Extreme Metal

Rating:
Summary: The definitive metal reference work!
Review: Absolutely essential in every way, Extreme Metal told me everything I needed to know about death, thrash, black and doom metal. Very well-written and very funny, too. If you like any type of metal you owe it to yourself to get this book.

Rating:
Summary: Extreme Metal
Review: Extreme deodarant, extreme cheddar goldfish...OK, not everything with the word "extreme" in it is very exciting, but this music is truly intense! When I got this book, I was getting really into thrash/speed metal. A friend of mine was introducing me to some underground bands that I was impressed with, but I wanted to find out about some bands on my own instead of having to rely on him to hear about all these bands. With this book, I could do just that. It's amazing how many bands are out there in the underground that no one is aware of. This book showed me that metal is much more alive than people think. I gave it 4 stars 'cause I'm not really intrested in black metal. Those bands seem gimmicky and a lot of 'em have keyboard players. But I think any thrash-metal fan should get this book, 'cause without it, you'll miss out on a lot!

Rating:
Summary: Extreme Metal
Review: Extreme deodarant, extreme cheddar goldfish...OK, not everything with the word "extreme" in it is very exciting, but this music is truly intense! When I got this book, I was getting really into thrash/speed metal. A friend of mine was introducing me to some underground bands that I was impressed with, but I wanted to find out about some bands on my own instead of having to rely on him to hear about all these bands. With this book, I could do just that. It's amazing how many bands are out there in the underground that no one is aware of. This book showed me that metal is much more alive than people think. I gave it 4 stars 'cause I'm not really intrested in black metal. Those bands seem gimmicky and a lot of 'em have keyboard players. But I think any thrash-metal fan should get this book, 'cause without it, you'll miss out on a lot!

Rating:
Summary: All metal fans MUST buy this!
Review: 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). 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.?

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 Dead 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.

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. 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.

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 better.

Rating:
Summary: Best of its kind, but still bad!
Review: 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 Mot?rhead 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' Mot?rhead 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.

Rating:
Summary: Extreme Metal
Review: I was really getting into thrash/speed metal when I got this book. A friend of mine recommended some underground thrash and death metal bands to me, and I was really impressed, but I still thought I wasn't completely underground because I wasn't finding out about any of these bands on my own. With this book, I did just that. Now, I truly am an underground metalhead, and it feels great! I gave it 4 stars 'cause I think that black metal is gimmicky and cartoonish, and a lot of those bands have keyboard players too. I recommend this book to every thrash fan, because without it you'll miss out on a lot!

Rating:
Summary: Extreme Metal
Review: This book is a "must have" for fans of extreme metal! It provides
exactly what the author intended it to provide. It's a glance at
many of today's extreme metal bands with a brief history of it's
origin. This is the tool you need to gain a little understanding
of the music & a great reference point for bands you may want to
investigate further. As the author states, the entries are not
full discographies, they are highlights & personal favorites.
The fact that a book like this even exists is a treat.

Rating:
Summary: Good reference book, a little dated
Review: This book is good if you are just getting into the extreme metal scene and want a little info on some bands to see if you would like to buy some of their material. If you are looking for an in-depth write up on your favorite band though, look elsewhere. There are some omissions of some bands that should have been included, and some basic info on very influencial bands that should have been expounded upon. There is also alot of info on very popular bands that should not have been in here(Metallica). Also, since it was written in 2000 there are some good new bands that have not been mentioned. Now while that is not the authors fault, just be warned your favorite new band might not be in here.

Rating:
Summary: Good reference book, a little dated
Review: This book is good if you are just getting into the extreme metal scene and want a little info on some bands to see if you would like to buy some of their material. If you are looking for an in-depth write up on your favorite band though, look elsewhere. There are some omissions of some bands that should have been included, and some basic info on very influencial bands that should have been expounded upon. There is also alot of info on very popular bands that should not have been in here(Metallica). Also, since it was written in 2000 there are some good new bands that have not been mentioned. Now while that is not the authors fault, just be warned your favorite new band might not be in here.