Written by Metallica and edited by Steffan Chirazi
Published by Broadway Books, 2004
Buy this book at Amazon
For those that have never heard of the mighty Metallica, (you have either been living in a bomb shelter for your entire life, or at the very least have no business looking at this website) they are considered to be the biggest and greatest Heavy Metal band of all time. With a career that spans going on three decades, these four horseman are frequently the first name that pops into peoples heads when you ask them what their favorite Metal band of all time is.
Fronted by James Hetfield, (rhythm guitars and vocals) and rounded off by fiendish cave troll Lars Ulrich (drums) Kirk Hammet (lead guitars) and newcomer bass player Robert Trujillo. Recent events within the band have caused long time bassist Jason Newsted to leave the group and James Hetfield to enter alcohol rehabilitation. These two huge events have caused some pretty drastic and unforeseen effects on the band, one of which is the complete disaster of an "album" St. Anger (bar-none the worst production on an album that I have ever heard).
In a very pleasant and surprising manor, Metallica have managed to muster up a book that is all encompassing of their lives and careers with the band. The book is Metallica- So What: The Good, the Mad, and the Ugly , and I feel like this would be the perfect closure on their rocky and somewhat fruitful venture as of the greatest and original pioneers of Heavy Metal. I say would be, because it seems like they aren't comfortable with the label of "washed up" yet, despite the last fourteen years being almost completely pointless and damaging to their legacy (in my opinion).
I am very open about my dislike of Metallica ever since their pathetic attempt at a Heavy Metal album, Load. I feel (as do many other fans) that they have completely sold out on every level. Truth be told, So What: The Good, the Mad, and the Ugly , is a continuation of their latest effort, which is to shamelessly exploit themselves not only in text, but in the movie theaters as well. Anyone else who has seen the movie "Some Kind of Monster" must know what I am talking about. The guys actually had to pay a therapist forty thousand dollars a month to follow them around and make sure they don't fight with each other.
That is a whole other story though, and I want to get back into the book for a moment here. Regardless of the present state of Metallica and how pathetically shitty they are now, this book offers something that is truly unique and special. I have never come across a hardback that is as this extensive and detailed, while maintaining an intensely personal and open relationship with the reader before. Even from the first page you can tell that this book is all about portraying the characters that are the building blocks of Metallica, and that it's main focus is an in your face personality. It contains interviews from fans, fan questions to the band as a whole, stories, views from outsiders, and much much more. Never short on detail, I really feel like I have found a book that can define and strengthen my collection.
So What: The Good, the Mad, and the Ugly is divided up into six main parts, the first being an extensive introduction to the early days of Metallica and the personalities that compose and characterize the spirit and outlook of the band. The second part deals primarily the childhoods of the band members, which I actually found to be quite entertaining and amusing (Lars Ulrich's Danish Father Torben Ulrich has a really sweet beard). The next part, being the third naturally, is all about the "Load" album and contains a solid body of interview material and discussion. The fourth section is one of my favorite parts, as each member of Metallica brings forth a pleasantly extreme and comprehensive volume of personal material. The fourth part is really one of the biggest contributors to the personal and revealing aspect of the book that I mentioned previously. The fifth section contains subject matter primarily relating to the "Re-Load" album, as well as personal perspectives on the other members of the band from each member. The book concludes itself with material regarding the whole "S and M" orchestral album and some recent touring text and visual stimulation. And of course one cannot forget the addition of Robert Trujillo replacing the tragically departed Jason Newsted.
In addition to being a good and solid read throughout, So What: The Good, the Mad, and the Ugly actually has the kind of staying power of a good album in that I find myself coming back to it on frequent occasions for skimming. This is most likely due to the immeasurable volume of cool tidbits and eye candy that can be found throughout (and when I say immense, I really mean immense, it's almost overwhelming).
I think for me, the most annoying part (aside from the whole "let's try to sell out even more" philosophy that shadows the whole thing) is the way Lars Ulrich talks. I can actually picture him saying these things, and let me tell you, this guy really gets to me on many levels. His mannerisms seem to really get under my skin, and you can just tell he is totally full of himself (to me his ego overshadows the whole band). This to me is a strong minus, and really deters me on a certain level (although I shouldn't say too much more or he will try to sue me or something). However everything else about it is really top notch. 8.5 is the highest rating I have given a book on RevelationZ, so as of now this is my top pick and most recommended (aside from The Dirt, which I haven't gotten to yet). If you are a fan of any period of the Metallica heritage, than I seriously recommend this to you. Go out and buy it, make Metallica even richer, and enjoy yourself.
Rating: 8/10
