Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden...the world of heavy metal conjures up demonic images - wild-eyed, long-haired, head-banging men in black leather, adorned with exotic tattoos, silver skull jewellery, pet rats, bats and snakes, and with a penchant for anti-social lyrics accompanied by ear-splittingly loud guitar and drum riffs. In this intriguing collection of quotations, lyrics and anecdotes, these heavy metal heroes, mostly remembered for their outrageous antics, enlighten us on their views of life, death and the universe. There"s the predictable doom and gloom, angry protest and references to Arthurian legend - Robert Plant named his son Uther Pendragon, after all - but there are also surprisingly thoughtful comments.