Rating: 
Summary: Very well researched. Highly Recommended
Review: don't know what else to say.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: Extremely well researched. Brings much of the usually-secret Satanic world into public view. If you want to know more about the interesting characters behind this highly misunderstood institution, you must read this. And not only is it well written, but it is well designed, with great graphics and photos throughout the pages. Wow.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark on the Road to Damascus
Review: For years I have had an "intellectual" fascination with Satanism, but it was always through Christian glasses. I wanted to "understand the enemy" and discover its motivations. I still wasn't being honest with myself. I then discovered Lucifer Rising. I flipped through the book, and saw not only almost all of my very favorite musicians, but a Who's Who and What's What of all my favorite characters and episodes from history, literature, mystical studies, and pop culture: Lovecraft, Crowley, The Knights Templar, the occultic roots of the Third Riech, the 1980s Satanism myth, the cult phenomenon of serial killer worship, The Devil's appearances in cinema, et cetera. I finally was able to admit that I was more than a little curious about this stuff. Reading this book was a major step in letting go of those old self-imposed taboos of "not putting stuff like that in your head." And it was a great read! Fellow lovers of black metal will have a field day here. Reading this book led to my purchase of the Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. Even though I'm not a Satanist myself, I have a newfound respect for and understanding of the philosophy. All openminded people owe it to themselves to take a walk on the dark side with this well-researched and enjoyably readable slice of sin. Hail!
Rating: 
Summary: Hail Satan!
Review: For years I have had an "intellectual" fascination with Satanism, but it was always through Christian glasses. I wanted to "understand the enemy" and discover its motivations. I still wasn't being honest with myself. I then discovered Lucifer Rising. I flipped through the book, and saw not only almost all of my very favorite musicians, but a Who's Who and What's What of all my favorite characters and episodes from history, literature, mystical studies, and pop culture: Lovecraft, Crowley, The Knights Templar, the occultic roots of the Third Riech, the 1980s Satanism myth, the cult phenomenon of serial killer worship, The Devil's appearances in cinema, et cetera. I finally was able to admit that I was more than a little curious about this stuff. Reading this book was a major step in letting go of those old self-imposed taboos of "not putting stuff like that in your head." And it was a great read! Fellow lovers of black metal will have a field day here. Reading this book led to my purchase of the Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. Even though I'm not a Satanist myself, I have a newfound respect for and understanding of the philosophy. All openminded people owe it to themselves to take a walk on the dark side with this well-researched and enjoyably readable slice of sin. Hail!
Rating:
Summary: The Dark on the Road to Damascus
Review: For years I have had an "intellectual" fascination with Satanism, but it was always through Christian glasses. I wanted to "understand the enemy" and discover its motivations. I still wasn't being honest with myself. I then discovered Lucifer Rising. I flipped through the book, and saw not only almost all of my very favorite musicians, but a Who's Who and What's What of all my favorite characters and episodes from history, literature, mystical studies, and pop culture: Lovecraft, Crowley, The Knights Templar, the occultic roots of the Third Riech, the 1980s Satanism myth, the cult phenomenon of serial killer worship, The Devil's appearances in cinema, et cetera. I finally was able to admit that I was more than a little curious about this stuff. Reading this book was a major step in letting go of those old self-imposed taboos of "not putting stuff like that in your head." And it was a great read! Fellow lovers of black metal will have a field day here. Reading this book led to my purchase of the Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey. Even though I'm not a Satanist myself, I have a newfound respect for and understanding of the philosophy. All openminded people owe it to themselves to take a walk on the dark side with this well-researched and enjoyably readable slice of sin. Hail!
Rating:
Summary: Lucifer's Rise in pop-culture.
Review: Gavin Baddeley's _Lucifer Rising: Sin, Devil Worship and Rock n' Roll_ is a journalistic outtake on Satanic themes in modern pop-culture. This British author is hardly objective, a Satanist himself (his name has "bad" in it!) and as such, the book offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the minds of those who feel inspired by Satan. Or more accurately, by the notion of rebellion against the "restrictive" God of Bible and Church. The tone of _Lucifer Rising_ is the same as that of the narrator-announcer on VH1's _Behind the Music_ series: pretentious and self-authoritative. It is filled with interviews, illustrations of demons, sacrilegious artwork (a painting of St. Anthony the Great tempted with a vision of a beautiful naked woman on a cross, for example), and of course, with more then a few photographs of voluptuous naked women featured in occult ceremonies. Much of the imagery either blends the characteristics of male and female or promotes a radical sexual polarity, including S&M scenes, abstinence a definite taboo in Satanism. Baddeley begins by tracing the origins of Satanism from Old Testament times, where it grew as an offshoot of heretical sects including Gnostics, various backwoods pagan customs and as a direct inversion of Christian belief, moral authority and ritual. In the 1700s odd beliefs and Luciferian thinking may have even been an impetus for the Founding Fathers when they gathered together in their lodge meetings to draw up the laws of the United States. Alestier Crowley was certainly the most influential occultist in the early 20th century, spreading bizarre ideas in his numerous books on the occult and the coming new age. German contemporaries of Crowely, postulated strange theories that would later be integrated into the politics of the Nazi Party. Guido von List and Lanz von Liebenfels published writings that Hitler read avidly, in the journal _Ostara_ on the divine nature of the Germanic race. The 1960s aesthetic, atheistic, dilettante and speculative Satanism of Anton LaVey is especially examined in depth. LaVey's version of Satanism is a combine of blasphemous rituals mocking the sacred realm of Christianity, with a doctrine of hedonism and an atheistic metaphysical worldview. His "Church of Satan" does not literally believe in a devil, but rather in atheism, which is logical because a literal worship of an evil, demonic entity would therefore presuppose the existence of a good, creator God who allowed the devil to rebel in the first place. LaVey, misanthropic, elitist and misogynist in his views, also cursed the hippie movement for its optimism, espousal of brotherly love and utopian idealism. In the 1960s, Satan became the favorite icon of Rock n' Roll bands, many musicians employing satanic imagery, inverted crosses and gothic, morbid negative themes in their lyrics and concerts. Baddeley examines in considerable detail the satanic elements in popular music, from the Beatles, Rolling Stones to punk rock and heavy metal all the way up to the 1990s. Some Scandinavian heavy-metal heads, as chronicled by the self-proclaimed Pagan Michael Moynihan, have been involved in the heavy metal scene have been involved in violence, church burnings, and of course in promoting a virulent form of anti-Christianity. Baddeley interviews Moynihan about the "Faustian spirit of Fascism," derived from Spengler's theory of the cyclic rise and fall of cultures (accompanied by a photograph of the androgynous Marilyn Manson in a Nazi pose). A common theme among fringe Satanic cults is that they embrace the idea that the West is in a state of total decline and that the world is soon to embark in a downward spiral of chaos and bloodshed and the revival of paganism. These self-proclaimed Satanists are quick to explain that they are not affiliated with "Wicca" or white magic because of because of Wicca's philanthropist and egalitarian outlook. Satan has even become a popular character in comic books, movies and even video games in addition to youth-culture music. Several notorious serial killings, such as those of Charles Manson and Son of Sam had dark, occulted inspirations. Satan is an appealing character because he represents a youthful rebellion against an established order that certain occultists with an agenda want to attack--stable society and especially the Christian religion. _Lucifer Rising_ is an interesting look at some of the wicked elements in the undertow of Western society in the past fifty years. Satanists like Baddeley claim en masse that without the devil there would have been no Christianity. However, such a stance begs the question: where would Satan and his angels be if there is no God for them to rebel against?
Rating:
Summary: Lucifer's Rise in pop-culture.
Review: Gavin Baddeley's _Lucifer Rising: Sin, Devil Worship and Rock n' Roll_ is a journalistic outtake on Satanic themes in modern pop-culture. This British author is hardly objective, a Satanist himself (his name has "bad" in it!) and as such, the book offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the minds of those who feel inspired by Satan. Or more accurately, by the notion of rebellion against the "restrictive" God of Bible and Church. The tone of _Lucifer Rising_ is the same as that of the narrator-announcer on VH1's _Behind the Music_ series: pretentious and self-authoritative. It is filled with interviews, illustrations of demons, sacrilegious artwork (a painting of St. Anthony the Great tempted with a vision of a beautiful naked woman on a cross, for example), and of course, with more then a few photographs of voluptuous naked women featured in occult ceremonies. Much of the imagery either blends the characteristics of male and female or promotes a radical sexual polarity, including S&M scenes, abstinence a definite taboo in Satanism. Baddeley begins by tracing the origins of Satanism from Old Testament times, where it grew as an offshoot of heretical sects including Gnostics, various backwoods pagan customs and as a direct inversion of Christian belief, moral authority and ritual. In the 1700s odd beliefs and Luciferian thinking may have even been an impetus for the Founding Fathers when they gathered together in their lodge meetings to draw up the laws of the United States. Alestier Crowley was certainly the most influential occultist in the early 20th century, spreading bizarre ideas in his numerous books on the occult and the coming new age. German contemporaries of Crowely, postulated strange theories that would later be integrated into the politics of the Nazi Party. Guido von List and Lanz von Liebenfels published writings that Hitler read avidly, in the journal _Ostara_ on the divine nature of the Germanic race. The 1960s aesthetic, atheistic, dilettante and speculative Satanism of Anton LaVey is especially examined in depth. LaVey's version of Satanism is a combine of blasphemous rituals mocking the sacred realm of Christianity, with a doctrine of hedonism and an atheistic metaphysical worldview. His "Church of Satan" does not literally believe in a devil, but rather in atheism, which is logical because a literal worship of an evil, demonic entity would therefore presuppose the existence of a good, creator God who allowed the devil to rebel in the first place. LaVey, misanthropic, elitist and misogynist in his views, also cursed the hippie movement for its optimism, espousal of brotherly love and utopian idealism. In the 1960s, Satan became the favorite icon of Rock n' Roll bands, many musicians employing satanic imagery, inverted crosses and gothic, morbid negative themes in their lyrics and concerts. Baddeley examines in considerable detail the satanic elements in popular music, from the Beatles, Rolling Stones to punk rock and heavy metal all the way up to the 1990s. Some Scandinavian heavy-metal heads, as chronicled by the self-proclaimed Pagan Michael Moynihan, have been involved in the heavy metal scene have been involved in violence, church burnings, and of course in promoting a virulent form of anti-Christianity. Baddeley interviews Moynihan about the "Faustian spirit of Fascism," derived from Spengler's theory of the cyclic rise and fall of cultures (accompanied by a photograph of the androgynous Marilyn Manson in a Nazi pose). A common theme among fringe Satanic cults is that they embrace the idea that the West is in a state of total decline and that the world is soon to embark in a downward spiral of chaos and bloodshed and the revival of paganism. These self-proclaimed Satanists are quick to explain that they are not affiliated with "Wicca" or white magic because of because of Wicca's philanthropist and egalitarian outlook. Satan has even become a popular character in comic books, movies and even video games in addition to youth-culture music. Several notorious serial killings, such as those of Charles Manson and Son of Sam had dark, occulted inspirations. Satan is an appealing character because he represents a youthful rebellion against an established order that certain occultists with an agenda want to attack--stable society and especially the Christian religion. _Lucifer Rising_ is an interesting look at some of the wicked elements in the undertow of Western society in the past fifty years. Satanists like Baddeley claim en masse that without the devil there would have been no Christianity. However, such a stance begs the question: where would Satan and his angels be if there is no God for them to rebel against?
Rating:
Summary: My opinion
Review: I enjoyed the book a lot but I preferred it being a little more non biased, information does come best from the source and it was very informative...however the fact that it was all coming from a self proclaimed Satanist was a bit appalling simply because I want to read facts not propaganda it's still a great read. I don't choose sides because truth doesn't have a side...Lords of Chaos is a very good book to accompany this one as well as raising hell and a field guide to demons...anything by Richard Cavendish is also a good read.
Rating:
Summary: A good midnight read.
Review: I found this book to be quite interesting and well balanced. I was pleased to find as much pro-Church Of Satan material as con. The sections on Black Metal were packed with great interviews and rare photos but seemed to lack a logical flow or sense of organization. The book is entertaining but is largely a collection of interviews strung together without a great deal of continuity. Would have been nice to have more on pre-nineteenth century Satanism, but this was still a fine read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read on Satanic Know-how
Review: I had read about this book on the Church of Satan website. Their books never disappoint. Despite all the preconceptions and mumbo-jumbo superstition, it comes down to you either are or aren't. Far from any stereotypes, this is the culmination of history, religion, occult knowledge, pop culture, and philosophy. I wanted the book because it had stuff on bands I love- I got all that and more. Easy to read, too deep for common folk to understand, all hails to a new Satanic Millenium. All mentioned in Lucifer Rising deserve applause for giving Old Scratch more than his rightful due.
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