectations but this one nails them all. It'll make you squirm, smile, and laugh in equal measures. I highly recommend it.
All Mark wants to do is rock. He's got his eye on a girl who seems to really like him and, at first, things are looking up. Until his mother gets involved. She's uber religious and when she finds out about his music and crush, she forces him to change his ways, going so far to make him cut his hair (the horror is real with that as I've been there).
But when Mark rebels in a heavy metal way, he's going to accidentally unleash hell and it might be too late to put the pin back in the supernatural grenade!
This novel works on a lot of levels. If you like heavy metal, nostalgic narratives, a slice of 80s gold, and enough dark humour to wash it all down with, this one will do it for you! Plus there are some absolutely bloody deaths that'll make your skin crawl. Sometimes all these different elements don't quite live up to expectations but this one nails them all. It'll make you squirm, smile, and laugh in equal measures. I highly recommend it.
March 3, 2026
I honestly feel like I’m the perfect target audience for this book.
As a lifelong heavy metal fan, I lived through the Satanic Panic of the ’80s and have a deep love for horror movies from that decade—so this story felt tailor-made for me.
If I had to compare it to something, I’d say it’s like Weird Science with a full-on metalhead twist. The scenes are incredibly easy to visualize, almost cinematic in the best way, and it makes perfect sense that the book began life as a screenplay.
The narrative moves at a great pace, and the characters—while intentionally leaning into classic stereotypes—are genuinely endearing and a lot of fun to spend time with.
Highly recommended for fans of ’80s heavy metal and for anyone who has a soft spot for the wild horror films of that era.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As a lifelong heavy metal fan, I lived through the Satanic Panic of the ’80s and have a deep love for horror movies from that decade—so this story felt tailor-made for me.
If I had to compare it to something, I’d say it’s like Weird Science with a full-on metalhead twist. The scenes are incredibly easy to visualize, almost cinematic in the best way, and it makes perfect sense that the book began life as a screenplay.
The narrative moves at a great pace, and the characters—while intentionally leaning into classic stereotypes—are genuinely endearing and a lot of fun to spend time with.
Highly recommended for fans of ’80s heavy metal and for anyone who has a soft spot for the wild horror films of that era.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews