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Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir

by Dave Mustaine, Joe Layden (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 1,799 ratings · 183 reviews

The fall and rise of a heavy metal icon

Dave Mustaine is the first to admit that he's bottomed out a few times in his dark and twisted speed metal version of a Dickensian life.

Impoverished, transient childhood? Check.

Abusive, alcoholic parent? Check.

Mind-fucking religious weirdness (in his case the extremes of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Satanism)? Check.

Alcoholism, drug ad...more

Hardcover, 346 pages

Published August 3rd 2010 by It Books (first published 2010)

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Dec 27, 2012 Nathan Timmel rated it 1 of 5 stars

The main problem I had with it is the same one I had with both Slash's and Anthony Keidis' memoirs: WE GET IT, YOU WENT TO REHAB A LOT. Instead of taking one chapter and devoting it to the numerous times in and out of sobriety, it's done in "real time." So every time he goes into rehab, he writes about it and everything slows to a grinding halt. The other problem I had is the inability of people who replace their addiction to drugs/alcohol to an addiction to religion to understand that's all the...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Dirk Grobbelaar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, guitar

I think there are a lot of positive things that can come from a book like this. There are lessons here, and warnings, more than a few. It takes something to be this candid and open about the mistakes you’ve made, perhaps even more so if you’re Dave Mustaine. If you’ve ever read up about him, or if you’ve followed his career, you’ll know. He owns up to a lot here, generally clearing the water. Let’s face it, there’s only so much you can learn about someone like this on Wikipedia.

This is a confess...more I think there are a lot of positive things that can come from a book like this. There are lessons here, and warnings, more than a few. It takes something to be this candid and open about the mistakes you’ve made, perhaps even more so if you’re Dave Mustaine. If you’ve ever read up about him, or if you’ve followed his career, you’ll know. He owns up to a lot here, generally clearing the water. Let’s face it, there’s only so much you can learn about someone like this on Wikipedia.

This is a confessional of sorts, I suppose, and a lot of what you read in here may be unsettling. Dave has led an eventful life, and no mistake. If you thought the old saying “sex, drugs & rock ‘n roll” was just that, a saying, think again. In here you will find sex. You will find substance abuse of a mind-bogglingly excessive nature. Of course, the music is more metal than rock ‘n roll, but still…. Oh, did I mention the drugs? You see, this is a story about survival, and if someone like Dave Mustaine can clean up and straighten out his life to the extent he describes here. Well… it certainly does seem to take away most people’s excuses.

I suppose what most readers will be after when they read this, are the sections dealing with the founding of Metallica, Dave’s subsequent, highly publicised by now, dismissal and, of course, the founding of Megadeth. Nothing wrong with that, of course, since I suppose most people will only be reading this book because they’re into Heavy Metal in the first place. But I think that there is much more to it than that. Like I already mentioned, this is a story about survival. About being a man. About coming to the realisation that you have to be accountable for your own life at some point and that you can’t blame others, or your past, for your own shortcomings. On that level, I think many people will be able to identify with Mr Mustaine.

This book comes recommended, but there is quite a bit of swearing and quite a bit of “mature” content, since this is, after all, still Dave Mustaine. Also, the writing itself isn’t bad at all, which isn’t too surprising considering Mustaine’s history as songwriter. If you like music history and autobiographies, check it out! If you’re a Megadeth fan, well, I suppose I don’t even have to tell you, ‘cause you’ll have a copy already.
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Nov 20, 2010 Ramakrishnan M rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There was a time when Megadeth was my favorite-est band; Dave Mustaine (founder, leader, composer, singer, everything), personally, was GOD to me. I loved their aggressive music, I was inspired by their lyrics, and I could never stop talking about Megadeth with friends, family, whoever was tolerant to hear me out. Their music went through tumultuous ups and downs, and my personal tastes moved to more aggressive genres and artists. But, I always remained doggedly dedicated to the old era of Megad...more There was a time when Megadeth was my favorite-est band; Dave Mustaine (founder, leader, composer, singer, everything), personally, was GOD to me. I loved their aggressive music, I was inspired by their lyrics, and I could never stop talking about Megadeth with friends, family, whoever was tolerant to hear me out. Their music went through tumultuous ups and downs, and my personal tastes moved to more aggressive genres and artists. But, I always remained doggedly dedicated to the old era of Megadeth. So, when I chanced upon the autobiography of Mustaine at a book store, I just had to buy it immediately (admitted – I did not pick it up then and there; I came home and ordered it cheaper from an online seller).
This book is a must-have for every single fan of Megadeth. Mustaine has covered his entire life …. tumultuous times….the crazy “sex drugs and heavy metal” life… the battles with bands and band members…rehab…et al….with all the gory details.
He especially goes into a lot of detail of his early years – how he started playing music and how things evolved (and then fell apart) with Metallica. Anyone who knows even a little bit of Megadeth and Mustaine know about his unceremonious sacking from Metallica and how that left Mustaine angry and competitive for years. You just get lot more details here…straight from the horse’s…ughh... Mustaine’s mouth. Regarding his decadent life (???)-style, gosh it is a miracle he lived to tell the tale. Having dabbled with almost every kind of drugs and alcohol (sometimes doing it even inside a rehab centre), it is quite shocking that his body took it all and survived. Then, of course, there is the most traumatic phase in Mustaine’s life when his left hand suffered a nerve problem and he could not move it properly (leave alone play guitar); how painful it was to recover and re-gain his life, becoming a born-again-Christian, making amends with his wife and children, etc. is very well articulated.
Ultimately, this is an in-depth autobiography for the fans of Megadeth – nothing more, nothing less. I have seen lot of this material in interviews and articles and videos earlier. However, to have it all captured in a single book…and that too coming straight from Mustaine is a great experience.

A tout le monde (To everybody)
A tout mes amis (To all my friends)
Je vous aime (I love you)
Je dois partir (I must leave)
(Megadeth – Youthanasia – “A Tout Le Monde”)

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Feb 24, 2013 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had wanted to read this book for some time, but finally got around to buying the Kindle version when I was given an Amazon gift card for Valentines Day (thanks to my beautiful wife!). Since I'm in the middle of reading another book, I had intended to wait until I was done with that one before starting this one. But I decided to read "just one chapter" to get a taste of it, and ended up tearing through the whole book in just 3 days. I'm not a fast reader, so this is quite an accomplishment.

For...more I had wanted to read this book for some time, but finally got around to buying the Kindle version when I was given an Amazon gift card for Valentines Day (thanks to my beautiful wife!). Since I'm in the middle of reading another book, I had intended to wait until I was done with that one before starting this one. But I decided to read "just one chapter" to get a taste of it, and ended up tearing through the whole book in just 3 days. I'm not a fast reader, so this is quite an accomplishment.

For anybody who doesn't know, Dave Mustaine is the lead singer and founder of the heavy metal/thrash band Megadeth. He was also a founding member of Metallica, although he was kicked out of the band just before their big break. Metallica's first album uses four songs he wrote while in the band. His anger over being unceremoniously dumped from the band fueled his obsession with creating the baddest, wildest, most aggressive heavy metal band at the time. The goal: To be bigger, better, and more successful than Metallica.

This book was published a few years ago, just before the release of Megadeth's 12th studio album, Endgame.

In the book, he tells about his childhood, his mostly absent father, his brush with being involved with Jehovah's Witnesses, his legendary drug use and partying, the rise of Megadeth, his stints in rehab (17, I believe), and his eventual acceptance of Christ and becoming a born-again Christian.

Dave does not sugar coat any of this. The book is full of drug use, promiscuity, violence and rough language, and he's not apologetic about it (although I know from reading his Facebook page that he is currently working on cleaning up his language, saying that he had watched some videos of concerts and interviews and was appalled at how much profanity he was using). However, the language and graphic descriptions of the depraved rock n roll lifestyle he was living serve to make the final chapters where he embraces Christianity and mends some fences all the more powerful.

There were things I wish he had touched on more in the book. He states at one point that an attempt at using voodoo as revenge against a kid who was bullying him as a teenager led to a "very long and disturbing flirtation with the occult", but he doesn't really elaborate on that. He also, rather famously, OD'd on drugs at one point and died, but was resuscitated. I was interested to read about how this event played out from his perspective, but he just sort of off-handedly mentions it and moves on.

But all in all, I thought this was a fantastic book. Dave Mustaine and Megadeth have a pretty sordid history, and it's very interesting to read about it from the point of view of the guy who lived it. Even if you're not a fan of the band, it's worth a read.(less)

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Feb 22, 2013 Julian Lorr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dave Mustaine is one of those rare musicians: Technically competent, creatively bottomless, and relentlessly true to himself. Whatever you think about the early years of his coupling with, (and cutting from), Metallica, one fact remains set in stone and undeniable: Mustaine has fought to express the depth of his passion for metal and for music for decades and has never bent to the will of the industry or backed down in the face of adversity.

This book shows what it means to keep fighting on when...more

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Aug 08, 2012 George Majchrzak rated it 3 of 5 stars

First off, full disclosure: Megadeth is, with Iron Maiden, one of my two favorite bands ever. While I enjoyed this book because I grew up with the band and knew most of the stories included already, the main issue I had with the writing was the voice. Having read many interviews with Mustaine over the years, I am very well acquainted with how this man speaks and carries himself. Journalists have done a much better job through the years capturing Mustaine, bruises and all.

Here in his memoir, wit...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Rae Gee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not a huge fan of rock star memoirs because they all appear to follow the same formula of sex, drugs and rock n' roll.

Dave Mustaine's book is no different, although you do get the feeling that A. Certain things have been missed out (whether through Dave doing the Christian thing or, more likely, legal issues which would have arisen from them) and B. the ending seems far too rushed. Most likely that was to do with David Ellefson rejoining the band and everything having to have a quick rehash....more

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Jun 07, 2012 Chris Reading rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Warts and almost all.

Despite his many public whinges, I'm a massive fan of Dave Mustaine. He is one of the most underrated guitarists and song writers out there. The guy has had a difficult and chequered past, through his childhood, to being kicked out of Metallica and rising like a pheonix in the form of Megadeth. The majority of this is covered though this well written and engrossing read. There is much about Dave's childhood and formative years, helping us discover what makes the guy tick. We...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Darrell Reimer rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's hard to believe now, but there was a time when Metallica was scary. Not “discomfiting,” “unpleasant,” “grating” or “annoying” — scary. This was a pre-merch era, when kids cut the arms off their jean jackets and used a Bic pen to emblazon that scary band logo on the back. If there was any ink left in that crappy plastic tube, it was applied to the pants. After that, they might add some scary Metallica lyrics to the ink-heavy covers of their notebooks. Today that might be the equivalent of ta...more It's hard to believe now, but there was a time when Metallica was scary. Not “discomfiting,” “unpleasant,” “grating” or “annoying” — scary. This was a pre-merch era, when kids cut the arms off their jean jackets and used a Bic pen to emblazon that scary band logo on the back. If there was any ink left in that crappy plastic tube, it was applied to the pants. After that, they might add some scary Metallica lyrics to the ink-heavy covers of their notebooks. Today that might be the equivalent of taping a Ziggy cartoon to your locker door. But back then listening to Metallica was enough to send three kids to death row for murders that they clearly had nothing to do with.

“Today's noise,” as DEVO once said, “is tomorrow's hootenanny.” As their recent Saucy Jack hoe-down with Lou Reed confirms, Metallica is very much in the hootenanny business. It's been a long and steady descent for the band, but most headbangers would identify the point of egress as being that early morning when Lars and James roused their severely-hungover lead guitarist and co-writer, Dave Mustaine, and sent him packing. A quarter-century later Metallica fetches either critical nods or giggles, while Mustaine's music continues to set off alarm bells.

Mustaine readily admits he's not the easiest guy to hang with, and that a long history of substance abuse exacerbated the worst of his many character flaws. But there remain, at least to his way of thinking, many matters on which the record needs to be set straight. This desire fuels the bulk of his music, and makes him an endlessly interesting interview subject. How does it play out in his memoirs?

It's a mixed affair. He touches on most of the hot-button topics that fans of his music and story are familiar with, but laces the narrative with considerably less vitriol than he has in interviews. It seems that Mustaine, as he approaches the half-century mark clean and sober, with what appears to be a strong marriage and a healthy family life, has grown somewhat circumspect. While I don't begrudge the poor bastard his contentment, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the fury he so frequently unleashed in his more wounded state.

But until there is a collection of his interviews with Revolver magazine, this memoir will suffice as an account of the many tribulations that served as fodder for his still-disturbing music.(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guitar, music, non-fiction

I will admit it first thing: I'm a Dave Mustaine devotee. I know that he's an egomaniac...control freak...hard to work with...etc, etc. But, as a musician and the founder of my own band, I've always respected the way he runs Megadeth. Despite his many (many!) battles with drug addiction, alcoholism, lineup changes, etc, he has always run his band with a very level business head. This book is a very clear representation of Mustaine's point of view of the way things have gone down over the past 30...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Jason (FNORDinc) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-biography, reviewed, reviewed-on-fnordinc

Published in the US as ‘Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir’, I apparently bought a UK import version with an alternate title/cover.

The only way to properly talk about this memoir is to begin by paraphrasing Mustaine’s book regarding the stuff that everyone expects:

“I was in Metallica until they kicked me out. I am so sad and bitter. I started a new band, Megadeth, which is pretty kick ass and is a metal force to be recognized. Twelve stepping is good so long as you are not to drunk to walk. Even thr...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Lars-Christian Elvenes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very candid auto biography by one of metal's most famous voices, Dave Mustaine. You'll get the story from childhood all the way through Endgame, the latest album so far. There's plenty of sex, drugs (lots of drugs) and rock n' roll here. Disputes within the band and Dave's family is in focus, and of course the whole Megadeth (or Dave Mustaine) vs. Metallica issue is addressed.

You'll meet a very honest Dave throughout book. I personally felt the religious part got a bit heavy in the en...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Randolph Lalonde rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Megadeth since Peace Sells. My love for David Mustaine's sound (he is the lead guitarist, singer, and writer for the band - also the only original member), redoubled when the album "Rust In Peace" came out. I idolized the drummer of that period, Nick Menza, and when the lineup changed again, leaving him out of the band with other members, I found myself asking a lot of questions. Those questions were left mostly unanswered until I read this book.

It's carefully written, and whi...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Charles rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who RAWK! (No poseurs!)

My impression of Dave Mustaine before this book was based almost exclusively on two things: his appearance in the rock star deconstruction piece Some Kind of Monster and his appearance on VH1's Rock N Roll Jeopardy. I'll get to the book in a minute, but those are really worth watching:

Some Kind of Monster clip
Rock N Roll Jeopardy clip

Pretty smart guy, eh? Granted, there are first semester ESL students that would have bested Frank Zappa's kid, and George Clinton's pregame ritual clearly failed...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Steve lovell rated it 4 of 5 stars

With musical tastes ranging from the mainstream through to country, I have little knowledge of metal and had no idea who the 'dude' was whose photo graced the cover of this autobiography. So then why read a book about one of the founding members of Metallica and 'owner' of the Megadeth franchise? With a son-in-law who is heavily in to metal and who has managed to convince my daughter to veer into that territory too, when a respected colleague waved Mustaine under my nose and suggested I might li...more With musical tastes ranging from the mainstream through to country, I have little knowledge of metal and had no idea who the 'dude' was whose photo graced the cover of this autobiography. So then why read a book about one of the founding members of Metallica and 'owner' of the Megadeth franchise? With a son-in-law who is heavily in to metal and who has managed to convince my daughter to veer into that territory too, when a respected colleague waved Mustaine under my nose and suggested I might like to read it, I thought 'Why not!'.
Now on any level Mustaine comes across as a self-centred, thoroughly righteous, vindictive, and somewhat obnoxious prat. That isn't taking anything away from his musical genius - of which I am in no position to judge. Of course his high opinion of his place in the history and 'art' of metal is a recurring theme throughout. But the book is more than a self-indulgent, glorifying ode to his own standing as an icon of the genre - you do have to admire the man. And this was a rollicking journey that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Why admiration??? - well any person who could subject his body to the addictions he did (he'd give Keith R a run for his money) and live to tell the tale obviously is a figure not to dismiss lightly. For most of this read he had a gargantuan appetite for sex, drugs and alcohol.It took his genuine conversion to Christianity and the love of a good woman to turn his life around. The latter, as in all stories of 'bad boys made good' is , along with God, the true and under-acknowledged hero of 'Mustaine'. Reading such a book has given me an insight to a music and lifestyle that is foreign to me, and I am also sure that my own particular heroes, Gram Parsons and Townes van Zandt, were similarly
'self-centred,thoroughly righteous, vindictive, and somewhat obnoxious prats.' They significantly failed to survive their addictions
For all his failings, writing a book such as 'Mustaine', albeit with a 'ghostie', took some amount of courage as the ugly side is well and truly laid bare. Despite the over-abundance of the 'f-bomb' word this book 'rocks' Thanks Noel
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Sep 16, 2010 Rod rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've cheered him on for over 20 years...great musician - but what a retard. And this book is proof.
I'm glad the book ended the way it did: Dave is still alive, still making music, still married, still learning about Christianity. Go Dave!

I read this biography in 3 days. A fun fast romp through the dark side of the music industry. (is there even a light side?) I've read numerous music biographies: and they're pretty much all the same. Maybe someday Bruce Hornsby will write one; that would be diff...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Harrison Marshall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This autobiography is about one of the greatest metal legends and probably the craziest metal star: Dave Mustaine. The story begins with Dave waking up in La Hacienda rehab facility after a nap. He had fallen asleep with his arm over the back of a chair. Little had he know, the fact that he couldn’t feel his arm was because the blood had been cut off from his arm for to long and thus killing most of the nerves in his arm. Then as the doctor is telling him his arm will probably be dead forever, t...more This autobiography is about one of the greatest metal legends and probably the craziest metal star: Dave Mustaine. The story begins with Dave waking up in La Hacienda rehab facility after a nap. He had fallen asleep with his arm over the back of a chair. Little had he know, the fact that he couldn’t feel his arm was because the blood had been cut off from his arm for to long and thus killing most of the nerves in his arm. Then as the doctor is telling him his arm will probably be dead forever, the book flashes back to his childhood where he was forced to stay with his aunt and uncle who were big Jehovah's Witness's, through his very short run in Metallica in which he wrote half of the music for Metallica's first 2 albums. The book continues on through the start of Megadeth and the story of every Megadeth album to date, and ends at the first big 4 concert and the band beginning to write their most recent album, TH1RT3EN. Throughout Dave’s history and the band, he has gone through more band members than I can count. The only member of the band that has been in the band since the beginning is their bassist, David Ellefson. This book is as inspiring as it is delightfully and hysterically profane. Personally, I love this book to death. It is inspiring that someone who had such a crappy childhood, can rise above it all and make such an icon of himself. I also love this book because it is so hilariously profane. The book's humor is mostly shock humor but still, its very funny. The only problem with this book is it is in real time with Dave Mustaine. Usually this is a good thing, but EVERY TIME he goes to rehab, the book comes to grinding halt and you just have to read through those parts to get back to the story. Other than this, which is a very small almost obsolete issue, this book is amazing and deserves a five out of five stars. Any metal fan should have at least 2 copies of this book. It is THAT GOOD. I would not however, recommend this book to parents, pop fans, or anyone who does not have a sense of humor. (less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Ricardo Moedano rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: rubbish

Other than remind us every two pages that Megadeth has sold millions of albums and brag that he's got laid with more women than inhabit the globe, Dave Mustaine reiterates that he´s the sole mastermind behind it all (not Megadeth only, but the whole genre, actually; perhaps the music industry itself, as he appears to believe himself to have surpassed the Beatles, Shakira and Michael Jackson combined in regard to fame); other than that, this fellow slates anyone who ever came in touch with him th...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Lee Broderick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, music

I was a massive fan of Megadeth around the time of Rust in Peace and I've remained a fan, of sorts, ever since; so when I heard that Dave Mustaine had released a compelling, candid and revelatory autobiography I had to read it.

I'm not sure it's any of those things. It certainly isn't compelling: the style is overly simplistic and self-conscious; making it an awkward and at times irritating read. For this, at least, the ghost-writer must take the blame. As for revelatory, Mustaine's problems have...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Teddy M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dave Mustaine is proclaimed as the godfather of Thrash Metal. If you are a fan of Megadeth and the first Metallica album, Kill Em’ All, then this autobiography, Mustaine, is a must read. Dave goes through his life from point A through z listing his incredible journey from being a poor drug dealer to making his name known in the metal scene. Dave grew up in La Mesa, California, with three sisters and an alcoholic, abusive father. As a kid, he moved a lot because his mother was constantly running...more Dave Mustaine is proclaimed as the godfather of Thrash Metal. If you are a fan of Megadeth and the first Metallica album, Kill Em’ All, then this autobiography, Mustaine, is a must read. Dave goes through his life from point A through z listing his incredible journey from being a poor drug dealer to making his name known in the metal scene. Dave grew up in La Mesa, California, with three sisters and an alcoholic, abusive father. As a kid, he moved a lot because his mother was constantly running from her husband. As the years went by Dave became very interested in music and decided to pick up the guitar. Very soon Dave found himself playing In his first real band called Panic, which later bombed due to band morale and drug related problems. Reading through the newspaper, Dave found an add for a band looking for a guitar player. As he called Dave struck up a new friendship with Lars Ulrich, the drummer for Metallica. As Dave explored the metal scene with Metallica it wasn’t to long before the rest of the band kicked him out and picked up Kirk Hammet, the guitarist in the heavily preferred band Exodus. In the following years Dave, full of hatred, created “the prefect beast”, Megadeth, in order to be faster, louder, and meaner than Metallica. The way Dave words his story is incredible because he talks like a real human being. By this I mean that when something bad in his life happened he doesn’t try to sugarcoat it and make it seem that everything is okay but he comes out and says that it totally sucks to be kicked out of Metallica, and it sucks to have spent a big portion of his life a drug addict. Another thing I liked about this book is that Mustaine’s story is very real. There is a lot of adult content and mature topics, which for me is a breath of fresh air because so many of the books I read in school are all the same. Some kid starts school and then is bullied and then makes a lot of friends the end. No, the happy ending in this book is that Dave actually has a family, after all the years of addiction. In this book the chapters are broken down into important events that happened in Dave’s life. Also the book has pictures to enlighten the mood to a some what dark story. In conclusion Mustaine is a fantastic story and an excellent read whether u are metal head or just looking for an exiting story.
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Mar 16, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-e-books

I've been a fan of Megadeth for a long time but I have never been a fan of Dave Mustaine. In every interview I have seen or read Dave was always bitter and egotistical. After the Risk album I stopped listening to the band and promptly forgot about them.

I then heard about the book and avoided it due to my feelings toward Mustaine. I figured the book would be more of the same ego fuelled bitterness. When I heard about Dave's new found Christianity it changed my opinion a little. What effect would...more

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Dec 04, 2012 S©aP rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biografie, 2000

Lo stile è scontato. Così come molto di quanto vi si narra. Tuttavia non è un libro sciatto. Descrive impietosamente, a volte con disgustoso realismo, il cammino di un (ex) ragazzo californiano qualsiasi, con un'infanzia non troppo bella, che ha tratto il massimo dalla sua passione in modo fortunato e fortunoso, sempre camminando a braccetto con una perversa cupio dissolvi; e di come sia infine ... uscito a riveder le stelle. Il racconto ha un pregio di sottofondo: rappresenta in modo involontar...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Kahn added it · review of another edition

Dave took a lot of drugs. Dave was key to the start of Metallica. Dave took a lot of drugs. Dave's been in a lot of rehabs. Dave's taken a lot of drugs.

Somewhere amongst all of that, he started Megadeth and recorded some albums - but that's not really important here. What's key here is the drugs, Metallica, and at the end of it all, God.

Having said all that, it's still a good read. A Life In Metal rips along at a fair old pace, and his place in Metallica is covered in detail. More detail, it co...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Roy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013, biography

Mustaine spaart zichzelf niet in deze auto-biografie. Naast het, meer dan, bekende feit dat hij zijn gehele volwassen leven verslaafd is geweest (aan zo'n beetje alles waaraan je verslaafd kan zijn, exclusief gokken!) legt hij ook zijn onaangename karaktertrekken bloot. Natuurlijk komt de relatie met Metallica ter sprake. Hij vindt zichzelf nog steeds de creatieve vader van deze band al probeert hij verstandig te zijn en zijn wrok (of demon zoals hij dat noemt) te beteugelen.

Nou heb ik de biogra...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Tarotemp rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had the chance to meet Dave Mustaine (and the other members of Megadeth) at an after-concert gathering back in the later part of 1999 while the band was on the Risk tour. Of the four, I found bassist David Ellefson to be the most approachable (actually, he came over to our little group and introduced himself - virtually unheard of when we're talking about a celebrity!), with Mustaine coming in a close second. Even though my actual interaction time w/Mustaine was short - his "heavies" wanted to...more I had the chance to meet Dave Mustaine (and the other members of Megadeth) at an after-concert gathering back in the later part of 1999 while the band was on the Risk tour. Of the four, I found bassist David Ellefson to be the most approachable (actually, he came over to our little group and introduced himself - virtually unheard of when we're talking about a celebrity!), with Mustaine coming in a close second. Even though my actual interaction time w/Mustaine was short - his "heavies" wanted to keep the line moving - he came off EXACTLY as he does on camera and in interviews: articulate, thoughtful, politically and socially savvy with a dry sense of humor. A real straight-shooter who has no qualms yelling bulls**t when it needs to be said. Nothing at all like the highly combustible drinking-and-drugging Mustaine of the '80s who shot his mouth off a lot and paid the price over and over for it. Granted, the controlling ego is still very much there, that will never change; but he's more thoughtful now. More prone to naval-gazing as we all do when middle age hits.

After reading Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir, many lingering questions and rumors that have been circulating around the metal world for 25-plus years have been answered or at least elaborated on to more fully explain the hows and whys of his actions - especially when involving the long feud with Metallica. Of the two factions, I'm firmly entrenched in the Megadeth camp. Despite their huge success, I always thought certain members of Metallica (Hello James and Lars) were always so smug and smarmy about their fame and when retelling how Mustaine was ousted from the band. Smarmy and rather asshattish about a lot of things, actually. Like it's a big joke you're not in on.

Mustaine is none of these things. He's been through the worst (after 17 or so trips to rehab, how is this guy still breathing, anyway?!?) and has found his faith to be one way to remain clean and sober. A solid 4.5 stars despite the obvious passages where editors and/or lawyers muzzled Dave.(less)

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Nov 10, 2010 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first two words of this book are "James Hetfield". You really have to feel for Dave. He has had tons of success with Megadeth, and yet, because he was kicked out of Metallica, he missed a chance at super stardom. Though Mustaine probably has more money and is more famous than 99% of the people of the world he still tends to dwell on that extra 1% he could have had with Metallica. And you know what? I can't blame him. I'd probably spend tons of time imagining what could have been.

Anyways, thi...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Mark R. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent autobiography of one of heavy metal's most controversial front men. The book is co-written by a guy named Joe Layden, unfamiliar to me, but I get the impression that Mustaine put most of it together himself. He's a good writer. Megadeth fans already know that, due to his thoughtful, inspired lyrics from the past twenty-five years, but writing song lyrics isn't the same as writing a book--and here Mustaine proves that he's damn good at that too.

The guy's got a reputation, at least in so...more Excellent autobiography of one of heavy metal's most controversial front men. The book is co-written by a guy named Joe Layden, unfamiliar to me, but I get the impression that Mustaine put most of it together himself. He's a good writer. Megadeth fans already know that, due to his thoughtful, inspired lyrics from the past twenty-five years, but writing song lyrics isn't the same as writing a book--and here Mustaine proves that he's damn good at that too.

The guy's got a reputation, at least in some circles, as being a bit of a whiner, a grudge-holder, and an all around shit-talker. Some of that shows through here, but mostly I think it's a pretty honest, even look back on a life that was spent touring the world, sexing tons of women, doing serious drugs, and falling on very hard times, mostly self-inflicted--and more often than his ego winning out, he points out where he's fallen, how his flaws have hurt him, and how, after all that, his faith in Christianity and his wife helped pull him up out of the abyss and get to a place he feels comfortable.

There's a decent amount of material regarding his separation from Metallica, a split that's been a source of contention for Mustaine ever since it occurred in 1983. He's honest about what happened, and unlike some interviews given in the past, he really lays out the things he did wrong, and how he was at fault in some cases. It's easy to sense a lingering bit of bitterness regarding the split, but he's honest about that, and more or less tells the reader, You can't possibly understand, if you've never been in a situation where you thought you were about to take over the world, only to have it pulled out from under you. OK, fair enough. I know he's on better terms with the Metallica guys these days, having recently played with, and hung out with them, on the European "Big Four" shows, and I wonder what they'd make of the book, which features some pretty serious conversations between Mustaine and Lars Ulrich, and to some extent James Hetfield.

Similarly, it's unfortunate the book wasn't written late enough to include his reuniting with Dave Ellefson, co-founder of Megadeth, and his best friend until a falling out in the early 00's, featuring a pretty ugly lawsuit. Last year, Mustaine and Ellefson patched things up and Ellefson re-joined the band. The two of them then went on a tour promoting the twentieth anniversary of the classic "Rust In Peace" album, playing the album straight through on every date. It would have been nice if that could have been included in the book.

My only complaint--and this is coming from the perspective of a big Megadeth fan--is that he doesn't spend much time discussing some of the albums. "The World Needs a Hero" and "United Abominations" get one or two sentences each, and even "Countdown To Extinction" isn't given a lot of focus. But then, I realize the book isn't intended to be a documenting of each of the band's twelve albums. It's more a story of, like the cover flap says, one man's fall and subsequent redemption.(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: music, biography

This is easily my favorite autobiography; Period! I truly identify with Dave Mustaine, one of my teenage heroes and one of the reasons I am a musician (and a metalhead). It tells the hard-luck story of a LA street kid who overcame his hard beginnings and the over-indulgences of the metal scene, and became a changed man with his priorities properly aligned. Dave Mustaine is one of the few childhood heroes I feel justified in keeping as an adult. His writing style is executed as if you and he were...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Cyrus Ghahremäni rated it 4 of 5 stars

megadeth was my favorite band throughout high school, so i had to pick this up out of sheer loyalty to myself. in the spirit of the ozzy book, which i also recently reviewed, there are some absolutely unbelievable stories in here - occurring between the seventeen times mustaine ended up in rehab for drinking, coke, heroin, painkillers, et cetera. in general, mustaine has such a hilarious way of storytelling (or speaking in general - check out some of his stage banter on youtube). his life is suc...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Roldan Navarrete rated it 4 of 5 stars

The title of Dave Mustaine's long-expected and desired autobiography leaves nothing to the imagination. This book is a memoir of a heavy metal giant's very metal past and into the present.
Loved by most and hated by many, Mustaine recounts all memorable facets of his history as a musician. The book pulls out the big guns immediately. Mustaine shares how he became a part of Metallica and his side of the story in the infamous fallout. This style of honest story-telling continues in chronological o...more

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“Pop and metal aren't friends. Each knows exactly where the other lives and tries to keep its distance. They choose different streets, neighborhoods, zip codes.” — 21 people liked it

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