Metal: The Definitive Guide is nearly 500 pages of information on some of the biggest and most influential artists in metal. Sharpe-Young breaks the book down into chapters based on the band's genre or geographic location. For example there are chapters on doom metal and power metal, but also on American thrash metal and UK thrash metal.
The profiles of the bands are very interesting, in depth and well written. There's even a discography for each band. Many profiles have sidebar quotes from band members, which adds even more. There are also photos of many of the bands included in the book.
This book has something to offer for all levels of metal fans. New fans can get an overview of all the different genres of heavy metal and some of the most important bands within those genres. Fans who are already familiar with the bands will also learn something because of the depth of the information and the added quotes and information from the bands themselves.
The cover price of $27.95 may seem high for a paperback, but there is so much good information inside that it's well worth the price.
