In one of the earliest definitive studies of the genre, former music magazine editor and writer Philip Bashe dives into the origins of heavy metal rock, compiling a fascinating history and timeline of its pioneering bands.

In this insightful study, Bashe--the former editor of both International Musician & Recording World and Circus magazines--dissects the style, tracing its origins from Link Wray's 1954 guitar distortions on "Rumble," to the first true heavy metal single: the Kinks' 1964 "You Really Got Me."

In addition to the genre's high-volume, high-drama history, Bashe illuminates the songs and performances of ten of the most lauded groups in heavy metal history, all of whom were interviewed at length for Heavy Metal Thunder:

• Black Sabbath
• Judas Priest
• Scorpions
• Rush
• AC/DC
• Van Halen
• Iron Maiden
• Def Leppard
• Quiet Riot
• Mötley Crüe

Featuring a foreword by Judas Priest front man Rob Halford, as well as dozens of photos, Heavy Metal Thunder also includes a chronology and discography for collectors.

Readers interested in related titles from Philip Bashe will also want to see: Dog Days (ISBN: 1635615739).