In a way, Birth School Metallica Death: Volume 1, the first Metallica book by this esteemed pair, was easy. It covered the early years of Metallica’s career, when controversy was at a premium, and it was easy to view them as metal heroes.
But with this second volume the story becomes a lot more complicated. So it’s to the credit of the authors that they tackle the relevant issues with a keen journalistic objective appraisal.
Into The Black… covers the era of the St Anger album, the Some Kind Of Monster documentary and the Napster dispute; all of which are written about with an insight that draws on both the writers’ personal experiences and other people’s recollections.
By the end of the book, although you don’t actually like Metallica as people, you still have respect for them as a band. Well, it’s more interesting than believing they’re into pressing wild flowers. A good and thought-provoking read./o:p
