Mick Wall: Metallica – Enter Night – 2012

Enter Night is the rock biography that outshines all others! Admittedly, I haven’t read all other rock biographies, but among those I have, this one is the king! It might sound like a cliché, but putting it down was genuinely challenging. My evening sessions with the book extended beyond the usual few pages before my eyes crossed. Even when utterly exhausted, I found new energy in reading this.

What makes it so good, and how does it differ from other rock biographies? Firstly, it revolves around a band like no other – Metallica! Even if you’re not interested in that specific band, Enter Night is written in a way that there’s always something new to discover. What sets these nearly 500 pages apart is the depth of the narrative. It’s not just a Metallica biography; any other band or artist mentioned provides abundant background information.

Enter Night

Enter Night contains a wealth of facts from Metallica’s earliest days with Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney, through Cliff Burton, Jason Newsted, and Robert Trujillo. Comprehensive histories of Kirk Hammet, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich are also included. While some information might be familiar to a fan like me, there’s plenty that’s new and previously unknown to me. Particularly intriguing is the insight into career choices and Lars Ulrich’s driving force throughout Metallica’s journey, in contrast to the reserved James Hetfield. We learn what has shaped them into who they are today, understanding the evolution of their personalities.

The journey also covers all their albums, analyzing why they sound the way they do, the enduring impact of Cliff Burton even after his death, and how they changed after the success of the self-titled “Black Album.” Opinions from the author come into play here, and this is where opinions may differ. While it’s a fact how albums sound, whether they are good or not may be subjective and perhaps not suitable for inclusion in a biography like this. The author expresses disdain for “…And Justice For All,” which I personally consider one of the band’s best albums. Differing opinions are welcome, even necessary for growth, but presenting them as universal truth warrants a backward kick, even if the rest of the book is top-notch.

I don’t agree

I also don’t quite agree with the genre he uses to describe the music. According to the book and Mick Wall, the first two albums – “Kill ‘Em All” and “Ride the Lightning” – are thrash albums, while “Master of Puppets” evolved into something more. I disagree. I see the first two as speed metal albums, with “Master of Puppets” marking Metallica’s move into the thrash genre. Regardless of what one calls the music style and despite my reservations about the book, Enter Night remains the most captivating rock biography I’ve read to date!

Recommended for EVERYONE!