BLACK SABBATH's
"Master of Reality" and
SLAYER's
"Reign in Blood" LPs will be the focus of the first two books about heavy metal albums in
Continuum Books' popular
33 1/3 series. The
33 1/3 series documents some of the most important albums ever made.
"After 50 books in the series on pop, rock, R&B and more, it was high time to add metal to mix," says editorial director
David Barker. "
SLAYER and
SABBATH seemed the perfect place to start, and the two approaches in these books will show the scope of the series."
The
33 1/3 series are low-priced, pocket-sized books. Each is about or inspired by a classic album. They range from rock and roll's foundations to modern classics. Previous books have explored records by
PINK FLOYD,
DJ SHADOW,
THE KINKS,
SONIC YOUTH,
VELVET UNDERGROUND,
RADIOHEAD,
BEASTIE BOYS, and many others.
"33 1/3: Master of Reality" will be written by
Decibel columnist and
MOUNTAIN GOATS mainman
John Darnielle.
"For years, liking
Ozzy or
SABBATH was roughly synonymous with saying 'no thanks' to real basic societal expectations," says
Darnielle. "I want to reawaken the bad vibes you used to get from seeing a
SABBATH pin on some dude's denim jacket."
"33 1/3: Reign in Blood" will be written by
D.X. Ferris, a regular contributor to
Cleveland Scene,
Alternative Press, and the
Village Voice Media chain of alternative newsweeklies.
"For my money,
'Reign in Blood' is the best metal album, by the best metal band," says
Ferris. "But I'm a thrash guy, so take that for what it's worth.
MAIDEN rules, too."
Visit
MySpace.com/rib333 for more information about
"33 1/3: Reign in Blood".
SLAYER fans can contribute to the book by sending questions to reigninblood333@yahoo.com.
"This is a cool project, and your questions will make it better," says
Ferris. "And that way, in a few months, once you've dropped a few bucks on the thing, you won't put it down and think, 'I wish he would have written about this, that, and the other thing.' Let me know what you want to know."
The books are slated for release in spring 2008, and will be available from Amazon and many other book stores and record stores.
For more information on the
33 1/3 series, visit
www.33third.blogspot.com.
