Lamb of God’s Mark Morton Explores Addiction and Hope in New Book ‘Desolation’
Mark Morton has chronicled his rise to the pinnacle of metal fame and his journey through darkness to arrive there for Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir. The book hits shelves this week (and airpods, for those who prefer to hear Mark narrating the audiobook) and the Lamb of God guitarist has a series of launch events lined up for its release.
Published by Hachette Books and co-authored by Ben Opipari, Desolation is described as “a gritty, revealing heavy metal memoir by Lamb of God’s guitarist and lyricist, which explores both his life in music and his tumultuous path through addiction and into recovery.”
Grappling with addiction is a central theme of the book, woven through the stories of the tragedies and triumphs that led him to this point in his life. Now sober, reflective and grateful, he’s still kicking ass with one of the biggest metal bands touring today – but it wasn’t a clear and easy path. All of these moments, the bad and the good, are punctuated with songs, with Morton writing out a companion soundtrack to his life. Each chapter of the book opens with a track that complements the narrative, giving fans a deep dive into his musical influences.
Mark Morton will discuss the book at the events below, and take questions from fans. You can also order the book online at HachetteBookGroup.com.
For the bibliophiles out there who want to add to their collection, Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe is also working on two new books as of the fall of 2022. His first, a memoir called Dark Days, was published in 2015.
Later this summer, Lamb of God are joining forces with Mastodon for the Ashes of Leviathan Tour, honoring the bands’ landmark albums Ashes of the Wake and Leviathan, which both came out 20 years ago. That tour will be in Reading, PA at the Santander Arena on August 8th. Kerry King of Slayer and Unearth are also on the bill. Get details on MMR’s official Concert Calendar.
‘Desolation’ Events with Mark Morton
June 25 – Books & Greetings, Northvale, NJ
June 26 – Powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn, NY – moderated by Radio Sara, starting at 7pm – Get Tickets
June 27 – Shelf Life Books, Richmond, VA
There’s also a virtual premiere at DesolationBook.com on June 26th at noon.
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