What do you think?
Rate this book
Hell Patrol
Against the backdrop of late-stage Satanic Panic, a coven of the almighty riff is forged in homage to the progenitors of heavy metal. Armed with their first set of wheels and a rag-tag backline of second-hand gear, the ride-or-die, denim and leather clad Hell Patrol is ready to hit the road to hone their chops.
But no one ever said rock 'n roll was easy.
But no one ever said rock 'n roll was easy.
- GenresHorror
247 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
R.D. Tarver
2 books5 followersR.D. Tarver is a horror and sci-fi author who lives in Norman, OK. In addition to writing fiction, R.D. Tarver is also a long-time musician affiliated with the bands Rainbows Are Free and Grim Gospels.
For additional information on R.D. Tarver's previous and upcoming title releases, please visit rdtarver.com
To contact R.D. Tarver, please email david.fain.promotions@gmail.com
For additional information on R.D. Tarver's previous and upcoming title releases, please visit rdtarver.com
To contact R.D. Tarver, please email david.fain.promotions@gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 28, 2021
I could expound on different facets of what I loved about this book, like its themes of societal-based fear or generational conflicts. I could talk about the well-written prose that is Lovecraftian in parts and tender in others. But I think the main word that I've got in my head is FUN. The idea of a mid-90's high school metal band comprised of distinct and hilarious personalities saving the world through playing metal is great and gets me smiling even talking about it. A great and rewarding read.
August 9, 2021
Rick closed his eyes and recited the band prayer. “With metal hearts, we call upon the metal gods from the altar of the stage.” He opened one eye before continuing. “Please watch over our brothers, Hell Patrol, as they embark upon their first headlining gig, complete with a catered green room, and adequate cash guarantee. Brought together by denim and leather, we shine, as one, like a rainbow in the dark. We promise to never say die and to never break the oath as we seek and destroy all that impedes our path to victory along the highway to hell. May our fans bestow fortune upon our efforts. And may a hole in the sky open up and bring raining blood down upon our enemies, and so on, until we close our eyes forever,” Rick finished. “In Iommi we trust, hallowed be thy name.”
HELL PATROL by R.D. Tarver is the heartfelt, coming of age, heavy metal story you didn't know you needed. Set in the late-era Satanic Panic of the mid-90s, HELL PATROL is the story of how Jesse Lynn, a metal loving teen in small town Oklahoma, meets up with other local misfits to form Hell Patrol, a rock cover band managed by Jesse's older brother who used to roadie for some of the best in the business. Together, Jesse, resident bad boy and dropout Rust, the adorable Dungeons & Dragons paladin Mazes, goth photographer and Jesse's love interest Mal, and conservative-but-rebelling Alex let out steam and rifts in an abandoned mine shaft that local legend says is haunted. The group meets regularly to contemplate their way out of their small town on the wings of chords, but as the band starts writing their own music and playing local venues, Jesse's grades start to slip and he must meet with the school's guidance counselor, Mr. Agostino. And here is where things get interesting, because the fates aligned when Jesse walked in Agostino's office. Agostino isn't your typical guidance counselor He's got an advanced degree in ethnomusicology and he believes that something ancient and chthonic is lurking in Jesse's town. Something about to awaken. Something dark. Something ancient. Something rising straight from hell.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading HELL PATROL. There is something beautifully academic and Lovecraftian about it that is enhanced by the intertextual nature of the plot and the Watcher/Men of Letters aspect of Mr. Agostino's character. Segmenting the principal narrative are mythological vignettes deepening the reader's understanding of music history, the power of song, and the unifying power of performance. Tarver clearly knows his stuff and brings his audience right in to nerd out about musicology, the sordid history of Satanic Panic, and the cultural phenomenon that was rock metal of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. To top it off, different characters embodied various aspects of late 80s and early 90s teendom and I found this to be especially true for Mazes and Mal, who spoke fluently in pop culture references that both the lay reader and those obsessed with the era will pick up on and appreciate.
Many thanks to the author and those on Instagram that joined me for a readalong of this title in June 2021. This was a fun read by a great author and I truly hope that Tarver writes more horror stories because this one hit all the nostalgia buttons and is easily one of my new favorites.
Praise the metal gods!
HELL PATROL by R.D. Tarver is the heartfelt, coming of age, heavy metal story you didn't know you needed. Set in the late-era Satanic Panic of the mid-90s, HELL PATROL is the story of how Jesse Lynn, a metal loving teen in small town Oklahoma, meets up with other local misfits to form Hell Patrol, a rock cover band managed by Jesse's older brother who used to roadie for some of the best in the business. Together, Jesse, resident bad boy and dropout Rust, the adorable Dungeons & Dragons paladin Mazes, goth photographer and Jesse's love interest Mal, and conservative-but-rebelling Alex let out steam and rifts in an abandoned mine shaft that local legend says is haunted. The group meets regularly to contemplate their way out of their small town on the wings of chords, but as the band starts writing their own music and playing local venues, Jesse's grades start to slip and he must meet with the school's guidance counselor, Mr. Agostino. And here is where things get interesting, because the fates aligned when Jesse walked in Agostino's office. Agostino isn't your typical guidance counselor He's got an advanced degree in ethnomusicology and he believes that something ancient and chthonic is lurking in Jesse's town. Something about to awaken. Something dark. Something ancient. Something rising straight from hell.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading HELL PATROL. There is something beautifully academic and Lovecraftian about it that is enhanced by the intertextual nature of the plot and the Watcher/Men of Letters aspect of Mr. Agostino's character. Segmenting the principal narrative are mythological vignettes deepening the reader's understanding of music history, the power of song, and the unifying power of performance. Tarver clearly knows his stuff and brings his audience right in to nerd out about musicology, the sordid history of Satanic Panic, and the cultural phenomenon that was rock metal of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. To top it off, different characters embodied various aspects of late 80s and early 90s teendom and I found this to be especially true for Mazes and Mal, who spoke fluently in pop culture references that both the lay reader and those obsessed with the era will pick up on and appreciate.
Many thanks to the author and those on Instagram that joined me for a readalong of this title in June 2021. This was a fun read by a great author and I truly hope that Tarver writes more horror stories because this one hit all the nostalgia buttons and is easily one of my new favorites.
Praise the metal gods!
April 26, 2021
I am a devoted metalhead since the very first electrified notes of Black Sabbath's eponymous debut that sent shivers down my spine. I got the same, exciting feeling by reading 'Hell Patrol' by R.D Tarver.
Praise the metal gods as the author was awesome enough to send me a copy of his book for review.
There are two types of Hell brewing in the town of Macomb Springs.
One is forming up to be the future of metal. A new breed of metal saviors heading for the pantheon of metal gods.
A group of teenagers with a profound love for metal on their way to assemble 'Hell Patrol';their own metal band paying homage to the great beasts of the metal scene.
The other; Something wicked and evil. Something that could probably be Hell itself, seeking to devour energy from the earth realm and the residents of this planet, enslaving them for eternity.
Hell Patrol members are trying to make their dream a reality amidst a Satanic panic frenzy instigated by the town's minister and an invation of the hordes of Hell.
As the residents of Macomb Springs keep disappearing one by one, will this group of metal misfits will answer the calling and use the love of metal to save the human race from total annihilation? Or succumb to the society's norms and eventually meet their maker.
R.D Tarver's 'Hell Patrol' is a Metal Love Ballad to the horror genre. At the same time, it's a thundering speed metal solo. One that you air guitar to.
Wonderful, well written , suspenseful and funny at times, with lovable characters and a tight and unique writing style that results after Clive Barker, Jules Verne, H.P Lovecraft and Laird Barron had drinks together in a metal bar served by Ozzy Osborne and Rob Halford while Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Type O Negative, Iron Maiden and several other metal beasts were jamming on stage.
The author does an amazing job throughout the book as his cinematic writing approach takes you on a journey, a music adventure which results in a standing ovation result. This brings to mind the film 'Detroit Rock City' minus KISS and pose, plus Hell, demonic beasts and lots of fun.
Essential for any horror reader that still likes his/her music with distorted guitars, heavy bass, thunderous drums and legendary vocals.
I loved every sentence.
Up the irons 🖤🤘
Get it at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/057882...
Get it at :
https://www.rdtarver.com
Praise the metal gods as the author was awesome enough to send me a copy of his book for review.
There are two types of Hell brewing in the town of Macomb Springs.
One is forming up to be the future of metal. A new breed of metal saviors heading for the pantheon of metal gods.
A group of teenagers with a profound love for metal on their way to assemble 'Hell Patrol';their own metal band paying homage to the great beasts of the metal scene.
The other; Something wicked and evil. Something that could probably be Hell itself, seeking to devour energy from the earth realm and the residents of this planet, enslaving them for eternity.
Hell Patrol members are trying to make their dream a reality amidst a Satanic panic frenzy instigated by the town's minister and an invation of the hordes of Hell.
As the residents of Macomb Springs keep disappearing one by one, will this group of metal misfits will answer the calling and use the love of metal to save the human race from total annihilation? Or succumb to the society's norms and eventually meet their maker.
R.D Tarver's 'Hell Patrol' is a Metal Love Ballad to the horror genre. At the same time, it's a thundering speed metal solo. One that you air guitar to.
Wonderful, well written , suspenseful and funny at times, with lovable characters and a tight and unique writing style that results after Clive Barker, Jules Verne, H.P Lovecraft and Laird Barron had drinks together in a metal bar served by Ozzy Osborne and Rob Halford while Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Type O Negative, Iron Maiden and several other metal beasts were jamming on stage.
The author does an amazing job throughout the book as his cinematic writing approach takes you on a journey, a music adventure which results in a standing ovation result. This brings to mind the film 'Detroit Rock City' minus KISS and pose, plus Hell, demonic beasts and lots of fun.
Essential for any horror reader that still likes his/her music with distorted guitars, heavy bass, thunderous drums and legendary vocals.
I loved every sentence.
Up the irons 🖤🤘
Get it at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/057882...
Get it at :
https://www.rdtarver.com
August 22, 2025
{2021} Hell Patrol by R.D. Tarver. Oh man! This was so cool! I'm sure some of you other book people get friended by a lot of authors on instagram also and I usually check out their stuff but never pull the trigger.
When I saw the title Hell Patrol I asked if it was inspired by the Raven song. He responded it was inspired by the Judas Priest song off of Painkiller. That made me take a closer look at the book as I love Painkiller. It looked interesting so I ordered one and I'm glad I did.
So many right things about this.
It's about a family who moves to a small town circa 91. There are two brothers who are into metal. The new Priest album Painkiller has just been released and it rules their world. The younger brother meets some fellow local hoods and joins their band.
This whole beginning with the band and the feel of getting to know strangers and the intimacy of playing in the band is so on point. If you've played music with people before you know this exact feeling and the author nailed it. Everything about it; the practices, the shows, the camaraderie, the debauchery. It really took me back. Even before the horror plot took form I was like, I could just enjoy this story if this was all it was.
Satanic panic infests the locals of the town. Lots of references from the era. The drummer is named Mazes after that Tom Hanks movie Mazes and Monsters because he is a D&D fanatic. Haha! Anytime someone mentions a song the author, by way of main character, names the band, what album the song was on, what year it came out and what label it was on, which I loved. The author is not only well versed in metal knowledge but science as well. Not my area of expertise so I don't know how real it is but it sounded legit. There is a chapter where some Supernatural type guys are explaining what they needed to do to fight the monsters and why it would destroy them that was like reading an essay on biophysics. What I'm saying is every aspect of this book is well researched and wonderfully written. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves horror or loves metal but in particular to those that love both. I mean, it's a book inspired by Judas Priest's Painkiller album written by a metal anthropologist; it fucking rules. Also, he made the bass player the main hero. A little underdog love. Haha.
When I saw the title Hell Patrol I asked if it was inspired by the Raven song. He responded it was inspired by the Judas Priest song off of Painkiller. That made me take a closer look at the book as I love Painkiller. It looked interesting so I ordered one and I'm glad I did.
So many right things about this.
It's about a family who moves to a small town circa 91. There are two brothers who are into metal. The new Priest album Painkiller has just been released and it rules their world. The younger brother meets some fellow local hoods and joins their band.
This whole beginning with the band and the feel of getting to know strangers and the intimacy of playing in the band is so on point. If you've played music with people before you know this exact feeling and the author nailed it. Everything about it; the practices, the shows, the camaraderie, the debauchery. It really took me back. Even before the horror plot took form I was like, I could just enjoy this story if this was all it was.
Satanic panic infests the locals of the town. Lots of references from the era. The drummer is named Mazes after that Tom Hanks movie Mazes and Monsters because he is a D&D fanatic. Haha! Anytime someone mentions a song the author, by way of main character, names the band, what album the song was on, what year it came out and what label it was on, which I loved. The author is not only well versed in metal knowledge but science as well. Not my area of expertise so I don't know how real it is but it sounded legit. There is a chapter where some Supernatural type guys are explaining what they needed to do to fight the monsters and why it would destroy them that was like reading an essay on biophysics. What I'm saying is every aspect of this book is well researched and wonderfully written. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves horror or loves metal but in particular to those that love both. I mean, it's a book inspired by Judas Priest's Painkiller album written by a metal anthropologist; it fucking rules. Also, he made the bass player the main hero. A little underdog love. Haha.
May 30, 2021
This book is fun as hell! I loved the small town setting during the height of Satanic Panic. The characters are great, and it was the perfect mix of weird, funny, and metal. Highly recommended for metal heads, or for anyone who’s down for an outrageous battle with demons 🎸👹🔥 Definitely entertaining and cool.
January 3, 2024
“Master Rick… Did we tell the beast?”
This was such a great thriller novel! Felt like watching an episode of Stranger Things, definitely perfect for Eddie Munson fans. Loved all the 80s metal and DND throughout the book: highlights being Mazes being stuck as a paladin and making Jessie survive a kobold attack to join the band. Highly recommend this book!
This was such a great thriller novel! Felt like watching an episode of Stranger Things, definitely perfect for Eddie Munson fans. Loved all the 80s metal and DND throughout the book: highlights being Mazes being stuck as a paladin and making Jessie survive a kobold attack to join the band. Highly recommend this book!
December 3, 2023
A hellaciously good time, highly recommended to all metal heads and horror lovers.
September 13, 2021
R.D. Tarver absolutely slays in Hell Patrol. This story follows an eclectic group of friends as they learn about their town’s abandoned mine shaft and the dark secrets it holds. We get to know the town of Macomb Springs through Jesse and his brother, Rick the Prick, and their group of friends as they try to strike it big with their band and keep in the good graces of the new guidance counselor. There are references to all the essential heavy metal albums, tons of Satanic Panic, and a little bit of romance to tie it all together.
This book was an absolute romp. I had such a great time listening to every album referenced, and diving into the all the 80's & 90's nostalgia throughout the story. I loved all the references to RPGs, and every character and their quirks. I can totally tell Tarver loves archeology and a good treasure hunt, and his love of metal comes through so genuine in his writing. I highly recommend this for any fans of the horror genre, metal music, or anyone looking for a fun, coming of age, metal inspired story.
This book was an absolute romp. I had such a great time listening to every album referenced, and diving into the all the 80's & 90's nostalgia throughout the story. I loved all the references to RPGs, and every character and their quirks. I can totally tell Tarver loves archeology and a good treasure hunt, and his love of metal comes through so genuine in his writing. I highly recommend this for any fans of the horror genre, metal music, or anyone looking for a fun, coming of age, metal inspired story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews