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Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal #2
Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Volume II
In the much-anticipated sequel to the bestselling Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, Trunk picks up where he left off by featuring 35 new bands, both legendary and forgotten, and sharing his passion for all things metal. Complete with his favorite playlists, band discographies, memorabilia, trivia, and more than 200 color photographs, this new book combines brief band histories with Trunk’s unique personal experiences and anecdotes in a must-read for all fans of rock and roll. Featuring a diverse lineup, from Marilyn Manson and Ace Frehley to Lita Ford and Whitesnake, Volume 2 salutes all those who are ready to rock!
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
25 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Eddie Trunk
5 books18 followersEddie Scott Trunk is hard rock and heavy metal historian, radio personality, talk show host, and author, best known as the host of several hard rock and heavy metal-themed radio and television shows including VH1's That Metal Show.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 11, 2017
Great book! Has a plethora of short stories about osme great musicians recounting their history, where they came from and all the hard work that went into where they are today. Has great little stories about things you never knew about your favorite musicians. Great read and it goes quick.
October 11, 2013
Brings back so many memories of life in the 80's. This book made me remember all the bands I loved in the 80's that I had drifted away from over the years, but thanks to Eddie and Spotify I once again can listen to bands like Ratt, Riot, Quiet Riot, Angel, White Lion, Night Ranger and Triumph and feel 20 again. Thanks for all the great insights to these bands and bringing them back to my listening cycle..
June 3, 2017
I actually liked Volume II better than Volume I. This book covers the more semi-known artists/bands in the world of hard rock and metal. In the first book I already knew a lot about the artists covered. By reading this book I learned more about artists I have heard songs from, but did not really know that well. I like the format where Eddy gives his favourite playlist of each band, discography, have a fun-fact section and tells about an underground classic (album, live album, dvd) connected to the band. In the main sections for each band he describes the music, how the band got popular, his meetings with the band through the years, his opinion of their music and what the band members are doing today.
This book is especially good if you are a fan of 80s hard rock and heavy metal. I recommend it to all fans of rock. I just hope Eddy will write a Volume III. For me that will be even more interesting. It is till a lot of influental bands Eddy has not given coverage yet in his Essential-books.
This book is especially good if you are a fan of 80s hard rock and heavy metal. I recommend it to all fans of rock. I just hope Eddy will write a Volume III. For me that will be even more interesting. It is till a lot of influental bands Eddy has not given coverage yet in his Essential-books.
September 16, 2014
I'm still browsing Trunk's books, and I am admittedly not going to read every word. I am not interested in all of the bands and performers. Trunk provides information, stories, and his insight about the top players in hard rock and heavy metal. His enthusiasm comes through. Fans can debate about which performers should have been or should not have been included. (Personally, I am annoyed that Poison is in volume 1 and Ratt (a superior band IMHO) was relegated to a footnote, only to get full treatment in volume 2.) But these are Trunk's books, so the evaluations are necessarily subjective.
April 22, 2020
See my review of the first volume of this very cool series of books. Anyone who considers themselves an aficionado of hard rock bands, especially those of the 70's and 80's, owe it to themselves to read these books. The author is a great guy who has been immersed in the music scene since he was a kid and he comes across as a fan as much as a gifted historian of music. He provides biographical information on bands he considers instrumental (no pun intended) to hard rock and metal and shares inside stories, trivia and "where are they now" type information. I loved both volumes of these books and keep them close if I need some info or to play some songs from Eddie's Playlist from one of my favorite bands!
January 12, 2022
Although not covering the so called "bigger acts" like he did in his first book, radio host Trunk continues with telling stories and the history of more bands, and some more not well known (or sometimes respected by some) . While his first book covered acts like Cheap Trick and KISS, this one details White Lion, Riot and Angel.
If you enjoyed his first book, this second one will add to the collection, and after reading it again years after its release, it made me want to discover some music from acts that I didn't catch the first time (like Riot).
For an in depth review, visit my page at: https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
If you enjoyed his first book, this second one will add to the collection, and after reading it again years after its release, it made me want to discover some music from acts that I didn't catch the first time (like Riot).
For an in depth review, visit my page at: https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
September 16, 2023
I can appreciate this one spotlighting less obvious bands (King’s X love is always appreciated by me), but all in all, I just didn’t care much for this one. I don’t know, maybe I just don’t have the same passion for 1980s hard rock/metal Eddie Trunk has and was hoping to see more bands that formed after 1994, but no such luck.
There were also less interesting personal stories here and I feel like Eddie Trunk’s music analysis doesn’t go further than “I love the vocals and riffs/solos”, which is all well and good, but stuff like more in-depth lyrical analysis would’ve been nice.
Perfectly fine stuff with nice photos, but I kind of remember why I got bored with That Metal Show after a while.
There were also less interesting personal stories here and I feel like Eddie Trunk’s music analysis doesn’t go further than “I love the vocals and riffs/solos”, which is all well and good, but stuff like more in-depth lyrical analysis would’ve been nice.
Perfectly fine stuff with nice photos, but I kind of remember why I got bored with That Metal Show after a while.
January 21, 2023
A comprehensive look at metal/hard rock bands. Includes classic & recent lineups of the bands, concerts highlights, discography, Eddie's playlists, pictures, quotes, & did you know facts. Eddie is a master of music and I've listened to his music show for years. This book is another icing on the cake!
September 5, 2021
Things I learned from this book:
1. Eddie Trunk REALLY wants you to like him.
2. He seems lame as hell.
3. He has nothing to say about the actual music.
4. He says "incredibly" and "amazing" a lot.
5. If you paid attention to him, he likes your band.
That's it. Save your time.
1. Eddie Trunk REALLY wants you to like him.
2. He seems lame as hell.
3. He has nothing to say about the actual music.
4. He says "incredibly" and "amazing" a lot.
5. If you paid attention to him, he likes your band.
That's it. Save your time.
April 10, 2014
Sadly, this is not as good as the first book which only got a three star rating from me.
The book contains another 35 essential hard rock and heavy metal bands and I was disappointed that one of my all-time favorites couldn't crack Eddie Trunk's top 70. Eddie has a section in the back of the book called 'More Essentials' that lists another 23 bands which get a paragraph dedicated to them. One of my very favorites - Savatage is included there. Mercyful Fate/King Diamond and Soundgarden are two others that merit only a paragraph. Still, no Bulletboys?
Eddie includes Great White but here's their introduction -"Great White is often erroneously called a metal band, when, in reality they have very little to do with that genre of music. Early on, they dabbled in edgier fare, and once even toured as an opening act for Judas Priest. But for me, the band's sound has always screamed blues." If they scream the blues for you, why did you include them as being essential hard rock/heavy metal?
Another big difference in our opinions of his selections is he choose to include single artists like Lita Ford and Ace Frehley as essential. There's a nice pic of Eddie with Lita Ford and the Wilson sisters and I would have preferred Heart as being essential, but it's okay to chalk it up to our musical tastes varying.
The real problem with the book is that Eddie's ego is so huge that much of the book was wasted space with him patting himself on the back. He says space is limited but repeats himself. For instance, on page 156 "In August 2007, I hosted the first ever Rocklahoma Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, with Quiet Riot in the line up." Seven pages later - "In 2007, I was asked to consult on and host a new rock festival in Oklahoma called Rocklahoma. We get it, Eddie! You were at Rocklahoma - you mention it another dozen times in the book!
He's lifelong friends with everybody. They text and call each other and the book bogs down with self-promotion. Way too much of the word "I" and Eddie can use it three times in the same sentence. Tedious!
On the good side, if you're not into hard rock and heavy metal but have some interest, you can go to the library and check out the book to find out about lesser known bands like Angel, Exodus and Saxon and go to Eddie's playlist for some tunes. Those into the music will learn little from this book about the bands, but a lot about Eddie Trunk.
The book contains another 35 essential hard rock and heavy metal bands and I was disappointed that one of my all-time favorites couldn't crack Eddie Trunk's top 70. Eddie has a section in the back of the book called 'More Essentials' that lists another 23 bands which get a paragraph dedicated to them. One of my very favorites - Savatage is included there. Mercyful Fate/King Diamond and Soundgarden are two others that merit only a paragraph. Still, no Bulletboys?
Eddie includes Great White but here's their introduction -"Great White is often erroneously called a metal band, when, in reality they have very little to do with that genre of music. Early on, they dabbled in edgier fare, and once even toured as an opening act for Judas Priest. But for me, the band's sound has always screamed blues." If they scream the blues for you, why did you include them as being essential hard rock/heavy metal?
Another big difference in our opinions of his selections is he choose to include single artists like Lita Ford and Ace Frehley as essential. There's a nice pic of Eddie with Lita Ford and the Wilson sisters and I would have preferred Heart as being essential, but it's okay to chalk it up to our musical tastes varying.
The real problem with the book is that Eddie's ego is so huge that much of the book was wasted space with him patting himself on the back. He says space is limited but repeats himself. For instance, on page 156 "In August 2007, I hosted the first ever Rocklahoma Festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, with Quiet Riot in the line up." Seven pages later - "In 2007, I was asked to consult on and host a new rock festival in Oklahoma called Rocklahoma. We get it, Eddie! You were at Rocklahoma - you mention it another dozen times in the book!
He's lifelong friends with everybody. They text and call each other and the book bogs down with self-promotion. Way too much of the word "I" and Eddie can use it three times in the same sentence. Tedious!
On the good side, if you're not into hard rock and heavy metal but have some interest, you can go to the library and check out the book to find out about lesser known bands like Angel, Exodus and Saxon and go to Eddie's playlist for some tunes. Those into the music will learn little from this book about the bands, but a lot about Eddie Trunk.
November 30, 2013
I got a chance to read this Metal and Hard Rock encyclopedia thanks to Goodread’s First Reads, and I’m glad I did.
Seeing how I was born too late to live in the really meaty part of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal, a lot of the bands that Trunk explores in this volume were completely new to me. Even the bands that I thought I knew from hearing their most famous songs on the radio held interesting surprises when I listened to the suggested playlists. I recommend taking the time to look for the songs. My iTunes account took a nose dive and my iPod is now packed with some great music that I would have never even thought to look for.
Now for the book itself.
The writing is decent and there are some great photos and extra tidbits of information that go beyond the group and their music to give some insight into the musicians and their other interests.
It sometimes feels a little repetitive on two fronts.
One is that the rock&roll live style became the cliché because it appears to be true and every single entry reads like a plotline to a drug/booze/mayhem filled plotline of “they got famous, became addicts, separated, got back together years later.” Slight variations, but the story remains the same pretty consistently. If you plan to sit and read thru the book, this could make it a bit less entertaining. I stopped every couple of bands and had a look/listen thru the suggested playlist and their general discography to keep from feeling like I kept reading the same thing over and over.
This isn’t really a problem with the writing, more a problem with the music industry, but it could be something that keeps someone from truly getting how great this book is, so I’m mentioning it.
The second thing that felt repetitive was how often the author repeated himself when talking about different bands. The amount of times he declared a band worthy of being in the fifth entrant into the “Big Four” would have it be closer to the “Big Ten”. There are a couple of things like this that bothered me a bit while reading, but Trunk’s enthusiasm seeps thru the pages so you can forgive his lack of originality when coming up with ways to express it.
A great reference book for music lovers and introduction for those just starting to dip their toes or wanting to explore further into the music genre.
Seeing how I was born too late to live in the really meaty part of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal, a lot of the bands that Trunk explores in this volume were completely new to me. Even the bands that I thought I knew from hearing their most famous songs on the radio held interesting surprises when I listened to the suggested playlists. I recommend taking the time to look for the songs. My iTunes account took a nose dive and my iPod is now packed with some great music that I would have never even thought to look for.
Now for the book itself.
The writing is decent and there are some great photos and extra tidbits of information that go beyond the group and their music to give some insight into the musicians and their other interests.
It sometimes feels a little repetitive on two fronts.
One is that the rock&roll live style became the cliché because it appears to be true and every single entry reads like a plotline to a drug/booze/mayhem filled plotline of “they got famous, became addicts, separated, got back together years later.” Slight variations, but the story remains the same pretty consistently. If you plan to sit and read thru the book, this could make it a bit less entertaining. I stopped every couple of bands and had a look/listen thru the suggested playlist and their general discography to keep from feeling like I kept reading the same thing over and over.
This isn’t really a problem with the writing, more a problem with the music industry, but it could be something that keeps someone from truly getting how great this book is, so I’m mentioning it.
The second thing that felt repetitive was how often the author repeated himself when talking about different bands. The amount of times he declared a band worthy of being in the fifth entrant into the “Big Four” would have it be closer to the “Big Ten”. There are a couple of things like this that bothered me a bit while reading, but Trunk’s enthusiasm seeps thru the pages so you can forgive his lack of originality when coming up with ways to express it.
A great reference book for music lovers and introduction for those just starting to dip their toes or wanting to explore further into the music genre.
November 14, 2013
I received Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Volume II as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Music historian Trunk's book takes a brief glance at 35 hard rock and heavy metal bands/acts. Each band receives about 6 pages of brief biographical information, along with photographs, factoids, discography, and recommended playlists from Trunk.
As someone not familiar with many hard rock/metal bands, the book was interesting reading for me, but more ardent fans might want to skip it, as the entries are more overviews than in-depth "never before seen" information.
Recommended for amateur music historians and outsiders/newbies to hard rock/metal.
Music historian Trunk's book takes a brief glance at 35 hard rock and heavy metal bands/acts. Each band receives about 6 pages of brief biographical information, along with photographs, factoids, discography, and recommended playlists from Trunk.
As someone not familiar with many hard rock/metal bands, the book was interesting reading for me, but more ardent fans might want to skip it, as the entries are more overviews than in-depth "never before seen" information.
Recommended for amateur music historians and outsiders/newbies to hard rock/metal.
August 14, 2016
Not as good as his first book. There were some bands in here that I did enjoy reading about and then there were some filler bands that I almost looked as if Eddie felt obligated to include because he was friends with them. Stick to the first edition and if you want the deeper cuts read this one.
December 26, 2013
Not as good as Volume I, but at least it includes some bands that were egregiously overlooked in that volume (e.g. Accept, Blue Oyster Cult, Queensryche, Ratt). Nevertheless, Eddie still continues to overlook bands that emerged since the turn of the millennium. Seriously, Eddie, no Mastodon?
June 1, 2014
I enjoyed learning the second tier of history of heavy metal. It's never going to be my primary listening, but the stories are sometimes based on personal anecdotes and gave me insight into a phase of the music industry that's passed us by.
August 15, 2014
Another good book for rock fans. This one has some lesser known bands featured (Riot, Exodus, Overkill) along with some more mainstream bands too. Eddie doesn't hide the fact that he is "friends" with all these guys and if you can look past how pompous he is, it's a really good read.
April 27, 2015
Thank you, Eddie Trunk! Great stories and photos of artists that are right in my wheelhouse. Not sure who you'll cover if you choose to write a Volume 3 - maybe cover newer, more current acts? I won't mind if you keep these coming.
January 26, 2014
Cool stories about bands I have closely followed for years and also bands I knew nothing about. Hope there is a Volume 3.
November 16, 2014
Eddie is Eddie, love him or hate him, he has some great stories to share. If you love this music,these stories are very enjoyable. A fun read with all sorts of amazing photos.
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October 25, 2013grew up with this music luv 2 win/read this book
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews