Sure to strike a chord with guitarists and heavy metal fans, this authoritative and photo-filled volume surveys more than 80 of the genre’s greatest axe-slingers from the 1970s to present. From metal pioneers like Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, and Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore to today’s hottest shredders, thrashers, and riffers, Ultimate Heavy Metal Guitars is your guide to the instruments and musicians that made metal. Author and guitar journalist Pete Prown presents his subjects by metal-defining eras and subgenres, including: early metal, hard rock and arena rock, prog rock, Euro metal, hair metal, shred, thrash, and more. Prown’s knowledgeable discussions examine specific noteworthy guitars each player made famous, as well as effects pedals, amplifiers, and career overviews that include the players’ first-person revelations and insights. Illustrated with photos of the guitarists in action, the book features an early chapter on influencers who set the stage for the genre (think Clapton, Hendrix, and Beck), plus sidebars so you don’t miss out on any of metal’s nooks and crannies, touching on grunge, math metal, nu metal, doom metal, and the genre’s roots in blues and early rock.