The Summary Judgment Review:
Title: River's Edge: The Weezer Story
Author: John D. Luerssen
Publisher: ECW Press
Release Date: 8/1/04
Rating: 5 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Requiem (3/17/06):
    I know what you're thinking. I was wondering the same thing. Is a band like Weezer worth covering for a metal website? Well, the answer to that question is an undisputed "Yes!" After delving into the pages of Rivers' Edge (which is a crafty title seeing as the book is mainly about Weezer's peculiar frontman), one learns that the band, although not very metal, had quite the metal past and still live it to this day. And to top that, Rivers Coumo has one of the most intriguing stories of any rocker I've heard of and seems to be as iconic as Jim Morrison once was.

    The book really gets into the nitty gritty of events leading up to the formation of Weezer all the way to the Maladroit album. Rivers seems to be an interesting character, from his obsession with Asian women to his very reclusive lifestyle to his dictatorship role in the band. The guy has probably written over 1,000 tunes and at times was cranking them out in astronomical timeframes. And little did we know, pre-Weezer bands were heavily rooted in metal, complete with teased hair, spandex and the whole nine yards. Influential bands at this time ranged from Fates Warning, Megadeth, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Yngwie Malmsteen. Weezer's undercover band name when occasionally playing top-secret club gigs went under the moniker Goat Punishment.

    I can't even say that I was a Weezer fan before, but I can say that I do have more appreciation for the band after learning their story. The book reads in a way that you just can't wait to see what happens next. Even the non-fan should find much enjoyment in reading this, as Rivers Coumo is a fascinating character that deserves to have his story told. Weezer even took the metal horns and made their own "W" Weezer hand salute. Don't judge a book by its cover. The story of Weezer certainly has its place in metal.
    5 out of 5

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