Just finished reading the hilarious and informative A History of Heavy Metal by Andrew O’Neill He gives a great introduction to Heavy metal beginning with the pre-Sabbath bands that influenced it, to mostly the modern age. I’m not sure if the book is just a bit dated, or if he felt he didn’t need to cover the newest stuff coming out, but regardless, it’s a great overview of how Metal got to where it is today and it’s very funny throughout.
I didn’t always agree with everything, but that’s okay, difference in opinion is what makes the world more interesting. He’s right about nu-metal though, that stuff sucks.