BOLT THROWER - Live in Athens

Παρακολουθήστε τους Bolt Thrower, στο κομμάτι τους "Mercenary",απο το πρόσφατο live τους στο Gagarin της Αθήνας.

Ο OZZY σπάει πλάκα με τους fans του

Για την προώθηση του νέου του album "Scream", o Ozzy Osbourne, παρίστανε το κέρινο ομοίωμα στο πασίγνωστο μουσείο της Madame Tussaud, κάνοντας έτσι τους οπαδούς του να "ουρλιάξουν" απο τρόμο, όταν οι τελευταίοι προσπαθούσαν να βγάλουν φωτογραφίες. Στο παρακάτω video θα δείτε τί εννοώ.

SIRENIA Interviewed By Mexico's 'Familia Perro'

Mexico's metal podcast "Familia Perro" recently conducted an interview with Morten Veland (guitar, vocals) and Ailyn (vocals) of the Norwegian/Spanish female-fronted gothic metal band SIRENIA. The chat is now available for streaming using the audio player below. (Note: Morten Veland's answers are in English, but Aylin's are in Spanish because she was born in Spain and Spanish is her native language.)

SIRENIA drummer Jonathan A. Perez sat out the "Beauty & The Beast Tour" (with ATROCITY, LEAVES' EYES, ELIS and STREAM OF PASSION) in late 2009 in order to spend time with his wife and newborn child. His temporary replacement was Roland Navratil from DIGNITY.

"The 13th Floor", the latest album from SIRENIA, debuted at No. 149 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"The 13th Floor" was released in Europe on January 23, 2009. The CD was tracked at Sound Suite Studios in France and Stargoth Studios in Norway while the mixing and mastering sessions took place at the Antfarm Studios in Denmark with Tue Madsen.

SIRENIA's video for the song "The Path To Decay" was shot in Gothenburg, Sweden with director Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL) of Revolver Film Company.

SIRENIA recruited singer Ailyn (born: Pilar Giménez García) as the replacement for Monika Pedersen, who left the group in 2007 after only one album due to "musical differences."

Ailyn is best known as a member of the young team in the Spanish version of "The X Factor", the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

source:blabbermouth

FIREWIND: New Album Title Revealed - May 26, 2010

FIREWIND mastermind and current OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. has issued the following update:
"I know it's been a few silent months, but this time we decided to be pretty quiet about the recording process of [FIREWIND's] new album. "Anyways, before we go into revealing more info, we recently did a very fun project which was to be a part of Metal Hammer U.K.'s tribute CD to JUDAS PRIEST!
"We actually recorded everything for that cover song in our home studios and then passed over the files to Fredrik Nordström [at] Studio Fredman in Sweden for the mix. This also marks our first recording with our new drummer, Michael Ehre [ULI JON ROTH, KEE MARCELLO], and the end result is killer (in our humble opinion), as we got to cover one of metal's most classic songs, 'Breaking The Law'!
"As for our new album, it's scheduled for a release sometime this fall and the name of it is 'Days Of Defiance'. We'll soon check back and reveal more info, song names, etc." source: blabbermouth

SLIPKNOT bassist's dead

Τί θα γίνει ρε παιδιά. Γραφείο κηδειών έγινε η στήλη.
Άλλος ένας προστέθηκε στη λίστα του χάρου. Αυτή τη φορά την πλήρωσε ο μπασίστας των Αμερικανών Slipknot, Paul Dedrick Gray, ο οποίος βρέθηκε νεκρός, απο άγνωστη μέχρι στιγμής αιτία, σε ξενοδοχείο της Iowa.
Τί να πεί κανείς πάλι.
R.I.P.

Του αφιερώνουμε το Snuff απο το τελευταίο δίσκο τους.

ΣΥΝΑΥΛΙΕΣ ΣΤΗ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ

Δείτε μερικές αφίσες, απο τις πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες συναυλίες που θα γίνουν στην πόλη μας, τις προσεχείς ημέρες.
Άντε να δούμε πού θα πρωτοπάμε.
Κανείς δανεικά ρε παιδιά...........

TRIBUTE VIDEOS FOR RONNIE DIO

Σήμερα σας παρουσιάζουμε μερικά video, τα οποία έχουν αναρτίσει στο youtube οπαδοί, εις μνήμη του τεράστιου "κοντού", Ronnie James Dio, καθώς και ένα video απο συναυλία.

Φόρος τιμής απο τους Metallica στον Ronnie

Οι Metallica, απέδωσαν φόρο τιμής στον Θρυλικό performer Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio, Heaven and Hell, Elf), παίζοντας την εισαγωγή του "Children of the Sea", των Black Sabbath, πριν αφιερώσουν σ'αυτόν, το κλασσικό κομμάτι τους "Fade to Black".
Το συγκηνητικό event, έλαβε χώρα, σε συναυλία των Metallica, την 18η Μαίου 2010, στο Pavilhão Atlantico, στη Λισαβώνα της Πορτογαλίας. Μπορείτε να παρακολουθήσετε σχετικά video, παρακάτω.
Ο drummer των Metallica, Lars Ulrich, συνέταξε μία επιστολή επικήδειο για τον Ronnie, στην οποία μεταξύ άλλων γράφει:
"When I first saw you in ELF, opening for DEEP PURPLE in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6,000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11 year old . . . Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you. Much love, Lars."

GUS G.: DIO's 'Music Will Continue To Inspire And His Legacy Will Live On Forever'

Greek guitarist Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND, DREAM EVIL, ARCH ENEMY) has issued the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):
"On the night of May 16th, I was shocked to read the news. Ronnie James Dio, a true rock giant, is no longer with us.
"My condolences go out to his family and close ones and my thoughts are with you.
"His music with DIO, BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW has had a huge impact on me and FIREWIND's sound. One of the bands I used to play in also got its name from one of his songs — that was DREAM EVIL. "While I never had the chance to meet him, FIREWIND played a festival with HEAVEN & HELL in 2009 and I got to see him perform. No doubt, it was one of the best shows I've ever seen and I was amazed by his energy and how spot-on all his notes were.
"His music will continue to inspire and his legacy will live on forever. "Thank you for your magic, Ronnie James Dio."
source: blabbermouth.net

OPETH Frontman On RONNIE JAMES DIO's Passing: 'There Is A Massive Hole In My Heart'

Vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH has posted the following message on the band's web site regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):

"I saw the news last night and I hated them.

"Ronnie James Dio is gone…. I love him almost like a family member, and I feel empty and lonely knowing he's not around anymore. He sits on my wall as he has since my family moved in here. Can't bring myself to hear him sing right now, even though I think it might be comforting if I did.

"I was fortunate enough to meet him and share a few drinks with him once, and it's a memory I will treasure to the end of my days. He blew my mind, quite honestly.

"Thank you, Ronnie James Dio, for everything!

"Our collective condolences goes out to his families and friends and the musicians that were fortunate enough to work with him.

"I was thinking about this for quite some time, and I think we can say for sure that even if he was taken from us too soon (100 years from now would've been to soon), I'm sure he felt happy with his life and what he had achieved. But it hurts, though, it really fucking hurts…. I can't stop thinking about it.

"There is a massive hole in my heart.

"Love you, Ronnie. Rest in peace.

"Your fan, Mikael Åkerfeldt"
source: blabbermouth.net

ARCH ENEMY: 'We Mourn The Loss Of One Of The Most Amazing Talents' In Heavy Metal

Swedish/German extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY have released the following statement regarding the passing of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW):
"Today is an immensely sad day for the heavy metal / hard rock community as we mourn the loss of one of the most amazing talents in the genre. Ever.
"A master of his craft and a true gentleman. Funny, smart and witty. He will be much missed by the ARCH ENEMY camp. "Dio's voice will echo in eternity!"
source: blabbermouth.net

Ο θρυλικός Ronnie James Dio μας άφησε σήμερα

Ο μύθος πλέον της αγαπημένης μας μουσικής, Ronnie James Dio δυστυχώς δεν κέρδισε την μάχη με την επάρατη νόσο και κατέληξε σήμερα Κυριακή 16 /05/2010 στις 07:45 το πρωί, στην ηλικία των 67 ετών.
Την ανακοίνωση του θανάτου του, έκανε η αγαπημένη του σύζυγός και μάνατζερ, Wendy, η οποία αναφέρει:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all.

"We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us.

"Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss.

"Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

Τί να πεί κανείς σε τέτοιες στιγμές. Απλώς τoυ αφιερώνουμε τους δικούς του στίχους
We'll know for the first time
If we're evil or divine
We're the last in line

R. I. P.

JOEY BELLADONNA rejoins Anthrax

With rumors swirling since Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and bassist Frank Bello were seen together with former Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna late last month in New York, the band - Benante, Bello, and guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano - is elated to announce that Belladonna has officially rejoined the band. In his once and current capacity, Belladonna will make his first appearance with Anthrax this summer when the band joins Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth - The Big Four founding bands of the thrash genre - to co-headline a series of Sonisphere Festivals in ten European cities, as well as playing a handful of Anthrax-headlined shows (itinerary is below). "I am super excited about this," said Scott Ian. "Joey and the rest of the band came to see me play at a club in New York, I hadn't seen Joey for years, since the end of the reunion tour. Joey taps me on the shoulder, instant big hug, it felt like no time had gone by. The band dynamic is an interesting one - in Anthrax, Joey and I spent so many years of our lives together, we grew up together, we know each other so well, so it was like no time was lost." Belladonna, an essential part of Anthrax's lineup from 1985 to 1992, sang on some of the band's most popular albums including Spreading the Disease, Among the Living and Persistence of Time. He had reunited with original members of Anthrax for the 2005 - 2007 "Among the Living Tour," but this situation is different. Explained Belladonna, "I had been in touch with Charlie and Frank, then I got a call from their manager who said that everyone wanted me back in the band. I thought, 'are you guys for real? You want me up there, fronting the band like it was before?' I was thrilled. We've already started to reconnect with the old ways of having conversations. Everything is easy going and feels really good." "We're going to do these summer shows and gel as a band," explained Charlie Benante, "get comfortable playing with each other again, and the energy from that should go right into making new music." Immediately following the final Sonisphere festival in early August, the band will fly back to the U.S. and begin writing and rehearsing for a new album that's expected to be out in early 2011. "We've got an unusual luxury of hindsight," added Ian. "We finished an album a year ago, we've lived with those 12 songs since then, and we can look back on them and see what we really love and what we can make even better, especially with Joey back in the fold." Added Benante, "There are five or six songs from a year ago that we don't want to change, we love them the way they are, other than having Joey making them his own with his vocals. Then there's another five or six that we may want to rework, and then there are a bunch of other tunes that are still in the early stages, that we want to finish. "The band has been on an emotional roller coaster since last summer," Benante continued, "but I think everything that we've had to deal with during that time was pushing us toward this, to Joey being back in Anthrax, and the timing couldn't be more perfect or appropriate. To have Joey with us playing these shows with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth is the way it should be - as Anthrax's vocalist from '85 to '92, he was part of 'The Big Four.'" "John was a real stand up guy about the situation," said Ian, about John Bush, Anthrax's vocalist from '92 - '05. "He knew we wanted to move forward at full speed, that we needed a total commitment to Anthrax, and he knew that wasn't what he wanted. We certainly wish John well. We've had so many great times with him, and we appreciate his stepping in last summer at the last minute, and performing with us since then. He will always be an integral part of the Anthrax family." With worldwide sales in excess of 10-million, Anthrax is about to celebrate its 29th year as a band. Over its career, Anthrax has received multiple Gold and Platinum albums, multiple Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the press, industry and fans. Complete dates for Anthrax - with Joey Belladonna on vocals - are as follows: JUNE 16 Sonisphere Festival, Warsaw, Poland 18 Sonisphere Festival, Wil, Switzerland 19 Sonisphere Festival, Prague, Czech Republic 20 Arena Wien, Vienna, Austria 22 Sonisphere Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria 24 Sonisphere Festival, Athens, Greece 26 Sonisphere Festival, Bucharest, Romania 27 Sonisphere Festival, Istanbul, Turkey JULY 31 Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth, UK AUGUST 1 Lokerse Feesten Festival, Lokerse, Belgium 3 Metropol, Hengelo, Netherlands 5 B1, Moscow, Russia 7 Sonisphere Festival, Stockholm, Sweden 8 Sonisphere Festival, Pori, Finland

source: www.thegauntlet.com

"International Day of Slayer"

Για τέταρτο κατά σειρά έτος, οι οπαδοί του heavy metal ενώνουν τις δυνάμεις τους, στις 6 Ιουνίου για την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα των Slayer, αργία, για να γιορτάσουν το Heavy metal .

Οι metal οπαδοί, ελπίζουν για την αναγνώριση του πολιτισμού και τρόπου ζωής τους, ως αιρετή κουλτούρα της ίσης μεταχείρισης με άλλους πολιτισμούς και θρησκείες, στην πλουραλιστική κοινωνία μας.

Μεγαλώνοντας ως οπαδός του heavy metal στο Λος Άντζελες, ο έφηβος Dag Hansen απελπίστηκε με τις διακοπές.
"Κάθε φορά που έρχεται μία αργία, μου λένε ότι εκπροσωπεί μία κουλτούρα κ.λ.π. Εγώ θέλω μία αργία να εκπροσωπεί εμένα, καθώς στην χώρα των εμπορικών κέντρων, βρίσκω περισσότερο βάθος και μεγαλύτερη πολιτιστική αξία στο Heavy Metal, παρά σε αυτά που απαρτίζουν τον σημερινό πολιτισμό".

Ο Hansen είναι μέλος μίας μικρής ομάδος η οποία προσπαθεί, ώστε να αναγνωριστεί η επονομαζόμενη "International Day of Slayer", ως επίσημη αργία.
Τον προηγούμενο χρόνο διάφορα κινήματα προσπάθησαν , με μιά μορφή απογραφής να ανακυρηχθεί το Heavy Metal, επίσημη θρησκεία στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο.
Η παγκόσμια ημέρα των Slayer, δεν διαφέρει πολύ, απλά είναι περισσότερο επικεντρωμένη.
"Θέλουμε να αποτίσουμε φόρο τιμής στο metal, σαν μία κουλτούρα που δέν διαφέρει απο τις άλλες" λέει ο Hansen. "Mία σχετική αργία είναι κάτι το συμβολικό και δεν πρόκειται να αλλάξει κάτι", τονίζει.

Η παγκόσμια ημέρα των Slayer, προτάθηκε για εορτασμό, κάθε 6 του Ιούνη. Οι συμμετέχοντες σε αυτήν, πρέπει να βάζουν στην διαπασών Slayer, απο τις έξι το πρωί( 6/6/...,το πιάσατε?),να μην πηγαίνουν στο σχολείο ή στη δουλειά τους, ώστε να συνεχίσουν να ακούνε metal!!!
Όσοι ενδιαφέρεστε να συμετάσχετε στην γιορτή, επισκεφτείτε την παρακάτω διεύθυνση:
http://www.nationaldayofslayer.org/
Εδώ ταιριάζει γάντι το ρητό, "Όσοι πιστοί προσέλθετε".

DEATH Tablature Collection Available

Για τους φίλους της κιθάρας γενικότερα, αλλα και για τους θαυμαστές του Chuck Schuldiner ειδικότερα, παρουσιάζουμε ένα ενδιαφέρον post σχετικά με ταμπλατούρες του μακαρίτη.

Guitar World has released its second TAB book , featuring the music of DEATH, Chuck Schuldiner's groundbreaking band. "Death: The Deluxe Guitar and Bass Tablature Collection" is the first song transcription book based on the DEATH catalog. Created with the endorsement of Chuck Schuldiner's family, it features full transcriptions — including guitar, bass and lyrics — of eight classic DEATH songs, such as "Pull the Plug", "Zombie Ritual", "Flesh and the Power It Holds" and many others! Plus, "Death: The Deluxe Guitar and Bass Tablature Collection" includes a life- and career-spanning biography on Chuck Schuldiner, death metal's pioneer and spiritual guide. Transcriptions include: * Pull the Plug", as heard on "Leprosy" * The Philosopher", as heard on "Individual Thought Patterns" * Crystal Mountain", as heard on "Symbolic" * Flesh and the Power It Holds", as heard on "The Sound of Perseverance" * Scavenger of Human Sorrow", as heard on "The Sound of Perseverance" * Zombie Ritual", as heard on "Scream Bloody Gore" * Spiritual Healing", as heard on "Spiritual Healing" * Together as One", as heard on "Human" For more information, go to this location. Chuck Schuldiner passed away on December 13, 2001 at age 34 after a a battle with pontine glioma, a rare type of brain tumor.
source:blabbermouth.net

'Black Sabbath And The Rise Of Heavy Metal Music'

Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series have just released "Black Sabbath And The Rise Of Heavy Metal Music", a new hardcover book by author Dr. Andrew L. Cope. What follows is the book's official description. The definition of "heavy metal" is often a contentious issue and in this lively and accessible text Andrew Cope presents a refreshing re-evaluation of the rules that define heavy metal as a musical genre. Cope begins with an interrogation of why, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Birmingham provided the ideal location for the evolution and early development of heavy metal and hard rock. The author considers how the influence of the London and Liverpool music scenes merged with the unique cultural climate, industry and often desolated sites of post-war Birmingham to contribute significantly to the development of two unique forms of music: heavy metal and hard rock. The author explores these two forms through an extensive examination of key tracks from the first six albums of both BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN, in which musical, visual and lyrical aspects of each band are carefully compared and contrasted in order to highlight the distinctive innovations of those early recordings. In conclusion, a number of case studies are presented that illustrate how the unique synthesis of elements established by BLACK SABBATH have been perpetuated and developed through the work of such bands as IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, PANTERA, MACHINE HEAD, NIGHTWISH, ARCH ENEMY and CRADLE OF FILTH. As a consequence, the importance of heavy metal as a genre of music was firmly established, and its longevity assured. For more information, including extracts from the book, go to this location. Check out a review from Pop Matters.
source: blabbermouth.net

DARK TRANQUILLITY: Pre-Tour Video Message Released

Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY has issued the following update:

"That's right, folks! Eyjafjallajökull willing, we'll leave our home town of Gothenburg tomorrow to embark on a massive headline trek taking us through the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

"We've spent a lot of time and effort preparing and rehearsing for these shows and we intend to bring you nothing less than supreme DARK TRANQUILLITY performances in each and every city.

"This is a very important tour for us, so make sure to bring all your friends, spread the word and show up early in order to see the excellent support acts."

A video message from DARK TRANQUILLITY vocalist Mikael Stanne regarding the upcoming tour can be viewed below.

DARK TRANQUILLITY's North American tour will feature support from THREAT SIGNAL and MUTINY WITHIN. This promises to be the longest, career-spanning DARK TRANQUILLITY setlist yet, so diehard fans will not want to miss out.

Stanne previously stated about the upcoming trek, "We've been rehearsing like crazy to put together a set that will blow you away. It's been hard but we feel we have a good collection of songs that represents every aspect of the band and will please fans of both new and old material. Also, the mad genius Niklas (Sundin, guitar) [was] hard at work creating amazing artwork and animation that will look incredible and add a new dimension to the show.

"This is, without a doubt, the biggest production we've done in the States.

"We Are The Void", the ninth album from DARK TRANQUILLITY, sold around 2,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 15 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"We Are The Void" was released in North America on March 9 via Century Media Records. The LP was made available in Europe as a CD, digital download and strictly limited-edition die-cut digipak featuring two bonus songs ("Stars Of Nothingness" and "To Where Fires Cannot Feed") and a bonus DVD.
source: blabbermouth.net

Top 10 Heavy Metal Books

Metalheads are some of the most devoted music fans on the planet. Not only do we voraciously devour new music like no one else, we also can't enough information about the artists we love. Now more than ever, it seems like there's a press release on floating around every other week about a heavy metal-related book hitting stores. It's a testament to the legions of people who follow the kind of music Noisecreep covers.

Since there are so many fantastic books about metal to choose from, we've decided to put together a list of the top 10. As you'll read below, there's everything from the essential guides to a photo book and a few biographies. While Noisecreep admits these kinds of lists are always subjective, we assure you that the books we picked below are mandatory reading no matter what other titles you think we might have missed.

'True Norwegian Black Metal'
By Peter Beste (2008)

So you walk into your local bookstore, and there he is -- Nattefrost of Carpathian Forest covered in blood and full black metal makeup, thrusting an inverted cross in your face. 'True Norwegian Black Metal' is undoubtedly the most kvlt coffee table book ever made. Weighing in at over four pounds, this collaboration between the hipsters at Vice Magazine and powerHouse Books is gorgeously laid out in thick, full-color pages from start to finish.

American documentary photographer Peter Beste spent eight years hanging out and taking photos of the black metal scene's most controversial figures. We've all seen photo shoots from groups like Emperor and Gorgoroth before, but never like the way Beste captured these artists. There are tons of behind-the-scenes shots where you get a different perspective of these normally guarded musicians. There's one photo of Darkthrone's Fenriz hanging out at home that sticks out immediately. It's the kind of mundane thing you wouldn't usually care about, but in the context of this book, it grabs your attention.
Even the standard 'black metal dude in the forest' stuff is on another plane. His command of lighting and voyeuristic shooting style is as cinematic as the music the subjects in the photos live and breathe for. Beste's access to this famously insulated world lends 'True Norwegian Black Metal' an authenticity that couldn't be faked.

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'The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band'
By Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss (2001)

At this point, most of you reading Noisecreep have probably already read 'The Dirt.' When it was released in bookstores almost a decade ago, it caused a stir in the media for its revved-up tales of debauchery and overall mayhem. It tells the true story of Mötley Crüe's formation, rise to hard rock royalty, and self-imposed crash. Though all four original members lived their lives dangerously, it was bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee who took their personal excesses to new levels of lewdness. Rock historians usually point to 'Hammer of the Gods,' Stephen Davis' book about Led Zeppelin, as an example of a band losing itself to depravity, but 'The Dirt' proves that Vince, Tommy, Nikki and Mick, had everyone else beat.

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'Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore'
By Albert Mudrian (2004)

Whether you are a casual or fervent death metal fan, 'Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore' needs to be part of your reading collection. It's the kind of book you'll find yourself constantly going back to reference when listening to everything from grind to crustcore. Written by Decibel magazine's Albert Mudrian, 'Choosing Death' is exhaustively researched, but it's the pacing that brings everything together. With so many subgenres and bands littering extreme metal's history, it would have been easy for the book to be bogged-down by details. But Mudrian pays just enough attention to the footnotes, while shining a light on the more important artists and moments in the book.

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'White Line Fever: The Autobiography'
By Lemmy Kilmister and Janiss Garza (2004)

They say when the world finally comes to an end, the only living beings left will be Keith Richards and Lemmy Kilmister. The Rolling Stones badass is reportedly working on his autobiography, but Motörhead's Kilmister beat him to the punch years ago. 'White Line Fever' is just like the guy who wrote it; in-your-face, unapologetic and downright hilarious. Anyone who has seen or read a Lemmy interview already knows how engaging he is, so just imagine how much fun an entire book of his life experiences must be. 'White Line Fever' never disappoints, and we wouldn't be surprised if it gets made into a motion picture someday. Lemmy's colorful life sure warrants the attention.

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'Swedish Death Metal'
By Daniel Ekeroth (2008)

Daniel Ekeroth is just like your buddy that goes to see Amon Amarth with you anytime they're in town, but the difference is, your friend doesn't own every Intoxicate demo. As exhaustive a history lesson as the book is, 'Swedish Death Metal' ultimately reads like a love letter to Sweden's fertile extreme metal underground. The fact that Ekeroth grew up in Sweden, in the small town of Avesta, and came of age during the genre's early days (late '80s), lends the writing the kind of firsthand knowledge most historians can't touch.

Not only does the author give us the insider word on the scene's legendary bands (Entombed, At the Gates), he also digs deep, and shines the light on lesser-known acts (Desultory, Liers in Wait), some which never even recorded proper studio demos. In terms of a book like this, 'Swedish Death Metal' works on every level. Not only does it work as a reference guide, it's also an entertaining read that never gets bogged-down by its sharp attention to detail. With this book, Ekeroth became his country's leading metal ambassador, and in the end, 'Swedish Death Metal' is just as essential as the best albums he talks about in it.

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'Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal'
By Ian Christe (2004)

We've profiled Ian Christe in Noisecreep before, so you already know how much we support his work. The renaissance man not only runs the busy Bazillion Points publishing house, he also finds time for television appearances, and writing books. Originally released in 2004, and now translated in several languages, 'Sound of the Beast' is an exhaustive work where Christe gives the reader a rundown of the important subgenres of heavy metal, and the riveting history that ties it all together. Like Albert Mudrian's 'Choosing Death,' you'll find yourself reaching for 'Sound of the Beast' long after you finished it. It's chockfull of the type of nerdy tidbits that metalheads live for.

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'Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground'
By Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind (1998)

Betrayal, Satanism, murder -- it sounds like the recipe for a low budget horror movie, but the stories that make up 'Lords of Chaos' are sadly true. Written by award winning journalist and industrial musician Michael Moynihan, the book is his account of the early Norwegian black metal scene of the early '90s. Mayhem, Emperor and all of the other expected names are included, and the author does the rich history of the scene justice, but it's the sensational accounts of church burning and violence that made 'Lords of Chaos' such a smash in bookstores all over the world. It's a classic page turner that will suck you in from the very first chapter.

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'Metal: The Definitive Guide'
By Garry Sharpe-Young (2007)

There are tons of books in print that have tried to act as definitive guides for heavy metal. Anyone who listens to this stuff knows that it's virtually impossible to rope in every metal genre into a single book. Though you won't see a page dedicated to 'gore-grind' in 'Metal: The Definitive Guide,' it's still the closest anyone has ever come to an all-encompassing encyclopedia on metal. Written by Garry Sharpe-Young, a veteran rock historian and founder of the excellent MusicMight.com (formerly known as RockDetector.com) database, 'Metal: The Definitive Guide' is handy book you can keep on your coffee table for easy referencing. Stuffed with biographies, memorabilia, and detailed discographies, you would be hard-pressed to find a better book of its kind. Sadly, Sharpe-Young passed away in March of this year at the age of 45.

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'Are You Morbid?'
By Thomas Fischer (2000)

Who better to tell the story of Celtic Frost than founding vocalist/guitarist Thomas Fischer? Released in 2000, 'Are You Morbid?' gives you an inside look on the career of one of underground metal's most trailblazing masterminds. From his early days in Hellhammer to the disappointment of Celtic Frost's 'Cold Lake' album, Fischer lays everything out for the reader to take in -- warts and all. It's been out of print for some years now, but even if you find someone willing to sell you one, you should really invest in a copy of 'Are You Morbid?'

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'Reign in Blood (33 1/3)'
By D.X. Ferris (2008)

People often cite Slayer's 'Reign in Blood' as one of the top three metal albums of all time. Based on that distinction, you would think that someone would have written a 500-page tome analyzing its genius already. Surprisingly, it took over 20 years for a 'Reign in Blood'-centered book to hit stores. Thrash expert and journalist D.X. Ferris does all the necessary footwork needed for a project like this. He includes tasty biographies of the people involved with the album, and he also interviewed most of the key players including everyone from cover artist Larry Carroll to producer Rick Rubin. If you think you knew everything about Slayer already, one quick glance through 'Reign in Blood' edition of the '33 1/3' series will put you in your place.
source:NOISECREEP