"You can get clean and live a life beyond anything you’ve ever dreamed of." Lamb of God's Mark Morton shares inspiring message as he celebrates 6 years clean

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Lamb of God guitarist is loving life without booze or drugs – and he wants everyone to know recovery is possible

Mark Morton of Lamb of God performs on stage at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre on August 26, 2023 in Chula Vista, California.
(Image credit: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton has shared an inspiring message as he celebrates six years of sobriety.

Morton, 52, says he had been drinking heavily and for "decades" and taking opiates for 10 years before he finally got clean and sober. And in case any fans who need help are worried about the challenge ahead, Morton wanted to share some encouragement.

In a social media post, he writes: "I woke up this morning with six years clean and sober.

"This comes after decades of drinking nearly every day and with the final 10 years of that compounded by an aggressively progressive opiate addiction that almost killed me.

"I’m writing this just in case someone out there who feels as hopeless, helpless and crippled by addiction as I once did might read it and start to believe that recovery is possible.

"You can get clean and live a life beyond anything you’ve ever dreamed of. Find an alcoholic or addict living in recovery. Ask them what they did. You’re worth it."

Morton has been open about his road to recovery. Earlier this year, he explained how Guns N' Roses icon Slash was one of the people who helped inspire him to stay clean.

In his memoir Desolation, out now via Hachette Books, Morton wrote: "Drinking and drugging had been an ingrained part of my creative process, freeing me from the barriers of self-doubt and inhibition. Could I even do it without being fucked up on something?

"I tried picking up a guitar and riffing around, but everything felt empty and lame. What had once been a natural, free-flowing relationship between my instrument and me now felt stiff and unfamiliar. I asked around for some insight and help, as I had been advised to do in rehab.

"A mutual friend put me in touch with Slash, who had gotten clean some years earlier. Slash graciously called me one afternoon and patiently listened to my tale of creative insecurity and fear. 'You’re putting too much pressure on yourself,' he told me sympathetically. 'It’s unrealistic for you to think that you can tap right back into your creative element so soon after the shock of getting clean. You’re learning a whole new way to live. You’re going to have to prioritize staying clean over everything else right now if you want it to stick.'"

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.