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Birth School Metallica Death, Volume 1: The Biography
There has never been a hard rock band like Metallica. The California quartet has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won nine Grammy Awards, and had five consecutive albums hit number one on the Billboard charts. But Metallica’s story, epic in scope, is a tale about much more than sales figures and critical acclaim, and their journey from scuzzy Los Angeles garages to the world’s most storied stadiums has been dramatic and painful, their gigantic successes often shot through with tension, tragedy, loss, and controversy.
Birth School Metallica Death is the definitive story of the most significant rock band since Led Zeppelin. Volume 1 covers the band’s formation up to their breakthrough eponymous fifth album, aka “The Black Album.” The intense and sometimes fraught relationship between aloof-yet-simmering singer, chief lyricist, and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and the outspoken and ambitious drummer Lars Ulrich is the saga’s emotional core. Their earliest years saw the release of three unimpeachable classics—Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets—genre-defining masterpieces that took hard rock to a new level, both artistically and commercially. During these tumultuous times, the band persevered through line-up changes when guitarist Dave Mustaine was replaced by Kirk Hammet, and their bass player, the beloved Cliff Burton, was tragically killed in a bus crash while on tour in Europe.
But it was the breakthrough of …And Justice for All that rent the fabric of the mainstream, hitting the top of the charts without benefit of radio airplay or the then-crucial presence on MTV. And finally in 1991, with the release of their fifth studio album, nicknamed “The Black Album,” Metallica hit the next level—five hit singles including their best-known songs “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters”—and their first album atop the Billboard charts.
In Birth School Metallica Death, veteran music journalists and Metallica confidants Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood detail this meteoric rise to international fame in an epic saga of family, community, self-belief, the pursuit of dreams, and music that rocks. Told through first-hand interviews with the band and those closest to them, the story of Metallica’s rise to the mainstream has never been so vividly documented.
Birth School Metallica Death is the definitive story of the most significant rock band since Led Zeppelin. Volume 1 covers the band’s formation up to their breakthrough eponymous fifth album, aka “The Black Album.” The intense and sometimes fraught relationship between aloof-yet-simmering singer, chief lyricist, and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield and the outspoken and ambitious drummer Lars Ulrich is the saga’s emotional core. Their earliest years saw the release of three unimpeachable classics—Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets—genre-defining masterpieces that took hard rock to a new level, both artistically and commercially. During these tumultuous times, the band persevered through line-up changes when guitarist Dave Mustaine was replaced by Kirk Hammet, and their bass player, the beloved Cliff Burton, was tragically killed in a bus crash while on tour in Europe.
But it was the breakthrough of …And Justice for All that rent the fabric of the mainstream, hitting the top of the charts without benefit of radio airplay or the then-crucial presence on MTV. And finally in 1991, with the release of their fifth studio album, nicknamed “The Black Album,” Metallica hit the next level—five hit singles including their best-known songs “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters”—and their first album atop the Billboard charts.
In Birth School Metallica Death, veteran music journalists and Metallica confidants Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood detail this meteoric rise to international fame in an epic saga of family, community, self-belief, the pursuit of dreams, and music that rocks. Told through first-hand interviews with the band and those closest to them, the story of Metallica’s rise to the mainstream has never been so vividly documented.
392 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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511 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
January 8, 2020
5 Stars for Birth School Metallica Death, Volume 1 (audiobook) by Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood read by Ray Porter. This is a wonderful account of the early years of the biggest metal band in the world. This book covers from the forming of the band all the way to their commercial success. I really enjoyed the writing and the narration worked well too.
August 10, 2016
This is a biography that I picked up in an Audible sale, and having been partial to a bit of Metallica in my youth - in fact still being partial to some of their early work while at the gym - I didn't think twice about purchasing.
The well written biography takes in the early years of the band - up to 1991, when they released their Black album and really hit the big time - more of less mirroring the time when I had an interest in the band. The best Rock biographies tend to be warts and all accounts and this one fits the bill, detailing the highs and lows of the band's rise to prominence, pulling no punches when it comes to detailing the single mindedness of its two main members, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, in propelling the band to leaders in their field, where they remain a generation later.
I doubt that I'll go out of my way to listen to Volume 2 (unless it's on sale of course) but definitely a biography worth checking out if you've even got a passing interest in the band.
The well written biography takes in the early years of the band - up to 1991, when they released their Black album and really hit the big time - more of less mirroring the time when I had an interest in the band. The best Rock biographies tend to be warts and all accounts and this one fits the bill, detailing the highs and lows of the band's rise to prominence, pulling no punches when it comes to detailing the single mindedness of its two main members, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, in propelling the band to leaders in their field, where they remain a generation later.
I doubt that I'll go out of my way to listen to Volume 2 (unless it's on sale of course) but definitely a biography worth checking out if you've even got a passing interest in the band.
September 5, 2018
Nacer · Crecer · Metallica · Morir es algo más que una biografía del grupo Metallica hasta la creación de su Black Album, es un libro sobre la cruda realidad de la industria musical de la época y cómo unos jóvenes trabajaron duro y lo apostaron todo por conseguir su sueño. Sin duda alguna, un título que debería leer cualquier apasionado de la música, con independencia de si el grupo y su género está entre sus favoritos o no.
Reseña: https://laestanteriadecho.blogspot.co...
Reseña: https://laestanteriadecho.blogspot.co...
December 7, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
December 8, 2015
It's very difficult to rate this book. From a literary perspective sections of this book are nothing more than a fanzine. There will be no Pulitzer in the pages contained in the appropriately liveried black jacket. However as a fan I struggled to dislike it. Reading this collaboration I found I hummed and rocked out quietly and aloud to songs and riffs both rehearsed and nearly forgotten. It was a wonderful journey back in time to pick up the new and reacquaint myself with the old. The most telling result has been the increase of iPod action for the old and ultimately of the Black Album which has in a convoluted and unforgettable way played a part in my marriage and spawning of a quartet of rocking offspring. Nothing else matters!
November 8, 2020
Metallica és "el meu grup", com el de tants altres. Ells van iniciar la guspira de l'amor per la música. Aquest llibre biogràfic comprèn l'etapa inicial de la banda i explica amb detall i anècdotes com es va forjar el so, la disposició d'un grup d inadaptats per conquerir el món segons la seva visió. Si ets fan del grup probablement no expliqui moltes més coses de nou que no sàpigues però si posa un context i et fa acompanyar als dos caps de la banda, sobretot, en el procés de ser una banda marginal fins a conquerir el tron del metall.
Esperant el segon volum amb ànsies!
Esperant el segon volum amb ànsies!
November 5, 2023
Growing up a huge Metallica fan, I can’t tell if it’s concerning or awesome that I knew about 95% of the information given in this book HHAHAHAHAHHA I still loved it and devoured it in less than a week but I did miss the dirt and the spice, hence the 4 stars… Learn from Motley Crue how to write a memoir (or from Slash, I didn’t read it YET but I know that man will not hide anything from the looks of his instagram profile for which I might need to consult a therapist). Anyway, it felt like a school book with facts and interviews supporting the facts: No gossip on the band, no details on the inside drama (believe me, there was sm drama also w other bands), no details on the “tour life” (yk what I mean, authors)…. Shaking ma head violently. But it was like this maybe because it wasn’t written by the band members…
But yeah will ofc still read the second book, tho, less excited for that one. (except the beef from the Guns N Roses Metallica tour in 1992, they better serve me what I want :))
But yeah will ofc still read the second book, tho, less excited for that one. (except the beef from the Guns N Roses Metallica tour in 1992, they better serve me what I want :))
May 1, 2024
Un libro muy pobre si vienes con la intención de conocer historias, anécdotas y curiosidades de los primeros años de la banda. Sus páginas se centran mucho en la elaboración de los discos, las peleas con los mánagers, las discográficas, y lo duro que tuvieron que trabajar para llegar hasta lo más alto. En eso y en lavar un poco la imagen de Lars, para que no te parezca un inútil insolente.
Venía buscando algo más personal, historias del grupo, de sus conciertos, de los componentes, una evolución a lo largo de los años... Muy poco de eso ofrece este libro. Encima viene partido en dos tomos, y si te esperas unos años seguro que sacan el tercero. Menudo timo.
Venía buscando algo más personal, historias del grupo, de sus conciertos, de los componentes, una evolución a lo largo de los años... Muy poco de eso ofrece este libro. Encima viene partido en dos tomos, y si te esperas unos años seguro que sacan el tercero. Menudo timo.
July 3, 2025
Metallica is pretty cool
February 16, 2022
Está guay, pero echo de menos más curiosidades relacionadas con los integrantes de la banda; demasiado relleno para una biografía.
July 19, 2020
I must preface this review by admitting that I am a fan of Metallica and I don’t imagine anyone who isn’t would want to read this biography.
As noted in the title, this is a review on Volume 1, with Volume 2 now also released. Volume 1 covers the conception of the band and its founding members through to the eve of the release of their self titled ‘Black Album’ in 1991, detailing changes in line-up along their journey. The book covers Metallica’s beginnings in LA, to San Francisco, New York and the wider world, and their musical influences including the ‘New Wave of British Heavy Metal’. A short biography on each band member is included, along with their individual idiosyncrasies, and interesting and humorous anecdotes are peppered throughout.
Whilst some of the many details of concerts and recording can become a little monotonous, along with the quotes of Lars Ulrich in particular, and the volume contains the odd spelling and grammatical errors, this is still a fascinating and enlightening read.
The authors of the biography are both respected music journalists having written for Rolling Stone and Kerrang! magazines, to name a few.
The egos of the band members, along with their music, may not be to everyone’s taste but you can’t discredit Metallica’s longevity and business decisions. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment.
As noted in the title, this is a review on Volume 1, with Volume 2 now also released. Volume 1 covers the conception of the band and its founding members through to the eve of the release of their self titled ‘Black Album’ in 1991, detailing changes in line-up along their journey. The book covers Metallica’s beginnings in LA, to San Francisco, New York and the wider world, and their musical influences including the ‘New Wave of British Heavy Metal’. A short biography on each band member is included, along with their individual idiosyncrasies, and interesting and humorous anecdotes are peppered throughout.
Whilst some of the many details of concerts and recording can become a little monotonous, along with the quotes of Lars Ulrich in particular, and the volume contains the odd spelling and grammatical errors, this is still a fascinating and enlightening read.
The authors of the biography are both respected music journalists having written for Rolling Stone and Kerrang! magazines, to name a few.
The egos of the band members, along with their music, may not be to everyone’s taste but you can’t discredit Metallica’s longevity and business decisions. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment.
August 6, 2016
I looked forward to reading this book, because I have listened to Metallica on and off through my entire life, and I wondered how the band members met and how the group got started and took over the world. That part of the book was loaded with information I never knew. This is the first book of a two-book series,written by two English music journalists who have written about Metallica and other such bands for their whole careers.
If you are a Metallica fan, you might not find out new things you didn't know about. If you are considering reading this book, I have to warn you the sentences in the book are the longest ones I've ever come across. Some sentences are thirty-five or more words! I've never read a book with such long sentences in my life. And let me tell you, I've read a lot.
The second book in the series is slated to come out sometime late this year, and if I have a chance to read it, I'll read it, but I hope the sentences won't be as long. Or, at least, there will be a break-up of sentences, like long-short-short-long. I'm surprised their editor let them get away with it.
If you are a Metallica fan, you might not find out new things you didn't know about. If you are considering reading this book, I have to warn you the sentences in the book are the longest ones I've ever come across. Some sentences are thirty-five or more words! I've never read a book with such long sentences in my life. And let me tell you, I've read a lot.
The second book in the series is slated to come out sometime late this year, and if I have a chance to read it, I'll read it, but I hope the sentences won't be as long. Or, at least, there will be a break-up of sentences, like long-short-short-long. I'm surprised their editor let them get away with it.
December 17, 2015
An unauthorised biography of Metallica. Tried reading it initially when I got it for Christmas 2013, but the writing style was too annoying. Raced though it at second attempt though. I don’t really like unauthorised biographies much, especially after reading the Ozzy Osbourne one, which really lacked any substance whatsoever. Being unauthorised only skirts over the surfaces, and you never get in touch with the real person.
This book was created from interviews these two had conducted with Metallica over the years, along with a few of fringe characters in the band’s circle. Liked the interview with Flemming Rasmussen in particular. Learned a few facts and things (the tracklisting to No Life Til Leather), but overall, this was a bit light, and was padded like fuck. Somehow, these guys managed to stretch to a second volume, which I must get some time. However, the padding and editorialising just gets fucking ANNOYING! I’ll get the second book but will probably dislike it as much as this one. Mick Wall’s Enter Night is better, even though it’s still unauthorised. The biographies by both the Megadeth Daves, and all the Gunner biographies are better than this one.
This book was created from interviews these two had conducted with Metallica over the years, along with a few of fringe characters in the band’s circle. Liked the interview with Flemming Rasmussen in particular. Learned a few facts and things (the tracklisting to No Life Til Leather), but overall, this was a bit light, and was padded like fuck. Somehow, these guys managed to stretch to a second volume, which I must get some time. However, the padding and editorialising just gets fucking ANNOYING! I’ll get the second book but will probably dislike it as much as this one. Mick Wall’s Enter Night is better, even though it’s still unauthorised. The biographies by both the Megadeth Daves, and all the Gunner biographies are better than this one.
October 3, 2020
A book as frustrating to me as the band itself. While this book purports itself to be a biography of the early years of Metallica’s career, it often reads more like a chronicle of partying and hearsay with some nuggets of studio recording detail sprinkled in. Needless to say, no one comes off well (except Cliff & Jason) and I didn’t really learn anything that wasn’t already known. Revisiting the circumstances of Cliff’s death was painful; as was the clearly circumscribed desire by the band to completely & utterly sell-out with The Black Album, the chapter of which is an apologia by the author for the band’s decision. I still think it’s a good album but for a band who once wrote “Kill Bon Jovi” on their guitars to then turn around and hire Bon Jovi’s producer to help them make a radio rock album, well... its lucky the songs were good. I have no intention of reading Vol. 2 of this bio as the band died for me with Load.
February 20, 2015
This book will make you listen to Metallica's first 5 albums with completely new ears.
I put this book down with a better understanding of the influence of Cliff Burton and chasm that Jason Newstead could never fill. I like finding out that Metallica were just like any other group of kids dreaming big, and that Lars Urlich is really the linchpin of the band. His single minded focus is what broke the band through each progression milestone - and he also owns the rights to the name.
The authors write with the flair and grandiose effect often found in scene magazines, which is a little kitschy in book form, but works for the most part.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Get it if you want a new appreciation of some old school metal.
I put this book down with a better understanding of the influence of Cliff Burton and chasm that Jason Newstead could never fill. I like finding out that Metallica were just like any other group of kids dreaming big, and that Lars Urlich is really the linchpin of the band. His single minded focus is what broke the band through each progression milestone - and he also owns the rights to the name.
The authors write with the flair and grandiose effect often found in scene magazines, which is a little kitschy in book form, but works for the most part.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Get it if you want a new appreciation of some old school metal.
January 27, 2014
Fantastic read, very informative yet really enjoyable at the same time. Quite surprised at the bad reviews, the authors have done a brilliant job at researching and interviewing over the last few decades and put together this great book of Metallica knowledge as well as some really funny stories. If your a fan well worth a read.
May 29, 2014
Great read, even if, like me, you've drifted away from them over the years. Brutally honest in places (Their treatment of Jason Newsted, the lousy mixing on "...And Justice For All"). Treads the line well between their enthusiasm for the band while most certainly not being a puff piece. Looking forward to volume 2.
August 27, 2018
Mucho mejor leer este libro que escuchar el St. Anger, dónde va a parar.
May 5, 2023
I will never be able to listen to Metallica without thinking of chunky man-babies playing instruments too complex for their petty little brains ever again.
That's a little harsh of me, but I don't think it's necessarily unwarranted. I don't know what the fact that I had a much higher opinion of Metallica when I'd only listened to The Black Album and hadn't read this book says about me or this band, but either way, I'm glad I picked this hardcover up at a library sale, and I quite enjoyed reading this account of one view of the birth of thrash metal. I'll do a little recounting of the story of Metallica before I get into my critical analysis on how the story is told and all that jazz (or, in this case, metal).
We meet James Hetfield in California as the son of a married couple so devout in their pseudo-Christian faith that they won't go to the doctor's even to save their own lives. He lives a gnarly childhood, especially after his dad abandons them, but there is one bright light in his life: his guitar. Meanwhile, over in Europe, Lars Ulrich is the son of a professional tennis player and creative force who seems to have been the kind of brat that only a spoiled single-child can be. Lars eventually comes over to America to follow his dad's career and brings some of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) over with him. He and James and James' bass-playing friend jam out after he puts a newspaper advertisement out, but it only ends with James laughing at his poor drumming behind his back. Still, after Lars squeezes his way onto his buddy Brian Segal's local metal compilation record, he rejoins James and his buddy to write and perform a song for the record. The new bandmates realize that there's something between them and hire Dave Mustaine before getting a different bass player (I think the original one was too good of a person to be in league with the other rockstars). They make their demo No Life 'Till Leather which ends up in the hands of an East Coast rock record shop owned by Jonny Z, who makes the bold decision to invite Metallica to not just his homeland but his house in order to try and make a debut record and get it off the ground.
After moving to New York the band kicks out Mustaine, finds Kirk Hammet, and gets more into drugs before releasing Kill 'Em All. The band keeps playing shows and eventually goes to Europe to record Ride the Lightning. They start finding success, selling more tickets, and touring Europe. There are of course a lot of other things that happened here, but I don't think they're too important in the grand scheme of things. Releasing Master of Puppets was of course very important, and so was the death of Cliff Burton in a touring van accident. We see Metallica quickly replace with him with (debatably hazed) Jason Newstead and get working for ...And Justice For All. The coda of the book was pretty short, but it was about the production of The Black Album and the band's tense working relationship with producer Bob Rock. We end on a cliffhanger, with the Madison Gardens debut of The Black Album...
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The "prose," if you could call it that, was a bit more colorful and flowing than one would expect, and the writers' allusions to SF works (like those of Heinlein and Ballard) made me smile since I am primarily an SF reader. I never felt bored by their writing or anything like that. I do think that the last couple parts of this book - anything after Cliff Burton's death, really - could've been fleshed out a little more, and I would've liked to hear more about the management of the band (was it Jonny Z or Lars Ulrich scheduling all those early shows?) and more about the actual songwriting and musical creative choices that went into the different albums (besides Lars deciding that a seven-and-a-half-minute song was pathetically short and needed more riffs).
I am a trumpet/guitar-player and DJ, so I was reading this more for the musical knowledge than anything else. I can't say that I learned anything terribly interesting, but this did steer me towards a subgenre I'd never encountered before: the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. I just find niche things so interesting, so the tales of Lars and the gang hunting their specialty record shops for certain singles and the like just made me smile. I will definitely be listening to some Saxon and the like in the weeks to come.
All in all, I'm giving this book an 8/10; It was a good time and I don't have very many complaints about it. I won't be reading the second volume unless I find it at another library sale since I have no interest in listening to their albums after the Black Album (Kill 'Em All and ...Justice For All were bad enough for this hard/alt rock, brass band, and British synthpop guy) and because I don't feel the need to watch these boys fall even farther apart. Still, I enjoyed this biography, and I hope to read some other musical nonfiction books this year. But for now, I need to go inject some more science fiction into my veins. Feels like forever since I've read a good SF book... anyways, see you 'round Goodreads, and take care. (Insert rock fingers here)
That's a little harsh of me, but I don't think it's necessarily unwarranted. I don't know what the fact that I had a much higher opinion of Metallica when I'd only listened to The Black Album and hadn't read this book says about me or this band, but either way, I'm glad I picked this hardcover up at a library sale, and I quite enjoyed reading this account of one view of the birth of thrash metal. I'll do a little recounting of the story of Metallica before I get into my critical analysis on how the story is told and all that jazz (or, in this case, metal).
We meet James Hetfield in California as the son of a married couple so devout in their pseudo-Christian faith that they won't go to the doctor's even to save their own lives. He lives a gnarly childhood, especially after his dad abandons them, but there is one bright light in his life: his guitar. Meanwhile, over in Europe, Lars Ulrich is the son of a professional tennis player and creative force who seems to have been the kind of brat that only a spoiled single-child can be. Lars eventually comes over to America to follow his dad's career and brings some of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) over with him. He and James and James' bass-playing friend jam out after he puts a newspaper advertisement out, but it only ends with James laughing at his poor drumming behind his back. Still, after Lars squeezes his way onto his buddy Brian Segal's local metal compilation record, he rejoins James and his buddy to write and perform a song for the record. The new bandmates realize that there's something between them and hire Dave Mustaine before getting a different bass player (I think the original one was too good of a person to be in league with the other rockstars). They make their demo No Life 'Till Leather which ends up in the hands of an East Coast rock record shop owned by Jonny Z, who makes the bold decision to invite Metallica to not just his homeland but his house in order to try and make a debut record and get it off the ground.
After moving to New York the band kicks out Mustaine, finds Kirk Hammet, and gets more into drugs before releasing Kill 'Em All. The band keeps playing shows and eventually goes to Europe to record Ride the Lightning. They start finding success, selling more tickets, and touring Europe. There are of course a lot of other things that happened here, but I don't think they're too important in the grand scheme of things. Releasing Master of Puppets was of course very important, and so was the death of Cliff Burton in a touring van accident. We see Metallica quickly replace with him with (debatably hazed) Jason Newstead and get working for ...And Justice For All. The coda of the book was pretty short, but it was about the production of The Black Album and the band's tense working relationship with producer Bob Rock. We end on a cliffhanger, with the Madison Gardens debut of The Black Album...
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The "prose," if you could call it that, was a bit more colorful and flowing than one would expect, and the writers' allusions to SF works (like those of Heinlein and Ballard) made me smile since I am primarily an SF reader. I never felt bored by their writing or anything like that. I do think that the last couple parts of this book - anything after Cliff Burton's death, really - could've been fleshed out a little more, and I would've liked to hear more about the management of the band (was it Jonny Z or Lars Ulrich scheduling all those early shows?) and more about the actual songwriting and musical creative choices that went into the different albums (besides Lars deciding that a seven-and-a-half-minute song was pathetically short and needed more riffs).
I am a trumpet/guitar-player and DJ, so I was reading this more for the musical knowledge than anything else. I can't say that I learned anything terribly interesting, but this did steer me towards a subgenre I'd never encountered before: the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. I just find niche things so interesting, so the tales of Lars and the gang hunting their specialty record shops for certain singles and the like just made me smile. I will definitely be listening to some Saxon and the like in the weeks to come.
All in all, I'm giving this book an 8/10; It was a good time and I don't have very many complaints about it. I won't be reading the second volume unless I find it at another library sale since I have no interest in listening to their albums after the Black Album (Kill 'Em All and ...Justice For All were bad enough for this hard/alt rock, brass band, and British synthpop guy) and because I don't feel the need to watch these boys fall even farther apart. Still, I enjoyed this biography, and I hope to read some other musical nonfiction books this year. But for now, I need to go inject some more science fiction into my veins. Feels like forever since I've read a good SF book... anyways, see you 'round Goodreads, and take care. (Insert rock fingers here)
May 26, 2017
Wo fange ich bloß an... Es handelt sich hierbei um ein Weihnachtsgeschenk meines Mannes an mich. Und ob mans glaubt oder nicht, ich habe geweint! Immerhin handelt es sich bei meinem Exemplar um ein nummeriertes, neben meinem gibt es SO nur noch 332 andere, die hoffentlich genauso glücklich sind mit ihrem Schmuckstück! Ein schwarzer Sarg, mit dem Titel bedruckt, schwarz in schwarz, dazu die Schlange, die es schon auf dem Cover des Black Album zu Weltruhm geschafft hat, das hat schon von Außen was! Und wenn man diesen Sarg dann seitlich öffnet, kommt das hochglänzende silberne Innenleben zum Vorschein, worin das Herzstück, das eigentliche Buch gebettet ist. Ebenfalls schwarz, mit silbernem Schnitt und silbernem Aufdruck, wieder der Titel und die Schlange... Ja, ich gestehe, ich kann mich nicht dran satt sehen! Wirklich äußerst ansprechend!
Lange habe ich mich nicht dran „getraut“, wollte mir Zeit und Muße nehmen, um in die Geschichte, so wie sie angekündigt wurde, rund um Metallica einzutauchen. Doch nun war es so weit. Ich war wirklich aufgeregt!
Meine eigene Geschichte mit Metallica fing ja schon 1986 an, also vor 31 Jahren. Mich hat es damals eisekalt erwischt. Von Hause aus sehr breit gefächert aufgewachsen, was den Musikgeschmack angeht, von der Seite meines Bruders auch mit Rock vetraut und er hat mich auch mit den Herren Metallica bekannt gemacht. Das heißt, mir „fehlten“ jetzt gar nicht sooo viele Jahre, um die Anfänge mitzubekommen. Aber dennoch, ich habe die Zeilen in dieser Biographie aufgesogen. Es fing auch alles wirklich gut erzählt an.
Man lernt den -nicht so tollen- Background (meines erklärten Lieblings!) von James Hetfield kennen, von Lars Ulrich... und alle anderen werden irgendwie nur angeschnitten. Vielleicht Cliff Burton noch, der leider viel zu früh von der Lebensbühne abtreten musste. Das große Manko für mich ist aber wirklich, dass es erst sehr persönlich anfängt und später im Buch davon nichts mehr zu spüren war. Die Querelen zwischen James und Lars, die kann ich nun glaub ich runterbeten, auch dass die beiden gern dann gemeinsam gegen andere schossen, andere echt gemobbt haben. Aber z.B. fehlt mir gänzlich das Privatleben der Musiker. Schön, irgendwann wurde geheiratet, es kamen Kinder...aber da hätte ich mir einfach mehr Tiefgang gewünscht.
Was das musikalische angeht, ich glaube, da muss jeder selbst entscheiden, was ihm zusagt oder nicht. Z.B. wird „St. Anger“ total verrissen. Nun, ich könnt die CD rauf und runter hören, mir gefällt sie! Genau wie Garage Inc. oder Load oder oder oder... Das ist etwas, was man denke ich nicht nicht verallgemeinern darf und sollte. Noch ein Manko dieser Biographie ;-)
Aber eigentlich hört sich das jetzt negativer an, wie es ist! Es war trotzdem aufgregend zu lesen, welche Begegnungen mit anderen Musikern, richtigen Größen der Szene! es gab. Wie so mancher Auftritt zu stande kam.
Ganz besonders gut gefallen haben mir die Beschreibungen der Anfänge der Band, wie sich alles entwickelt hat.
Und denn nicht zu vergessen die Fotos im Inneren, schwarz-weiß-Aufnahmen, Farbfotos, Abbildungen der ersten Ankündigungs-Poster, da kann man sich drin verlieren! Als Fan!
Generell verleiten einen Beschreibungen in der Erzählung dazu, Google zu bemühen und Songs zu hören oder sich Fotos anzuschauen, um in der jeweiligen Zeit so richtig abzutauchen.
Bei allem, was mir hier fehlte, bleibt diese Biographie doch ein Schatz in meiner Sammlung und bekommt einen Ehrenplatz und wer weiß, vielleicht greif ich noch mal dazu und blätter drin, lese vielleicht das ein oder andere oder lege mal wieder eine CD ein :)
Während ich hier schreibe, läuft übrigens Hardwired to Self Destruct... als Untermalung unbezahlbar!
Fazit:
Für Fans ein Schmuckstück für die Sammlung mit Schwächen, die man hätte vermeiden können.
Bewertung:
3 von 5 Nilpferden
© Sabine Kettschau/Niliversum
Lange habe ich mich nicht dran „getraut“, wollte mir Zeit und Muße nehmen, um in die Geschichte, so wie sie angekündigt wurde, rund um Metallica einzutauchen. Doch nun war es so weit. Ich war wirklich aufgeregt!
Meine eigene Geschichte mit Metallica fing ja schon 1986 an, also vor 31 Jahren. Mich hat es damals eisekalt erwischt. Von Hause aus sehr breit gefächert aufgewachsen, was den Musikgeschmack angeht, von der Seite meines Bruders auch mit Rock vetraut und er hat mich auch mit den Herren Metallica bekannt gemacht. Das heißt, mir „fehlten“ jetzt gar nicht sooo viele Jahre, um die Anfänge mitzubekommen. Aber dennoch, ich habe die Zeilen in dieser Biographie aufgesogen. Es fing auch alles wirklich gut erzählt an.
Man lernt den -nicht so tollen- Background (meines erklärten Lieblings!) von James Hetfield kennen, von Lars Ulrich... und alle anderen werden irgendwie nur angeschnitten. Vielleicht Cliff Burton noch, der leider viel zu früh von der Lebensbühne abtreten musste. Das große Manko für mich ist aber wirklich, dass es erst sehr persönlich anfängt und später im Buch davon nichts mehr zu spüren war. Die Querelen zwischen James und Lars, die kann ich nun glaub ich runterbeten, auch dass die beiden gern dann gemeinsam gegen andere schossen, andere echt gemobbt haben. Aber z.B. fehlt mir gänzlich das Privatleben der Musiker. Schön, irgendwann wurde geheiratet, es kamen Kinder...aber da hätte ich mir einfach mehr Tiefgang gewünscht.
Was das musikalische angeht, ich glaube, da muss jeder selbst entscheiden, was ihm zusagt oder nicht. Z.B. wird „St. Anger“ total verrissen. Nun, ich könnt die CD rauf und runter hören, mir gefällt sie! Genau wie Garage Inc. oder Load oder oder oder... Das ist etwas, was man denke ich nicht nicht verallgemeinern darf und sollte. Noch ein Manko dieser Biographie ;-)
Aber eigentlich hört sich das jetzt negativer an, wie es ist! Es war trotzdem aufgregend zu lesen, welche Begegnungen mit anderen Musikern, richtigen Größen der Szene! es gab. Wie so mancher Auftritt zu stande kam.
Ganz besonders gut gefallen haben mir die Beschreibungen der Anfänge der Band, wie sich alles entwickelt hat.
Und denn nicht zu vergessen die Fotos im Inneren, schwarz-weiß-Aufnahmen, Farbfotos, Abbildungen der ersten Ankündigungs-Poster, da kann man sich drin verlieren! Als Fan!
Generell verleiten einen Beschreibungen in der Erzählung dazu, Google zu bemühen und Songs zu hören oder sich Fotos anzuschauen, um in der jeweiligen Zeit so richtig abzutauchen.
Bei allem, was mir hier fehlte, bleibt diese Biographie doch ein Schatz in meiner Sammlung und bekommt einen Ehrenplatz und wer weiß, vielleicht greif ich noch mal dazu und blätter drin, lese vielleicht das ein oder andere oder lege mal wieder eine CD ein :)
Während ich hier schreibe, läuft übrigens Hardwired to Self Destruct... als Untermalung unbezahlbar!
Fazit:
Für Fans ein Schmuckstück für die Sammlung mit Schwächen, die man hätte vermeiden können.
Bewertung:
3 von 5 Nilpferden
© Sabine Kettschau/Niliversum
September 10, 2022
I listened to this audio book within less than a week. This doesn't mean it is entirely a great book - there are times you can feel the snark come off just as strongly as a sloppy drum time from Lars Ulrich (though I did laugh at the comments regarding Heavy Metal Parking lot, the infamous documentary on metal fans) - but I did want to keep listening/reading to it so that has to say something.
It's a gripping, wild, unlikely story for a band that wanted to conquer the world and were more than able to do it (they had a top 30 album with Puppets without much radio play and zero MTV), and they had just enough controversy to be compelling and sadly enough tragedy to make their twists and turns (Mustaine, Burton, even Ron early on) that they have a classic Rise commercial artist story. I like finding out things I didn't know before, like how quickly Newsted actually got hired in the band (*3 week* after that bus accident), or that, as I thought I heard once when I was drunk with friends, Fade to Black came from the time Metallica's equipment truck was pilfered completely.
I also find completely fascinating, and it's a credit to the writers, the contexts that go into Metal Fandom, how people saw a band as "Real' or "sell outs" by nature of what they chose to play. Yep, they went with Bob Rock and even more professional quality for the Black Album. They also wanted to do something with more "groove" and wanted to do something different from the last album, which had every song long AF (oh if only they knew what would come with St Anger but that's for another book). Again, this isn't even an opinion or stance that is set in stone, but I like that the book makes the arguments and tries to look at things from a lot of points of view... OK, Escape is an underrated track, but I digress.
I think I would've liked just a little more about the perspnal lives of the group like mid 80s on since the early years pre Metallica is very involving and has pathos - there is a bit in the last chapter, but more in the context of the album recording. And those years of 81-83 also have that too. Maybe that also comes from things being so Paying Our Dues as well (ie the story with the run down van that breaks down once they go across country). Maybe I'm thinking more in terms of memoirs too, ie Rob Halford's which had a better balance of life and career. But this is a minor complaint; if you've wanted a comprehensive but not overlong document about how these guys got together, had rivalries (Lars almost getting canned as a rumor is addressed too), and kicked ass with music that broke ground, it's here.
Can't wait to get on to part 2!
It's a gripping, wild, unlikely story for a band that wanted to conquer the world and were more than able to do it (they had a top 30 album with Puppets without much radio play and zero MTV), and they had just enough controversy to be compelling and sadly enough tragedy to make their twists and turns (Mustaine, Burton, even Ron early on) that they have a classic Rise commercial artist story. I like finding out things I didn't know before, like how quickly Newsted actually got hired in the band (*3 week* after that bus accident), or that, as I thought I heard once when I was drunk with friends, Fade to Black came from the time Metallica's equipment truck was pilfered completely.
I also find completely fascinating, and it's a credit to the writers, the contexts that go into Metal Fandom, how people saw a band as "Real' or "sell outs" by nature of what they chose to play. Yep, they went with Bob Rock and even more professional quality for the Black Album. They also wanted to do something with more "groove" and wanted to do something different from the last album, which had every song long AF (oh if only they knew what would come with St Anger but that's for another book). Again, this isn't even an opinion or stance that is set in stone, but I like that the book makes the arguments and tries to look at things from a lot of points of view... OK, Escape is an underrated track, but I digress.
I think I would've liked just a little more about the perspnal lives of the group like mid 80s on since the early years pre Metallica is very involving and has pathos - there is a bit in the last chapter, but more in the context of the album recording. And those years of 81-83 also have that too. Maybe that also comes from things being so Paying Our Dues as well (ie the story with the run down van that breaks down once they go across country). Maybe I'm thinking more in terms of memoirs too, ie Rob Halford's which had a better balance of life and career. But this is a minor complaint; if you've wanted a comprehensive but not overlong document about how these guys got together, had rivalries (Lars almost getting canned as a rumor is addressed too), and kicked ass with music that broke ground, it's here.
Can't wait to get on to part 2!
June 7, 2021
Was delightfully surprised with the amount of time that was dedicated to the members of Metallica before they even joined the band. It spanned their introductions to music, their childhoods and then how they got to be in Metallica. Was also impressed with the amount of history and everything that was presented in regards to their early years.
I was surprised to learn that they were as popular as they were, as early as they were. I always thought that ...And Justice for All was the album that started to bring them into the public’s view, but then their self titled album was the one that really catapulted them. Seems like even with Kill ‘Em All, they were already rapidly gaining in popularity, and were a pretty big commercial success even with Master of Puppets.
Also enjoyed reading about Cliff, and learning much more about him. Was surprised to learn that Lars (at least initially) was considered to be the weakest link in the band. I was always under the impression that he was a pretty good drummer, just had some questionable sound choices.
A lot of the information in this book I was already familiar with being a pretty big fan of the band and watching things like their “Behind the Music” and “Murder in the Front Row,” but there was enough content that I wasn’t familiar with, combined with it being told in an interesting enough way to keep me interested and entertained. Really enjoyed this book!
I was surprised to learn that they were as popular as they were, as early as they were. I always thought that ...And Justice for All was the album that started to bring them into the public’s view, but then their self titled album was the one that really catapulted them. Seems like even with Kill ‘Em All, they were already rapidly gaining in popularity, and were a pretty big commercial success even with Master of Puppets.
Also enjoyed reading about Cliff, and learning much more about him. Was surprised to learn that Lars (at least initially) was considered to be the weakest link in the band. I was always under the impression that he was a pretty good drummer, just had some questionable sound choices.
A lot of the information in this book I was already familiar with being a pretty big fan of the band and watching things like their “Behind the Music” and “Murder in the Front Row,” but there was enough content that I wasn’t familiar with, combined with it being told in an interesting enough way to keep me interested and entertained. Really enjoyed this book!
September 17, 2021
Metallica is so iconic and just so all over the place that it is hard for a fan of the music to read anything new about the band that hasn't already been heard. This book manages to do this, though. Granted, I had heard a lot of the stories before, but they are collected well in this and other tales I had never heard are here to be read as well. I think the book was very informative and also honest. It would be very easy to have a fanboy write this and tell you how amazing everything Metallica ever did was, but the author gives criticisms where it is due, sometimes on things that I never really thought about. Because of this honesty, the book resonated more with me. It wasn't just a giant ego stroke for the band.
For those curious, this book covers the time from the original members childhoods, band formation and up to the recording and release of the Black Album. The second volume I assume takes up where this ends and deals with the explosion of the Black Album and crazy fame the band found.
Something to note is the title of this book ends with "Volume 1." I couldn't find the implied volume 2 anywhere. It turns out the second volume has an entirely different title with no mention of "volume 2" anywhere on it. It's simply called "Into The Black: The Inside Story of Metallica (1991-2014)." I only found it because it is the same author. This inconsistency in book titling may confuse some people.
For those curious, this book covers the time from the original members childhoods, band formation and up to the recording and release of the Black Album. The second volume I assume takes up where this ends and deals with the explosion of the Black Album and crazy fame the band found.
Something to note is the title of this book ends with "Volume 1." I couldn't find the implied volume 2 anywhere. It turns out the second volume has an entirely different title with no mention of "volume 2" anywhere on it. It's simply called "Into The Black: The Inside Story of Metallica (1991-2014)." I only found it because it is the same author. This inconsistency in book titling may confuse some people.
October 4, 2025
I'm always a fan of a good origin story.
And going in, outside of classic hits like Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and No Leaf Clover (the love version with the San Francisco Orchestra hits every time), I knew nothing about this band.
Hearing where they came from, and how they navigate from early days through early 90s, was fascinating. This musical force kicked ass and took names, from early shows and albums to the end of this biography (which takes us from day one through the release of the black iconic album that gave us so many unforgettable tracks).
As you'd expect, it's a frenetic tale of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, with binges of excess that epitomized the hardcore rockstar lifestyle. This unapologetic band really care what you thought, they just showed up on stage and unleashed a tsunami-like musical tour de force that left nothing in its wake.
Not sure if you'll love them or hate them more after reading this, but regardless, it's a fascinating story of birth, death (yes, some actual death), and the first decade plus of a band that defined (and reinvented) a genre.
Exit light. 🤘🤘
And going in, outside of classic hits like Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and No Leaf Clover (the love version with the San Francisco Orchestra hits every time), I knew nothing about this band.
Hearing where they came from, and how they navigate from early days through early 90s, was fascinating. This musical force kicked ass and took names, from early shows and albums to the end of this biography (which takes us from day one through the release of the black iconic album that gave us so many unforgettable tracks).
As you'd expect, it's a frenetic tale of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, with binges of excess that epitomized the hardcore rockstar lifestyle. This unapologetic band really care what you thought, they just showed up on stage and unleashed a tsunami-like musical tour de force that left nothing in its wake.
Not sure if you'll love them or hate them more after reading this, but regardless, it's a fascinating story of birth, death (yes, some actual death), and the first decade plus of a band that defined (and reinvented) a genre.
Exit light. 🤘🤘
July 12, 2021
Facinating and often times surprising look into the most influential and divisive metal band.
I did not become a fan of Metallica until 1989 at the age of 19. A friend who knew how I listened to music suggested I keep an open mind and listen to "To Live Is To Die" from "...And Justice For All".
It was right around the 4 min, 30 second mark, where metal met classical in my brain, then the break... and my mind was blown. I was a metal head after that.
If you are a fan either die hard or casual, or any interest in the history of music and metal, this is a must read/listen. It sheds so much light on that period and how the most unlikely of individuals came together to defy the odds.
My only gripe would be that writing at times is overly embellished. The narrator was very good, just read really fast. So often throughout the listening of the book, I would have to rewind because there was just so much colorful descriptions going on, I would loose where the narrator was in the context of the section he was on.
I did not become a fan of Metallica until 1989 at the age of 19. A friend who knew how I listened to music suggested I keep an open mind and listen to "To Live Is To Die" from "...And Justice For All".
It was right around the 4 min, 30 second mark, where metal met classical in my brain, then the break... and my mind was blown. I was a metal head after that.
If you are a fan either die hard or casual, or any interest in the history of music and metal, this is a must read/listen. It sheds so much light on that period and how the most unlikely of individuals came together to defy the odds.
My only gripe would be that writing at times is overly embellished. The narrator was very good, just read really fast. So often throughout the listening of the book, I would have to rewind because there was just so much colorful descriptions going on, I would loose where the narrator was in the context of the section he was on.
May 6, 2019
this is a decent book. don’t get me wrong.
some of this ish is too flowery - “... while just shy of a quarter of a million homes were visited and plundered by unwelcome guests” just say “robbed”. “on the continent to the right”, what are you? dickens? were you getting paid by the word? also i’m fairly sure calling Japan et al “the Orient” is pretty outdated. and the damned epithets! they were oftentimes harder to follow than actually naming the people! (the Dane, the Blonde, the American, his countryman, my Orange Cat, my arse...)
aside from that, this seems reasonably well-researched, one of the fewer Metallica books that actually has sources (!). an easy read if you’re a fan and can get past the annoying writing. (i mean, jeez, if i wanted prose and sentences that are way too long i’d go read tolkien.)
some of this ish is too flowery - “... while just shy of a quarter of a million homes were visited and plundered by unwelcome guests” just say “robbed”. “on the continent to the right”, what are you? dickens? were you getting paid by the word? also i’m fairly sure calling Japan et al “the Orient” is pretty outdated. and the damned epithets! they were oftentimes harder to follow than actually naming the people! (the Dane, the Blonde, the American, his countryman, my Orange Cat, my arse...)
aside from that, this seems reasonably well-researched, one of the fewer Metallica books that actually has sources (!). an easy read if you’re a fan and can get past the annoying writing. (i mean, jeez, if i wanted prose and sentences that are way too long i’d go read tolkien.)
Read
March 15, 2025A pretty nice account of the early years of Metallica, chronicling and examining their time as young musicians that were quickly becoming one of the most influential, beloved and most infamous bands in the history of Metal. It leaves few stones unturned of the band’s life from formation to the recording of The Black Album, ending right before that album is released to the public.
Even if you’re familiar with the band’s rise to fame and the incidents throughout (the firing of Dave Mustaine, the tragic loss of Cliff Burton, the evolution of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich as the undeniable creative directors of the band), the sheer amount of info about all the musicians’s backgrounds should still offer even die hards new insights into the band.
Even if you’re familiar with the band’s rise to fame and the incidents throughout (the firing of Dave Mustaine, the tragic loss of Cliff Burton, the evolution of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich as the undeniable creative directors of the band), the sheer amount of info about all the musicians’s backgrounds should still offer even die hards new insights into the band.
February 27, 2023
The book has a lot of information and clarifies many of the myths but the authors are obviously fans so there is nothing objective about their point of view. They write as if Metallica were fulfilling some kind of inevitable destiny like mythological figures. The insane drinking is discussed as if it were just crazy, cool behavior. To me, their blind love of this band makes them miss opportunities to see mistakes and folly. For example, considering how great they became, what could they have achieved if they weren't drunk for a decade or two?
I enjoyed and will probably read the second volume at some point. If you're a fan you'll like the book.
I enjoyed and will probably read the second volume at some point. If you're a fan you'll like the book.
March 27, 2019
Metallica is such an amazing entity but it is also polarizing. I would say this book, and volume 2, are great companions for those watching the documentary some kind of monster. They are fast reads that are perfectly balanced with stories and some pretty specific details surrounding each member and the recording process. Great idea to read this if you are going to see Metallica live soon or have recently gotten into the music and are seeking insight into how the Metallica machine is always manufacturing.
January 29, 2021
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Metallica. I've read several books which either feature or reference their influence and music, as well as watched some YouTube documentaries on them. After reading this book, I still learned some things about them and their early days which haven't been as widely covered elsewhere. I would very much recommend this book to any hard-core Metallica or heavy-metal fan. Metallica may not be the hardest of metal bands, but they have a lot of layers and complexity to their music, lyrics, and history.
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