From his early, crazy days as a founding member of Metallica, Dave Mustaine has seen and experienced everything in the world of rock n’ roll. From his young triumphs and ignominious ouster from the band for his hard-partying ways to his later rule over Megadeth, one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time, Mustaine tells it all. Outrageously candid and in-your-face, this is classic rock memoir in the vein of Slash, Motley Crue: The Dirt, and Sound of the Beast—an insider’s look at the loud and sordid world of heavy metal.
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"I actually enjoyed this quite a lot. There's some stuff that doesn't seem to be explained but for the most part it seems like a pretty honest portrayal of the guy's life. It was pretty easy read and not as redundant on the drug use issues that some rock star memoirs seem to be. "
— Charles (4 out of 5 stars)
“Entirely awesome.”
— Washington Post“Dave Mustaine’s memoir is the narrative of a struggling, hard-won music career. It is also the story of survival, redemption, and faith…Transcending simple religion and music, Mustaine’s Heavy Metal Memoir will leave you moved and inspired.”
— Globe and Mail (Toronto)“[Mustaine’s] memoir is honest, certainly—and not without that trademark bite—but there is also considerable maturity in his words.”
— Quietus“One of metal’s most fascinating figures…A blast to read.”
— Metal Injection" Utterly ridiculous. Highly entertaining. One of the best comedy books I've ever read. "
— Bree, 2/10/2014" I'm not an enormous fan of biographies, even those by people who I am a fan of, and Dave Mustaine's A Life in Metal could not fit in this category more. I have been a fan of Megadeth for over a decade and picking up this book was obviously an attempt to squeeze out a little extra backstory to this man's remarkable life and career. Although a well-written book, with all the black humour and you'd expect from such a unique and successful person, it still seems a little thin on the ground. Perhaps I approach biographies expecting too much detail, but whole years go by that are completely skipped over, largely due to the book's almost unavoidable reliance on the career of Mustaine's band, Megadeth as a guide. The and the book's overly linear timeline could have been shaken up to make the book seem less cyclical, recording/tour/rehab cycle could be refreshed. The sum of this is a book that, like most biographies, will hardly be of interest to anyone outside his admittedly large fanbase. I cannot imagine that Mustaine planned to reach far outside of this, but the man is clearly of great intelligence and has an interesting story to tell, so a little more creativity on behalf of his ghost-writer could have worked wonders. "
— Stuart, 2/1/2014" It was ok/ pretty good. I have read better rock and roll memoirs and biographies though. I can't really put my finger on what made the others better. I can give you tons of recommendations for really good ones if that's your thing though. "
— Jennifer, 1/27/2014" good read, but I am not a fan of the style in which it was written. it's almost like Dave dictated it to someone during a series of interviews. if you have ever seen or heard interviews with mr. mustaine, he speaks exactly how it is written. words no one uses, stroking his own ego, etc. "
— Steven, 1/26/2014" This was entertaining but would have been a far better book if Mustaine delved into the vital details, the thrash metal scene, his learning curve of playing guitar, etc. Felt like mostly summary and ranting. Entertaining at times but not in the way he probably imagined. "
— Andrea, 1/21/2014" I loved how honest he was about his early life...about his drug abuse and how he didn't try to cover it up. "
— Killian, 1/21/2014" This ambitious book started out pretty well but grew tiring and fizzled out later on as Mustaine began glossing over huge chunks of time. I was glad for this book to be over. "
— Brandon, 1/19/2014" Excellent biography! One of the best I've ever read. I'm not even a Megadeth fan (hubby is), but this book made me both laugh and cry at parts. Very well written. "
— Missy, 12/23/2013" drugs drugs drugs drugs etc... "
— Mike, 12/17/2013" Absolutely loved learning about the road travelled by one of my all time favourite musicians. It also emphasised the ugliness of his first band Metallica and the vitally important role he played in launching them. "
— Glenn, 10/10/2013" i'm a fan of megadeth up until their cd 'rust in peace'. everything after that was garbage. mustaine talks alot about his sobriety but i still can't believe he found jesus. "
— James, 8/26/2013" For a sex, drugs, rock n' roll memoir, this was actually pretty boring. Then again, I just finished Keith Richards's, so the bar was pretty high--no pun intended. "
— Ken, 8/20/2013" Good fast read. This book recounts Dave Mustaine's various misadventures and life of debauchery from the founding of Metallica to the latest Megadeth Album. Worth a read if you are a fan, or is you want to read another account of a drugged out rocker. "
— Chris, 8/12/2013" Funny autobiography with lots of rockstar hilarity "
— Jeff, 6/15/2013" I am biased. I love Mustaine, I adored reading about his life, and I will keep this on my bookshelf. "
— Becky, 12/15/2012" What a whiny memoir, totally the opposite of metal. I feel stupider for having read it! "
— Sonia, 10/12/2012" A revealing, candid biography from a true legend, and one of the people I admire most. Fascinating stuff. It took guts to write this. "
— D.m., 7/22/2012" Enjoyed the book alot. Very entertaining and not boring at all. I am sure that there were alot more stories Dave good have put in book, but I am sure there would have been legal problems. If you are a Megadeth fan, than get the book you will not regret it "
— Martin, 11/20/2011" Freaken amazing! That is all you need to know.<br/><br/><br/>And every 23rd copy has a personally scrawled note from Dave "Fuck Lars!" "
— JR, 5/24/2011" A very interesting read. There are two sides to every story, and after years of hearing Metallica's side of things, it is nice to hear Dave's side. "
— Thomas, 5/4/2011" This ambitious book started out pretty well but grew tiring and fizzled out later on as Mustaine began glossing over huge chunks of time. I was glad for this book to be over. "
— Brandon, 3/23/2011" He's my hero. Has been since I was 15-16. "
— Amy, 2/24/2011" Not a big Megadeth fan, but Mustaine tells a good story about the workings of a popular band and the personal toll it has taken. "
— Svk, 2/13/2011" Heavy metal and hair metal guys seem to write the best autobiographies. "
— Whitney, 2/3/2011" What an asshole. I used to like him before I read this book. I always knew he was self centred but my gods he takes that to another level. "
— Simon, 2/1/2011" It's fairly entertaining, but the book kinda gets tedious after a while. It's drugs, Dave kicks ass, co-workers are greedy, repeat. I'd hoped it would go deeper into recording process, relationship with musicians etc. <br/> <br/> "
— Bartek, 1/30/2011" I loved how honest he was about his early life...about his drug abuse and how he didn't try to cover it up. "
— Killian, 1/22/2011" It was probably the most candid I've seen Dave Mustaine. I glazed over a little when he started talking about christianity, not very metal but all in all a very good book. "
— Snem, 1/15/2011" what can i say? i've been a fan of Dave and his music since he was in Metallica! its a fun read "
— Christopher, 1/2/2011Dave Mustaine, widely regarded as the founding father of Thrash Metal, almost singlehandedly created the enduring multiplatinum style that launched both Megadeth and Metallica into the public’s consciousness. From 1985’s Killing Is My Business…and Business Is Good to the most recent Endgame, with more than twelve album releases with Megadeth, Mustaine has left a legacy of music that has been described as everything from poignant to insightful to angry to ironic. Megadeth earned eight Grammy nominations and six platinum certifications. Mustaine lives in San Diego County, California.
Joe Layden is an award-winning journalist and author who has written more than thirty books, including several New York Times bestsellers.
Tom Wayland is a voice actor, producer, and director who has produced and/or directed hundreds of anime programs such as Now & Then, Here & There, Ichi the Killer, Mew Mew Power, and GI Joe and currently serves as the voice director on the hit series Pokémon. Tom is also a very busy voice actor having appeared in hundreds of titles currently airing on Cartoon Network, Fox, WB, Nickelodeon and others.