Metal Thrashing Mad!

My adolescence was primarily spent in my friend Kevin Maloney's basement listening (to) and playing heavy metal.
Our post-elementary years (1983-1989) were the golden age of Thrash, which was a style of speed metal born in Los Angeles as a response to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that really took hold in the San Francisco Bay area.

Tomorrow night, indie publisher Bazillion Points will host a signing here at La Luz de Jesus Gallery for Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew's MURDER IN THE FRONT ROW: Shots from the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter. There are incredibly rare pics from the scene including shots of Slayer in make-up and the original McGovney and Mustaine line-up of Metallica. Liner notes from some of the lords of the scene (Exodus' Gary Holt, Testament's Alex Skolnick, Vio-lence frontman Rob Flynn, and legendary DJ and Metal Mania publisher Ron Quintana) greatly enrich this thorough headbanging history.

Author Brian Lew will appear in person to sign copies of the book.

Mustaine, Hetfield & Ulrich 1982

There will be a pop-up display of photographic prints from this and two other amazing books.

METALION: The Slayer Magazine Diaries was the zine that chronicled the Norwegian Black Metal scene as it was happening. The highly satanic, church-burning actions in Norway made international headlines in 1993 when a beef between rival band members of Burzum and Mayhem resulted in murder, the discovery of which also shed light on other scene murders and serial arson. These unfortunate actions helped launch extreme metal worldwide, and the dress and affectations of a core group of die hard metalheads would be appropriated by mallrats all over suburbia. Fans of LORDS OF CHAOS need to see the rare pics from Jon Kristiansen's collection.

Of course without the California Hardcore scene, it's hard to imagine the crossover genre of Thrash ever taking root. WE GOT POWER! presents Hardcore Punk Scenes From 1980s Southern California. Included are images from the seminal Black Flag and Circle Jerks shows at The Church, and follows the scene as it was originally documented in the zine of the same name. Authors Markey & Schwartz will be present to sign copies and discuss the pics on the book and on the walls.

DJ Adam Bomb will be spinning punk and metal records live.

The event is on Thursday, November 8, from 7-9 PM. The pop-up exhibition will last until Saturday afternoon, when we host a pop-up and signing for Peter Moruzzi's CLASSIC DINING.