Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Reveals His Side of the Story in Autobiography

There's no doubt Dave Mustaine is one of the most talked about and exalted figures in metal. If you're here at Noisecreep, you know the timeline and the tales; honestly getting all this in a printed and bound form is long overdue.

'Mustaine' has the legendary guitarist revealing his side on everything from the joining of Metallica to his somber-faced firing from the band; the founding of Megadeth and the relationships with David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza to his quitting and returning. Of course there is much to be written about the fights and the drugs -- to which he credits Alice Cooper as one of the most important roles in his recovery.

Set for release on Aug. 3 through the publishing of It Books, 'Mustiane' was written with Joe Layden, who's authored over 30 books, including 'The Last Great Fight.'

One of the most famous, and rarely detailed, brawls involving Mustaine was with fellow Los Angeles band Armored Saint. As the tale goes, this Metallica timed fight ended with Saint guitarist Phil Sandoval dealing with some broken bones. Mustaine

details his side in this exclusive excerpt:

"There was, for example, the time we were all at a party, and in walked the guys from a band known as Armored Saint. As sometimes happens in these situations, harmless verbal jousting gave way to nasty, personal insults, paving the way for a physical confrontation. They targeted Lars, probably because he was the smallest. I don't remember exactly how it began; I do remember jumping off my chair and telling them to leave my friend alone. They laughed at me, much as they had been laughing at Lars, which was not a good idea. Lars may not have been a fighter, but I was. I had training and expertise. More important, I didn't give a s---.

"As the guys from Armored Saint dog-piled on top of Lars, I ran across the room and applied a side kick to the first person in my path. His name was Phil Sandoval, and he was the band's lead guitarist. The first thing I heard was a loud crack! Like the sound of a branch snapping in half. And then the sound of someone wailing as Phil fell to the floor and grabbed his lower leg.

"I'd broken his ankle."