Review
Creative Loafing Tampa, 11/7/14
The book chronicles the intensity of metal's commercial explosion in its heyday. That includes plenty of conflicts within the band and in Ian's personal life, and the book is being touted as a brutally honest confessional along the lines of Andre Agassi's Open.”
Dead Rhetoric, 11/9/14
It's pretty honest stuff, especially when Ian details the band's and his personal life's low-points, which there are several, but hardly of the cliché variety
I'm the Man is a killer read.”
Glide, 11/18/14
[Ian] talks straight, never fails to lay blame on himself for certain actions, and comes across as nothing but honest.”
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, 11/21/14
Riveting, top notch
Far superior to the glut of rock biographies currently available. In addition to the very revealing nature, this is a visual feast as well
This book knows no limits, making it impossible to put down
Don't hesitate, just buy! Guaranteed, this is an awesome readand would make a fantastic Christmas present.”
Rock Pages, December 2014
A well-crafted autobiography...Da Capo Press has done an outstanding job in inserting various rare photos from Scott Ian's personal archive while it also added an Ian-penned comic with Lemmy being the protagonist.”
Jewish Telegraph, 9/19/14
Scott writes with real honesty
I'm the Man stands up as a great insight into one of metal's leading figures. And you don't have to be a thrash or rock fan to enjoy it.”
Cleveland Music Examiner.com, 10/7/14
Eye-opening
The hard-charging head-banger has assembled his best anecdotes into the revealing autobiography
For every familiar factoid, Ian introduces two or three new nuggets even diehard Anthrax fans probably didn't know
Despite the shenanigans and chicanery of Ian's teens and twenties, the man who emerges here is surprisingly level-headed and articulate.”
The Real Rene, 10/14/14
Scott Ian is such a cool and down to earth guy that you feel he is right there with you telling you all these stories. This is not a book about drugs or groupies (well maybe some) but rather a compelling story about one of the coolest guys in rock n roll history.”
San Antonio Express-News, 10/26/14
A quick, entertaining read that's often laugh-out-loud funny. Scott Ian is a natural storyteller and he offers a clear-eyed, ground-level view of the harder edge of metal that Anthrax helped pioneer.”
Media Mikes, 10/20/14
I'm the Man is much more than a collection of road stories as Ian delves deep in to his personal experience with love, life and all things Dimebag Darrell
Over the book's 316 pages Ian is candid and unabashed
A solid read
For newer fans and for those who have followed Scott Not' Ian from the early days this book is for you.”
Stereo Embers, 10/13/14
I'm the Man isn't a typical rock star autobiography. Although it has its share of hilarious stories of drugs and partying, the book refreshingly focuses on the guiding light of Scott's life: music and, in particular, the music of Anthrax
The book is a thrilling ride through the ups and downs of being in a rock and roll band
Moreover, I'm the Man will give you a greater understanding of how the Big 4 thrash bandsAnthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallicasomehow managed to change the course of heavy music, steering it away from the hair metal of the 1980s through sheer hard work, will, and perseverance
Scott Ian really is the manand you'd do yourself a disservice by not reading his thrilling autobiography.”
This Is Book's Music, 10/18/14
You might read the book thinking it will be nothing but inside stuff about the band and the recording industry, and it does touch on all of this quite well. It also has Ian looking at the world from a personal perspective, to show how he loves his music but is also someone with a mind and a sense of humor.”
NoEcho.net, 10/13/14
One of the most outspoken and ubiquitous figures in the heavy metal community, it was inevitable that Ian would someday write an autobiography
The guitarist is a gifted storyteller, conveying each memory with an enthralling balance of humor, wit, and self-awareness
Along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, Anthrax are part of the "Big 4," and Ian offers up the kind of insider stories behind all the groups that trivia hounds will eat up
It doesn't matter if you're a devout Anthrax follower, or just a casual fan of the group, I'm the Man is a fun read, packed with juicy stories from Ian's colorful career on and off stage
Just like the song it was named after, I'm the Man is irreverent, hilarious, and, at times, aggressive.”\
LithiumMagazine.com, 10/14/14
Scott Ian has, in his many decades as a touring musician, shared the stage with pretty much everyone who is anyone in hard rock and heavy metal. And he seems to have a photographic memory, as his power of recall has the uncanny ability to virtually bring the reader into the room with him
I'm The Man will please Anthrax fans. It will also please music fans who maybe don't know so much about Anthrax. The passion behind his band, perseverance over numerous hardships, and the ability to recount tales gone by with an often humorous stilt makes for an entertaining read.”\
John Shelton Ivany Top 21, Issue 445
Ian tells his life story with a clear-eyed honesty that spares no one, least of all himself.”
Oakland Press, 12/19/14
If you've attended or heard any of Ian's spoken-word performances you know he's a natural raconteur, and that also comes through in this book, a memoir that's enriched by Ian's eye for smaller details that can be built into unexpected, captivating complements to the larger story he's telling.”
Examiner.com, 12/24/14
Not just a chronicle of his band's life and times, the book is also a mix of a coming of age story for Queens' Ian and a look at a historic time in heavy metal
This book [sits] comfortably among the best rock biographies to hit the streets in the last few years.”
Heavy Metal About.com, 10/13/14
There aren't a lot of bands where the rhythm guitarist is the most high profile member of the band, but Scott Ian has always been the heart of Anthrax
[Ian] isn't afraid to say what's on his mind, and the book reflects his willingness to tell it like it is, even if it sometimes doesn't put him in a very flattering light
Ian really knows how to tell a story and the book is extremely compelling. It's a great blend of the events that shaped him and Anthrax, his personal life and crazy and hilarious tales from throughout his life. It's a must-read for any fan of Ian and Anthrax.”
HornsUpRocks.com, 10/15/14
One of the best books you will ever read! It's honest, it's entertaining and full of stories of one of the guys to blame for Heavy Music being what it is today
Whither you are a veteran musician or you are just starting out, this is a book you must read and absorb as the amount of knowledge and lessons of perseverance that Scott shares will make you a better musician. Hell, this book will inspire any human being to have big goals and to never stop working in order to accomplish those goals.”
Eternal Terror, 10/20/14
An interesting and inspiring read
No stone is left unturned in this book when it comes to Anthrax
Ian is brutally honest and tells it like it is
A fast-paced, funny, revealing and at times tragic account of how a geeky boy from New York made it in the world of music and just how thin the line between devastating and triumphant really is, not just in the world of music, but in life in general. The book strikes a really nice balance between the uplifting aspects of being in a metal band as well as all the bullshit, backstabbing, setbacks and pain that ensue from it all
One need not be a fan of Anthrax, S.O.D. or even The Damned Things in order to enjoy this book. It is so well-written, humorous, heart-warming and even downright insane in places that one cannot avoid being moved by it
A captivating and fascinating read. Highly recommended!”
My Big Honkin Blog, 10/25/14
It is [Ian's] average Joe-ness that makes his story of struggle, determination and persistence, told in the new bio, I'm the Man, so interesting
You can't help but root for the guy. The fact that he didn't go out of his way to screw things up like so many rockers do also tends to make the story unique
This one is a great read whether you're a fan or not.”
MediaBistro.com, 11/6/14
Fast-paced, funny, and revealing.”
Revolver, 10/14/14
[A] compelling memoir
Like any good rock bio, I'm the Man abounds with tales of debauchery, fisticuffs, and other insanity on the road
The book is also full of revelations
All this keeps the pages turning. But I'm the Man is not just a tell-all. It's an inspiring tale of perseverance in the face of endless lineup and label changes, rehearsal room fires, and a fickle music industryand it's also a cautionary tale
And Ian pulls no punchesmany, at himselfwhen discussing how the craziness of the touring life makes normal' life almost impossible
I'm the Man proves to be the perfect title for the book, because what ultimately crystallizes is a rounded picture of Ian, not as a metal icon, but as a man: one who tried and sometimes failed but always kept trying, and can look back on it all with honesty and clarity.”
Houston Press, 11/5/14
The book of course tells the complete history of the thrash-metal legends from their hardscrabble beginnings and cult status through the varying lineups, discography and playing huge stadiums with the rest of the Big 4' (Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer). But it's also about how this short Jewish kid from Queens, N.Y. basically got through life with the help of music.”
NeuFutur.com, 10/31/14
The book is just as good as you'd expect a book by Scott Ian would be. Often self-deprecating
funny and more than a little revealing, I'm the Man is one of the few books about metal that even those unimpressed by the genre can appreciate
I'm the Man manages to be one of those unique rock autobiographies that end up being about much more than rock and being in a band.”
BackstageAxxess.com, 10/28/14
A great first hand account of the history of thrash.”
Parade Magazine, 11/16/14
Scott Ian describes what it's like to go from kid with guitar to thrash-metal pioneer.”
About the Author
Scott Ian is co-founder, guitarist, and chief lyricist of Anthrax and Stormtroopers of Death. He is a Yankees fan and lives with his wife and son outside Los Angeles, California.
Jon Wiederhorn is co-author of Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal and Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen. He is a senior writer at Revolver and a contributor to Guitar World, Yahoo.com, eMusic, and Niosey.com. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two children.
