The story of Metallica has been told so many times that diehard metalheads who can't resist reading every new book that comes out about the legendary thrash band experience a little exhaustion every time they sit down and read the words "Lars Ulrich was born on..." But the detail and admirable amount of passion that these British authors lay down in these pages (378 of 'em, and this is just part one of a two-book series; this one ends off on the eve of the release of the band's self-titled album) is incredible.
Not only have they unearthed mind-blowing tidbits of information that aren't all over every other Metallica biog, but the sheer amount of research they've done for this book (travelling to various places of importance in the band's history just so they can offer up a description of what the places look like today) is astounding. Occasionally the authors will throw in bits of sharp opinion that don't quite flow, and there's some culture shock in the British journalism style that might throw some North American readers off — by which I mean I just don't understand all their slang words and it makes me laugh a bit uncomfortably — but overall, this one rules. It's hard to stop reading Birth School Metallica Death, Volume I once you get started, which is huge praise for a book about a band that has already been so documented.
(Faber)Not only have they unearthed mind-blowing tidbits of information that aren't all over every other Metallica biog, but the sheer amount of research they've done for this book (travelling to various places of importance in the band's history just so they can offer up a description of what the places look like today) is astounding. Occasionally the authors will throw in bits of sharp opinion that don't quite flow, and there's some culture shock in the British journalism style that might throw some North American readers off — by which I mean I just don't understand all their slang words and it makes me laugh a bit uncomfortably — but overall, this one rules. It's hard to stop reading Birth School Metallica Death, Volume I once you get started, which is huge praise for a book about a band that has already been so documented.
