Growing up in the 80's and early 90's would have been very different without rock music. Bands like Metallica and Megadeth (and let's not forget about Slayer and Anthrax and a whole lot of other bands) had just burst onto the scene and were beginning to make their impact on the lives of millions of young people all over the world. Their music was different from everything that had gone before. It was raw, aggressive and honest, a far cry from most of today's (and the last two decades') calculated and artificial offerings churned out by a profit-hungry music industry.
Reading Dave Mustaine's book is at the very least a trip down memory lane for those who lived through those magical times. Dave's life has been one great adventure with its more than fair share of troubles as he led Megadeth to ever-greater success, but he could not have become who he is today without experiencing everything that life has thrown in his path.
I found his book extremely well-written; once I started I didn't want to stop until I got to the very end. Certain episodes had me roaring with laughter until my tears flowed, for example the showdown between the kung-fu master (Dave) and the pig farmer.
Dave Mustaine has always had a reputation for being a difficult and troublesome person, but having read his book, and in particular the chapters on how he began to change his self-destructive ways some years ago, found religion and essentially transformed himself into a new, greater version of himself, I now see him in a new light and with all the respect a man of such drive, passion and dedication deserves.
