In case you didn't know, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats wrote an entry in the 33 1/3 series on Black Sabbath's Master of Reality, and it's brilliant. His fictional account of a teenage metalhead's love for Ozzy while stuck in a mental institution perfectly portrays how deep our love for music can go, and what a few silly notes can mean to anyone who truly listens. It's funny, fascinating, and far too short. Go buy it.

But maybe you're stuck at work, slaving for the man, and can't go spend the $8 right now. Okay, so here's the next best thing: Darnielle blogging at Powell's Books about five more hard rock albums that deserve to have books written about them.

John's prose is as perfect as the lyrics to his songs, and his love for Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate translates even if you don't listen to anything heavier than Death Cab. Like with all the best music, the story isn't the song as much as the story we equate with it, and Darnielle is a master storyteller. Click here for all five entries.