Photo: Emma McIntyre / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine is opening up about one of the most difficult periods of his life. While promoting the band’s final album, Megadeth (2026), and their farewell tour, the metal icon revealed that his forthcoming 2027 memoir, In My Darkest Hour, will chronicle his experience fighting throat cancer in 2019.
Speaking on WAPL Mornings With Laura Lee & Cutter, Mustaine described the book as a deeply personal look at both the medical journey and the day-to-day reality of living and working during treatment.
He recalled undergoing radiation and chemotherapy sessions before heading straight to the studio to continue recording. Some days were so physically taxing that he would have to step outside to vomit before returning to perform. The illness caused significant weight loss, but Mustaine credited drummer Dirk Verbeuren and producer Chris Rakestraw with helping him push through the sessions.
Now in remission for roughly six years, Mustaine said he approached the diagnosis with fierce determination. Catching the cancer early proved critical, particularly because treatment had to be precisely targeted to protect his voice. As a singer, even a slight error in radiation could have ended his performing career.
The memoir, he suggested, will detail both the physical toll of treatment and the mindset that carried him through, offering fans an unfiltered account of that chapter in his life.
SOURCE: Loudwire