Product Description

A detailed book on various genres of Extreme Metalotraditional and heavy metal, thrash and speed metal, death metal, black metal, doom metal and more. Also included are brief biographies of hundreds of individual bands listing personnel, discographies and career highlights.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1491080 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

From the Author
Review of Extreme Metal Handbook
The Extreme Metal Handbook is unique. It's the first comprehensive guide ever published to metal in its most uncompromising forms. The genres included are death metal, black metal, thrash metal, doom metal, vampire metal, pagan metal and a host of other smaller variants. With a ton of photographs, and profiles and discographies of over 250 of the biggest and most groundbreaking bands from many countries worldwide, it's a truly innovative look at the extreme music of today. Enjoy!

Customer Reviews

...should be much, much better...
I was looking very much towards reading this book. This is a subject that I have dedicated countless hours to in my life. From collecting albums, to reading interviews and reviews, to creating a website, to attending concerts, to (attempting to) making music. While the subject matter of this book is great, the content is not so great. I can understand the lack of several of my favorite bands from being included (by the way, not even mentioned in the "extreme metal bands not mentioned in this book" section). MOTORHEAD(!), Destroyer 666, Demoniac, Blackstar, Absurd, Covenant, (The Kovenant), Berserkr, Raism, Squadron, Vengeance Rising, Old Man's Child, Moonspell, etc... are all obvious oversights. But instead are included are obscure bands (Abhoth), not very extreme bands (Queens of the Stone Age) and other bands that do not belong in this book. But, that is not where my problem with book comes from.

The problem is the book is teeming with errors. I will list a few of the first incidents of erroneous information that caught my eye:

Absu - 3rd LP is not "Third Storm of Absu," as it is listed, but is actually "Third Storm of Cythraul."

Arch Enemy - some information listed incorrectly states Daniel Erlandsson "also plays in Cradle of Filth." However, the truth is Adrian Erlandsson is the drummer for the Cradle.

Broken Hope - 3rd LP is listed as "Repulsive" released in 1997, but actually "Repulsive Conception" was released in 1995 , and "Loathing" was released in 1997.

Brujeria - 1st LP is listed as "Brujeria" released in 1997, when it was actually "Matando Gueros" released in 1993. Their 2nd LP is listed as "Razo Odiero" released in 1998, when it was actually "Raza Odiada" released in 1995.

Hecate Enthroned - some information listed incorrectly states Jon was the vocalist in Cradle of Filth, before Dani. In reality Jon was the bass player in the original incarnation of Cradle of Filth when they recorded their first demo. Also the statement, "with the rather Filth-y technique of new vocalist Dean leading to unfavorable comparisons with 'the Cradle'" is completely untrue. It was Jon who brought those vocals, but when Dean replaced him for "Kings of Chaos," where the vocals are basically death metal-style.

Immolation - their 3rd LP, "Stepping on Angels" is mysteriously missing from the discography.

Six Feet Under - somehow their first LP, "Haunted" escaped the attention of the author. While the albums he did bother to list were listed as "independent" releases, when in actuality all 4 LPs and 1 EP have been on Metal Blade.

In the "Major Players" section the great Lemmy Kilmister is listed as having something to do the the UK band Warfare. Somehow escaping the author's mind is that Mr Kilmister has fronted Motörhead for the better part of the last 25 years!

In the "Online Resources" section the website for French record label Osmose Productions is listed incorrectly. The one that is listed will take you to a company specializing in wood preservation of all things!

Well, I getting tired of typing, but you get the idea. I'm not saying this is a bad book, but it could be much better. He also managed to sneak ina few snippets about his own personal polical leanings which are of no interest, rather annoying, and do not belong in this book. If it were re-released in a new edition with better proofreading and the inclusion of some of the aforementioned bands (and even some that he included in the "extreme metal bands not mentioned in this book" section), I would see it as a much better source of information. This book didn't even have freakin' Motörhead in it for hell's sake! (Was my copy missing a page? hehe) This is THE band that inspired death, thrash, speed, and black metal - the exact subject that Mr McIver claimed to be writing about!

It does have redeeming values, such as websites listed for most of the bands. Also I liked the fact Slipknot was listed, while badmouthing trendy Limp Biskit, Korn, and the like.

All in all, it is the best book of its kind, but should be much, much better.

Unbeatable -- all metal fans must have this
The only book worth having about extreme metal! Loads of great bands and pics, well written, wicked sense of humour. Thank God someone has written a book like this at last.

best reference book for extreme metelers
Metalica are the biggest metal band, and they are metal. This book is a really interesting read, it will tell you things about this music that you didnt know, or really care about but it is still good to laugh at all the strange things these headbangers did and do. And Joel McIver has really shown me the size of this underground music scene, its huge!! READ IT IF YOU LOVE EXTREME METAL.