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.

Rez Metal captures the creative energy of Indigenous youth culture in the twenty-first century. Bridging communities from disparate corners of Indian Country and across generations, heavy metal has touched a collective nerve on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona in particular. Many cultural leaders-including former Navajo president Russell Begaye-have begun to recognize heavy metal's ability to inspire Navajo communities facing chronic challenges such as poverty, depression, and addiction. Heavy metal music speaks to the frustrations, fears, trials, and hopes of living in Indian Country. Rez Metal highlights a seminal moment in Indigenous heavy metal: when Kyle Felter, lead singer of the Navajo heavy metal band I Dont Konform, sent a demo tape to Flemming Rasmussen, the Grammy Award-winning producer of several Metallica albums, including Master of Puppets. A few months later, Rasmussen, captivated by the music, flew from Denmark to Window Rock, Arizona, to meet the band. Through a series of vivid images and interviews focused on the venues, bands, and fans of the Navajo Nation metal scene, Rez Metal provides a window into this fascinating world.

Joel McIver's acclaimed Black Sabbath biography, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, concluded in 2011 that its subjects were at a crossroads. Could Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill manage after over 40 years in business to get back together one more time? After all, the veteran heavy metal musicians were grieving for their fallen comrade Ronnie James Dio and about to face a devastating medical diagnosis for one of their own. McIver's brand-new, updated volume brings the story up to date with the tale of Sabbath's near-miraculous return to form with the Rick Rubin-produced 13 album, which topped charts worldwide on its release in 2013. In true Sabbath style, however, nothing went entirely to plan, with internal arguments, last-minute band-member replacements -- and a genuine fear that this may be Sabbath's very last shot at glory.

The updated version of McIver's bestselling biography explores the aftermath of Metallica's comeback in the wake of 2008's Death Magnetic. The band entering the Rock And Hall Of Fame, toured as the leading member of the Big Four Of Thrash alongside Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax Establishing their own Orion festival Embarking on side projects aplenty (Lars Ulrich as an actor, Kirk Hammett as a horror buff) and recorded what is possibly the most despised record in heavy metal history, a collaboration with Lou Reed titled Lulu. Here McIver reveals a refreshing new spin on the Lulu album, re-evaluating its contents in the light of Reed's death in 2013.

With sales of over 200 million albums, AC/DC is not just the biggest rock band in the world, it's a family business built by three brothers: George, Malcolm and Angus Young. As with any business, some people prospered while others got hurt along the way. The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC is unlike any AC/DC book you've read before. Less a biography, more a critical appreciation, it tells the story of the trio through 11 classic songs and reveals some of the personal and creative secrets that went into their making. Important figures from AC/DC's long journey to the top open up for the very first time, while unsung heroes behind the band's success are given the credit they are due. Accepted accounts of events are challenged while sensational new details emerge to cast a whole new light on the band's history - especially their early years with Atlantic Records in the United States. Former AC/DC members and musicians from bands such as Guns N' Roses, Dropkick Murphys, Airbourne and Rose Tattoo also give their perspectives on the Youngs' brand of magic. Their music has never pulled its punches. Neither does The Youngs. After 40 years, AC/DC might just have got the serious book it deserves.

Gene Simmons was born Chaim Witz in 1951 in Haifa, Israel, to a carpenter and a Nazi concentration camp survivor. When he was nine, his mother brought him to New York, opening up his mind to American culture and sowing the seeds for Kiss. Kiss gave people great rock 'n roll music with an awe-inspiring theatrical show. Each member had their own look - Gene's was "The Demon" and his bat-like make-up, on-stage fire-breathing, tongue-waggling and blood-drooling made headlines worldwide. Simmons' life is extraordinary and his personality contradictory. He has witnessed and partaken in the highest level of debauched rock and roll behaviour, but has never touched drugs or alcohol. This uncensored book tells the real story of the man behind the make-up.

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.

In 1991, Metallica released their fifth studio album that would become known and beloved around the world as "The Black Album." Since its release, it has sold 30 million copies, and become a towering monument in the pantheon of rock's greatest records. Readers will get unprecedented insight into the story behind an iconic album from one of the world's most iconic bands through interviews with James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted, and "Black Album" producer Bob Rock. Masciotra takes readers into the recording studio, giving them Metallica's account of how their most successful and famous record was born and learned to walk into every radio station and stadium stage around the world. Masciotra not only talks to the band about the making of the album, but also the stories that inspired the songs. Readers will not only learn about "The Black Album," but they will also gain greater knowledge and familiarity with the men who created it. With direct access to the band, Masciotra offers a fascinating and inspiring account of the creation of one of music's best and best-selling albums.

"It's been a lot of fun getting involved with sourcing the material for this special project. Finding some of my art work that had been hidden away for several decades was amazing and brought back many memories. I've used some quotes here from my auto-biography 'Hellraiser' (John Blake 2009) and also from Nettie, to give you a flavour of all things Baker I have always been interested in all areas of creative endeavour and I hope you enjoy this collection as much as we all did putting it together." Ginger Baker

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.

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.

Packed with as many egos as one book can hold, this is the read that takes you inside the minds of the most twisted icons of heavy metal and uncovers the insane antics that earned each of these wild men their crazed reputation.

Renowned rock author Martin Popoff's exhaustive and detailed timeline of Deep Purple milestones - often to the day - looks at the band's influences, cultural milieu, tours, recording sessions, charts, singles, certification news, break-ups, personal stuff, trivia, mixed with lots of artist quotes to add to the entries, turning the book into a quasi-oral history but loaded with factual matter.But this book is not just about Deep Purple but the whole family of bands that surrounds it. Weaved in and out of the story are the dastardly diaries of Rainbow, Whitesnake, Ian Gillan Band, Gillan, Paice Ashton Lord, all the solo projects, guest slots, even Captain Beyond, Warhorse, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ Superstar, Bedlam, Elf, Episode Six, The Outlaws, and Trapeze.The book also touches on a whole host of other artists including the likes of Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Moxy, Silverhead, Hard Stuff, Lord Sutch, Warpig, Vanilla Fudge, Brian Auger, Judas Priest, James Gang, Angel and Legs Diamond - but always with contextual explanation that make this book such a fascinating read and an absolute smorgasbord of facts surrounding one of the greatest rock bands' of all time.

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.

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.

A sumptuous, illustrated guide to the symbolism of heavy metal, told through 300 of its greatest album covers Metal music has consistently offered some of the most gnarly artwork to accompany it's equally hardcore music, this book is a celebration of just that! More than any other genre of music, metal is steeped in a rich world of symbolism. From death and the devil to mythology and fantasy, its record covers are awash with iconography that carries a complex deeper meaning. In Codex Metallum, more than 80 of these visual themes are explored and explained, accompanied by 300 of metal's most incredible album covers, including Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Motoerhead, Black Sabbath, Rammstein and more. With bespoke illustrations from Rammstein collaborators Fortifem, this unique guide decodes the genre's imagery, ranging from serpents and demons to sigils, castles, zombies, dragons and more. Packaged in a stunning leather-effect case with foil finishes, Codex Metallum is a beautiful object in its own right, and essential reading for any metalhead.

The very first book about the Anglo-American metal band Tool explores not only their uncompromising music but also their unsettling, self-made image based on mythological symbols and arcane theories. Now available in paperback. The quartet of master musicians - Maynard James Keenan, Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor and Adam Jones - emerged from the club scene in Los Angeles in 1990 alongside their friends Rage Against the Machine, grabbing the concept of heavy music and then completely redefining it. With a sixties-style commitment to art and agit-prop, they have now attained a level of artistic complexity and depth which makes their enduring success a miracle in today's culture of bland, corporate entertainment.They have received three Grammy awards and their rise to glory has been one of the stranger rock tales of our time. Joel McIver leaves no detail omitted as he delves into the mystery behind Tool's music.

Featuring never-before-seen photographs of U2 on their first US Tour, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Danzig, The Descendants, Fugazi, The Damned, The U.K. Subs, and many, many more Since 1981, Chris Barrows has taken pictures of bands at their concerts, backstage, and behind the scenes. From U2 during their first tour in 1982 to Captain Sensible of The Damned on his knees in an alley licking a dominatrix's thigh high vinyl boots, or Lee Ving standing on railroad tracks at night, Barrows' intimate and stirring portraits of bands stripped down and unguarded will be a wonderful addition to any music fan's collection.