‘Heavy Metal: From Hard Rock to Extreme Metal,’ Available Now!

My book, Heavy Metal: From Hard Rock to Extreme Metal, is now available! This giant hardcover tome, weighing in at over four pounds, covers all you need to know about some of hard rock and metal’s biggest and best bands, from Black Sabbath to Emperor, and from Guns N’ Roses to Metallica. And what's really exciting for me is that the foreword is by Slayer guitarist Kerry King!

The book chronicles the histories of hard rock, heavy metal, thrash, and the various subgenres related to extreme music, including black metal, death metal, grindcore, doom, prog metal, power metal, and more. It examines metal’s culture, and features close-up sections on bands as varied as Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Celtic Frost, Napalm Death, and Manowar, recounting their histories, exploits, and what makes them important. These are accompanied by tons of large-scale photos of the bands doing what they do best, rocking onstage. Check it out in the photos below.

Spotlighted bands include: Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Scorpions, Rush, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Queen, Van Halen, Kiss, AC/DC, Rainbow, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Poison, Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Saxon, Manowar, Queensryche, Dio, Dream Theater, Venom, Metallica, Pantera, Anthrax, Slayer, Sodom, Destruction, Kreator, Megadeth, Celtic Frost, Mayhem, Immortal, Emperor, Napalm Death, Death, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Savatage, Helloween, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Ministry, Marilyn Manson, Tool, Korn, and, last but not least, Slipknot.

To purchase from Amazon, click here.

To purchase from Barnes & Noble, click here.

Pantera, Courtney Love, and more!

Apparently it’s been over a year since I’ve updated this blog, so I’m posting a roundup of my recent writings on the web. (Also, check recent issues of Revolver for interviews I’ve done with Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, Metallica, Anthrax, and much, much more.)

I interviewed the surviving members of Pantera (and remixer JG Thirlwell) about their classic song “Walk.” We talked about everything from writing it to hearing it in football stadiums and strip clubs, from Phil Anselmo playing it at the Metal Masters show in LA this past April to the last time drummer Vinnie Paul got to  play the song with his brother, Dimebag Darrell.
  I reviewed Courtney Love’s current art exhibition in New York.
   
I interviewed Lamb of God’s frontman, Randy Blythe, about his life advice, including how to ride freight trains.
 
I interviewed Mastodon about the time they met Barney.
 

I reviewed what may be Sonic Youth’s last-ever New York show.
 

 

I reviewed a recent Death Cab for Cutie show in Brooklyn.
 
 I interviewed Alice Cooper for the Broward-Palm Beach New Times, discussing what he was like as a child, his new band, and more.
   
And last but not least, I interviewed Marianne Faithfull about her critics, voice, and the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones.