title: Dark Days: A Memoir
author: D. Randall Blythe
description: <b><i>Billboard</i>, This Summer's Music Must-Reads, 5/30/15</b><br />Recounts a horrifying incident and its aftermath.<br /><br /><b><i>Richmond Magazine</i>, July 2015</b><br /><i>Dark Days</i>brings readers deeproughly 500 pages deepinto [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.<br /><br /><b><i>Downtown Magazine</i>, 7/7/15</b><br />Entirely the opposite of a happy-go-lucky rock star memoir, <i>Dark Days</i> 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 fanor even previously aware of Lamb of Godto appreciate <i>Dark Days</i>, as it comes from the perspective of an introspective, good-natured person trying to do the right thing<br /><br /><b><i>Village Voice</i>, 7/10/15</b><br />Fluid, literary prose[An] intensely detailed memoir.<br /><br /><b><i>Boston Globe</i>, 7/23/15</b><br />Gripping.<br /><br /><b>My Big Honkin Blog, 7/22/15</b><br />The book takes on a very authentic feel early on, with reproductions of notes scrawled in a very rough handThey 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. <i>Dark Days</i> 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.<br /><br /><b>Loudwire.com, 8/4/15</b><br />A tremendous readRandy 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.<br /><br /><b>BackstageAxxess.com, 8/6/15</b><br />EngrossingBlythe proves to be a gifted writer as he transports the reader back through those awful days with detailed accounts and often humorous anecdotes<i>Dark Days</i> 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.<br /><br /><br /><b>MediaMikes.com, 7/23/15</b><br />Riveting, bold and brutally honest <i>Dark Days: A Memoir</i> isn't your everyday rock and roll memoirBlythe recounts his experiences in such a way that you almost feel the emotion coming from the words on the pages<i>Dark Days</i> 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.<br /><br /><b><i>Lithium Magazine</i>, 7/31/15</b><br />In <i>Dark Days</i>, 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 <i>surely</i> enjoy this book. Music fans and casual readers will <i>ALSO</i> really enjoy this book. <i>Dark Days</i> 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 shownBlythe 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 costAn engaging book.<br /><br /><b>GeekNation.com, 8/31/15</b><br />An absolutely astounding, brave, and gut-wrenching bookIf you read one book this year, make it <i>Dark Days</i>.<br /><br /><b><i>South China Morning Post</i>, 9/5/15</b><br />[A] moving bookGritty 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.<br /><br /><b><i>Portland Book Review</i>, 1/6/16</b><br />D. Randall Blythe's memoir is one of a kindBlythe's attempts to deal with a life that could have resulted in years of incarceration leave the reader admiring his spirit and patience.<br /><br /><b><i>Austin Chronicle</i>, 12/11/15</b><br />[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 ghostwriterwhy 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.<br /><br /><b><i>Philadelphia Magazine</i>, 1/15/16</b><br /><i>Dark Days</i> is extremely candid. It goes to some really raw places of the heart.
zlib_text: Table of Contents
  Legal Page
  Title Page
  Book Description
  Dedication
  Trademarks Acknowledgement
  Chapter One
  Chapter Two
  Chapter Three
  Chapter Four
  Chapter Five
  Chapter Six
  Chapter Seven
  Chapter Eight
  Chapter Nine
  Chapter Ten
  Chapter Eleven
  Chapter Twelve
  Chapter Thirteen
  Chapter Fourteen
  Chapter Fifteen
  Chapter Sixteen
  Chapter Seventeen
  Chapter Eighteen
  Chapter Nineteen
  Epilogue
  New Excerpt
  About the Author
  Publisher Page
  
  A Totally Bound Publication
  Dark Nights and Headlights
  ISBN # 978-1-78430-103-3
  ©Copyright Bailey Bradford 2014
  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright July 2014
  Edited by Rebecca Douglas
  Totally Bound Publishing
   
  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the
  author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance
  to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
   
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any
  material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise