Although armies have been marching to drums for centuries, the US Army might be the first to go to war with a backbeat of thrash metal. Perhaps it's not so surprising, given the sheer ordnance ranged against Saddam's Iraq, from armoured cars, trucks and tanks, to helicopters, fighter jets and rockets. "War itself is heavy metal," says one soldier, who reveals that the most popular track in his tank is Drowning Pool's 'Let The Bodies Hit The Floor'.

Australian war artist George Gittoes has been covering conflict since Vietnam. He's captured footage from Rwanda, Cambodia, Bosnia, Somalia, Afghanistan and Nicaragua. Through interviews with ordinary US soldiers, he finds that some use rap or gospel as an escape from the horror, while others choose rock to amp up their adrenaline. "It's the ultimate rush," says one. "You're going into a fight and you've got a good song in the background. That gets you real fired-up."