DAVE MUSTAINE's Autobiography Tells 'A Story That Will Inspire, Stun And Terrify'

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's long-awaited autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" (formerly "Hello Me... Meet The Real Me"),will be released in the U.S. on August 3 via HarperCollins's It Books imprint (focusing on pop culture, sports, style and content derived from the Internet). The U.K. edition, "Mustaine: A Life In Metal", will hit bookstores in the U.K. on September 30.

Mustaine is the first to admit that he has bottomed out a few times in his dark and twisted speed-metal version of a Dickensonian life. In "Mustaine", he reveals the many highs and lows of this life, including:

* The formation of METALLICA and the key contributions he made for which he was never given full credit.

* The formation and rise of MEGADETH, and his history with David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza.

* The story of his departure from MEGADETH in 2002 and his eventual return.

* His multiple battles with alcohol and drugs, and how Alice Cooper played a role in one of his recoveries.

* The injury that nearly ended his career.

* After years of rejecting religion, how embracing Christianity helped repair his relationship with his family and maintain his sobriety.

* His tumultuous childhood which included several moves from city to city, all in an attempt to avoid his alcoholic father.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield once observed that Mustaine must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. That's how lucky he has been and how fortunate he is to be pulling breath after so many close calls. In "Mustaine", he tells a story that will inspire, stun and terrify.

"Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" was co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden who also authored "The Last Great Fight" about what is considered by many to be the biggest upset in the history of boxing: James "Buster" Douglas' tenth-round knockout win over Mike Tyson in 1990.

Mustaine was recently asked by Metal Hammer magazine whether his conversion to Christianity has turned his autobiography into a somewhat tame account of his life, with the scowling, venomous rage of the past replaced with placatory serenity and good will to all men. "It's still a little bit edgy," he replied. "You've got to take into consideration that we live in a very litigious time now and people will try you and they sue because they spill coffee on their crotch, you know? So the publisher took a look at the book and took out everything they thought would be controversial to the point where I'd get sued over it, but it still definitely has teeth. It's a funny book. It's got great moments and there's still a lot of sadness in it, too. It's all factual. It's a story of my life and my life isn't about name-calling and mud-slinging."

Mustaine told AOL's Noisecreep about his upcoming autobiography, "It's easy to hate somebody that you don't like. But you know what? People don't know who I am. Who they think I am is not really who I am, because they guy that they've continued to vilify in the press, that guy's been gone a long time. And I think anyone who reads this book will see that."

"Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" is not simply a tell-all story of decadence and debauchery.

"That stuff is mundane," Mustaine told Noisecreep. "We come to expect that from rock stars, so why would I talk about it? Everybody knows it happened. I want to talk about things that are way more important. There's stuff in there about how the band was formed, why I chose to sing, how the different band members came and went, how different songs were written, stuff that happened through the addictions and rehabs. And when I got done reading it for the first time, when I closed the last page I actually had tears in my eyes because somebody had finally gotten who I am as a person in print."

According to Mustaine, part of the book reveals how he practiced black magic as a teenager, and how the experience — which inspired the 1986 song "The Conjuring" — affected his life for years after.

"I put two hexes on people, and they both worked and the result was just what I was asking for," he explained. "Now, it took forever to get that Satanic depression off of me because it's just like playing with a Ouija board. You open the doorway to the dark side, and spirits come through. It took almost 20 years to get rid of that Satanic depression. I did it when I was 15, and I don't think I got free of it until I was in my mid-30s.You ask yourself, 'How is it possible that this is happening to me?' Well, because you flirted with the devil and you put a hex on somebody and you put another hex on somebody, and, well, you owe him. And that's why I have a problem playing 'The Conjuring' today."

Dave Mustaine will sign copies of "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" on Monday, August 23 between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Unity Temple on The Plaza, Sanctuary, 707 W 47th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64112. Mustaine will meet fans and he will autograph copies of his books purchased from Rainy Day Books on the Rainy Day web site and/or at the event that are accompanied by a stamped ticket.

Each person must have a Rainy Day Books ticket to be admitted to this book-signing event.

Mustaine will only sign copies of his books purchased from Rainy Day Books for this event. Photos, memorabilia and other items are prohibited in the book-signing line.

Norway's Lydverket blog conducted an interview with Mustaine on August 7, 2009 at the Langham Hotel in London, England. The first clip from the chat, in which he discusses his upcoming autobiography, can be viewed below.