Denim and Leather: The Rise and Fall of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal

Fan and journalist Hann celebrates the heavy metal genre and its legacy in a book organized in an oral-history style, with extended quotes from various musicians, writers, fans, and those influenced by the scene. Heavy metal music came roaring out of the late 1960s music scene with its loud Hendrix-influenced guitars, booming drums, and doomy chord progressions. Hann writes that its early promise as a genre might have petered out by the late 1970s if not for bands such as Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, and Saxon—groups who were part of a movement known mainly as New Wave of British Heavy Metal, or NWOBHM. This sound kept the heaviness, eschewed overt blues stylings, and added in the speed and intensity of punk rock. Its influence on rock history is incalculable, this book argues Those who worked behind the scenes—club owners and workers, music label executives, road managers, and more—also have a strong presence in Hann’s narrative. The book is filled with pictures, which makes its nearly 450 pages fly by.