I Am Morbid: Ten Lessons Learned From Extreme Metal, Outlaw Country, And The Power Of SelfDetermination

by David Vincent, Joel McIver

I Am Morbid tells the astounding story of David Vincent, former bassist and singer with Morbid Angel, and now outlaw country performer and leader of the I Am Morbid supergroup. Written with the bestselling author Joel McIver, it’s an autobiography that transcends the heavy metal category by its very nature.  Much more than a mere memoir, I Am Morbid is an instruction manual for life at the sharp end—a gathering of wisdom distilled into ten acute lessons for anyone interested in furthering their fortunes in life.  Morbid Angel redefined the term pioneers. A band of heavy-metal-loving kids from all over America who broke through a host of music industry prejudices and went on to scale huge commercial heights, they introduced a whole new form of extreme music to the world. Formed in 1984, and breaking into the limelight in 1989 with their devastating first album, Altars Of Madness , the Florida death metal legends became the first band of their genre to sign to a major label, from which point they came to dominate the worldwide metal scene for two decades and beyond.  David left Morbid Angel in 1996, and again, following a reunion, in 2015. For the first time, I Am Morbid explores the reasons behind his departure, and the transformation of his life, career, and music in the years since. This is a classic but never predictable tale of a man who has fought convention every step of the way—and won.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2020

About the author

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Reviews

[Steven McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of David Vincent since I was a teenager - Morbid Angel's Blessed Are The Sick album was the first death metal cassette I ever purchased and I actually learned all the lyrics because, unlike most DM singers, you could HEAR what he was singing! So that made him stand out to me, and I have been enjoying his music ever since.
When I ordered this I was hoping it would be a good read but let's be honest, autobiographies can be pretty hit or miss. I'm not into the "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" stories that bands like Crue or Slash talk about in their books, but at the same time, I found Nergal's book a bit boring, even though he's a huge hero of mine. I loved Bruce Dickinson's and Duff McKagan's autobiographies though, because they had more substance and actually INSPIRED me to try and improve myself.
Well, David Vincent's "I Am Morbid" does much the same, and as a result it makes for compulsive reading.
Don't get me wrong, he doesn't exactly preach, or tell you how to live your life, but he does tell you about his experiences and how they made him stronger and it's an interesting journey. I also enjoyed the parts where his song lyrics are printed and he explains a bit about them.
Being a little picky, I didn't really like the last chapter where he just offers opinions on some stuff, and to be honest there could have been a lot more about his relationships with people like Trey, but it seems to me like David wants to be above any pettiness and it does make him appear more classy than someone spouting off and being vindictive about their ex-band mates. He IS very honest when talking about why he originally left Morbid Angel, and how it helped him grow as a person.
There's also a section where he talks about his basses, which I was pleased to see. As I say, too many musicians write books about their lives and seem to forget the reason we follow them - their songs and playing! So it was good to find out a little about David's instruments and stuff (although I could quite happily read page after page on which pedals, amps, strings and so on that he likes but accept most readers would find it boring).
So, overall, this is a great book which I'm glad to have on my shelf, and I recommend it to anyone who's a fan of heavy music. Joel McIvor does a fantastic job of making the whole thing very readable and, to be honest, if there was a part 2 I would buy it immediately, I didn't want it to end!
Go buy it, now!

[Brad Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off, I'm a die hard metalhead, and lover of music autobiographies. I have listened to all of Mr Vincent's projects throughout the years, and enjoy the variety and musical maturity he's gone through throughout the years.

This however, is not your typical "Rock Autobiography", as is mentioned at the start of the book. Yes it does follow a lot of the story from his time in Morbid Angel, but also he explains his life when he wasn't playing with them and a lot of the lessons he's learned in life along the way. Extremely informative, but also giving you a chance to form an opinion of your own. None of it is shoved in your face.

This is especially highlighted in the final chapter of the book, where each paragraph discusses different life lessons he's learned over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed this book all the way through, which was not what I was expecting at all. Would highly recommend, especially to anyone, into metal or for fans of David's musical endeavors. What a ride this book was.

-Brad

[John Carlsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morbid Angel är definitivt ett av mina favoritband och har tveklöst varit ett av de viktigaste och nyskapande banden i metalgenren. Så när David Vincent som sjöng och spelade bas under bandets mest framgångsrika år skriver sina memoarer så är jag naturligtvis intresserad.

Nu visste jag inte vad jag skulle förvänta mig riktigt, men jag fick väl delvis rätt i mina antaganden. Berättelsen följer Davids liv kronologiskt med diverse utvikningar där låttexter kommenteras och ibland fördjupas. De tidiga årens slit är kanske mest intressanta och det känns som lyssnare väldigt tacksamt att få lite mer information om texterna. Jämfört med andra samtida death metal band verkade det som att Morbid Angel tog sin lyrik på lite större allvar och att det fanns lite olika lager för den som ville analysera.

Anmärkningsvärd är också historien om återföreningen och varför comebackplattan ”Illud Divinum Insanus” kanske inte blev den storartade återkomst som många hade hoppats på. Att det med den splittrade situationen som rådde överhuvudtaget blev en platta får kanske ses som ett mirakel.

Mindre intressant är kanske de ambitioner David har att lära oss livskunskap. Carpe diem, ”respektera naturen” och ”bry dig inte om vad andra tycker om dig” kan man ju hitta i rätt många självhjälpsböcker. Historien om att bli en mer harmonisk och tolerant människa med stigande ålder är visserligen sympatisk men inte så originell.

Oavsett, gillar man Morbid Angel är detta förmodligen obligatorisk läsning ändå.

VIktigast av allt: fördjupandet i den här boken fick mig åter en gång att inse hur satans bra de tre första Morbid Angel-skivorna är.

[amcachopas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biografia do meu ídolo de adolescência. Muito interessante nalguns aspectos, principalmente nos motivos das duas saídas dos MA.
Para o fim torna-se um pouco forçado. Talvez porque foi escrita cedo demais.

[Alex Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting for any fan of morbid angel or terroriser. The only downside being I'd have liked more time spent with each album. They seem to just tear past like a blur but yet again they may be how it felt in the band.

[Mr. D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining account of the legendary death metal frontman’s life and career.