Joel Mciver

Randall Rhoads, born in California in 1956 and cut down in his prime at the age of only 26, has been an immense influence on a whole generation of musicians in rock and metal. He first came to international prominence in 1979, when he was recruited from the cult metal band Quiet Riot to play with Ozzy Osbourne, who had been fired from Black Sabbath for his drink and drug addictions and was in urgent need of a co-writer to kickstart a solo career. How and why Ozzy and Randy went on to find enormous success is one of the key themes of Crazy Train, named after the first and most famous Osbourne/Rhoads co-composition. It was Randy's pioneering combination of neo-classical soloing, catchy riffage and unforgettable songwriting which propelled Ozzy. The two albums that Randy recorded with Quiet Riot and the two with Ozzy showcase the young guitarist's immense ability, although the full extent of his talent may never have been revealed. In 1982 he died in an air crash. The parallels between Crazy Train and the author's best-selling To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton (Jawbone 2009) are intentional and obvious. Both books deal with a musical prodigy who died tragically in his mid-20s; both men have a vast following and a profile which has risen in the years since their deaths; and both men have a large coterie of friends, family and associates prepared to tell their stories for the very first time.

The high life and tragic death of Randy Rhoads

Crazy Train

Max Cavalera

My Bloody Roots is the brutally honest story of life in two of the world's best-known heavy metal bands, Sepultura and Soulfly, by one of the global metal scene's most respected musicians. Much, much more than just another tale of rock 'n' roll debauchery, it's a story of heartbreak and loss--and, ultimately, triumph. In it, Cavalera offers an unflinching account of life growing up in hardship in Brazil--a country not previously known for heavy metal--and the multi-million-selling success, against all odds, of the band he founded with his brother, Iggor: Sepultura. Then, for the first time, he reveals the full story behind his split with the band--after which he did not speak to his brother for years--and the formation of his Soulfly, one of the most critically and commercially successful metal bands of the past two decades. He also goes into unflinching detail on the devastating impact of the deaths of his father, stepson, and grandson; his struggles with drugs and alcohol; and his eventual reunion with Iggor in The Cavalera Conspiracy. Max Cavalera's has a unique and extraordinary story to tell, and My Bloody Roots is an autobiography like no other. This is essential reading for all fans of metal.

From Sepultura to Soulfly and beyond - The Autobiography

My Bloody Roots

David Vincent

I Am Morbid tells the astounding story of David Vincent, former bassist and singer with Morbid Angel, and now outlaw-country performer and leader of the I Am Morbid supergroup. Written with the bestselling author Joel McIver, it’s an autobiography that transcends the heavy metal category by its very nature. Much more than a mere memoir, I Am Morbid is an instruction manual for life at the sharp end—a gathering of wisdom distilled into ten acute lessons for anyone interested in furthering their fortunes in life. Morbid Angel redefined the term pioneers. A band of heavy-metal-loving kids from all over America who broke through a host of music industry prejudices and went on to scale huge commercial heights, they introduced a whole new form of extreme music to the world. Formed in 1984, and breaking into the limelight in 1989 with their devastating first album, Altars Of Madness, the Florida death-metal legends became the first band of their genre to sign to a major label, from which point they came to dominate the worldwide metal scene for two decades and beyond. David left Morbid Angel in 1996, and again, following a reunion, in 2015. For the first time, I Am Morbid explores the reasons behind his departure, and the transformation of his life, career, and music in the years since. This is a classic but never predictable tale of a man who has fought convention every step of the way—and won.

Joel Mciver

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