Dark Days
A Memoir
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On June 27, 2012, the long-running, hard-touring, and world-renowned metal band lamb of god landed in Prague for their first concert there in two years. Vocalist D. Randall “Randy” Blythe was looking forward to a few hours off–a rare break from the touring grind–in which to explore the elegant, old city. However, a surreal scenario worthy of Kafka began to play out at the airport as Blythe was detained, arrested for manslaughter, and taken to PankráPrison–a notorious 123-year-old institution where the Nazis’ torture units had set up camp during the German occupation of then-Czechoslovakia, and where today hundreds of prisoners are housed, awaiting trial and serving sentences in claustrophobic, sweltering, nightmare-inducing conditions.
Two years prior, a 19-year-old fan died of injuries suffered at a lamb of god show in Prague, allegedly after being pushed off stage by Blythe, who had no vivid recollection of the incident. Stage-crashing and -diving being not uncommon occurrences, as any veteran of hard rock, metal, and punk shows knows, the concert that could have left him imprisoned for years was but a vague blur in Blythe’s memory, just one of the hundreds of shows his band had performed over their decades-long career.
At the time of his arrest Blythe had been sober for nearly two years, having finally gained the upper hand over the alcoholism that nearly killed him. But here he faced a new kind of challenge: jailed in a foreign land and facing a prison sentence of up to ten years. Worst of all, a young man was dead, and Blythe was devastated for him and his family, even as the reality of his own situation began to close in behind PankráPrison’s glowering walls of crumbling concrete and razor wire.
What transpired during Blythe’s incarceration, trial, and eventual acquittal is a rock ‘n’ roll road story unlike any other, one that runs the gamut from tragedy to despair to hope and finally to redemption. While never losing sight of the sad gravity of his situation, Blythe relates the tale of his ordeal with one eye fixed firmly on the absurd (and at times bizarrely hilarious) circumstances he encountered along the way. Blythe is a natural storyteller and his voice drips with cutting humor, endearing empathy, and soulful insight. Much more than a tour diary or a prison memoir, Dark Days is D. Randall Blythe’s own story about what went down–before, during, and after–told only as he can.
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Billboard, “This Summer's Music Must-Reads,” 5/30/15
“Recounts a horrifying incident and its aftermath.”
Richmond Magazine, July 2015
“Dark Days…brings readers deep—roughly 500 pages deep—into [Blythe's] bout with alcoholism and through the still-surreal story of being arrested, jailed and tried on charges that he caused the death of a teenage fan injured at a 2010 Lamb of God concert.”
Downtown Magazine, 7/7/15
“Entirely the opposite of a happy-go-lucky rock star memoir, Dark Days is about Randy's journey, looking back on everything he went through in a land where one is not innocent until proven guilty. One does not have to be a metal fan—or even previously aware of Lamb of God—to appreciate Dark Days, as it comes from the perspective of an introspective, good-natured person trying to do the right thing”
Village Voice, 7/10/15
“Fluid, literary prose…[An] intensely detailed memoir.”
Boston Globe, 7/23/15
“Gripping.” -
GeekNation.com, 8/31/15
“An absolutely astounding, brave, and gut-wrenching book…If you read one book this year, make it Dark Days.”
South China Morning Post, 9/5/15
“[A] moving book…Gritty and believable, the book reveals the life of a ‘budget rock star' and what it's like to have a drink problem. It succeeds by sharing insights into common human suffering.”
Portland Book Review, 1/6/16
“D. Randall Blythe's memoir is one of a kind…Blythe's attempts to deal with a life that could have resulted in years of incarceration leave the reader admiring his spirit and patience.”
Austin Chronicle, 12/11/15
“[Blythe's] illuminating, measured biography, from his arrest and 31 grueling days among the walking damned of the notorious Pankrac prison to a judge's release and final gavel, unwraps hard-won philosophy. There's no ghostwriter—why would a lyricist want one? Instead, Blythe's low, sardonic Virginia rumble flows through every word. No self-pity, no mea culpa, no anger, just gratitude for his own survival, and a deep contextualization of how he found himself in a Kafka-esque hell.”
Philadelphia Magazine, 1/15/16
“Dark Days is extremely candid. It goes to some really raw places of the heart.” -
MediaMikes.com, 7/23/15
“Riveting, bold and brutally honest Dark Days: A Memoir isn't your everyday rock and roll memoir…Blythe recounts his experiences in such a way that you almost feel the emotion coming from the words on the pages…Dark Days is not just for fans of Lamb of God or heavy metal. The book is a must for anyone interested in a unique story of injustice and the long arduous journey one man took to clear his name.”
Lithium Magazine, 7/31/15
“In Dark Days, Blythe takes the reader day by day, through his arrest and incarceration. He speeds things up and slows things down in just the right places, heightening the engagement level for the reader. Lamb of God fans, and metal fans will surely enjoy this book. Music fans and casual readers will ALSO really enjoy this book. Dark Days contains some sardonic wit, razor sharp insights, and a level of honour and integrity that many, if put into the same situation as the author, might not have shown…Blythe captures so much emotion within this book – hopelessness, anger, frustration, self-questioning (even a bit of loathing) and ultimately an intent to do the right thing no matter the cost…An engaging book.” -
My Big Honkin Blog, 7/22/15
“The book takes on a very authentic feel early on, with reproductions of notes scrawled in a very rough hand…They offer a depth of clarity that is amazing in its level-headedness, yet painful in their desperation. [Blythe's] description of the dank, crumbling, 123 year old prison and the dark cell he called home for over a month from shortly after his arrest to his making bail reads like something straight out of a James Bond movie and a villain's lair. Dark Days illustrates Blythe's iron grip on his reality; this guy knows pretty clearly who he is and his place in the world, truly a rarity for a rock star.”
Loudwire.com, 8/4/15
“A tremendous read…Randy leaves no stone unturned, no detail astray and no emotion unexplored, creating one of the most dense and honest reads you'll ever get from a musician's memoir.”
BackstageAxxess.com, 8/6/15
“Engrossing…Blythe proves to be a gifted writer as he transports the reader back through those awful days with detailed accounts and often humorous anecdotes…Dark Days is a gripping read that not only sheds light on the circumstances of his arrest and trial but on the character of the author himself as his integrity and candor serve as an example to all.”
- On Sale
- Jul 12, 2016
- Page Count
- 496 pages
- Publisher
- Da Capo Press
- ISBN-13
- 9780306825095
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