The first episode of the "Inside L.A. Metal" documentary" — described as "the untold story about the real Los Angeles metal and hard rock music scene as told by the musicians, music business insiders and scenesters" — is currently being edited. Directed by Bob Nalbandian (The Headbanger fanzine) and produced by Joe Floyd (MALICE, WARRIOR, HALFORD, RIOT), the first episode will focus on the early years of Los Angeles hard rock and metal (1975 – 1981).

* "Inside L.A. Metal": Episode 1 - The pioneers of the Los Angeles hard rock scene!
(1975 - 1981)

* "Inside L.A. Metal": Episode 2 - The Los Angeles metal scene explodes! (1982 - 1986)

* "Inside L.A. Metal": Episode 3 - The Los Angeles thrash and underground metal scene of the early '80s

Further episodes will be announced soon.

Nalbandian (pictyred below), founder and publisher of the esteemed early '80s heavy metal music fanzine The Headbanger, recently struck a deal with Tokyo-based company Japanime Publishing to release all 11 issues of the Xeroxed 'zine as ebooks. Never before has the fanzine — which featured early interviews of local and international heavy metal bands, including the very first profiles of then-unsigned Los Angeles bands METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH — been available for mass distribution until now.

Bob Nalbandian founded The Headbanger in early 1982 when he was just 17 years old, and released the inaugural issue later that year. The seminal fanzine featured articles and interviews that vividly captured the emerging heavy metal scene.

Issue #1 of The Headbanger is now available worldwide in the Apple iBookstore and the Amazon Kindle store.