In the 1980s, the San Francisco Bay Area was heaven for hardcore headbangers. Shunning Hollywood hairspray and image in favor of a more dangerous street appeal, the Bay Area thrash metal scene was home to Exodus, Metallica, Testament, Possessed, Death Angel, Heathen, Vio-Lence, Attitude Adjustment, Forbidden, and Blind Illusion — and served as a second home to like-minded similar bands like Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Anthrax, Megadeth, and more. Beginning as teenagers taking snapshots of visiting heavy metal bands during the 1970s, Brian "Umlaut" Lew and Harald "O." Oimoen documented the birth and growth of the local metal scene. Featuring hundreds of unseen live and candid color and black-and-white photographs, Murder in the Front Row captures the wild-eyed zeal and drive that made Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth into legends, with over 100 million combined records sold.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Top 15 Books of 2011, Guitar World
The Most Metal Books of 2011, Revolver
Book of the Year, 20 Buck Spin
“Awesome” —Robb Flynn, Machine Head
“Awesome” —Brian Slagel, Metal Blade Records
"Awesome"—Phil Demmel, Machine Head
“F------ awesome” —Kerry King, Slayer
“Great” —Lars Ulrich, Metallica
"Great book!"—Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault, Voivod
“AMAZING” —Alex Skolnick, Testament
“Thank you for writing this book! It’s the definitive story of the scene and what we managed to make of it here in the Bay Area.” —Kirk Hammett, Metallica
“Murder in the Front Row captures the true essence of thrash metal in its embryonic stage. These photographs take me on a tour down memory lane, bringing back many laughs and prompting comments like: ‘I don’t remember that!’” —Dave Lombardo, Slayer
"Serious Pulitzer material."—Creative Loafing
"By far, the greatest photo book on any music scene I've ever seen. The bands themselves couldn't have put out a more exhaustive and detailed account of the period."—The Huffington Post [CA]
“A photographic odyssey through the inception of Bay Area thrash” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Gorgeous” —SF Weekly
“A collection of stunning, intimate photographs from the infancy of thrash metal.” —SF Bay Guardian
“Vivid images of thrash bands onstage, backstage, at drinking binges and essentially everywhere else” —Metro Silicon Valley
“The authentic, heads-down attack of a raft of seminal bands is superbly captured”—PopMattters
"This is a gift from the metal gods themselves... you need this book in your life right now."—Terrorizer [5/5 review]
"Gaze ye into Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew's tome of the Bay Area's thrash breeding grounds and you might never wake up. It's mostly early Slayer and Metallica gunning, but it still feels like a window onto Asgard."—Metal Hammer
"Perhaps the final word on thrash metal’s humble beginnings... a true joy"—The Montreal Mirror
"Pure gold for metal fans" —Decibel Magazine
"A thick, beautiful book that captures a special moment in time"—A.P.
"KILLER photos… [a] must read book."—AOL Noisecreep
"Granted, much of what’s being shown is beer bottles, sneers and middle fingers, but it sure does tell a story."—The Maine Edge
“Enormous historic intensity on every page…every image in Murder in the Front Row hits you like brass knuckles.” —Sweden Rock [10/10 review]
"Awesome... I give this book my highest rating."—MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
“Harald O., the craziest photographer of all” —BAM
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By T. Healy
Format:Hardcover
Speaking from first hand experience, I was there during the time this book covers, it sends chills down my spine to relive the memories and hear the first hand accounts from the main players and band members who took part in the evolution of thrash.
The quality is incredible, the book itself is a work of art and the photos are mostly all high res from a time where that term did not exist.
If you want to see Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, Possessed, Megadeth and more as they were in the early days where they grew their roots and established themselves, buy this book.
You will keep it out and show it to all your friends.
Metal up your ass !!!!!
The quality is incredible, the book itself is a work of art and the photos are mostly all high res from a time where that term did not exist.
If you want to see Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, Possessed, Megadeth and more as they were in the early days where they grew their roots and established themselves, buy this book.
You will keep it out and show it to all your friends.
Metal up your ass !!!!!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Rico
Format:Hardcover
The time capsule from the early to mid-1980's underground Bay Area Thrash Metal scene has finally been excavated for the whole world to see.....man was it worth the wait! Harald Oimoen & Brian Lew have finally and properly unleashed 272 pages of pure metal debauchery during its finest hours. The majority of the pictures span the years 1982 through 1985. The shots depict the loyal and aggressive Bay Area underground scene with drunken, violent, and devilish behavior, meanwhile raging to their local heroes Exodus & Metallica, while Slayer and Megadeth making it their second home. The majority of pictures I have seen before and was well aware of who snapped them, but for people who haven't seen most of them, it's great that Harald O & Brian Lew FINALLY get their due! Plus, the pictures have really come to life in this great photo spread! Bazillion Points did an outstanding job with the layout and overall clarity of the pictures. As I sat totally engrossed in this book when it arrived at my front door, I wondered "What if these two guys never took these pictures?" All of these shots were basically "inner circle" pictures.....friends taking pictures of friends. A whole time period would be just erased and would have been.....well just stories! It's interesting to note, almost all the shots in this book do not contain the now mainstream & grossly over used "devil horn" sign, which was a breath of fresh air! I could really go on and on about the pictures in the book, but what's the point. BUY THIS BOOK......It's a "Lesson in Violence!"
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By skatebanger
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
AHH, the good ol' days! I was a sophmore in high school in 1983 when a hand full of nightclubs in Berkley and San Francisco started doing all ages shows. EXODUS SLAYER DEATH ANGEL POSSESED at The Mab for $6??? For the next few years the Bay Area had the best underground Metal(and Punk) scene in America, if not the world! Early in their careers,Slayer and Megadeth played up here so often they might as well have been local bands. There wasn't any real security at the clubs in those days so the shows were WILD! If the crowd wasn't thrashing hard enogh, Paul Bayloff would insult them by saying stuff like,"My grandmother thrashes harder than you and she's DEAD!" This book captures that period more than any other product I can think of. If you were there this book is a MUST! If weren't but you loved those bands,it's by far the best document of the Bay Area Metal scene at it's peak! Grab a six pack, crank up Bonded By Blood and let this book take you back to when it all started! Cheers to Harold O and Brian Lew for FINALLY making this book. "Bang that head that does not bang!"
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Metal thrashing mad
The candid shots of the bands in their infancy along with the pieces offering insight into the scene at the time were great. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
Growing as a kid i was totally into Bay Area Thrash metal. This is a great testimony of those great years. Read more
Published 2 months ago by GG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
Thank you Harald and Brian for compiling this pivotal epoch of metal history. You've captured a time when metal was pure and uncompromised.
Published 3 months ago by Michael McCarthy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chrsitmas Gift
I purchased this for daughter to give to a friend for Christmas and as they grew up in the bay area this was of much interest to her and her friend.
Published 4 months ago by T. Woods
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ah, the glory days.
All right kiddies.For those born during or after the height of the thrash movement in the 80's, this book offers a look back into that time when fashion, big hair and lipstick... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Matt Halliday
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgic, Important, Historical Thrash Bible
This book surpassed my expectations in every way. When it arrived the box was so heavy I didn't realize it was the book I had ordered! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Quiet Summer
5.0 out of 5 stars
ok
Great pictures..amazing book. ......fotos increibles, de aquellos años de ensueño, un deber tener esta joya en la coleccion de cada metalero a nivel... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Carlos Sanhueza
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wolf in sheep's clothing
If the business consists in putting together photographies I think that this book is right.
In this mixture of trying to resurrect foggies preserved in vinegar and fans' lack... Read more
In this mixture of trying to resurrect foggies preserved in vinegar and fans' lack... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Luis Benavides Rojas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epic, pure thrash history !
The book simply pictures the birth of what would be known as bay area thrash metal ! Slayer, Exodus, Metallica at their very first days ! A MUST have for metal fans !
Published 6 months ago by gbnozawa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like an old Metal Mania on steroids...
When I first heard about this book, I couldn't believe it - what a great idea! I had always seen Weird Harold O & Brian snapping pics around all the Ruthie's gigs, and I knew a... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Bond Guy
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