By 1971, Led Zeppelin had already released three albums in quick succession, all of which went platinum. But Led Zeppelin IV represented an explosive change. Combining crunching heavy rock beats, psychedelic blues, and haunting folk ballads, and densely produced with a unique studio sound, this was mesmerizing and massively original new music. The haunting harmonies and rip-roaring guitar riffs, the light and dark elements of "Stairway to Heaven" signposted a new direction in rock music. With the thunderous blues of "Black Dog" and the blasting rawness of "Rock and Roll," Led Zeppelin IV is an album of very individual tracks that form an astonishingly cohesive whole. It is little wonder that the record is credited with spearheading the new heavy metal sound. The album became the fourth biggest selling record of all time, and is high on everyone's list of the most influential albums ever. This fascinating book reveals the intimate creative processes that went into this genre-defying album and features an exhaustive track-by-track analysis and examination of the key figures.

It provides passionate insight into the mayhem and madness that resulted in Led Zeppelin IV, the apogee of seventies rock and the prototype for all future metal.