Iron Maiden - The Ultimate Unauthorized History of the Beast by Neil Daniels

(Voyageur Press) Though the title might indicate a more through text, it's not inaccurate to label this hefty scrapbook an impressive historical survey. Jam packed with gorily full color images and dynamic layouts, this is a visual feast (as in, Eddie the demonic mascot feasting upon flesh and souls). Photos from every era of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal's greatest band, artwork from every Eddie-graced LP cover and picture sleeve single (no Indians on the "Run to the Hills" sleeve, though Eddie is about to flay a devil with a tomahawk), every tour date, scores of tour shirts, hundreds of gig posters, backstage passes, and concert tickets, and an eleven page annotated discography stuff the pages. And while there's an abundance for every Maiden fan, there's probably a lot that individual fans could take or leave (if you bailed on the band when Bruce joined this will be a short read; if you stopped caring in the 80s, then seeing the big poster for Maiden/Limp Bizkit may not impress, etc.) But bottom line, one of the most visually captivating bands ever deserves a visual document like this, and I can't imagine an "official" release topping this.