First published 2010
Dave Mustaine opens his story at rock bottom. April 1983 finds him kicked out of Metallica for his destructive partying, his musical dreams seemingly shattered. The founding member and lead guitarist faces the wreckage of addiction and professional failure. But Mustaine refuses to stay down. He channels his anger and talent into creating Megadeth, transforming himself from fired band member to front man, songwriter, and leader. The thrash metal pioneer builds one of the world's most successful metal bands from scratch. Megadeth climbs to international fame through the 1980s and earns seven straight Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance. Mustaine holds nothing back as he recounts the brutal realities of the metal world. He exposes the sex, drugs, and chaos that defined his journey through two of heavy metal's most influential bands. This is the unfiltered account of how devastating failure became the foundation for extraordinary success.
Genres: biography, addiction, 20th-century, autobiography, music, 21st-century, musicians
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate
Tropes: rags-to-riches, redemption
Setting: Metallica
Period: 1983
346 pages · Hardcover · It Books/HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C.
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, substance-abuse