Since its inception in the late 1960's, heavy metal has experienced quite a few ups and downs in popularity. But there was one specific decade that sticks out as the most troubling - the 1990's. In what seemed like one fell swoop, a style of metal that had been popular for much of the 1980's was rendered obsolete, and in its place, was a much more real, raw, and unique approach - detected in several new metal-based "sub-genres." Add to it several changes in the music industry and media, and it appeared as if traditional metal may have met its expiration date…before several bands (and a certain traveling festival tour) helped put headbanging rock back on track.'Survival of the Fittest: Heavy Metal in the 1990's' is the first book to focus entirely on this decade. Set in an oral history format, 'Survival' features over 80 interviews conducted exclusively for this book, including current or past members of Pantera, Sepultura, Fear Factory, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, Dream Theater, King's X, Extreme, Winger, Cinderella, Living Colour, Faith No More, Primus, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Stone Temple Pilots, Kyuss, Danzig, Clutch, Life of Agony, Biohazard, Type O Negative, Within Temptation, Cradle of Filth, Death, Coal Chamber, and System of a Down (among many others), as well as Eddie Trunk, Riki Rachtman, and Lonn Friend. Also featured is a foreword penned by Pantera bassist Rex Brown. "What a great read about, really, a fascinating time for our genre, even if it was a tough time for a lot of longhairs, especially those who were on top of the world just a few years before the decade in question began." [9 out of 10 rating] --BraveWords "This serves as an almanac of a timeline that paints such a clear picture of the changing of the guard in music. Loved it!!! --Keith Roth, Ozzy's Boneyard "Greg Prato's book takes you back and puts you right in the music scene of the time. Told through the words of the musicians who were there every step of the way, if you were there at the time, you'll be brought right back in time...if you weren't there at the time, you'll learn EXACTLY what went down!" --Mike Portnoy, original Dream Theater drummer "The story is always best when told by those who were actually there. This book brought back so many great memories from friends and colleagues who've traveled the long road of success together." --David Ellefson, Megadeth bassist "A great read for any fan of metal especially if you want an insider's look behind the scenes at metal's 'lost' decade." --Bruce Kulick, Kiss guitarist (1984-1996) "Greg Prato takes you back to the Crüe and Kiss, dudes trading in their make up and mirrors for a dirty flannel, stomping out the competition, and standing the test of time. Is your band a survivor??? Only time will tell...until then, pick up this book and enjoy a glimpse into the past! A great read capturing times in music that we may never see again. --Tim Williams, Vision of Disorder/Bloodsimple singer "Just finished this killer book, as a 41 year old metalhead it brought back some great memories!!!" --Richard Christy, Howard Stern Show writer/producer & former Death drummer "This is an important book and one that all Metal fans will enjoy reading and owning in their library." --Metal Rules "Prato attacks the subject from all angles, painting a well-rounded picture of just what the hell happened in metal's most perplexing decade." [A- rating] --Back Stage Auctions "