Lamb Of God guitarist Mark Morton recently guested on the Having Had Podcast for an in-depth discussion about music, Lamb Of God's commercial success, being the second best guitarist in his high school, parenthood, his worst gig ever, and much more.
On Lamb Of God's commercial success:
Morton: ""I tell people this, and I say it half to elicit a smile, but it's also as much true, is it was really only maybe five or six years ago that I finally was able to be, like, 'All right, I probably am gonna be okay playing music. I'm not gonna have to go get a day job, probably not. I might have to downsize, might have to rethink some of my financial decisions, but I'm probably not gonna have to go get a day job.' Because I'm so used to being convinced that it's just all gonna go…"
"I saw an interview with Rob Zombie, actually. I don't know Rob Zombie. We toured together once. I don't think we even spoke. But he's a very creative dude, and I respect his creativity and his hustle and he's had a great career. He said something like he spent his whole career thinking it's about to end, and I really do understand that."
For a band as extreme as Lamb Of God, mainstream success and touring the world to massive audiences was an almost surreal achievement. But for guitarist and lyricist Mark Morton, the triumph was dulled by the pain of addiction and loss.
In Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir (Hachette Books), Morton traces the highs and the lows of his career and personal life, revealing how the pressures of success and personal battles eventually came into conflict with his dedication to the creative process. Morton writes about the greatest personal tragedy of his life: the death of his newborn daughter, which plunged 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 on a daily basis.
And yet intertwined with self-destruction and harrowing heartbreak, there were moments of joy, self-acceptance, and incredible connection. Morton developed close relationships with his bandmates and crew members, sharing experiences that have made for some strange and hilarious tales. He 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.
“Initially, I started writing this book just to see if I could do it,” said Morton. “But as the writing process unfolded, it quickly took on much more meaning. Unpacking my story, I was able to observe events in my life with an objectivity that I hadn't experienced while I’d lived them in real time. Through a lens of hindsight and recovery, I made friends with my past and found value in my most difficult days. I hope that by offering my experiences, I can create a point of connection and commonality. There are a lot of fun stories in here and a few really sad ones. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share them.”
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 and gratitude.
“Mark Morton’s Desolation is one of the most remarkable rock memoirs I’ve ever read, and Hachette Books is thrilled to be his publisher,” said Ben Schafer, Executive Editor at Hachette Books. “Through its humility, candor, and strikingly unpretentious style, it delivers a life story that is simultaneously relatable and remarkable. The rise of Lamb of God, Mark’s surprisingly varied influences, and his personal highs and lows are all chronicled with such a disarming and rigorous honesty that readers of all sorts will be moved and inspired to create, to recover, to live in a state of gratitude.”
Buy from Amazon and all good book shops including Waterstones and Blackwell's (digital available today, hardback July 11).
Praise for Desolation:
“I’ve spent over half of my life crossing the globe with Mark Morton, and during that time he has been many things to me - bandmate, fellow roofer, drinking and drugging partner-in-crime, and even occasional drunken brawling opponent. Most importantly, he’s been my dear friend. But for almost a decade, I was thoroughly convinced I would find him dead in his tour bus bunk. This book tells those stories, but it is also the story of how I got my friend back. I don’t worry about him dying anymore, so read this and know that there is still hope, even when everything falls to pieces.” - D. Randall Blythe, author of Dark Days and singer of Lamb Of God
“As a Virginia native and as a music lover and as a former knockabout kid who loved to sneak out and head to Richmond, I found this searing, emotional, furiously raw and real memoir to be a REVELATION. Mark Morton peels back the layers of his soul and lays them bare. This is more than a memoir, it is a testament to the power of music and the love that it creates. Bravo!” - S.A. Cosby, bestselling author of All The Sinners Bleed and Razorblade Tears
