If you�re going to get the history of any underground music movement, it�s always best when heard straight from the horse's mouth; when it comes to the formative years of the ragtag gang of 80�s metal mutants Hellhammer, who better to give it to us than the man himself, Tom "Warrior" Fischer. I've been looking forward to this book since Bazillion Points dropped the word that it was coming out about a year ago, and the finished tome is an amazing thing. Only Death Is Real is extreme metal publishing of the highest quality, a gorgeous 290-page embossed-hardcover book that almost qualifies as coffee-table sized, printed on high-quality paper with a LOT of gloss black print (so you've gotta watch out for fingerprints when you're paging through it) and an eye-boggling assortment of photographs (mostly black and white, but also including an extensive color section) that spans both the entire career of extreme metal pioneers Hellhammer and the very beginnings of the mighty Celtic Frost.

But it's Tom Gabriel Fischer's recollection in words of what Hellhammer was all about that makes this book so crucial for fans of both of his groundbreaking bands. His writing is straightforward and reflective as he describes growing up on the outskirts of Zurich, Switzerland, how difficult it really was for nascent metallers to get their fix before any sort of metal scene even existed, and the naive, youthful dream that evolved into Hellhammer, complete with all of the hardships, stumbles, misfires (which make for some seriously funny anecdotes), and successes that any young band endures. Except in this case, this young band was Hellhammer, who were a crucial catalyst for the development of both death and black metal. More than anything else, Fischer's narrative (which is embellished by additional commentary from band mates Martin Eric Ain and Steve Warrior, and a handful of other figures connected to the band) shows us a band that, despite all of their difficulties, were immensely driven with a unique, personal vision that they pursued with a relentless determination.

Along with the autobiographical part of the book, this thing is a fucking visual feast. The book is filled with striking photographic images of the young Hellhammer, culminating with the 32-page color section that appears towards the end. There's also tons of artwork, logo art, flyer/newsletter reproductions, sleeve art, and other ephemera that constitutes a smorgasbord of Hellhammer/Celtic Frost-related eye candy that fans will flip over. Design geeks in particular will dig the gallery that shows the evolution of both the Hellhammer and Celtic Frost logos in detail, as well as the other logos that Tom Warrior designed durng this era (I never knew that he created the Hirax logo, for instance). There's also an introduction from Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto, and a foreward from Joel McIver (Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica). Crucial reading for anyone into the mighty force that was Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, and an amazing document of extreme metal history that has landed in my top spot for metal book of the year�