Hardcover autographed by author Harold Oimoen.

In the 1980s, the San Francisco Bay Area was heaven for hardcore headbangers. Shunning Hollywood hairspray and image in favor of a more dangerous street appeal, the Bay Area thrash metal scene was home to Exodus, Metallica, Testament, Possessed, Death Angel, Heathen, Vio-Lence, Attitude Adjustment, Forbidden, and Blind Illusion — and served as a second home to like-minded similar bands like Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Anthrax, Megadeth, and more. Beginning as teenagers taking snapshots of visiting heavy metal bands during the 1970s, Brian "Umlaut" Lew and Harald "O." Oimoen documented the birth and growth of the local metal scene. Featuring hundreds of unseen live and candid color and black-and-white photographs, Murder in the Front Row captures the wild-eyed zeal and drive that made Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth into legends, with over 100 million combined records sold.

The Most Metal Books of 2011, Revolver

Book of the Year, 20 Buck Spin

“Awesome” —Robb Flynn, Machine Head

“Awesome” —Brian Slagel, Metal Blade Records

"Awesome"—Phil Demmel, Machine Head

“F------ awesome” —Kerry King, Slayer

“Great” —Lars Ulrich, Metallica

"Great book!"—Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault, Voivod

“AMAZING” —Alex Skolnick, Testament

“Thank you for writing this book! It’s the definitive story of the scene and what we managed to make of it here in the Bay Area.” —Kirk Hammett, Metallica