Unlike any Sabbath book thus far, Black Sabbath FAQ: All That's Left to Know on the First Name in Metal (Backbeat Books, $19.99) digs deep into quirks 'n' trivia and burning questions surrounding the Sabs.

Martin Popoff, the author of more books on heavy metal than anybody in the world, delves into topics and debates that may be inappropriate for a traditional biography but live, breathe, and shout right here. Since Doom Let Loose, Popoff's first Black Sabbath book and widely considered the definitive biography of the band, the author has conducted many additional Sabbath-related interviews. Like a rabid detective unearthing (and sometimes debunking) ancient Sabbath lore, he valiantly covers new ground, applying academic rigor but then wildly sounding off with lurid opinion. This book is pieced together in topical chapters thick with the tales beneath the skin and all that goofy stuff that will leave metal-heads arguing over for generations to come.

The non-chronological format of the FAQ series allows the luxury of colorful and in-earnest explorations of topics rarely given their due in linear biographies. Though a wild ride from cover to cover, it also offers a myriad of entry points into the story for headbanging power-chord fanatics with specific topics of interest or just short attention spans.

In this book, find answers to:
• How did Black Sabbath inspire he doom metal genre?
• How did they get along with their tour mates?
• What's the story behind the cover art of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath?
• What happened between Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult?
• What has each member done since Black Sabbath?

With trivia and rankings of songs, albums, art, demos, and studios; timelines; and album reviews, Black Sabbath FAQ is a must-have for metal fans.