"Entertaining and informative...an extraordinary feat"—Kerrang!
An Uncut Book of the Year 2022. Between 1978 and 1983, Great Britain spawned a DIY uprising of over 500 heavy metal bands. Many soon became the household names of the 1980s metal invasion...many others did not. For the first time, author Michael Hann captures the whole nose-to-tail story of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in all its power and glory, exploring the bands, clubs, radio, magazines, festivals, and the majesty and misfires of the NWOBHM in over 100 interviews with members of Venom, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Samson, UFO, Tygers of Pan Tang, Vardis, Judas Priest, Saxon, Whitesnake, Girlschool, Witchfynde, Demon, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, Gillan, Led Zeppelin, and more.
"Denim and Leather captures a moment in time and a genre of music that had a brief moment in the sun. The book is an honest portrayal, directly from the horse's mouth. The interesting thing is that it was people trying to discover their own identities, and the book sums it up by the people who experienced it."—Phil Collen, Def Leppard
"Heavy metal fans will find much to enjoy."—Independent
"[An] entertaining and poignant oral history...part of the book's charm is Hann's rendering of local accents, even as his interviewees hold forth on their lurid flirtations with the dark side."—Financial Times
