Desolation

A Heavy Metal Memoir

By: Mark Morton, Ben Opipari - contributor

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.

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

Outstanding

For a huge LOG fan this was excellent for learning more about their history from another perspective. The stuff about his daughter actually got me emotional. This was a great read for anyone who has dealt with addiction or loves modern metal music.

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.

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.

Great usage of a variety of words.

This book is amazing front to back. A roller coaster of emotions. Lamb of god forever!

Very well written

Really enjoyed the story and a peak behind the curtain to see that mark is just a normal guy.

Tragic. Interesting. Funny. Moving.

I grew up listening to Burn The Priest and Lamb of God’s first couple albums when I got to high school. I hadn’t t listened to them in ages and when I had an extra credit and saw that Mark wrote a book, I figured I’d revisit my teen years. Listening to Mark talk about going through his awkward phase in life and starting up the band was awesome. Hearing about his daughter had me legitimately crying. As a father, that one hurt me. If you’re a fan or once were like I was, give this a listen.

Thank you Mark!

I am a huge fan of Lamb of God and loved this book. Thank you Mark for sharing your recovery journey and stories from your journey and the bands journey. Thanks for your bravery! that means more to your fans than you may ever know.