* Showcases some 400 of the finest examples of metal poster and cover art--this is the first book ever to concentrate specifically on the amazing (and amazingly varied) work created by artists working in this genre of music. * Spans the entire 50-year history of metal, from the earliest proto-metal bands of the 1960s to the most recent releases. * metal has millions of fans worldwide over many generations * Every genre is represented, including traditional metal, NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), thrash metal, black metal, prog metal, nu metal, big hair metal, doom & stoner metal. * Focus is on US and UK metal, but Scandinavian, European, and Australian metal are also represented. * Consultant editors Martin Popoff and Malcolm Dome have gathered together a team of stellar authors, each contributing a chapter on his or her specific area of expertise (see author details below, with the relevant chapter). * Each chapter begins with a 1,000-word overview of the featured era; detailed information about the designers, the bands, the artist's/s' influences is given in detailed captions accompanying each poster. * Each chapter includes two special features: one on a particularly influential artist or group of artists; the other, more general, feature covers a wide range of subjects--from metal tattoos to famed photographers, and from magazines, metal merch (e.g.

, T-shirts), and metal movies to fashion and even metal humor (see below for initial list for the latter). * Quotes from artists/illustrators, and a selection from band members themselves, are featured throughout. * Will appeal to all those interested in the history of metal music, to aficionados of particular genres, and to all those interested in the development of graphic design. The book will also provide a definitive source book for collectors and traders of rock memorabilia. * Foreword by Lemmy of Motörhead.