Longtime KISS fan Dale Sherman updates his Black Diamond book here in celebration of its 10th Anniversary with additional information on the band since it was originally released in the late 90's. Black Diamond is an enjoyable read, taking you through the origins of the band, all their successes and failures, up to the present day. Of course, to most loyal followers of this hard rock institution, the most relevant parts of Black Diamond will be the early years, the days when Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Chriss, and Ace Frehley formed the original line-up of KISS and created their classic material and took over the world during the mid to late 1970's. Each of the albums are looked at here, as Sherman goes into detail on each of them, as well as the tours in support of each release. There's plenty of behind the scenes KISS gossip to be found here, as the author touches on the troubles between the band members, Gene's love life and interest in Hollywood, the band's ill fated movie Phantom of the Park, and the eventual break-up (and reunion) of the original line-up. Those who followed KISS In the 80's and 90's will be pleased to know that plenty of space is left for the Mark St. John/Bruce Kulick/Tommy Thayer years, and Sherman also keeps you up to date on the careers of Ace and Peter outside of their work in KISS as well.
Plenty of black & white photographs sprinkled throughout this book, and it's obvious that Dale Sherman did plenty of research and talked to plenty of people surrounding the band when compiling his information. As such Black Diamond is a solid read and a good 'fans companion' for any KISS lover out there.