Mustaine: A Life in Metal. Dave Mustaine with Joe Layden - Softcover

Dave Mustaine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007324103 ISBN 13: 9780007324101

Publisher: HarperCollins Australia, 2011

Synopsis

Founding member of Megadeth and former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine tells a never-before-heard story of the lifetime he has spent in rock 'n' roll. But this extraordinary tale, riddled with his own personal ups and downs, is also the inside account of two of the most influential heavy metal bands in the world. Here, for the first time ever, Dave Mustaine tells the tale of two of the biggest metal bands in history; a story yet to be told from the inside. Metallica, the pioneers of the thrash metal genre, rocketed to international fame in the 1980s, selling over 90 million records worldwide, making it the most successful band of its kind -- ever. Megadeth, the second most successful thrash metal band ever, have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including six consecutive platinum albums. Despite their enormous success together, Dave and Metallica have bad blood by the bucket-load. In April of 1983, due in part to alcoholism and in part to personality clashes with founding members Hetfield and Ulrich, Dave was unceremoniously fired from the band, dumped at a Greyhound bus station in Rochester, NY with a single ticket back to LA. How did such an abrupt end come about? How did he pick himself back up, recover his dignity, and go on to send another band into the dizzying heights of rock stardom? The time has come to set the record straight. From the early, crazy days of Metallica to his split with the band, and to his glorious reign with Megadeth, Dave has seen and experienced life's extremities. This startlingly candid, refreshingly in-your-face memoir tells it all.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

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 addiction, homelessness? Check, check, check.

Soul-crushing professional and artistic setbacks? Check.

Rehab? Check (seventeen times, give or take).

Near-death experience? Check that one, too.

James Hetfield, with whom many years ago Mustaine founded a band known as Metallica, once observed, with some incredulity, that Mustaine must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. That's how lucky he's been, how fortunate he is to be pulling breath after so many close calls. And Hetfield is right. Mustaine has been lucky. He has been blessed. But here's the thing about having a horseshoe lodged in your rectum: It also hurts like hell. And you never forget it's there.

Mustaine has battled through it all to achieve dizzying heights. From the early, heady days of Metallica, being unceremoniously let go only to become a world-famous rock star—founder, front man, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (and de facto CEO) for Megadeth, one of the most popular bands in heavy metal—Mustaine's is a story that will inspire, stun, and terrify.

About the Author:

Dave Mustaine is the lead guitarist and singer of the metal band Megadeath and was a founding member of Metallica. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0007324103
• ISBN 13: 9780007324101
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368