Desolation

A Heavy Metal Memoir

De: Mark Morton, Ben Opipari - contributor

Narrado por: 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.

©2024 Mark Morton and Ben Opipari (P)2024 Hachette Books

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.

Tragic commonality of life

This book was phenomenal. I thank Mark Morton for bearing his soul and giving an honest accounting of his life as he remembers it. Each and every one of us have faced what we think is our own unique tragedies in life. But the more you listen to strangers' stories the more you realize these tragedies are unfortunately more universal than they should be. It is very comforting when someone that you have never met and probably will never meet has found a way to put into words they're pain and they're suffering and it somehow rings so true to your own. A hand has reached out and grasped yours and you know that you wasn't alone.

Painful entertainment!

I feel like I know Mark now. Just an honest overview of a valuable life. Every audiobook should strive to be like this.

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.

Incredibly deep and honest

Hearing about his life through his own words and voice made this great book that much more impactful.

Loved the book

Great for any Metalhead. This was a great perspective on many things but as a fan, especially to the history of Lamb Of God

Honest and Revealing

Mark's reading of the book was tremendously engaging and clear. I've loved his work from the beginning and had no idea of the depths of loss and addiction. Following him on Twitter gave me some insight, however he bares all here. Thank you Mark. I sincerely hope you write more. I would love to know more about the albums.