Denim and Leather: The Rise and Fall of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a musical movement that changed the world, leading to the development of thrash metal, death metal, and black metal. This book gathers together all the principals of British heavy rock's most fertile period, telling their stories of hubris and disaster, ambition and success, and how a group of unlikely looking blokes from the provinces changed heavy music forever.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 09 February 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

In the late 1970s, a vibrant and youthful wave of bands emerged across Britain, driven by an aggressive spirit and a desire to break free from conventional musical norms. Independent labels sprouted up, eager to release the music of these emerging artists. However, this narrative does not revolve around punk; it is a story of a much more significant musical movement known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). NWOBHM, an acronym that encompasses a multitude of bands, marked a seismic shift in the world of metal. It gave rise to a multitude of subgenres that would shape the future of the metal scene. Without NWOBHM, the likes of thrash metal, death metal, and black metal would not have existed. The influence of Iron Maiden, the pioneering band of NWOBHM, extended far beyond Britain, leading to the global spread of metal. The iconic image of heavy metal, characterized by battle jackets adorned with patches, denim jackets over leather biker jackets, and a shared love for denim and leather, would not have emerged without the bands that defined the NWOBHM. This book, Denim and Leather, is a remarkable compilation that brings together the key figures of British heavy rock's most fertile period. It features the likes of Jimmy Page, Rick Allen, Michael Schenker, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Ritchie Blackmore, Rick Savage, Phil Collen, David Coverdale, Cronos, Biff Byford, Joe Elliott, Rob Halford, Ian Gillan, Phil Mogg, Robert Plant, Tony Wilson, Lars Ulrich, Pete Waterman, and many others. These stars, in their own words, share their brilliant and often humorous tales of triumph and disaster, ambition and success. They recount how a group of unlikely-looking blokes from the provinces, clad in spandex trousers, transformed heavy music forever during a handful of years from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. This is the definitive story about the greatest days of NWOBHM, a movement that left an indelible mark on the history of metal and continues to inspire and influence musicians to this day.

Weight: 380g
Dimension: 127 x 198 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472134103