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Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture #2
El sentido de Metallica
Hit the lights and jump in the fire, you’re about to enter the School of Rock! Today’s lecture will be a crash course in brain surgery. This hard and fast lesson is taught by instructors who graduated from the old school—they actually paid $5.98 for The $5.98 EP. But back before these philosophy professors cut their hair, they were lieutenants in the Metal Militia.
A provocative study of the ‘thinking man’s’ metal band
Maps out the connections between Aristotle, Nietzsche, Marx, Kierkegaard, and Metallica, to demonstrate the band’s philosophical significance
Uses themes in Metallica’s work to illuminate topics such as freedom, truth, identity, existentialism, questions of life and death, metaphysics, epistemology, the mind-body problem, morality, justice, and what we owe one another
Draws on Metallica’s lyrical content, Lars Ulrich’s relationship with Napster, as well as the documentary Some Kind of Monster
Serves as a guide for thinking through the work of one of the greatest rock bands of all time
Compiled by the editor of Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing and The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh! of Homer
A provocative study of the ‘thinking man’s’ metal band
Maps out the connections between Aristotle, Nietzsche, Marx, Kierkegaard, and Metallica, to demonstrate the band’s philosophical significance
Uses themes in Metallica’s work to illuminate topics such as freedom, truth, identity, existentialism, questions of life and death, metaphysics, epistemology, the mind-body problem, morality, justice, and what we owe one another
Draws on Metallica’s lyrical content, Lars Ulrich’s relationship with Napster, as well as the documentary Some Kind of Monster
Serves as a guide for thinking through the work of one of the greatest rock bands of all time
Compiled by the editor of Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing and The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh! of Homer
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
31 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
William Irwin
128 books126 followersWilliam Irwin is Professor of Philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and is best known for originating the "philosophy and popular culture" book genre with Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing (1999) and The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer (2001).
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 25, 2023
I soldiered through this book. That's no accidental choice of verb. Soldiered is the appropriate term, for much of the text gets bogged down in muddy semantics. Also, a fair amount of it deals with Metallica's longtime (and utterly correct) portrayal of war as an unnecessary horror orchestrated by feeble-minded sociopaths who use young impressionable kids as their pawns (if you're a Metallica fan you'll know what I mean - if you aren't a Metallica fan, check out the songs Disposable Heroes and One for prime examples of this).
It probably goes without saying that a book called Metallica and Philosophy is for Metallica fans only, but I'll say it anyway. This isn't the place to start if you've wondered about the band and are looking to find out a bit about them; rather, this book is a place to come when you've listened to the entire Metallica discography (especially the first six albums) a thousand times or more, know the lyrics off by heart, and can recall any nuance of those records. Then, when you dive into this tome, it will make sense to you. Not only that, it'll offer you many thought-provoking experiences and a few epiphanies along the way - that's the beauty of reading philosophy.
The latter part of the book's title (Crash Course in Brain Surgery) is taken from the song of the same name, originally written and recorded by legendary band Budgie (one of the most underrated outfits of all time - I was lucky enough to see them perform live a couple of times... phenomenal shows), then later covered by Metallica on the $5.98 EP. It's also a perfect title for this book, as the contributors really do dissect the psyches of the band members (especially James Hetfield and, to a lesser degree, Lars Ulrich).
I read this book straight off the back of another William Irwin release - Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality - which was more enjoyable than the Metallica successor. Partly that's because Sabbath invented heavy metal and so have a credibility that's beyond criticism. Also, the Sabs have always had a definite mystique about them, something which Metallica never had (and didn't want anyway). The obvious likeness between the bands (other than them both playing heavy metal) is the social awareness in their lyrics; both Sabbath and Metallica have written much about the topics of war (and its insanity), injustice and inequality. Also, both bands strive to be authentic (the Sabs seemed to effortlessly achieve this, but Metallica struggled with it at times).
I'd have liked to see more about Cliff Burton in the book. He's mentioned here and there, but far too briefly. There are no deep dives into his psyche or his motivations. That's something the editor (and contributor) William Irwin could resolve in some future edition of the book. Add a chapter or two that explore the philosophies of Cliff, who wasn't just the bassist on Metallica's seminal albums - he was also, to a hugely underestimated degree, the band's musical compass.
It probably goes without saying that a book called Metallica and Philosophy is for Metallica fans only, but I'll say it anyway. This isn't the place to start if you've wondered about the band and are looking to find out a bit about them; rather, this book is a place to come when you've listened to the entire Metallica discography (especially the first six albums) a thousand times or more, know the lyrics off by heart, and can recall any nuance of those records. Then, when you dive into this tome, it will make sense to you. Not only that, it'll offer you many thought-provoking experiences and a few epiphanies along the way - that's the beauty of reading philosophy.
The latter part of the book's title (Crash Course in Brain Surgery) is taken from the song of the same name, originally written and recorded by legendary band Budgie (one of the most underrated outfits of all time - I was lucky enough to see them perform live a couple of times... phenomenal shows), then later covered by Metallica on the $5.98 EP. It's also a perfect title for this book, as the contributors really do dissect the psyches of the band members (especially James Hetfield and, to a lesser degree, Lars Ulrich).
I read this book straight off the back of another William Irwin release - Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality - which was more enjoyable than the Metallica successor. Partly that's because Sabbath invented heavy metal and so have a credibility that's beyond criticism. Also, the Sabs have always had a definite mystique about them, something which Metallica never had (and didn't want anyway). The obvious likeness between the bands (other than them both playing heavy metal) is the social awareness in their lyrics; both Sabbath and Metallica have written much about the topics of war (and its insanity), injustice and inequality. Also, both bands strive to be authentic (the Sabs seemed to effortlessly achieve this, but Metallica struggled with it at times).
I'd have liked to see more about Cliff Burton in the book. He's mentioned here and there, but far too briefly. There are no deep dives into his psyche or his motivations. That's something the editor (and contributor) William Irwin could resolve in some future edition of the book. Add a chapter or two that explore the philosophies of Cliff, who wasn't just the bassist on Metallica's seminal albums - he was also, to a hugely underestimated degree, the band's musical compass.
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January 30, 2014The Book Metallica A Crash Course In Brain Surgery by William Irwin and Metallica, is a non-fiction book that tells the story of the great heavy metal band Metallica. Told by the musicians themselves with the input of William Irwin, the book goes in depth and behind the scenes of Metallica, from the time they formed in 1982 to today headlining festivals and journeying on massive world tours.
The story begins with a young danish boy named Lars Ulrich. In the summer of 1981 Lars moves to California from Denmark due to his fathers Tennis career. Lars was destined for greatness in Tennis but soon deserted the game for Music. Lars soon began playing drums as a hobby then soon that his talent was in his mind “good enough to play in a great metal band.” He meets James Hetfield, a young quiet teen at the time, and together they went out and were set on world domination.
At the time in Los Angeles California, it was a very split city. Lars explains,” Either you were on the Glam metal side, or you were on the Thrash metal side. It was very lonely being Metallica in 1982 being the only Thrash band around.” (Pg 11)
Soon the band moves up to San Francisco in hopes of a greater Thrash scene and permanently stays there in 1983 and to this day. After the bands first release “Kill Em’ All”, the band began to tour tremendously and soon found themselves on a major label and in 1984 released “Ride The Lightning”. Bassist Cliff Burton describes his ride through super-stardom. “It was all so fast, one day were playing in Anaheim at a small club and the next were up in San Francisco headlining a festival. Then from there traveling to New York and Denmark to record.” (Pg 57)
Metallica became so big so fast, they became metals number one band and still stands to this day. Lead singer and Rhythm guitarist James Hetfield quotes in an interview in 1993,” I remembered back in 1983 rehearsing in Lars’ garage making crap recordings and thinking this is going to make it big. I’ll be damned if it did’nt.” (Pg 169) I very much enjoyed reading this book because it’s Metallica. That should be enough. But the guys just told the truth on how things were good and bad. They did not try to hide anything and were very real and understandable.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Metal genre or is a Metallica freak. They are the only band ever to step foot on all the continents in the world so they have to have fans all around the world without a doubt. If you like any metal band or rock band from the 1980’s and on or have been influenced by any rock/metal band, you’ll probably love Metallica and this book. Metallica started the movement of heavy music in 1982 and since has grown enormously and continues to grow everyday.
They have become a larger than life band and continue to wave the flag of heavy metal.
The story begins with a young danish boy named Lars Ulrich. In the summer of 1981 Lars moves to California from Denmark due to his fathers Tennis career. Lars was destined for greatness in Tennis but soon deserted the game for Music. Lars soon began playing drums as a hobby then soon that his talent was in his mind “good enough to play in a great metal band.” He meets James Hetfield, a young quiet teen at the time, and together they went out and were set on world domination.
At the time in Los Angeles California, it was a very split city. Lars explains,” Either you were on the Glam metal side, or you were on the Thrash metal side. It was very lonely being Metallica in 1982 being the only Thrash band around.” (Pg 11)
Soon the band moves up to San Francisco in hopes of a greater Thrash scene and permanently stays there in 1983 and to this day. After the bands first release “Kill Em’ All”, the band began to tour tremendously and soon found themselves on a major label and in 1984 released “Ride The Lightning”. Bassist Cliff Burton describes his ride through super-stardom. “It was all so fast, one day were playing in Anaheim at a small club and the next were up in San Francisco headlining a festival. Then from there traveling to New York and Denmark to record.” (Pg 57)
Metallica became so big so fast, they became metals number one band and still stands to this day. Lead singer and Rhythm guitarist James Hetfield quotes in an interview in 1993,” I remembered back in 1983 rehearsing in Lars’ garage making crap recordings and thinking this is going to make it big. I’ll be damned if it did’nt.” (Pg 169) I very much enjoyed reading this book because it’s Metallica. That should be enough. But the guys just told the truth on how things were good and bad. They did not try to hide anything and were very real and understandable.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Metal genre or is a Metallica freak. They are the only band ever to step foot on all the continents in the world so they have to have fans all around the world without a doubt. If you like any metal band or rock band from the 1980’s and on or have been influenced by any rock/metal band, you’ll probably love Metallica and this book. Metallica started the movement of heavy music in 1982 and since has grown enormously and continues to grow everyday.
They have become a larger than life band and continue to wave the flag of heavy metal.
August 22, 2017
This book contains many essays by different authors which cover various philosophical topics. The degree in which it covers Metallica varies between essays. Some seem like previously written essays that have shoehorned in Metallica lyrics to back them up, whereas others seem more like biographies of the band's ideas. Philosophy is quite an interesting subject, but the book is at its best when the content is convincingly about Metallica, otherwise you may as well just read a dedicated philosophy book. Since this is Metallica themed, it makes sense to be familiar with their albums, and a general idea of their career before reading this. It's the first book I've read in the series, but I'd imagine they would all the similar, so if you have an interest in these books, then choose the theme you are most familiar with.
March 3, 2025
3/5
I didn't know what I was expecting from this book. But the following excerpt from a chapter by Manuel Bremer and Daniel Cohnitz is representative of the tenor of what it delivered, and it was a not too bad -if basic- book!
“Crash Course In Brain Surgery
We can explain Locke’s point with the help of some science fiction. Imagine that a person named “Mave Dustaine” is jealous of Kirk Hammett and would like to have his place in Metallica. With the help of evil scientists he develops a technology to transplant brains in a few minutes’ time. In a well-chosen moment during a Metallica tour, when all band members are sleeping on the bus, Dustaine abducts Hammett and takes him to the lab of his evil scientist friends. In a secret operation the scientists take Kirk’s brain from Kirk’s body and Mave’s brain from Mave’s body and exchange the brains. After that, they bring Hammett’s body back to the tour bus and Dustaine’s body to Dustaine’s house. The next morning, Dustaine’s body awakens, claiming to be Kirk Hammett (and soon ends up in a mad house singing “The motherfuckers got in my head / Trying to make me someone else instead”). Back in the Metallica tour bus, Kirk’s body awakens. To the astonishment of everyone, he has forgotten how to play almost all of his solos, but he can play many songs by a band called Degameth. Is it really Kirk who woke up in Kirk’s bed with Kirk’s body but with Mave’s memories?
If we were asked whether the same human being that went to bed in the Metallica tour bus also woke up in the Metallica tour bus, we would presumably say yes. Despite the replacement of an organ (namely the brain), it is otherwise the same organism, with the same DNA profile, still participating in the same continuous life. If instead we were asked whether the same person woke up in the Metallica tour bus who also went to bed there, our answer would be no. It is Mave Dustaine who woke up in Kirk Hammett’s former body. As Locke would say, the unity relation for persons does not neatly coincide with the unity relation for human beings.”
I didn't know what I was expecting from this book. But the following excerpt from a chapter by Manuel Bremer and Daniel Cohnitz is representative of the tenor of what it delivered, and it was a not too bad -if basic- book!
“Crash Course In Brain Surgery
We can explain Locke’s point with the help of some science fiction. Imagine that a person named “Mave Dustaine” is jealous of Kirk Hammett and would like to have his place in Metallica. With the help of evil scientists he develops a technology to transplant brains in a few minutes’ time. In a well-chosen moment during a Metallica tour, when all band members are sleeping on the bus, Dustaine abducts Hammett and takes him to the lab of his evil scientist friends. In a secret operation the scientists take Kirk’s brain from Kirk’s body and Mave’s brain from Mave’s body and exchange the brains. After that, they bring Hammett’s body back to the tour bus and Dustaine’s body to Dustaine’s house. The next morning, Dustaine’s body awakens, claiming to be Kirk Hammett (and soon ends up in a mad house singing “The motherfuckers got in my head / Trying to make me someone else instead”). Back in the Metallica tour bus, Kirk’s body awakens. To the astonishment of everyone, he has forgotten how to play almost all of his solos, but he can play many songs by a band called Degameth. Is it really Kirk who woke up in Kirk’s bed with Kirk’s body but with Mave’s memories?
If we were asked whether the same human being that went to bed in the Metallica tour bus also woke up in the Metallica tour bus, we would presumably say yes. Despite the replacement of an organ (namely the brain), it is otherwise the same organism, with the same DNA profile, still participating in the same continuous life. If instead we were asked whether the same person woke up in the Metallica tour bus who also went to bed there, our answer would be no. It is Mave Dustaine who woke up in Kirk Hammett’s former body. As Locke would say, the unity relation for persons does not neatly coincide with the unity relation for human beings.”
February 22, 2025
𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺: 𝘈 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘺 by William Irwin
Reading a philosophy book behind one of my all-time favorite bands was so fascinating and enjoyable. It dives deep into a variety of different topics, such as their more underground start and the lead up to their fame and fortune, along with their more mainstream success. The book discusses famous philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant and creatively ties their works into the world of Metallica. There are other philosophers discussed, but those are the main three. I would say that this book successfully blends Metallica's history and philosophy together beautifully. It also discusses the Napster controversy towards the end.
This book is broken up into five sections with a total of 20 chapters. While I loved the entire book, my favorite chapter was chapter 3, "Alcoholica: When Sweet Amber Becomes the Master of Puppets". Within it, it dives deep into the struggle of alcoholism and Metallica's history with it. I related to this chapter a little bit. It hit me hard reading it.
With all of this being said, this book was a very interesting and enjoyable read! I would recommend this book for any fan of Metallica or philosophy.
My ranking: 10/10
Reading a philosophy book behind one of my all-time favorite bands was so fascinating and enjoyable. It dives deep into a variety of different topics, such as their more underground start and the lead up to their fame and fortune, along with their more mainstream success. The book discusses famous philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant and creatively ties their works into the world of Metallica. There are other philosophers discussed, but those are the main three. I would say that this book successfully blends Metallica's history and philosophy together beautifully. It also discusses the Napster controversy towards the end.
This book is broken up into five sections with a total of 20 chapters. While I loved the entire book, my favorite chapter was chapter 3, "Alcoholica: When Sweet Amber Becomes the Master of Puppets". Within it, it dives deep into the struggle of alcoholism and Metallica's history with it. I related to this chapter a little bit. It hit me hard reading it.
With all of this being said, this book was a very interesting and enjoyable read! I would recommend this book for any fan of Metallica or philosophy.
My ranking: 10/10
August 6, 2022
I had never before read a ______ and Philosophy book before picking up this one. I was a fan of Metallica, so I thought I was in for a good time. Upon reading, I discovered that this book was centered around recontextualizing Metallica's music and career through the eyes of philosophical concepts, which is a lot more intriguing than it sounds. It also made me aware of how there are many more books with a similar premise, where an item in pop culture is used as a creative lens to make the comprehension of philosophy more palatable.
December 29, 2024
This book requires a level of familiarity with Metallica’s lyrics I simply don’t have. Nevertheless, there were some interesting essays that required less of that understanding that helped me understand some aspects of philosophy better than I have in the past. To be clear, I know almost nothing except what I’ve been learning through reading books in this series. But it’s been an entertaining way to think philosophically about some of my favourite movie franchises etc.
October 25, 2022
I've been skeptical of these blank and philosophy books but having just finished a couple of biographies on Metallica I was in the mood for something more about them and decided to give it a shot. It wasn't bad. Kind of fun way to learn about different philosophical viewpoints. This one did seem to dip into psychology more than philosophy a couple of times but on the whole I enjoyed it.
November 19, 2025
Demuestra la diversidad de temas que hablan en sus canciones, lo cual hace ver que Metallica no solo explora temas relacionados con la muerte (lo que la gente cree de las bandas de metal). Por ello, a muchas personas les puede llegar una de sus canciones. No sólo es la melodía, también importa lo que dice
September 17, 2024
I don't read enough philosophy to know whether this is an impressive array of essays or not, but it is always a decent idea to crack open what one would consider another's deeper thoughts to see that other's perspective of logic. Definitely entertaining.
October 14, 2016
The type of reader to mostly enjoy this book is someone who enjoys philosophy and music. Either one would be fine but if you like both then this book would be good for you because it connects music and its meaning to philosophers and what they say. It's an interesting take on music and I really enjoyed what I learned and the questions it had me asking myself. Certain weaknesses in this book are the authors bias in some of his opinions on the band and their albums but to his credit he always offers a counter argument and doesn't say which he thinks is correct. He covers a good amount of philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato. What I really liked about the book was the way in incorporated the lives of the band members. It talks about James Hetfield and how he struggled with alcoholism and how he was a completely different person on and off stage. It talks about how he wrote about things like heroin and meth even though he wasn't using them, it shows a side to the rock and roll world that not many see in depth but it is a common stereotype. This book also questions religion and what I gathered from the section talking about it was that that James Hetfield doesn't like Christianity and it was forced upon him as a child and that appears to have played a big role in his disliking of it and god in general. Instead he likes Buddhism and Buddhist views because of its laid back style. He found Buddhism in his adolescence and it stuck with him because it wasn't forced upon him and he liked the essence of working on himself and not having all these rules and regulations pressed upon him and all the expectations that come with Christianity. A great point brought up in the book is that the angry tone in this music doesn't make you angry and wanna do mean things, it helps you express your emotions and let them out in a healthy way by listening to music that talks about anger and things in a hard tone. I agree with this point of view because I listen to this music ops to make me wanna go out in the world and cause harm, it helps me workout and release stress and it pumps me up with its tone and sound from the crashing drums. All in all, this is a great book for anyone who likes philosophy or the band Metallica. While it can be hard to understand at times, it is explained in great detail which allows you to follow along in what the author is talking about.
October 1, 2014
I throughly enjoyed this entire book. The pacing was great and the breadth of philosophical subjects was diverse. Don't be mistaken, this is a philosophy book to the tenth degree. It is simply put within the context of Metallica. I enjoyed the contemporary setting of philosophical inquiry, and was left with an even greater appreciation for what Metallica stood for in their lyrics, and as a band. The beauty of the book lies within its accessibility to those with a deficient philosophical background, without patronizing those already familiar with the ideas it presents. In fact, it is even more enriching for someone already well versed in such concepts. The only chapter I found redundant and unnecessary was "The Unsocial Sociability of Humans and Metal Gods." It reiterated much of Kant's ethical principles, as described in the chapter before, and failed to be particularly relevant to the band. Ultimately, it felt like sitting through another lecture on Kant's Categorical Imperative, with eyes glazed over, offering nothing new or unique. That was my only complaint. The rest of the works were concise and "fresh" in content.
May 15, 2010
This book is about two subjects I hold dear: philosophy and Metallica. However here they don't go that naturally (maybe they just don't). Although a few of the articles do sparks some interest to philosophical concepts, generally this book suffers from over-philosophising or desperate-popularizing of philosophy.
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Notes:
- Chapter 5 helps illuminate my understanding of Sartre's "bad faith" :-)
- Chapter 4 is quite better then the previous ones, discussing about non-conformity, individuality and truth.
"Real happiness requires autonomy and self-direction. Happiness is not just about pleasurable experiences, but about living your own life and making your own choices."
Chapter 15 is a nice discussion about mind-body problem by opposing Descartes' idea with the existence of a person depicted in the song One.
chapter 16: overphilosophise...... gak penting
chapter 19: oh please...
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Notes:
- Chapter 5 helps illuminate my understanding of Sartre's "bad faith" :-)
- Chapter 4 is quite better then the previous ones, discussing about non-conformity, individuality and truth.
"Real happiness requires autonomy and self-direction. Happiness is not just about pleasurable experiences, but about living your own life and making your own choices."
Chapter 15 is a nice discussion about mind-body problem by opposing Descartes' idea with the existence of a person depicted in the song One.
chapter 16: overphilosophise...... gak penting
chapter 19: oh please...
February 7, 2015
Metallica has always been among the more thoughtful and introspective bands on the metal scene, so they're a natural subject for this probing, insightful, and always entertaining collection of philosophical essays focusing on their lives, music and the rock world in general. Standout essays include Bart Engelen's study of the nature of alcoholism in Metallica's lives and music; Thom Brooks's "Ride the Lighning", which examines the ethics of the death penalty; Joanna Corwin's "Trapped in Myself," examining "the mind-body problem" as chronicled in the band's legendary song "One"; and Mark D. White's study of the symbiotic nature of band-fan relationships, beautifully titled "Metallica Drops a 'Load'". Essential reading for fans of this band.
November 8, 2011
This is kind of a cool idea. Take a current topic and apply philosophy to it. So you've got essays on the death penalty (Ride the Lightning), assisted suicide/euthanasia (One), intellectual property rights (the Napster lawsuit), etc... It did seem a little repetitive at times and sometimes the subject only seemed tentatively connected to the band most of the writers did seem to be genuine fans of the band so that was cool.
I've been a huge fan since just about the start of the whole Metalica thing and I still like their stuff (especially St. Anger). They may be one of the last "big" bands and that's kind of sad but I'm glad they made it.
I've been a huge fan since just about the start of the whole Metalica thing and I still like their stuff (especially St. Anger). They may be one of the last "big" bands and that's kind of sad but I'm glad they made it.
July 8, 2020
Interesting if not riveting, the articles are of varying quality and substance. Not very in-depth for the most part, some pieces only scratch the surface. The focus is heavily on the first four albums, the album and song Master of Puppets repeatedly taking centre stage. It feels slightly repetitive at times but the approach of each author varies enough to keep things from getting stale. Definitely a fun read for Metallica fans with a philosophical streak.
See also my article on Medium, Twenty-Twenty in Books …so far.
See also my article on Medium, Twenty-Twenty in Books …so far.
Currently reading
March 6, 2008This is a great book for those proud (and closet) members of the Metal Militia, explaining through several essays and dissertations of Metallica, their lyrics, and how philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Marx, and Adam Smith view the topics Metallica cover in their deep, political version of thrash metal.
March 20, 2012
This book started getting really repetitive. Unfortunately, you're half way through an essay before you realize that the author of that particular one is just talking in circles. I'm going to go back and read only the ones that seem interesting instead of trying to swallow this book in it's entirety the way it was chronologically put together by the editor.
August 4, 2011
An admittedly silly title/concept that surprisingly works. And well! Has more to do with the philosophy aspect than with Metallica or their music, which is used more as a reference point, for the most part, than anything else. Got me wanting to delve more into philosphy. Look out Kant, here I come!
May 17, 2008
One of those "_____ and Philosophy" chain store jawns, this is gonna satisfy neither fans of Metallica nor fans of philosophy. There are worse ways to spend your time, though, I guess.
June 23, 2008
Pulling meaning out of songs which never intended those meanings is lame. The book contains sound arguments yet each topic is a vast stretch. That stretch leaves the writing thin and dull.
July 12, 2011
provocative! a holy book for fans of metallica!
December 14, 2010
I was way out of my league when I read this...
October 1, 2013
Metallica rocks!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews