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Joel McIver (born 10 February 1971) is a British author. His best-known work is ''Justice for All: The Truth About
Metallica'', first published in 2004 and appearing in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
,
Slayer,
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
,
Ice Cube, and
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout mul ...
. His writing appears in newspapers and magazines such as ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', the ''
Daily Telegraph'' and ''
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...
'', and he is an occasional guest on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and commercial radio and television.
Education and career
McIver is an alumnus of
Backwell School
Backwell School is a secondary academy school in Backwell, Bristol, Somerset, England. It was considered to be one of the best-performing state schools in England, leading results at both GCSE and A level in the area and consistently being rated ...
and the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
.
Since 2012, McIver has been the editor of ''
Bass Guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
'' magazine; and since 2018, the editor of ''
Bass Player
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low br ...
'' after the two publications merged.
Works
Since 1999, he has written 35 English-language books, with at least 80 more editions available in various other languages. In the introduction to
Neil Daniels
Neil Daniels is a freelance British writer specialising in rock and heavy metal. Educated at Middlesex University, where he obtained a BA Honours degree in Film Studies, he has written books on Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Robert Plant, Bon Jo ...
' 2009 book ''All Pens Blazing'', writer
Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff (born April 28, 1963) is a Canadian music journalist, critic and author. He is mainly known for writing about the genre of heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of ''Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles'', he has additionall ...
described McIver as "probably the top
ock Ock or OCK may refer to:
* River Ock (disambiguation), three rivers in England
* Ok (Korean name), also spelt Ock
**Ock Joo-hyun (born 1980), South Korean K-pop singer and musical theatre actress
* Océano Club de Kerkennah, a Tunisian football cl ...
scribe in the world". In a review in April 2012, ''Classic Rock'' magazine described him as "...by some distance, Britain's most prolific hard rock/metal author..."
As well as writing his own books, McIver co-wrote several musicians' autobiographies. The first of these was the memoir of sometime
Deep Purple bassist
Glenn Hughes, published in 2011. Other memoirs co-written by McIver include those of
Max Cavalera
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera (; born August 4, 1969) is a Brazilian musician. He co-founded the heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984 with his brother Igor Cavalera, and was the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist until his departure i ...
of
Soulfly
Soulfly is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1997, and later based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 19 ...
,
Megadeth bassist
David Ellefson
David Warren Ellefson (born November 12, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist for thrash metal band Megadeth.
Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills while leadi ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's former drummer
Woody Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rele ...
and blues veteran
John Mayall.
Awards
As editor of ''
Bass Guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
'' magazine, McIver received the 2018 Award of Excellence for Best Educational Project from the Players School of Music in
Clearwater, Florida.
The same year, Sony's 35th-anniversary-edition reissue of
The Alan Parsons Project
The Alan Parsons Project was a British rock band active between 1975 and 1990, whose core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. They were accompan ...
's 1982 album ''
Eye in the Sky'', for which McIver wrote extensive
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desc ...
, won its category at the annual ''
Prog'' magazine awards. Parsons, along with surround mastering engineers Dave Donnelly and
P. J. Olsson
Paul Josef Olsson (13 July 1972) is an American singer, most notable as being the lead singer for the Alan Parsons Live Project. He has toured with various artists over his lifetime, including Rufus Wainright, Beth Orton, and Placebo.
Biograp ...
, won the
Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album
The Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album (until 2018: ''Best Surround Sound Album'') was first awarded in 2005, as the first category in a new "Surround Sound" field.
This field currently holds the Best Immersive Audio Album award as its s ...
for the box set at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and ...
.
In 2018, McIver co-hosted a podcast called ''Dead Rock Stars'' with fellow writer
Mick Wall
Mick Wall (born 23 June 1958) is a British music journalist, author, and radio and TV presenter. He has been described as "the world's leading rock and metal writer".
Career
Wall began his career contributing to the music weekly ''Sounds'' in 19 ...
. In June that year, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' named ''Dead Rock Stars'' their podcast of the week.
Bibliography
As writer
* ''Extreme Metal'' (foreword by
Jeffrey Dunn
Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn (born 22 April 1961) is a British guitarist best known as one of the founding members of thrash/speed metal band Venom, with which he played as a guitarist from 1979 to 1985 and 1989 to 2002. He currently plays in Venom ...
of
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...
, 2000)
* ''Slipknot: Unmasked'' (2001)
* ''Nu-Metal: The Next Generation of Rock and Punk'' (foreword by
Casey Chaos
Karim Chmielinski (born October 9, 1969), known professionally as Casey Chaos, is an American singer and songwriter. His music has encompassed a number of styles, including hardcore punk, death rock, and metal. He is the frontman of the metal ba ...
of
Amen
Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and ...
, 2002)
* ''Ice Cube: Attitude'' (2002)
* ''Erykah Badu: The First Lady of Neo-Soul'' (2003)
* ''Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica'' (foreword by
Thomas Gabriel Fischer
Thomas Gabriel Fischer (born 19 July 1963), also known by his stage names of Tom G. Warrior and Satanic Slaughter, is a Swiss metal musician. He led the groups Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, and today is the frontman of the band Triptykon.
Caree ...
of
Celtic Frost and
Triptykon
Triptykon is a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Apollyon Sun.
History
Fischer announced his departure from Ce ...
, 2004)
* ''Extreme Metal II'' (foreword by
Mille Petrozza
Miland "Mille" Petrozza (born 18 December 1967) is a German guitarist and singer of Italian descent. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of thrash metal band Kreator, which he started playing in as Tyrant in 1982 and ...
of
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédé ...
, 2005)
* ''No One Knows: The Queens of the Stone Age Story'' (foreword by
Kat Bjelland
Katherine Lynne Bjelland (born December 9, 1963) is an American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987. ...
of
Babes In Toyland, 2005)
* ''The Making of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' (2005)
* ''The Making of the Sex Pistols' The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle'' (2006)
* ''Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'' (2006)
* ''The Bloody Reign of Slayer'' (foreword by the members of
Municipal Waste
Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, a ...
, 2008)
* ''The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists'' (foreword by
Glen Benton
Glen Benton (born June 18, 1967) is an American death metal musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Deicide and was also a part of the band Vital Remains, where he has performed in recording sessions a ...
of
Deicide
Deicide is the killing (or the killer) of a god. The concept may be used for any act of killing a god, including a life-death-rebirth deity who is killed and then resurrected.
Etymology
The term deicide was coined in the 17th century from m ...
, 2009)
* ''Unleashed: The Story of Tool'' (2009)
* ''To Live Is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton'' (foreword by
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. Before joining Metallica, he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, ...
of
Metallica, 2009; updated with afterword by
Frank Bello
Frank Bello (born July 9, 1965) is an American musician who plays bass for the thrash metal band Anthrax.
Early life
Bello is the nephew of Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. He had a younger brother Anthony, who was murdered in the Bronx, New Yo ...
of
Anthrax, 2016)
* ''Holy Rock'N'Rollers: The Kings of Leon Story'' (2010)
* ''Crazy Train: The High Life and Tragic Death of Randy Rhoads'' (foreword by
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy meta ...
of
Black Label Society
Black Label Society is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by guitarist/singer Zakk Wylde. To date, the band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, one EP, and three vid ...
, afterword by
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...
, 2011)
* ''Overkill: The Untold Story of Motörhead'' (foreword by
Glenn Hughes, 2011)
* ''Machine Head: Inside the Machine'' (foreword by
Chris Kontos
Christopher T. Kontos (born December 10, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Kontos is best known for his nine goals in 11 playoff games while he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings and his franchise opening night four-go ...
, formerly of
Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
, 2012)
* ''Ultimate Rock Riffs'' (foreword by
Robb Flynn
Robert Conrad Flynn (born Lawrence Matthew Cardine; July 19, 1967) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band Machine Head. Flynn formed the band along with Adam Duce, Logan Mader and Tony Cos ...
of
Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
, 2013)
* ''Know Your Enemy: Rage Against the Machine'' (2014)
* ''Sinister Urge: The Life and Times of Rob Zombie'' (foreword by Jeremy Wagner of
Broken Hope
Broken Hope is an American death metal band from Chicago, Illinois.
History
Broken Hope was founded in 1988. They were known as an accomplished mid-paced style death metal band with low-pitched growling vocals. As a band, they were active for ...
, 2015)
* ''The Complete History of Black Sabbath: What Evil Lurks'' (foreword by
Robb Flynn
Robert Conrad Flynn (born Lawrence Matthew Cardine; July 19, 1967) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band Machine Head. Flynn formed the band along with Adam Duce, Logan Mader and Tony Cos ...
of
Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
, 2016)
As official biographer or co-writer
* ''Deep Purple and Beyond: Scenes from the Life of a Rock Star'' (with
Glenn Hughes, foreword by
Lars Ulrich of Metallica, 2011)
* ''My Life with Deth: Discovering Meaning in a Life of Rock & Roll'' (with
David Ellefson
David Warren Ellefson (born November 12, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist for thrash metal band Megadeth.
Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills while leadi ...
, foreword by
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
, 2013)
* ''My Bloody Roots: From Sepultura to Soulfly and Beyond'' (with
Max Cavalera
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera (; born August 4, 1969) is a Brazilian musician. He co-founded the heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984 with his brother Igor Cavalera, and was the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist until his departure i ...
, foreword by
Dave Grohl, 2013, revised in 2022 with afterword by
Randy Blythe
Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them ...
)
* ''Glen Matlock's Sex Pistols Filthy Lucre Photo File'' (with
Glen Matlock
Glen Matlock (born 27 August 1956) is an English musician, best known for being the bass guitarist in the original line-up of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He is credited as a songwriter on 10 of the 12 songs on the Sex Pistols' only albu ...
, foreword by
Chad Smith
Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...
of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
, 2014)
* ''Bible of Butchery: Cannibal Corpse, The Official Biography'' (foreword by
Gene Hoglan
Eugene Victor Hoglan II (born August 31, 1967) is an American drummer, acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including use of abstract devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms. Though his pla ...
, 2014)
* ''Thunder: Giving the Game Away: The Official Biography'' (foreword by
Andy Taylor, formerly of
Duran Duran, 2016)
* ''Spider from Mars: My Life with David Bowie'' (with
Woody Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rele ...
, foreword by
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
, afterword by
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English–Irish rock singer, best known as the lead singer and one of the founding members of the hard rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute ba ...
of
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...
, 2016)
* ''Blues from Laurel Canyon: My Life as a Bluesman'' (with
John Mayall, foreword by
Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and occasional actor. He is best known as the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of t ...
of
Fleetwood Mac, 2019)
* ''I Am Morbid: Ten Lessons Learned from Extreme Metal, Outlaw Country, and the Power of Self-Determination'' (with
David Vincent, foreword by astrophysicist
Matt Taylor, 2020)
* ''The Saga of
Skálmöld
Skálmöld () is a Viking / folk metal band from Reykjavík, Iceland, formed in August 2009. The band's name is literally translated as ''Age of Swords'' and also means "lawlessness", referring to the Age of the Sturlungs of Icelandic history, w ...
'' (foreword by
President of Iceland
The president of Iceland ( is, Forseti Íslands) is the head of state of Iceland. The incumbent is Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, who is now in his second term as president, elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as ...
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson (;
born 26 June 1968) is an Icelandic historian and politician serving as the sixth and current president of Iceland. He took office in 2016 after winning the most votes in the 2016 election, 71,356 (39.1%). He wa ...
, 2021)
* ''Fathers, Brothers, and Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, and
Anthrax'' (with
Frank Bello
Frank Bello (born July 9, 1965) is an American musician who plays bass for the thrash metal band Anthrax.
Early life
Bello is the nephew of Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. He had a younger brother Anthony, who was murdered in the Bronx, New Yo ...
, foreword by
Gene Simmons of
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
, 2021)
* ''Still Too Sexy: Surviving
Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred are an English pop band formed by brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass in 1989. They are best known for the hit 1991 song " I'm Too Sexy". Their achievements include number 1 hits in 70 countries including one US number 1, o ...
'' (with
Richard Fairbrass
Richard Peter John Fairbrass (born 22 September 1953) is an English singer, bassist and television presenter, best known as lead singer of the pop group Right Said Fred, which achieved two hits in the early 1990s with the singles "I'm Too Sexy" a ...
and Fred Fairbrass, foreword by
Eddie Kidd
Edward Kidd (born 22 June 1959) is an English former stunt performer. He was paralysed and suffered brain damage following an accident in 1996. On 15 June 2012 it was announced that he had been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empi ...
, 2022)
Forewords and introductions
* ''Only Death Is Real: An Illustrated History of Hellhammer and Early Celtic Frost 1981–1985'' by
Tom Gabriel Fischer
Thomas Gabriel Fischer (born 19 July 1963), also known by his stage names of Tom G. Warrior and Satanic Slaughter, is a Swiss metal musician. He led the groups Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, and today is the frontman of the band Triptykon.
Care ...
(2010)
* ''Only the Good Die Young'' by Jason Draper (2012)
* ''A Peaceville Life'' by
Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw
Paul Halmshaw also known as "Hammy" (born 1965) is a British musician who founded Peaceville Records, which signed some of the most infamous death, black, and doom metal and crust punk bands worldwide in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
He ...
(2016)
* ''More Life with Deth'' by
David Ellefson
David Warren Ellefson (born November 12, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist for thrash metal band Megadeth.
Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills while leadi ...
(2019)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McIver, Joel
English writers about music
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
1971 births
Living people
English male non-fiction writers