(Jawbone)

www.jawbonepress.com

Let's be honest, shall we? Heavy metal has never received the respect that it deserves from the rockcrit community. Time has begrudgingly recognized influential bands like Black Sabbath and Metallica, but the overall contribution of the metal genre to rock music has been routinely snubbed...or worse, ignored...by the music press (save for hesher zines like Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles).

Nowhere has the influence of metal on rock music been more pervasive than in the way that the guitar is played. Metal guitarists have pushed the boundaries of the instrument, creating new techniques and advancing the guitar's potential. British music journalist Joel McIver has always had an ear turned towards heavy metal, and it's a testament to his musical knowledge that he has written authoritative books on both soul diva Erykah Badu and thrash-metal titans Slayer.

McIver's latest tome is a profusely-illustrated guide to the genre's best axe-manglers, and a hell of a fun read for anybody interested in either heavy metal or guitars. In an entertaining style that is equal parts fanboy enthusiasm and rockcrit perspective, McIver provides background information for each fretburner, explains why they're important enough to be one of 100, and offers suggestions for their best performances. Some entries also detail the musician's gear or specific technique, and McIver frequently quotes from interviews that he's done with the guitarists.

McIver offers a few surprising choices among his 100, especially his pick for 'numero uno' (no, I'm not telling). He covers every shade of metal from thrash to doom to death to every type of extremity under the sun, providing as much consideration to obscure stringbenders like Ron Jarzombek (Blotted Science) and Dave Suzuki (Vital Remains) as he does to metal legends like Slayer's Kerry King or Metallica's James Hetfield.

Whether you're a fan of classic metal like Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest or relative newcomers like Dragonforce and Trivium, this has them all! REV. KEITH A. GORDON