The book that is the subject of this review is Metallica and philosophy: a crash course in brain surgery, edited by William Irwin and published in 2007. It is part of a growing genre of books that examine pop culture icons such as the Matrix movies, The Lord of the Rings series, The Simpsons television show and others across the lens of philosophy. The book is made up of a series of twenty short essays that examine the Metallica band, the interpersonal relationships between the members, and the lyrics in the context of some of the main ideas of Western philosophy.
The primary purpose of the book, and the series as a whole, is to introduce the average reader to the “big ideas” of philosophy, while also providing a more entertaining setting. Very often, philosophy is studied only in places of higher education and only reluctantly by its students, who must force themselves to delve into the reading material and get as much information as they can. Knowledge of this type is not easy, and trying to answer the deepest questions of existence and the human being requires difficult thinking. Therefore, the editors of the series seek to show that studying philosophy can be more entertaining, and “thinking deeply about television, movies and music does not make you a ‘complete idiot'”. In fact, it could make you philosophize, someone who believes that the unexamined life is not worth living and the unexamined cartoon is not worth watching. “Metallica, as one of the most successful bands in history, receives the philosophical treatment in this installment of the series.
As a student who took numerous philosophy courses in college and who has read another installment in this series (The Simpsons and philosophy), these kinds of books have always been intriguing. The question begs to be asked: is the book written for philosophers interested in Metallica, or for Metallica fans interested in philosophy, or is there a difference? Many Metallica fans are unlikely to find themselves in the Philosophy section of their local Borders unless they are interested in philosophy. But it’s just as hard to imagine the stereotypical college professor picking up a book titled Metallica and philosophy. However, the fact that more than twenty authors contributed to this series of essays shows that there are several professors, authors, and students of philosophy who also share an appreciation for the greatest heavy metal band of all time. The themes found in the book also show that the authors knew the lyrics and history of Metallica well enough to offer valuable insight into the philosophical context of Metallica’s work.
With twenty essays contained in the book, it is impossible to review all the topics presented. The essays serve as an introduction to the great questions of philosophy and use the lyrics of James Hetfield as the best source of material. Topics such as insanity and capital punishment are examined through various songs, as well as the band’s relationship to religion and response to the meaning of life. Pretty heavy topics, no doubt. However, each essay is written with the end goal or readability in mind. While the themes often examine the abstract, the authors use frequent examples, such as citing lyrics, or use anecdotal examples from the band’s history. This makes the ideas much easier to understand and the essays do not get caught up in a long period of exposure on esoteric matters. Many of the essays could have been a bit longer for a more comprehensive discussion of the issues, but the length of each was sufficient to raise a topic, examine it in the context of philosophical thought, and present some conclusions or areas for future research.
However, in addition to analyzing the lyrics, several of the essays also examine the general context and history of Metallica and attempt to answer some of the more contentious points raised over the years. These include the band’s theme of “selling out,” its image of disagreement with traditional rock roles, and Lars’ battle with the Internet file-sharing website Napster. Did Metallica sell out when they released an alternative hard rock album (LOAD)? What role did nonconformity play in Metallica’s setup and why can’t they go back to it anymore? Was Napster about money or something else, and was Lars’s argument fundamentally correct? The answers are discussed in detail in the book and may not be what the reader expects. As one of the authors writes: “Hey, philosophers are supposed to be objective, I don’t like them any more than you do!” But these events and themes are the most discussed when it comes to Metallica, which has been accused of selling out since their second album in 1984. Old arguments on both sides acquire new teeth when examined through the context of philosophy.
The book is a welcome introduction or reintroduction for Metallica fans to ideas and philosophical thought. For the serious philosopher who has spent time reading the original works cited in the essays, it may be just a casual summary of the issues in a heavy metal context. But for Metallica fans who want to know more about the band’s motivations and get into their heads, as well as understand the reasons why they are drawn to Metallica and heavy metal in general, Metallica and philosophy provides an ideal overview of these most important concepts.
