Fueled to the max by bubblegum power chords, skyscraper backcombed hairdos, eyeliner, and spandex, artists such as Quiet Riot, Ratt, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Dokken, Guns N' Roses, Warrant, Slaughter, L.A. Guns, Great White, W.A.S.P., and Bon Jovi reigned supreme in the 1980s. Established bands too fully embraced the "image is everything" culture and Kiss, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Whitesnake, and Heart all enjoyed renewed flushes of success. This book chronicles every cheap thrill and maps out every mascara-caked moment. Each and every band, whether able to pack out Wembley or Wigan, is documented with full biographies and global discographies direct from the world's biggest rock-devoted database--Rockdetector.

Power Metal is Heavy Metal taken to the absolute limit. When the major Metal institutions staked their claim, they engendered a legion of up-and-coming followers, who took the genre in a new, extreme direction. Riffs became labyrinthine, vocals scorched higher altitudes--and they even managed to crank out some more volume. This encyclopedic book documents the Power Metal phenomenon, with exhaustive, unique histories, detailed discographies, and many photos. It covers the British guard such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest; American metal such as Queensrÿche, Attacker, Jag Panzer, Iced Earth, Liege Lord, and Savatage; European bands such as Helloween, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, Running Wild, and Grave Digger; plus Symphonic Metal, Progressive Metal, and more. It also includes a 16-track CD.

Thrash Metal. At first mocked by the Rock traditionalists Thrash would swamp the hard n' heavy world propelling one of it's own - Metallica, to the very pinnacle of Rock's elite. In the early 80s Thrash breathed new life into the Rock scene providing older acts with a much needed kick. This new force opened the floodgates to armies of teens armed with flying Vs, bullet belts and a sense of purpose that would fuel genres such as Thrashcore, Crossover and technical Speed Metal. Without Thrash there would be no Death Metal, no Black Metal. That explosion of aggression has seen subsequent afterblasts, most recently Europe and South America has seen a genuine renaissance of Thrash Metal. Without doubt, Thrash Metal still continues to make its mark in the biggest possible way. The 'big four' - Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer are all documented here in the greatest possible detail with full, up to the minute histories, exclusive photographs and global discographies, which include demos, albums, singles, chart positions, track listings and catalogue numbers. Over 400,000 words leave no stone left unturned in pursuit of knowledge of ex-members, rare recordings and career milestones. The author has interviewed all these major acts. Indeed, he interviewed Metallica's late Cliff Burton just days before his passing. The early days of Megadeth are straight from the mouth of Dave Mustaine. Also covered are the legion of groundbreaking Bay Area acts such as Metal Church, Testament, Exodus, Death Angel and Hirax. The European Thrash explosion of Kreator, Rage, Destruction, Sodom, Grave Digger and Helloween is also covered in frightening detail. The Pagan Thrash of Sabbat, the avant garde eccentricity of Celtic Frost and the Funk Thrash of Morded - it's all here. The second wave of Thrash with major artists such as Sepultura, Pantera and Machine Head takes the genre right up to the new breed of Thrashers, now a truly world-wide phenomomen. All examined in depth. Having achieved its quarter of a century, Thrash Metal is not only alive, it is thriving. If you thought this rawest form of Heavy Metal was consigned to the past this book will deliver a rude awakening Read the book, buy the records and bang that head

Reviled and revered in equal measure since its inception over a decade ago the phenomenon known as Death Metal has pushed Hard Rock music to the very edge of acceptability, and way beyond. Death metal and its bastard offspring Grindcore, has become the pariah of the music world. From the founding fathers Death, Napalm Death, Carcass, Incantation, Impetigo, and Morbid Angel, to the rise of Swedish Death Metal legends In Flames, Carnage and At The Gates, the Black Death Metal of Marduk, the Christian Death Metal of Mortification and the political Noisecore of Agathocles. Every major force in the genre is included - Aborted, Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Dismember, Dissection, Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Vader, Krisiun, et al. All genres old and new are analysed in depth with full histories and detailed discographies of well over 3,000 bands. Also included are many rare photographs. No area of the globe has provided a safe haven and this book documents the burgeoning uprise of Death Metal bands in the Far East, Eastern Europe and South America. Despite its unceasing growth and increasing legions of fans quite remarkably the phenomenon of Extreme Metal has never been fully documented until now. This book, newly updated and amended, is a must for all serious extreme metal fans.

For over a full decade Black Sabbath had dominated Heavy Metal. As much as Led Zeppelin scorned the term Black Sabbath embraced it. In an age of bona fide supergroups Sabbath were unquestionably the heaviest thing stalking the planet and quite remarkably had remained a solid unit where others around them suffered ongoing membership fall outs and line-up reincarnations. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward had weathered internal storms just as ferocious as every other band out on the circuit but had remained resolute. They had conquered the globe, sold close to 50 million albums and without concession had not pulled back one iota from delivering absolute, pure Heavy Metal. In 1977 the unthinkable happened. Ozzy Osbourne decamped. He would be lured back for one last album 'Never Say Die' before flying solo, rapidly building a band unit that would equal the repute of the mother-ship. Between 1979 and 1997 Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne were pitched against each other in a titanic struggle unprecedented in Rock n' Roll. Both stars would employ the very finest players of the genre in the conflict and produce some of the finest Heavy Metal of the generation in the process. Tony Iommi, the man who without question invented Heavy Metal, fronted up Sabbath with vocal legends such as Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes and Tony Martin against Ozzy's awesome arsenal of guitar innovators Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. Both Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne reinvented their bands time and time again. The huge array of elite players that travelled through the ranks is now a constant source of fascination and rumours for Sabbath fanatics. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: The Battle for Black Sabbath' reforges the author's two previous landmark tomes 'Ozzy Osbourne: The Story of the Ozzy Osbourne band' & 'Black Sabbath: Never Say Die ' along with additional material into this one definitive Metal milestone. Complete with over 140 images, many never seen before, and unique interviews, including with the late Ray Gillen and Cozy Powell as well as the highly controversial figure of Jeff Fenholt and mysterious Dave Donato, 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is the definitive account of those years (1979 to 1997) before the reunion. Exclusive interview content with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Cozy Powell, Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, Tony Martin, Geoff Nicholls, Rob Halford, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, Carmine Appice, Tommy Aldridge, Neil Murray, Dave Spitz, Eric Singer, David Donato, Jeff Fenholt, Bobby Rondinelli, Rudy Sarzo, Phil Soussan, Randy Castillo, Bernie Torme, Brad Gillis, Jo Burt, Pete Way, Dana Strum, Terry Chimes, Lita Ford, Steve Vai, Don Airey, Lindsey Bridgewater, Terry Nails and many, many more. Additional details: 8 page discography appendix detailing 264 career albums and singles from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Bill Ward, Geezer and Tony Iommi; plus 7 page index with 694 entries. Product Dimensions: 8.25 x 11.0 inches (210 x 279 mm). Weight: approximately 1.6 lbs (0.75 kg).