Book Review
“So Let It Be Written: The Biography of Metallica’s James Hetfield” by Mark Eglinton [Book Review]
The book aims to give a more holistic approach to how Hetfield’s past, especially his relationship with his mother and his upbringing as a Christian Scientist, left lasting scars and marks on his psyche.
Unless you live under a rock you are well aware of Metallica and their larger-than-life, intensely-commanding frontman, James Hetfied. So much has been written about the band over their more than 30-year career that most everyone, especially fans, know about Hetfield’s rough demeanor, hard partying, and incredible guitar chops.
So Let It Be Written: The Biography of Metallica’s James Hetfield aims at taking readers on a journey back to Hetfield’ past to discover what makes the man tick. Through interviews with childhood friends and acquaintances, Eglinton attempts to provide material that has not been written about before and, while he does not always succeed in that, there are quite a few “exclusive interviews and details” that I have not seen anywhere before.
The book aims to give a more holistic approach to how Hetfield’s past, especially his relationship with his mother and his upbringing as a Christian Scientist, left lasting scars and marks on his psyche. Also covered briefly are the Napster hearings, the riff with ex-bassist Jason Newsted, and of course Hetfield’s long drawn out battle with booze and eventual sobriety.
Overall, I think this is a decent albeit short book that includes interviews with colleagues such as Chuck Billy and Alex Skolnick (Testament) and Millle Petrozza of Kreator, childhood friends, and business partners that help to give us a better understanding of one of the most influential frontmen in all of heavy metal.
Written by: Mark Eglinton (Author), Chuck Billy (Foreword)
Publisher: Lesser Gods (April 11, 2017)
Format/Length: Paperback; 224 pages