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Save Me From Myself: How
I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs,
and Lived To Tell My Story
By Brian “Head” Welch, former
lead guitarist of Korn
Rating:
8/10
Review by Jeff Maki
In early 2005, when guitarist Brian “Head” Welch announced he had accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and was leaving Korn, my initial reaction was like most other fans. I found it be shocking, confusing and, actually, humorous. “Is this some sort of publicity stunt? A hoax? What in the hell?” I wondered.
Soon after, pictures surfaced online of Head being baptized in the Jordan River, in which he bore a striking resemblance to Jesus, and news sites reported he had visited India to set up orphanages. An all-out media-frenzy then erupted, with everyone looking for answers and a mild war of words even started between Head and his former band, mainly with vocalist Jonathan Davis. News broke of Save Me from Myself, Head's memoir, which would tell his story of how he kicked drugs and quit Korn. The book landed in the New York Times bestseller list after its release in July 2005.
I'm not really a religious person. I believe in greater powers but have never been one to attend church or practice any form of religion. But for some reason as months went on, I became intrigued with Save Me from Myself. “What happened? Is this something I need to read? There's really nothing funny about it." These were some of my thoughts and finally I caved and purchased the book. It's almost as if I felt obligated to read it for whatever reason. I can say now that I'm glad I did.
I'm not a born again Christian or anything like that, but from reading Save Me from Myself, I gained some needed perspective on life. For all the Korn fans out there, if you're looking for juicy tidbits and wild and crazy stories of the band on tour, you're mostly out of luck. There are a few things in there, a few interesting and funny stories (the lack of any stories from the road is later explained), but Head's main focus with Korn is how it all began. If you're a die-hard Korn fan, you won't learn much. This isn't a book about a band's rise to fame and collapse or anything of the sort. It's not Behind the Music. Korn takes a back seat to Head's battle with methamphetamines and alcohol, his love life and his relationship with his daughter.
There are many parts of the book that are repetitive, but as we learn, this is the life of an addict. The best parts are when Head writes about the thoughts, feelings and emotions he experienced in his mind throughout his career personal struggles. Save Me from Myself reads like a “self-help” book above anything else. Head's problems aren't that different from what many of us go through each and every day of our lives. It's reassuring to know you're not the only one experiencing things once in a while. It doesn't necessarily fix anything, but it makes you feel better about your own life. The book is about depression, family, choosing right from wrong and, eventually, triumph over struggle.
Head's writing is rather simplistic, making for a smooth read. I actually read the book in about four hours and it was hard to put down. He doesn't bore you with endless details. For the most part, it's straight to the point. It does provide the answers you're looking for as to why he left Korn and found his faith. He's not preaching or trying to convert and gain followers, just offering hope, as cliché as that sounds, to those entrenched in dark places and bad situations.
Save Me from Myself is honest and was no doubt huge self-therapy for Brian “Head” Welch. Now he hopes to help others with his story. The last couple of chapters get deep into religion and read a little thick, talking about denominations and speaking in tongues, but they're also the shortest chapters in the book. Save Me from Myself is inspiring, and Head is sending out a real message. This guy was in one of the biggest bands in the world and it's shocking to learn his true story. It's no guarantee that everyone will come away with something here or be touched, but I did, and like I said, I'm not religious at all.
Buy Save Me From Myself right here
Related links:
www.brianheadwelch.net
www.myspace.com/brianheadwelch
www.drivenmusicgroup.net
©2008 Live-Metal.Net
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