Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine is opening a new chapter with a deeply personal memoir — In My Darkest Hour — that will detail his battle with throat cancer, including the medical process, daily reality and emotional impact of facing one of the toughest challenges of his life. The announcement of the book has been confirmed by multiple music news outlets and statements from Mustaine himself.
The forthcoming memoir is tentatively scheduled for September 14, 2027, and will be published by Grand Central Publishing’s Da Capo imprint, marking the next major project from Mustaine following his previous books Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir and Rust in Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece.
Mustaine has publicly described In My Darkest Hour as a work that will go beyond charts, riffs and touring — instead placing readers right inside his experience of being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma at the back of his tongue in 2019. During a recent radio interview, he explained that the book will cover both the medical side of the diagnosis and what life was like during treatment, providing a candid look at radiation and chemotherapy while balancing his creative work.
“I would go and get radiation and, like, chemotherapy and then I would go to the studio and work,” Mustaine said. “Some days, I would get to the studio and we’d play and I’d have to run outside and throw up and go back inside and play.”
That quote highlights the memoir’s dual focus: the physical toll of facing cancer as a performer whose voice and career were directly at stake, and the personal resilience it took to continue working and creating. Mustaine has been in remission for several years since his treatment, which included adapted procedures to protect his vocal abilities — a factor he’s acknowledged shaped the course of both his health journey and artistry.
The book’s title — In My Darkest Hour — reflects the serious and introspective nature of the subject matter. It promises to trace Mustaine’s confrontation with mortality and uncertainty, showcasing how he persevered by leaning on his work, his bandmates (including drummer Dirk Verbeuren and producer Chris Rakestraw), and his own internal drive.
According to official publisher descriptions tied to early preorder listings, the memoir will not only recount his health struggles but also explore how the experience influenced his music, relationships, faith and perspective on life. It’s positioned as a portrait of a rock icon in one of his most vulnerable moments — showing that even figures often perceived as unstoppable can face profound personal battles.
In My Darkest Hour is expected to be available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook formats when it arrives in fall 2027. Preorders are already surfacing on major platforms, and fans are anticipating a deeply emotional, honest and powerful narrative from one of metal’s most outspoken figures.
