I'm the Man

The Story of That Guy from Anthrax

By: Scott Ian, Jon Wiederhorn, Kirk Hammett - introduction

Narrated by: Scott Ian

From founding member and guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax comes a personal reflection of his life and the moments that led him to his role as a staple in rock history.​

I'm the Man is the fast-paced, humorous, and revealing memoir from the man who co-founded Anthrax, the band that proved to the masses that brutality and fun didn't have to be mutually exclusive. Through various lineup shifts, label snafus, rock 'n' roll mayhem, and unforeseen circumstances galore, Scott Ian has approached life and music with a smile, viewing the band with deadly seriousness while recognizing the ridiculousness of the entertainment industry. Always performing with abundant energy that revealed his passion for his craft, Ian has never let the gravity of being a rock star go to his shaven, goateed head.

Ian tells his life story with a clear-eyed honesty that spares no one, least of all himself, starting with his upbringing as a nerdy Jewish boy in Queens and evolving through his first musical epiphany when he saw KISS live on television and realized what he wanted to do with his life. He chronicles his adolescence growing up in a dysfunctional home where the records blasting on his stereo failed to drown out the sound of his parents shouting at one another. He sets down the details of his fateful escape into the turbulent world of heavy metal. And of course he lays bare the complete history of Anthrax -- from the band's formation to their present-day reinvigoration -- as they wrote and recorded thrash classics like Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, and the top-twenty-charting State of Euphoria.

Along the way, Ian recounts harrowing, hysterical tales from his long tour of duty in the world of hard rock. He witnesses the rise of Metallica, for which he had a front row seat. He parties with the late Dimebag Darrell while touring with Pantera and gets wild with Black Label Society frontman and longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde. He escapes detection while interviewing Ozzy for "The Rock Show" while dressed as Gene Simmons and avoids arrest after getting detained on suspicion of drugs while riding the tube in England with the late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton.

In addition, I'm the Man addresses the trials and tribulations of Ian's life and loves. He admits his foibles and reveals the mistakes made along the way to becoming a fully-functioning adult. He celebrates finally finding peace and a true sense of family with his wife, singer/songwriter Pearl Aday, and examines how his world changed after the birth of their first son.

I'm the Man is a blistering hard rock memoir, one that is astonishing in its candor and deftly told by the man who's kept the institution of Anthrax alive for more than thirty years.

Critic reviews

Jabby, gabby, and metal-obsessed...exhilarating.—New York Times

Scott writes with real honesty...I'm the Man stands up as a great insight into one of metal's leading figures. And you don't have to be a thrash or rock fan to enjoy it—Jewish Telegraph

Eye-opening...The hard-charging head-banger has assembled his best anecdotes into the revealing autobiography...For every familiar factoid, Ian introduces two or three new nuggets even diehard Anthrax fans probably don't know...Despite the shenanigans and chicanery of Ian's teens and twenties, the man who emerges here is surprisingly level-headed and articulate.—Cleveland Music Examiner.com

Awesome autobiography!

Great to know the sorry behind the music or one of my favorite bands, Anthrax. Scott Ian does such a great job of detailing everything out so well and including so much attention to telling a great story.

Great Audiobook

Scott Ian is hilarious here. Excellent stories and plenty of insight about the band. I laughed out loud several times until my belly hurt. Highly recommended!

Love this book!

Scott Ian narrating this book make it come alive! His stories are great and the book filled in some of the time line of Anthrax I didn’t know.

catch 22

its olmost 12 hours but it it seemed like 1. id hope it would have been longer, but it was an amazing read(listen). not only that, but it was scott ian himself doing the reading and it made it even more legit. the catch 22 phrase he mentions at the end is very true for a musician. family comes first but the passion for playing never leaves. its truly a book for anyone.

Great memoir of heavy metal

I’ve been an honor roll with these kind of books lately. This one is well read by Scott in. He’s perfect with emotion and intent. Interesting stories that will keep you wanting more