Stronger: Forty Days of Metal and Spirituality
Five years ago, Brian “Head” Welch found God, walked away from a wildly successful career as guitarist for the heavy metal band Korn, and wrote a best-seller about his crisis and conversion (Save Me from Myself, 2005). Five years later, Welch is ostensibly older, wiser, and, as the title of this suggests, stronger and ready to share some of that hard-earned wisdom in what he calls “not your typical devotional book.” Welch offers 40 biblical passages that have particular relevance to his life and spiritual journey. Each receives its own chapter, with a related anecdote from the author’s recent history—these stories range from the hilarious to the harrowing—told in an engagingly straightforward, if sometimes awkward, style. The biblical excerpts are often from more modern interpretations, lending them clarity while also fitting the book’s tone. Illustrations highlight the entries with an aggressive clarity that echoes Welch’s brutal honesty. The tell-all redemption memoir might not be the most original genre, but Welch does it well, presenting the reader with a raw and heartfelt diary of his spiritual journey thus far. --Taina Lagodzinski