Synopses & Reviews
Lamb of god vocalist D. Randall Blythe finally tells the whole incredible story of his arrest, incarceration, trial, and acquittal for manslaughter in the Czech Republic over the tragic and accidental death of a concertgoer in this riveting, gripping, biting, bold, and brave memoir.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 offand#151;a rare break from the touring grindand#151;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 Pankrandaacutec Prisonand#151;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 Pankrandaacutec Prison'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 downand#151;before, during, and afterand#151;told only as he can.
Review
Billboard, 5/30/15and#147;An all-encompassing narrative portrait of the iconic mid-20th century band The Grateful Deadand#133;Much has been written about the band, but nothing quite as vibrant and vivid as So Many Roads.and#8221;
Billboard, and#147;This Summerand#8217;s Music Must-Reads,and#8221; 5/30/15
and#147;Recounts a horrifying incident and its aftermath.and#8221;
Review
Advance praise for Dark Days"Those of us who are familiar with Mr. Blythe's lyrics will be pleased to find that this book is full of all the impassioned, defiant, and bitingly funny writing we've come to expect from him. For those who aren't, I can only say that I'm jealous. You're about to discover a writer whose mind and heart are completely alive on every page. Dark Days is an utterly transfixing story of one man's journey through several hells. Some of these are of the kind fate puts us in. The others are the ones that always seem to burn inside us. It absolutely blew me away."and#151;Kevin Powers, National Book Award finalist and author of The Yellow Birds
"Randy Blythe survived an ordeal nobody should ever have to face. Wrongly accused of manslaughter in a foreign country, he bravely chose to go to trial rather than run. This book is a fascinating account about how to do the right thing when everything goes wrong."and#151;Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen and Don't Be a Jerk
"Harrowing and funny, bleak and hopeful, intelligent and earthy, and above all just really well-written, Dark Days is as good as rock memoirs get."and#151;Michael Azerrad, author of Our Band Could Be Your Life and Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana
Billboard, and#147;This Summerand#8217;s Music Must-Reads,and#8221; 5/30/15
and#147;Recounts a horrifying incident and its aftermath.and#8221;
Richmond Magazine, July 2015
and#147;Dark Daysand#133;brings readers deepand#151;roughly 500 pages deepand#151;into [Blytheand#8217;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.and#8221;
Downtown Magazine, 7/7/15
and#147;Entirely the opposite of a happy-go-lucky rock star memoir, Dark Days is about Randyand#8217;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 fanand#151;or even previously aware of Lamb of Godand#151;to appreciate Dark Days, as it comes from the perspective of an introspective, good-natured person trying to do the right thingand#8221;
Village Voice, 7/10/15
and#147;Fluid, literary proseand#133;[An] intensely detailed memoir.and#8221;
Boston Globe, 7/23/15
and#147;Gripping.and#8221;
MediaMikes.com, 7/23/15
and#147;Riveting, bold and brutally honest Dark Days: A Memoir isnand#8217;t your everyday rock and roll memoirand#133;Blythe recounts his experiences in such a way that you almost feel the emotion coming from the words on the pagesand#133;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.and#8221;
Lithium Magazine, 7/31/15
and#147;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 shownand#133;Blythe captures so much emotion within this book and#150; hopelessness, anger, frustration, self-questioning (even a bit of loathing) and ultimately an intent to do the right thing no matter the costand#133;An engaging book.and#8221;
My Big Honkin Blog, 7/22/15
and#147;The book takes on a very authentic feel early on, with reproductions of notes scrawled in a very rough handand#133;They offer a depth of clarity that is amazing in its level-headedness, yet painful in their desperation. [Blytheand#8217;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 villainand#8217;s lair. Dark Days illustrates Blytheand#8217;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.and#8221;
Loudwire.com, 8/4/15
and#147;A tremendous readand#133;Randy leaves no stone unturned, no detail astray and no emotion unexplored, creating one of the most dense and honest reads youand#8217;ll ever get from a musicianand#8217;s memoir.and#8221;
BackstageAxxess.com, 8/6/15
and#147;Engrossingand#133;Blythe proves to be a gifted writer as he transports the reader back through those awful days with detailed accounts and often humorous anecdotesand#133;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.and#8221;
Synopsis
Memoir of the arrest, trial, and acquittal for manslaughter of Randy Blythe, lead singer of metal band Lamb of God.
Synopsis
In 2010, a nineteen-year-old super-fan rushed the stage during a Lamb of God concert in Prague. To protect himself, singer Randy Blythe pushed the fan away. Unbeknownst to Blythe, the young man hit his head on the floor when he fell and later died from the injury. Blythe was promptly incarcerated on charges carrying a prison term of five to ten years. Thirty-seven days later, he was released on bail to await trial. Although legal experts told him not to return to the Czech Republic to face the charges, Blythe explained that he and#147;could not run away from this problem while the grieving family of a dead young man searched hopelessly for answers that [he] might help provide.and#8221;
After a five-day trial, he was acquitted on March 5, 2013.
In Dark Days, Blythe tells the story of his incarceration and the wild life that led up to it. As he explains, and#147;Most substance abuse books end with the author getting sober. My book starts there.and#8221;
About the Author
D. Randall Blythe is a writer, photographer, actor, and musician best known for fronting the metal band lamb of god. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife Cindy and their cat, Salad. This is his first book.
RandyBlythe.net
Instagram: drandallblythe
DarkDaysBook.tumblr.com