Debauchery 101

Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metal Legends – Jon Weiderhorn (Diversion Books)

I love these kinds of books because the short snippets and pick up the reading anywhere the book opens makes for perfect bathroom reading. I know…T. M. I. In all seriousness, this make for an entertaining read because it is the exact opposite of that…completely not serious.

Broken down into 17 chapters or if you prefer, 17 topic headings, Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metal Legends by veteran metal music writer, Jon Weiderhorn covers the full spectrum from breaking the law (with a nod to Judas Priest) to girls girls girls (Motley Crue) and even highway to hell (AC/DC) and everything in between.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the musical similarities with Weiderhorn detailing what amounts to the equivalent of country music’s, smoking weed with Willie (Nelson) being drinking with Lemmy! Apparently it was a bit of a sport for metal artists who crossed paths with the late, legendary Motorhead front man, Lemmy Kilmeister to try to match him drink for drink, often with disastrous results. You might display some sympathy hangover pain just reading about Anthrax’s Scott Ian toe to toe drinking with infamous guzzler.

From the outside the world of metal may seem like an outsized place full of scores of bands all plying their loud trade, but Weiderhorn’s collection of stories really highlights exactly how small that universe really is. These bands interconnect, crisscross and cover so much of the same ground that’s it’s not surprising that so many legendary tales spring forth from these guys. The brawls the battles the hard feelings and the knock down drag out of it, all make up a healthy chunk of this collection.

The grudges take on a life of their own and so do the women, the tour stops and life on the road. Whether you’re a metal fan or just a music fan, Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metal Legends, makes for an entertaining, often laugh out loud read.