Metallica: The Early Years and the Rise of Metal by Neil Daniels

May 12th, 2012 by jason

Independent Music Press 2012 www.impbook.com

Oh no not another book on Metallica I hear you groan but this one has two things going its favour – it concentrates on the early years and as it is unauthorised has some honest interviews with fellow writers who covered the band in their early years like ‘Kerrang!’s’ Xavier Russell and Bernard Doe of ‘ the much missed Metal Forces magazine’.

The book takes a chronological look at the band and their first four albums – ‘Kill ‘Em All…’, ‘Ride the Lightning’, ‘Master of Puppets’ and ‘…And Justice for All’. There are reviews of each album by Neil Daniels plus a few other reviews from the times. As the band were not involved there views are taken from older interviews and show how the band is driven by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield (who I found out through this book was naturally shy and not keen on being the vocalist!).

As far as influences on the Metallica sound Diamond Head are one of the biggest and fellow NWOBHM bands, some of whom Metallica have covered down the years. It is the little nuggets of information you pick-up about the band that make this an interesting read, although it may have been good to add interviews with bands influenced by Metallica or fellow thrash metal titans like Megadeth and Anthrax.

The book has some interesting photos of memorabilia dotted throughout it and a selected timeline/discography. The band’s post 1989 career is covered briefly along with a retrospective tribute to American thrash bands (no Flotsam & Jetsam though?).

A good read recommended for fans of the band, new and old (although maybe not so many new fans after the abomination that was the ‘Lulu’ album!).

Jason Ritchie

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