City Journal: The Paths We Choose


Godsmack's Sully steps out from behind the mic in his new tome.


Godsmack has never been boring. And Erna, the contemplative frontman for the North Shore metal outfit, ignites his foray into prose with a similar flair for intensity—opening his memoir with the moment he thrust a sawed-off shotgun into the mug of some knife-wielding mook at a party in Lawrence. From there, it’s standard coming-of-age fare, except with more fights (one with a sledgehammer). On the way, he shows how a little local band blew up. Erna’s no Updike, but his tale is gripping stuff. —Geoff Gagnon.