What do you think?
Rate this book
Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces
Decibel magazine is regarded as the best extreme music magazine around.Precious Metal gathers pieces from Decibel's most popular feature, the monthly “Hall of Fame” which documents the making of landmark metal albums via candid, hilarious, and fascinating interviews with every participating band member.Decibel's editor-in-chief Albert Mudrian, has selected and expanded the best of these features, creating a definitive collection of stories behind the greatest extreme metal albums of all time.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2009
20 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 2, 2023
If you didn't know already, this book is the first compilation of Decibel Magazine's "Hall Of Fame" feature where they induct influential metal albums by interviewing every band member of that era (a prerequisite). So you probably know if you want to read this or not from the get-go. I'd round my rating to a 3.5 and would absolutely recommend this book to any fan of these bands or albums.
The interviews often go real deep, and this book has the most in-depth history of Napalm Death and its many initial member changes that you will ever find as they tackle "Scum." That was an education for me that I appreciated. Thanks to this book, I am finally going to buy the first Diamond Head and Celtic Frost albums I've always contemplated as they get covered in here too. Both of those histories and stories are extremely interesting and insightful. Plus, while not covered, so many bands I like mentioned Discharge in here as an influence that it made me go buy their "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" album as well.
Plus for me personally, other highlights are Morbid Angel talking about "Altars Of Madness," Obituary talking "Cause Of Death," Entombed talking "Left Hand Path," Carcass talking "Necrotocism," Cannibal Corpse talking "Tomb Of The Mutilated," Kyuss talking "Welcome To Sky Valley," Down talking "Nola," and Dillinger Escape Plan talking "Calculating Infinity." Those are bands and/or albums I already loved going in so getting more in-depth with the albums and/or band histories was super fun and sometimes enlightening. You always realize with these interviews how much luck plays into classic albums as well with everyone being human and just trying to figure things out for themselves.
The downside of the whole book is the many grammatical errors and then the cringey and embarassing language too often used by some bands I expected more out of. I had to shake my head at more than a couple of the bands while reading this which was a disappointment. Also while Slayer discussing "Reign In Blood" and Meshuggah talking "Destroy Erase Improve" should be exciting chapters, they are both slight and surface level compared to the rest unfortunately.
Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell," Paradise Lost's "Gothic," At The Gate's "Slaughter Of The Soul," and Botch's "We Are The Romans" were all decent reading but nothing too exciting. While on the opposite end, Emperor's "In The Nightside Eclipse" interview was surprisingly enrapturing as it details the Norwegian black metal scene involving the band themself and all the murders and controversy they were entwined in. Then some of the quotes in fellow black metallers Darkthrone's "Transilvanian Hunger" interview are some of the funniest and most bizarre you will ever read. Converge's awesome "Jane Doe" is a good way to end the book as well with a smart hardcore bang as this book puts chapters in order of album release date.
Lastly, this book had really fascinating sections on bands I previously hadn't cared or known much about with Repulsion's "Horrified" and Sleep's terrible battle with major labels while being incredibly stoned on "Jerusalem." But while no chapter is a complete chore by any means, Eyehategod, Monster Magnet, and Opeth all left me still uninterested in those bands overall.
Summing up, I love Decibel 1000% and will keep buying their magazine perpetually and will devour the next 2 volumes of Hall Of Fame books gladly as well! Life to the album format forever!!
The interviews often go real deep, and this book has the most in-depth history of Napalm Death and its many initial member changes that you will ever find as they tackle "Scum." That was an education for me that I appreciated. Thanks to this book, I am finally going to buy the first Diamond Head and Celtic Frost albums I've always contemplated as they get covered in here too. Both of those histories and stories are extremely interesting and insightful. Plus, while not covered, so many bands I like mentioned Discharge in here as an influence that it made me go buy their "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" album as well.
Plus for me personally, other highlights are Morbid Angel talking about "Altars Of Madness," Obituary talking "Cause Of Death," Entombed talking "Left Hand Path," Carcass talking "Necrotocism," Cannibal Corpse talking "Tomb Of The Mutilated," Kyuss talking "Welcome To Sky Valley," Down talking "Nola," and Dillinger Escape Plan talking "Calculating Infinity." Those are bands and/or albums I already loved going in so getting more in-depth with the albums and/or band histories was super fun and sometimes enlightening. You always realize with these interviews how much luck plays into classic albums as well with everyone being human and just trying to figure things out for themselves.
The downside of the whole book is the many grammatical errors and then the cringey and embarassing language too often used by some bands I expected more out of. I had to shake my head at more than a couple of the bands while reading this which was a disappointment. Also while Slayer discussing "Reign In Blood" and Meshuggah talking "Destroy Erase Improve" should be exciting chapters, they are both slight and surface level compared to the rest unfortunately.
Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell," Paradise Lost's "Gothic," At The Gate's "Slaughter Of The Soul," and Botch's "We Are The Romans" were all decent reading but nothing too exciting. While on the opposite end, Emperor's "In The Nightside Eclipse" interview was surprisingly enrapturing as it details the Norwegian black metal scene involving the band themself and all the murders and controversy they were entwined in. Then some of the quotes in fellow black metallers Darkthrone's "Transilvanian Hunger" interview are some of the funniest and most bizarre you will ever read. Converge's awesome "Jane Doe" is a good way to end the book as well with a smart hardcore bang as this book puts chapters in order of album release date.
Lastly, this book had really fascinating sections on bands I previously hadn't cared or known much about with Repulsion's "Horrified" and Sleep's terrible battle with major labels while being incredibly stoned on "Jerusalem." But while no chapter is a complete chore by any means, Eyehategod, Monster Magnet, and Opeth all left me still uninterested in those bands overall.
Summing up, I love Decibel 1000% and will keep buying their magazine perpetually and will devour the next 2 volumes of Hall Of Fame books gladly as well! Life to the album format forever!!
July 13, 2022
A solid collection of oral histories chronicling the creation of classic metal albums. The focus is often on the technical and personal sides, rather than the musical, and on the recording more than the writing. So if you don't care about either conflict or mixing boards, this may have limited appeal for you. Still, a lot of fun and may get you into some heavy music.
October 7, 2021
I was a Decibel subscriber for a few years, though I didn't start until much later into the magazines lifespan. I hadn't read any of the pieces contained in this book and thought it would a nice fun read. Some of the album stories are interesting, others boring, and some reinforcing some of the most popular stereotypes of metal heads. I definitely feel like the writing in Decibel matured a lot more in later years, though the majority of the book is essentially transcriptions of conversations. You can glean a lot of information about some musicians' egos in these excerpts.
If you're a dedicated fan of extreme metal it's probably worth a read, but it definitely isn't for people with just a passing interest in the genre. I did always appreciate how Decibel insisted on only adding records to the hall of fame that had all living members, and able to interview them. It provides an opportunity to write about some different material instead of just rehashing old classics over and over again.
If you're a dedicated fan of extreme metal it's probably worth a read, but it definitely isn't for people with just a passing interest in the genre. I did always appreciate how Decibel insisted on only adding records to the hall of fame that had all living members, and able to interview them. It provides an opportunity to write about some different material instead of just rehashing old classics over and over again.
February 23, 2025
I loved learning more about some of my favorite records of all-time. Some of these records didn't have much a story to them, but some like Sleep's Jerusalem or Converge's Jane Doe truly idid.
On top of metal history, it was enlightening to learn about such paradigm breaking moments for art and the context they emanated from. Innovation is often idiosyncratic and abounds from variables that are outside what is shared knowledge. I was annoyed that most of the bands had a questionnaire that consisted in the same questions, but it was a fun exercice nonetheless. It's always fun when I learn stuff.
On top of metal history, it was enlightening to learn about such paradigm breaking moments for art and the context they emanated from. Innovation is often idiosyncratic and abounds from variables that are outside what is shared knowledge. I was annoyed that most of the bands had a questionnaire that consisted in the same questions, but it was a fun exercice nonetheless. It's always fun when I learn stuff.
September 18, 2011
I wish there'd been more detailed discussion of the music, but this book was a fascinating read.
June 2, 2024
Decibel is a monthly Metal magazine specializing in the more extreme styles of the genre (Death Metal, Black Metal, Grindcore, etc.), and each month they honor a landmark record in Extreme Metal in their Hall Of Fame feature where all the musicians who worked on the record give a mini-oral history about it. This book is a collection of 25 Hall Of Fame features, most of which were already featured in back issues but a handful are exclusive to this.
The accounts by the band members are often insightful, funny and even brutally honest in regards to their thoughts on the record or even other band members in modern times. If you ever wanted to know how beloved records like Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Morbid Angel’s Altars Of Madness and Converge’s Jane Doe came to life, this is a nice account of those and plenty of other stories.
The accounts by the band members are often insightful, funny and even brutally honest in regards to their thoughts on the record or even other band members in modern times. If you ever wanted to know how beloved records like Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Morbid Angel’s Altars Of Madness and Converge’s Jane Doe came to life, this is a nice account of those and plenty of other stories.
March 31, 2018
Joya.
Las 25 historias presentadas ofrecen detalles únicos sobre la grabación de sus discos, la situación de la banda en ese momento, brindado por cada uno de los artistas involucrados en sus respectivos procesos. Vale la pena leer este libro como datos de trivia si te gustan la mayoría de las bandas incluídas en esta compilación, aunque también va recomendado para curiosos del género.
Las 25 historias presentadas ofrecen detalles únicos sobre la grabación de sus discos, la situación de la banda en ese momento, brindado por cada uno de los artistas involucrados en sus respectivos procesos. Vale la pena leer este libro como datos de trivia si te gustan la mayoría de las bandas incluídas en esta compilación, aunque también va recomendado para curiosos del género.
May 5, 2021
This Decibel magazine feature is brilliant. Admittedly most of these albums are not my bag, but I enjoyed reading about Black Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell, Diamond Head’s Lightning to the Nations, and Opeth’s Orchid.
January 7, 2023
Not only were you the interviews very in depth to creation of each album represented, there was more extra interview material included that wasn't published originally in the respective Decibel magazine issues that they initially appeared in.
May 3, 2022
So many good recommendations and inside stories about artists and albums that are crucial for Metal.
June 3, 2012
Since this was just a collection of interviews culled from Decibel, I was familiar with the format and had even read a couple of these year ago.I also skipped a few, like the Paradise Lost and Pantera interviews, because I care nothing for those bands.
I thought the Darkthrone, Emperor, and Morbid Angel interviews were the most insightful and interesting. The casual way Bard Faust describes going in to record while waiting to see if he would be picked up for the murder he committed was unexpected, though perhaps it should not have been. I've seen him interviewed about it before, and he expressed remorse, but you lose a lot on paper when you cannot hear the tone and see the pre-edited version. The best line from the entire book comes from this interview too "I can remember Varg Vikernes (best known for Burzum) walking around in his chain mail, eating a big ice cream and smirking."
The interview with Sleep was touching because of the way that band imploded after their legendary record Jerusalem/Dopesmoker was released. I had just watched a documentary about American doom/outsider metal where they discussed this very process, so I was interested in their words.
The interviews with Napalm Death and Carcass sort of blended together because of the overlap with those people,despite their records being quite different. ND's "Scum" record is even more impressive when one learns they were between ages 14-17 when they recorded it.
Also recommended:Interviews with BLACK SABBATH, Slayer, Eyehategod, Repulsion, At the Gates, Converge (where Kurt Ballou, the guitarist, comes off as the pretentious ass that some friends in the community have said he was).
I thought the Darkthrone, Emperor, and Morbid Angel interviews were the most insightful and interesting. The casual way Bard Faust describes going in to record while waiting to see if he would be picked up for the murder he committed was unexpected, though perhaps it should not have been. I've seen him interviewed about it before, and he expressed remorse, but you lose a lot on paper when you cannot hear the tone and see the pre-edited version. The best line from the entire book comes from this interview too "I can remember Varg Vikernes (best known for Burzum) walking around in his chain mail, eating a big ice cream and smirking."
The interview with Sleep was touching because of the way that band imploded after their legendary record Jerusalem/Dopesmoker was released. I had just watched a documentary about American doom/outsider metal where they discussed this very process, so I was interested in their words.
The interviews with Napalm Death and Carcass sort of blended together because of the overlap with those people,despite their records being quite different. ND's "Scum" record is even more impressive when one learns they were between ages 14-17 when they recorded it.
Also recommended:Interviews with BLACK SABBATH, Slayer, Eyehategod, Repulsion, At the Gates, Converge (where Kurt Ballou, the guitarist, comes off as the pretentious ass that some friends in the community have said he was).
March 11, 2011
This is a collection of columns from the "Hall of Fame" series from Decibel Magazine. Here's how it works: every month, writers from Decibel select a classic full length album of the heavy persuasion (it doesn't have to be a "metal" album per say, just something in the "heavy" realm - comparatively mainstream bands like Black Sabbath, Monster Magnet, and Kyuss have all gotten the nod) and conduct an in-depth interview with band members, producers, engineers, - anyone who had a significant hand in making the album what it is.
It's an excellent series. Each piece is always thorough, interesting, and well-executed, and they (wisely) avoid the dreaded VH1 "Behind the Music" overly-formulaic approach, thus allowing the series to remain fresh. There are rules though. I don't remember all of them, but the one that does stick out is EVERY band member who was involved has to still be living and willing to provide input, so that means no early Metallica, no Pantera, etc.
You might think a series like this, limited to heavy music as it is, would run out of material really fast, but metal is a surprisingly active genre. And the albums picked for inclusion don't necessarily have to be old - just good. It is also still a relatively new series, so they've still got a lot of wheat to go through before they have to start digging through the chaff.
Obviously, this one is only for fans of heavier music, but it's highly recommended if you fit the bill and haven't checked it out already.
It's an excellent series. Each piece is always thorough, interesting, and well-executed, and they (wisely) avoid the dreaded VH1 "Behind the Music" overly-formulaic approach, thus allowing the series to remain fresh. There are rules though. I don't remember all of them, but the one that does stick out is EVERY band member who was involved has to still be living and willing to provide input, so that means no early Metallica, no Pantera, etc.
You might think a series like this, limited to heavy music as it is, would run out of material really fast, but metal is a surprisingly active genre. And the albums picked for inclusion don't necessarily have to be old - just good. It is also still a relatively new series, so they've still got a lot of wheat to go through before they have to start digging through the chaff.
Obviously, this one is only for fans of heavier music, but it's highly recommended if you fit the bill and haven't checked it out already.
July 19, 2009
This book is ideal for anyone that already has an appreciation for these 25 metal classics. It was illuminating to spin each of these records as I was reading about its creation, and there are so many great stories that the band members share that probably can't be read anywhere else. My only gripe is that the interview questions aren't particularly trenchant -- though I imagine each interviewer purposefully asked very open questions to try and stay out of the way of the responses, I would have liked to read fewer of the "what happened when, and how did you feel?" and "would you change anything about it?" kinds of questions. Also, the opening paragraphs for each piece don't provide enough context for someone unfamiliar with these records, or metal itself. Still, this was an addictive read and helped fill in a lot of gaps for me. I could also see it serving as a great guide for a newbie metal collector.
August 31, 2014
Decibel's an odd magazine for me, in that I really enjoy reading it but I only get so much out of it at the same time because I'm not really on their end of the metal spectrum. So, the limited mileage I got out of this book was pretty much expected. On the one hand, I really enjoyed reading about Down's NOLA and Opeth's Orchid and albums like that, but then there were albums from Emperor and Darkthrone whose chapters went over my head a bit. To the writers' credit though, their introductions were often very well written and served as a good reminder of why I still read the magazine even when it's only for a couple articles.
July 20, 2011
From Opeth to Down, Celtic Frost to Black Sabbath, Kyuss to Monster Magnet, and Cannibal Corpse to Converge, this little books details the making of 25 Extreme Metal classics with unprecedented band interviews. For the albums I already knew and loved, this book made me give them a repeat listen. for those I was unaware of, this book made me go out to the record store and pick a few albums up, inspired as I was by the details of of their genesis. It's kind of like 'Behind The Music'for the Extreme Metal Set.
February 9, 2012
I would have rated this higher, but some of the albums they chose I don't really see being metal masterpieces. Even for the bands I wasn't familiar with, the interviews were pretty interesting for the most part, and fascinating for a few of them. I think it is a good read for fans of extreme metal. It is a good look at the creative process and behind the scenes of what really goes into recording an album.
March 3, 2015
This a fun, light read to learn about the stories behind some of the classic metal albums. It's cool to revisit some old favorites and listen to them with these stories in mind. It does get a little tedious at certain points. It's clear that some of the extra stuff was left out of the original magazine articles for a reason. The whole Darkthrone chapter is pretty pointless, but, overall, this is a solid book to add to your music book collection.
September 12, 2011
My biggest gripe with this book is the interview format. The interviews are printed word-for-word; with answers from every band member. I'd have rather they'd asked the questions, then write "the stories behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces" as a story supported with relevant quotes.It would've cut down on the meandering answers, as well as the "I don't really remember that" answers.
June 28, 2012
This is an amazing book if you are into Extreme Metal. It has amazing in depth interviews about some of the best Metal records ever made. I highly recommend it and Decibel did an excellent job with the albums they selected to be a part of this book. I am anticipating a second book in this series as they have many other Hall of Fame albums that are not included here.
November 17, 2014
True story: I read this book backwards. Not starting on the last page and ending on the first page; I read the Jane Doe chapter first and made my way to Heaven and Hell. I wanted to read the most compelling stuff (to me) first. I must say this is definitely a great read. If you enjoyed Albert's Choosing Death book, read this too.
April 26, 2011
As with any "best of" book, there will always be debate about the inclusions, but some of my favorite and most influential albums were profiled here (Gothic, Necroticism, Left Hand Path, etc) so I can't complain. Interesting stories about the band and the recording process.
May 7, 2020
If you like metal, you have to check this out. Sad that the Deadguy LP wasn't included, but whatever.
November 7, 2014
The Obituary parts were really cool. And the Carcass ones.
February 13, 2012
Interesting behind the scenes look at the making of various extreme metal records. I think you'll know if this holds any interest for you or not.
September 29, 2012
an interesting interview book...
Read
January 22, 2014Really cool and insightful look at the stories behind the recordings of some legendary albums.
March 20, 2024
Mixed bag.
July 9, 2015
Great write ups though I wish there were more of them. Time for book number two?
April 20, 2017
A collection of selections from Decibel Magazine's "Hall of Fame" feature, which focus on a seminal extreme metal album, which gives an oral history, from conception to recording, from the perspective of all the band members involved. Featured albums include Black Sabbath's power metal classic Heaven and Hell, Celtic Frost's black metal forerunner Morbid Tales, Slayer's thrash classic Reign in Blood, Morbid Angel's landmark death metal record Altars of Madness, Obituary's The End Complete, Down's doom metal classic Nola, among others.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews