Desolation

A Heavy Metal Memoir

By: Mark Morton, Ben Opipari

Narrated by: Mark Morton

A gritty, revealing heavy metal memoir by Lamb of God’s lead guitarist and co-lyricist, which explores both his life in music and his tumultuous path through addiction and into recovery.

DESOLATION is the story of Morton's lifelong quest for clarity and self-acceptance, and shows how the pressures of career success and personal battles eventually came into conflict with Morton's dedication to the creative process. Intertwined with addiction, self-destruction, and the path to eventual surrender and recovery, Morton also reveals the greatest personal tragedy of his life: the death of his two-day old daughter, plunging Morton further into hopelessness. Surrounded by bandmates living their wildest dreams, Morton wanted nothing more than to disappear, ingesting potentially lethal cocktails of drugs and alcohol into his system on a daily basis.

And yet, amidst the harrowing heartbreak, there were moments of triumph, hope, and incredible personal connection. Morton developed close relationships with his bandmates and crew members, sharing experiences that have made for some strange and hilarious tales. He's also gained a greater sense of purpose through interactions with his fans, who remind him that his work reaches people on a deeply personal level. Through the highs and the lows, Morton learns how to find presence and gratitude where he once found fear and resentment, a process that he considers a gift of spiritual awakening.

DESOLATION is, at its core, about Morton's journey as a musician navigating self doubt, anxiety and the progressive disease of addiction, and ultimately finding relative serenity. Perfect for fans, new and old, as well as anyone who has ever been tested and brought to their limits, DESOLATION is a highly-satisfying, full-throttle investigation of the human experience.

Love the Epilogue

Great memoir, and a great arrival at the value of recovery. Thanks for sharing, Mark!

fantastic

Mark does an excellent job narrating his book first and foremost. His story is structured very well, giving us a glimpse through his life, where he came from to where he is now. He didn't seem to hide any of the darkside and his battle with addiction and the struggles associated that we all have come to see from so many people.
Highly recommend.

Completely relatable

I’ve been a longtime fan of Mark and his artistry, he pretty much influenced all metal musicians who got into the scene in the early 2000’s. One of my favorite things as a musician/artist is to know the story of people who’ve influenced me substantially, this book is one of those stories.. it’s humbling to know what even if we’re a decade apart, we still all grew up very similar before playing music changed everything. We all get to the same path, we just all take different trails.

Narrated by author

Great listen. The narration was clear and articulate. Content was honest and relatable. Would recommend.

Mark Morton and his battles

Mark Morton chronicles his career, family tragedy and battles with addiction. Listen directly his story in his words.