Each band gets a chapter, featuring autobiographical info and rare photos from Ron Akiyama. There are also sidebars with discographies and Trunk's recommended playlist for each artist. Some of the 35 artists featured are no-brainers, like Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica and Judas Priest. Others may spark some discussion, such as Billy Squier, Cheap Trick and Rainbow. There's also an appendix with short blurbs on those who just missed the cut, like Accept, Testament and Queensryche.
The appeal to Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal isn't the biographical info, which can be found anywhere, or the recommended playlists, which are basically filler. What makes the book interesting is Trunk's stories. He's had interactions with all these bands over his long career, and tells some great tales. From his famous Axl Rose interview to a private Judas Priest concert to the death of his close friend Ronnie James Dio, the stories in the book range from funny to touching to downright bizarre, but are always compelling.
A couple of the chapters don't include as many personal stories, and are noticeably less interesting. Those are the minority, however, and the vast majority of Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the literary equivalent of having a beer with Trunk and listening to him tell stories about some of the most influential bands in hard rock and metal. Those stories, the excellent photos and reasonable price (less than 20 bucks) make buying it a no-brainer for fans of classic hard rock and heavy metal.
(published April 2011 by Abrams Books)
