Neil Daniels – Iron Maiden: The Ultimate Unauthorized History Of The Beast (Book)
Voyageur Press
www.itsaboutmusic.com

Rating: A

British scribe Neil Daniels has been pumping out the rock tomes with furious abandon over the years, covering everyone from Bon Jovi and Journey, to some of the true heavyweights in Robert Plant and Judas Priest. Never one to sit still for too long, Daniels now turns his sights on another member of Heavy Metal's holy trinity, Iron Maiden.

Entitled The Ultimate Unauthorized History Of The Beast, this gorgeously assembled book for the most part refrains from digging too deep into the bands history and instead concentrates on hitting the visual elements out of the park with everyone of these two hundred plus pages. Now that isn't to say that Daniels hasn't done his homework or has chosen to ignore the bands storied history, far from it. Peppered with a wide assortment of interviews from current and past members, as well as enlisting various other writers to analyze every album from the bands extensive discography, is a stroke of genius. When you take the contributions of Mick Wall and Martin Popoff (to name just a few.) and combine that with Daniels' own inimitable style, then throw in the x factor, which is a stunning amount of eye candy, you have an absolute winner. Rivet heads will revel in every single page as everything from set lists, badges, patches, backstage passes, tour t-shirts, concert posters and live shots of the band are on full display in all their metal glory. Hell, even longtime Maiden artist Derek Riggs threw his hat into the ring and created some very cool cover artwork.

If you're diehard Maiden fan, this book is essential, period. Iron Maiden - The Illustrated Unauthorized History Of The Beast, is the book that will take Neil Daniels from being merely known as just another established rock writer, and thrusts him into the upper echelons of greatness.

By Ryan Sparks