Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music 1st Edition

While Brian Cogan's Encyclopedia of Punk Music and Culture (2006) is rather good, especially the reprint oversized paperback edition with loads of photos, this work with William Phillips is highly disappointing in the end.It is very far from being exhaustive (e.g. No entry AND no mention in the back index for PANTERA!!!!). How is this possible?Some entries are great; others good; still others too brief, too long, poor, or wrong (e.g. the vocalist history of the mighty Metal Church).Here is a list of band OMISSIONS to assist metal fans in evaluating the worth of this 270-page $70 book ($60 here at Amazon):The NO EXCUSES Omissions:Pantera (yes, no entry for Pantera), SAXON (nope), ENTOMBED!!!, Satyricon, OPETH!!!!!, Paradise Lost, Nuclear Assault, Samael, Suffocation, TOOL, Unleashed, Witchfinder General, Nirvana (there are entries for Grunge, Dave Grohl, & Probot), Fear Factory, Obituary, The Gathering, GRAVE, My Dying Bride, Nightwish, Nine Inch Nails!!!!, Virgin Black, Grave Digger, Eyehategod!!, Bruce Dickinson solo, Diamond Head, Destruction, Death Angel, CRADLE OF FILTH, Coroner, Atheist, ANNIHILATOR, Cro-Mags (nope)!!The GLARING OMISSIONS:Terrorizer, SADUS, Municipal Waste, Tiamat, MANILLA ROAD!!, Vicious Rumors, Tankard, Vio-lence, Solitude Aeturnus, The Obsessed, Sanctuary, Pestilence, Shadows Fall, Primal Fear, Strapping Young Lad, ANATHEMA, System of a Down, Repulsion, Rigor Mortis, Rollins Band, Soilwork, U.D.O., Six Feet Under, Superjoint Ritual, Rotting Christ, Vader, THE HAUNTED, Doro, Witchcraft, The Accused, Asphyx, Autopsy, Brujeria, Brutal Truth, HALFORD, Hypocrisy, Jesu, Killing Joke, Moonspell, Crimson Glory, Dillinger Escape Plan, Hate Eternal, EVERGREY, Fight, Gojira, HIRAX, Impaled Nazarene, Nasum, Nevermore, MOUNTAIN, Lacuna Coil, Lordi, Malevolent Creation.The CURIOUS OMISSIONS:Y&T, Cancer, 1349, 3 Inches of Blood, Cryptopsy, Forbidden, OTEP, Warlock, EZO, Down, Amorphis, Anacrusis, Blind Guardian, Children of Bodom, Damage Plan, Gorguts, Exciter, Gamma Ray.But, we do get entries for:Beatallica, Britny Fox, Eagles of Death Metal, Extreme, Filter, Incubus, Insane Clown Posse!, Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, Mr. Big, Nickelback!!, Night Ranger, Powerman 5000, Vixen, and others.To the authors' credit, they DO have entries for:Sarcofago, Wishbone Ash, TSOL, Discharge, Sun O))), Southern Lord Records, Sir Lord Baltimore, Dust, Pig Destroyer, John Peel, Neurosis, Blue Cheer, DRI, Budgie, and other notables that are often neglected.Considering the growing number of great scholarly books, dissertations, articles, and conferences on metal, hardcore, and punk, this encyclopedia from 2009 fails to measure up. Borrow it from a library.