As a rock journalist and ex-editor of Metal Hammer magazine, Kirk Blows has spent his life in the company of hard rock's most debauched superstars. This no-holds-barred collection of interviews with heavyweights including Motorhead, Metallica, and Queen provides a portrait of lives lived to the limits of rock'n'roll excess.

An indelible and irresistible portrait of the crucial formative years of the legendary rock band KISS and the music scene they changed forever--culminating with the groundbreaking success of their classic 1975 album Alive and the smash single "Rock and Roll All Nite"

Including original interviews with: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, and Ted Nugent, as well as members of Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Rush, Slade, Blue Oyster Cult, Mott the Hoople, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Raspberries, the James Gang, the New York Dolls, Iggy & the Stooges, the Ramones, Suzi Quatro, Argent, and Uriah Heep.

Paul Stump reassesses Progressive Rock in terms of transcendentalism, 1960s pop culture and the rise of the rock musician as Romantic Artist. He takes a wide ranging view of the social and cultural background and has carried out extensive interviews.

From the record-breaking success of 1991's 'Black Album' to the band's reinvention with the Load/Reload albums; from bassist Jason Newsted's shock departure to the group's subsequent meltdown as laid bare in the documentary Some Kind of Monster; from the Lulu album with Lou Reed to their hugely expensive feature film Through the Never, the second half of the Metallica story has been as eventful and controversial as it has triumphant.

From the world's most controversial rock star comes his shocking, confessional and revealing life story. In The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, Marilyn Manson candidly and vividly recounts his metamorphosis from a frightened Christian schoolboy into the most feared and revered celebrity in America.

Heavy Metal, Gender and Sexuality brings together a collection of original, interdisciplinary, critical essays exploring the negotiated place of gender and sexuality in heavy metal music and its culture. Scholars debate the current state of play concerning masculinities, femininities, queerness, identity aesthetics and monstrosities in an area of music that is sometimes mistakenly treated as exclusively sustaining a masculinist hegemony. The book combines a broad variety of perspectives on the main topic, regarding gender in connection to: the history of the genre; the range of metal subgenres; heavy metal's multidimensional scope (music, lyrics, performance, style, illustrations); men and women; sexualities and various local and global perspectives. Heavy Metal, Gender and Sexuality is a text that opens up the world of heavy metal to reveal that it is a very diverse and ground-breaking stage where gender play is at the centre of its theatricality and sustains its mass appeal.

'A weighty discussion of metal, for both passionate fans and neophytes' Guardian 'Heavy opens an ornate portal into a murky subculture, illuminating the marginalia as well as the big beasts' Sunday Times What exactly is heavy metal music? How deep do its roots go? Long established as an undeniable force in culture, metal traces its roots back to leather-clad iron men like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, who imbued their music with a mysterious and raw undercurrent of power. Heavy unearths this elusive force, delving deep into the fertile culture that allowed a distinctive new sound to flourish and flaying the source material to get to the beating heart of the music. From the imminent threat of nuclear apocalypse that gave rise to Metallica's brand of volatile thrash metal to Bloodbath and Carcass, the death metal bands resurrecting the horror of medieval art.But there are always more lines to be drawn. Cradle of Filth and Ulver trade in the transgressive impulses of gothic literature; Pantera lay bare Nietzsche's 'superman'; getting high leads to the escapist sci-fi dirges of Sleep and Electric Wizard; while the recovery of long-buried urns in the seventeenth century holds the key to the drone of Sunn O))).Dissecting music that resonates with millions, Heavy sees Slipknot wrestling with the trauma of 9/11, Alice in Chains exposing the wounds of Vietnam and Iron Maiden conjuring visions of a heroic England. Powerful, evocative and sometimes sinister, it gives shape and meaning to the terrible beauty of metal.

Foo Fighters emerged from the morass of suicide and potent musical legacy that was Nirvana to establish themselves against all odds as one of the most popular rock bands in the world. Deflecting early critical disdain, Dave Grohl has single-handedly reinvented himself and cemented his place in the rock pantheon. This is his story, from his pre-Nirvana days in hardcore band Scream to his current status as a festival conquering, Grammy winning, platinum-selling grunge legend. Across the entire body of Foo Fighters albums, the whole legendary Nirvana tale, the pre-history in the nascent Seattle scene and Grohl's flirtations with Queens of the Stone Age and his supergroup side-project Them Crooked Vultures, this is an utterly comprehensive, insightful chronicle of Dave Grohl's remarkable life. Drawing on new interviews with key figures in the Grohl story, this definitive biography of one of modern rock's most influential figures includes the stories of the multi-platinum opus Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, 2011's Wasting Light, which saw Grohl reunited with Nirvana producer Butch Vig and Sonic Highways, their ambitious homage to coast-to-coast US classic rock.

A pioneering "horror-punk" band, the Misfits are legends in their own time. This discography tells the story of the band in all of its incarnations through all of their recorded output-both official and unauthorized releases. Discographies are provided for both present and former members' solo projects and bands, along with a wealth of rare record sleeves, photos and vintage posters documenting the evolution of the band and the brand.

The manager who shepherded Van Halen from obscurity to rock stardom goes behind the scenes to tell the complete, unadulterated story of David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, and the legendary band that changed rock music. Van Halen's rise in the 1980s was one of the most thrilling the music world had ever seen-their mythos an epic party, a sweaty, sexy, never-ending rock extravaganza. During this unparalleled run of success, debauchery, and drama, no one was closer to the band than Noel Monk. A man who'd worked with some of rock's biggest and most notorious names, Monk spent seven years with Van Halen, serving first as their tour manger then as their personal manager until 1985, when both he and David Lee Roth exited as controversy, backstabbing, and disappointment consumed the band. Throughout Van Halen's meteoric rise and abrupt halt, this confidant, fixer, friend, and promoter saw it all and lived to tell. Now, for the first time, he shares the most outrageous escapades-from their coming of age to their most shocking behavior on the road; from Eddie's courtship and high profile wedding to Valerie Bertinelli to the incredible drug use which would ultimately lead to everyone's demise. Sharing never-before-told stories, Monk paints a compelling portrait of Eddie Van Halen, bringing into focus the unique combination of talent, vision, hardship, and naivete that shaped one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time-and made him and his brother vulnerable to the trappings and failings of fame. Illustrated with dozens of rare photographs from Monk's vaults, Runnin' with the Devil is manna from rock heaven no Van Halen fan can miss.

In the summer of 2007, Brian "Head" Welch, the former lead guitarist for the rock band Korn, took the music world by storm with his New York Times bestselling autobiography, Save Me from Myself. Recounting his years in the band, his debilitating addiction to drugs, and his unprecedented salvation through Jesus, Head's story gave strength to a whole generation of Christians through its uplifting tale of real world excess, spiritual reward, and the power of God.
Now, Head has written a young adult companion to his bestseller, sharing his inspirational story of rock, addiction, and redemption with Christian teens across the country. Here Head talks openly about his shocking embrace of God, examining the signs that had been leading him to Jesus for his entire life and the circumstances that caused him to miss them. Discussing the difficulties of his childhood and teenage years, Head describes how his struggles with bullies, his inability to fit in, and his substance abuse which plagued him from a young age all combined to take him in the wrong direction. Eventually, he took refuge in the group of friends that would become Korn, a group of high school outcasts and a musical misfits like himself-kids who shared not only his taste in clothes but also his dream to be a rock star.
Offering readers a backstage pass to Korn's success, Head speaks honestly about the toll that his fame took on his psyche and his addiction to methamphetamines that drove him to the darkest times of his life. Instead of saving him, fame had failed him, and the ceaseless routine of recording, traveling, and partying only succeeded in placing him in a cycle of addiction that he could not break on his own.Despite his numerous attempts to free himself from meth, nothing-not even the birth of his daughter-could spur him to kick it for good.
Here Head explains how with the help of God, he emerged from this dangerous lifestyle and found a path that was not only right for his daughter, it was right for him. Discussing how his newfound faith has influenced his relationship with his daughter, his life, and his music, Head describes the challenging but rewarding events since his conversion, exposing the truth about how the trials of his life have made his faith run deeper with each passing day.

The lead guitarist of Grammy Award-winning mega-band KoRn tells the incredible story of his life after leaving the hardcore music scene and of God leading him back to the band-now in paperback. He left KoRn to help himself. He went back to help others. And along the way, he nearly lost everything. A life-changing spiritual awakening freed Brian "Head" Welch from a stranglehold of drugs and alcohol and prompted him to leave the highly successful nu-metal band KoRn in 2005. What followed was a decade-long trial by fire, from the perils of fathering a teen lost in depression and self-mutilation to the harsh realities of playing solo and surviving the shattering betrayal of a trusted friend. In this intensely inspiring redemption saga, perhaps most inspiring is Brian's radical decision to rejoin KoRn and reconcile with the tribe of people he once considered family in the metal music scene. Brian returned to his musical roots with a clear head and a devoted heart. Though his story is wild, hilarious, and deeply poignant, the message is simple: God will love you into the freedom of being yourself, as long as you keep the relationship going and never, ever quit.

Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) is a foundational keystone of the musical and aesthetic vision of the notorious Norwegian black metal scene and one of the most beloved albums of the genre. Its mysterious artwork and raw sound continue to captivate and inspire black metal fans and musicians worldwide. This book explores the album in the context of exoticism and musical geography, examining how black metal music has come to conjure images of untamed Nordic wildernesses for fans worldwide. In doing so, it analyzes aspects of musical style and production that created the distinctly "grim" sound of Darkthrone and Norwegian black metal.

The always-outspoken hard rock vocalist Corey Taylor begins America 51 with a reflection on what his itinerant youth and frequent worldwide travels with his multiplatinum bands Slipknot and Stone Sour have taught him about what it means to be an American in an increasingly unstable world. He examines the way America sees itself, specifically with regard to the propaganda surrounding America's origins (like a heavy-metal Howard Zinn), while also celebrating the quirks and behavior that make a true-blue American. Taylor likewise takes a look at how the world views us, and his findings should come as a surprise to no one. But behind Taylor's ranting and raving is a thoughtful and intelligent consideration, and even a sadness, of what America is compared to what it could and should be. Expertly balancing humor, outrage, and disbelief, Taylor examines the rotting core of America, evaluating everything from politics and race relations to modern family dynamics, millennials, and "man buns." No element of what constitutes America is safe from his adept and scathing eye. Continuing the wave of moral outrage begun in You're Making Me Hate You, Taylor flawlessly skewers contemporary America in his own signature style.

Rock City, Narita, Fire Down Under, Restless Breed, Born in America... These are the pioneering, superlative heavy metal records that represent the classic first decade of Brooklyn's Riot's, before the band would break up, eventually storming back with Thundersteel and The Privilege of Power, existing to this day as Riot V after the shocking death from Crohn's disease of guitarist and leader Mark Reale. Riot's is a tale of opportunities missed, of a band ahead of the curve, and of a band from which both its classic era lead singers - Guy Speranza and Rhett Forrester - are now dead, as is, of course, Mark Reale, a quiet man who, fatefully, wanted to leave the business to others and just play his heavy metal. But this book is not just about the '75 to '85 period of the band that spawned one of the finest metal records of all time, 1981's Fire Down Under. Even if the classics framed by those ten years get the full, dedicated chapter, track-by-track Popoff treatment, the subsequent rich and substantial catalogue of the band is discussed as well, right up to the present day where Riot shines on. But still, the focus is on songs like `Warrior', `49er', `Road Racin'', `Outlaw', `Don't Hold Back', `Altar of the King', `Violent Crimes', `Vigilante Killer' and of course the insanely anthemic `Swords and Tequila', as we celebrate a New York institution that is perhaps the shining example of the term, "honorary New Wave of British Heavy Metal" band.

I'm the Man is the fast-paced, humorous, and revealing memoir from the man who cofounded Anthrax, the band that proved to the masses that brutality and fun didn't have to be mutually exclusive. Through various lineup shifts, label snafus, rock'n' roll mayhem, and unforeseen circumstances galore, Scott Ian has approached life and music with a smile, viewing the band with deadly seriousness while recognizing the ridiculousness of the entertainment industry. Always performing with abundant energy that revealed his passion for his craft, Ian has never let the gravity of being a rock star go to his shaven, goateed head. I'm the Man is a blistering hard rock memoir, one that is astonishing in its candour and deftly told by the man who's kept the institution of Anthrax alive for more than thirty years.

#1 German bestseller I have no idea how late it actually is. We flew off somewhere this morning, and my cell phone automatically turns off the clock if we're getting close to a new time zone by plane. Mile by mile, the bus pushes through the inner city. Budapest seems to be quite big. We are in the middle of rush hour traffic. As it is Friday, everyone wants to get out of the city very quickly. But nothing works quickly here at all. Flake, the legendary keyboardist for the German band Rammstein, takes readers on a journey of what it is to be a touring musician. The excitement, the boredom, the moments that will be remembered and those that are forgotten. It's The World's Birthday Today is a strange and moody book about life on the road.

My Bloody Roots is the brutally honest story of life in two of the world s best-known heavy metal bands, Sepultura and Soulfly, by one of the global metal scene s most respected musicians. Max Cavalera s has a unique and extraordinary story to tell, and My Bloody Roots is an autobiography like no other. Much more than just another tale of rock n roll debauchery, it s a story of heartbreak and loss and, ultimately, triumph. In it, Cavalera offers an unflinching account of life growing up in hardship in Brazil a country not previously known for heavy metal and the multi-million-selling success, against all odds, of the band he founded with his brother, Iggor: Sepultura. Then, for the first time, he reveals the full story behind his split with the band after which he did not speak to his brother for years and the formation of his Soulfly, one of the most critically and commercially successful metal bands of recent decades. He also goes into unflinching detail on the devastating impact of the deaths of his father, stepson, and grandson; his struggles with drugs and alcohol; his eventual reunion with Iggor in Cavalera Conspiracy; and more. This revised and updated edition continues to trace Max s career to the present day, covering the formation of his new band Go Ahead And Die as well as the supergroup Killer Be Killed, making it truly essential reading for all fans of metal.

It began with The Beatles' 'Helter Skelter'. It was distilled to its dark essence by Black Sabbath. And it has flourished into a vibrant modern underground, epitomized by Newcastle's Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. This is the evolution of heavy music. The voyage is as varied as it is illuminating: from the lysergic blunt trauma of Blue Cheer to the locked grooves of Funkadelic, the aural frightmares of Faust to the tectonic crush of Sleep, alighting on post-punk, industrial, grunge, stoner rock and numerous other genres along the way. Ranging from household names to obscure cult heroes and heroines, Electric Wizards demonstrates how each successive phase of heavy music was forged by what came before, outlining a rich and eclectic lineage that extends far beyond the usual boundaries of heavy rock or heavy metal. It extols those who did things differently, who introduced something fresh and exciting into this elemental tradition, whether by design, accident or sheer chance. In doing so, Electric Wizards weaves an entirely new tapestry of heavy music.

At last...The first comprehensive, English-language guide to the revered New Wave of Heavy Metal phenomenon, revealing the true extent and significance of a musical force which shook a small nation two decades ago, paving the way for a global heavy metal revolution in later years. Discover how, where, and why it all started, and why so few of those aspiring hopefuls became household names while countless small-town wannabes simply disappeared into oblivion. Marvel at over 500 eventful stories which unfold in lurid detail. The individual entries range from the genre-busting successes (Iron Maiden and Def Leppard) to such esoteric acts as Stormqueen and Masterstroke. In each case, informative discographies provide an invaluable, easy-to-use guide for collectors. Fully illustrated throughout, with unpublished photographs, sleeve reproductions and concert material of the period, and featuring contributions from many of the key musician themselves. This is a fascinating and absorbing read for enlightened aficionados and curious newcomers alike.

A philosophical look at heavy metal's dark masters of reality, Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Dubbed "the Beatles of heavy metal" by "Rolling Stone," they helped to define a genre with classic songs like "Paranoid," "Iron Man," and "War Pigs," songs whose lyrics reveal hidden depth and philosophical insight. Their songs confront existential despair, social instability, political corruption, the horrors of war, and the nature of evil. This book explores the wide range of profound ideas in the band's music and lyrics to help you understand Black Sabbath as never before.Discusses and debates essential Black Sabbath topics and themes, such as the problem of evil, "War Pigs" and the nature of just war theory, whether or not Sabbath is still Sabbath without Ozzy, and whether "evil is in the ear of the beholder"Gives you new perspectives on Black Sabbath's music and lyricsProvides a deeper appreciation and understanding of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ronnie James DioBrings some of history's heaviest thinkers to bear on the band's music, from Aristotle and Nietzsche to Schopenhauer and Marx

So . . . "can you help me, occupy my brain?" Yes Start reading "Black Sabbath and Philosophy."

Heavy-metal survivors Metallica are one of the most important bands on the planet. Formed in 1981, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich have sustained their reign over the hearts and minds of millions of devoted fans for over three decades. Rock journalist Paul Stenning comes face to face with this particular breed of monster to reveal the unique blend of fearless reinvention, integrity and resilience that have ensured Metallica s unrivaled status as multi-platinum-selling metal royalty with a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The personal tragedy, petty rivalries and all-consuming addictions that have threatened to eclipse the band s blistering achievement at every step are no secret from the tragic loss of bassist Cliff Burton in 1986 to the remaining members prolonged mistreatment of new recruit Jason Newsted, Hetfield s life-threatening alcoholism and Ulrich s relentless pursuit of success at any price. In the wake of Metallica s resounding comeback with 2008 LP "Death Magnetic," this book takes an incisive look at all they ve survived and the classic albums they recorded while doing so, including the adrenaline-fueled thrash of debut "Kill Em All" and the infectious, radio-borne riffs of mainstream crossover the "Black Album." Stripping away decades of empty hype, "Metallica: All That Matters" uncovers every last detail of Metallica s chequered past, chronicling the highs and lows that took the group from stadium to courtroom to rehab, whilst attempting to unravel some of the most profound contradictions of all. Featuring unseen interviews from forgotten friends and ex-lovers, this is the complete, no-holds-barred guide to the band all that matters for Metallica fans of every generation.

Through a series of interviews with a wide range of people connected to Pink Floyd in their earliest days (including Nick Mason, Peter Jenner, Jenny Fabian, Storm Thorgerson, Duggie Fields and Peter Whitehead), John Cavanagh paints a vivid picture of how this remarkable debut album was created. He brings to life the stories behind each track, as well as Pink Floyd's groundbreaking live performances of the time. EXCERPT The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a wondrous creation often seen through the distorted view of later events. These things have served to overshadow the achievement of The Pink Floyd on their debut album: an outstanding group performance; a milestone in record production; and something made in much happier circumstances than I had expected to find...This is not another book about mad Syd. This, instead, is a celebration of a moment when everything seemed possible, when creative worlds and forces converged, when an album spoke with an entirely new voice. Such music I never dreamed of, as Rat said to Mole.