From global superstar & Megadeth founder
Dave Mustaine,
a powerful reflection on the harsh truths and
raw realizations that can only come from confronting death

In My Darkest Hour
A Memoir
By Dave Mustaine
With Joe Layden

September 8, 2026 | Da Capo | 240 pages
9780306837432 | $30.00 Hardcover
9780306837456 | $15.99 eBook
9781668655955 | $27.99 Audiobook

New York, NY (March 19, 2026)—Da Capo, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing (GCP) and the Hachette Book Group announce the publication of IN MY DARKEST HOUR: A Memoir by Dave Mustaine with Joe Layden on September 8, 2026. “In My Darkest Hour is Dave Mustaine at his most revealing, vulnerable, and true,” stated Ben Schafer, Executive Editor, Da Capo. “With lacerating honesty and soulful reflection, he speaks to the universal human experience of facing serious illness and how it changes a person, their family and friends, and one’s relationship with creativity. Da Capo is proud to publish Dave Mustaine’s most unblinking memoir to date, one that isn’t only for Megadeth fans.”

“One of most harrowing experiences of my adult life has been my seven-year journey through cancer treatment and onward into remission,” Dave Mustaine says about the experiences detailed in the forthcoming book. “This story is considerably more than just go to the doctor, get diagnosed, get treatment and hopefully I live happily ever after. This was journey of me saving myself, staying alive, keeping my family together, and continuing to make music through it all.”

Dave Mustaine is no stranger to pain and suffering. He battled demons all his life—including an alcoholic father, addiction, and black magic—and turned fifty-eight believing he’d survived the worst. But in 2019, Mustaine was forced to face the loss of his instantly recognizable voice and the disintegration of his musical talent. Diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma at the back of his tongue, his entire career—and possibly his life—was about to end.

For Mustaine, it was one more opportunity to fight like hell.

In My Darkest Hour takes readers from the treatment room to the studio as Mustaine chronicles how his diagnosis inspired him to take up the pen and guitar pick, going from radiation and chemotherapy appointments straight into hours-long recording sessions, resulting in Megadeth’s sixteenth studio album, The Sick, The Dying…and the Dead! Along the way, Mustaine details how confronting his own mortality brought him closer to his family, taught him how to ask for help, strengthened his faith, and challenged the vulnerability of his art.

Filled with perseverance, hope, and the determination to never let the bastards grind you down, In My Darkest Hour is a masterful portrait of a Dave Mustaine that the world has yet to see, and serves as a moving reminder that even our most invincible heroes are human.

Now, six years removed from that initial diagnosis, Mustaine is seeing the biggest success of his 40-plus-year career with Megadeth’s final studio album and tour. Committed to go out on top, Megadeth’s new album (released in January 2026) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., marking the band’s highest debut week ever on the chart. Around the world, the album garnered critical acclaim and hit #1 in 11 countries and landed Top 5 positions on 11 additional charts.

About Dave Mustaine: Dave Mustaine and his band Megadeth are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. As a founding member of Metallica, and then founder of Megadeth, the blast radius of Mustaine’s impact has only been magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched nine Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. In 2026 Mustaine and the band reached the apex of their success: a #1 debut with their self-titled final album on the Billboard 200. Along with #1s on seven additional Billboard charts, Mustaine and Megadeth logged #1s in eleven countries. The band is currently on their multi-year farewell tour.

About Da Capo:

Da Capo is an imprint dedicated to publishing definitive biographies, memoirs, and narrative non-fiction about music and musicians. Through music, we encounter the world and the counterculture traditions that have animated creative movements in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. From classic rock and punk to metal, jazz, and hip hop, Da Capo’s books are made with the active listener in mind, whose music is a cornerstone of their identity.

About Grand Central Publishing:

Grand Central Publishing reaches a diverse audience through books that cater to every kind of reader. Its imprints are Balance, Cardinal, Da Capo, Forever, Grand Central, and Legacy Lit.   Grand Central Publishing is one of three divisions of the Grand Central Publishing Group, which also includes Hachette Nashville and Union Square & Co.

About Hachette Book Group:

Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading US general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group; Grand Central Publishing Group; Hachette Audio; Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Orbit; and Workman Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to other publishing companies.

Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Peace Prize and other major honors.

We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher.

Visit hachettebookgroup.com to learn more about HBG imprints. For updated news follow HBG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X.com, Pinterest, and YouTube.

DATE: MARCH 13, 2026

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

THRASH THE CHARTS, MEGADETH’S #1 CELEBRATION
BAND GATHERS IN NASHVILLE
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
FOR PERFORMANCE AND PARTY
FOLLOWING FIRST LEG OF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Photo Credit: Cameron Nunez

With the first leg of the North American tour behind them, MEGADETH returned to Nashville this past Sunday night (March 8) for THRASH THE CHARTS, MEGADETH’S #1 CELEBRATION—a party honoring the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum metal titans’ self-titled final studio album which entered the Billboard 200 charts at #1 in the U.S.

THRASH THE CHARTS, MEGADETH’S #1 CELEBRATION featured a full 10-song electric set from the band—Dave Mustaine (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer), Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—including ones from the new album and their extensive catalog.

The full set list is as follows:
“Mechanix”
“Tipping Point”
“Angry Again”
“I Don’t Care”
“Dread and The Fugitive Mind”
“Hangar 18”
“Let There Be Shred”
“Symphony of Destruction”
“Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying”
“Holy Wars”

Following the performance, the band and their team were presented with #1 commemorative plaques by Clay Bradley and Claire Dodin from BMI, Ben Burnstein and Aaron Neigher from The Orchard, Jeff Stevenson and Tim Baily from Frontiers / BLKIIBLK, Danny Nozell, Justis Mustaine and Steve Ross from CTK Enterprises.

Photo Credit: Cameron Nunez

“The last two private events for Megadeth fans were a reward for all the hard work leading up to this,” Dave Mustaine says. “Thank you to our label Frontiers and BLKIIBLK, our management at CTK Enterprises, BMI, Warner Chappell, The Orchard, and all of our guests and VIP’s. It was a blast!”

Next, MEGADETH will return to the road for performances in South America and Mexico along with a festival date in the U.S.(May 17, Sonic Temple in Columbus, OH) before heading to Europe. They’ll come back to the U.S. for additional shows in July. See the band’s full itinerary HERE.

“Congratulations to Dave and Megadeth on this historic moment,” says Jeff Stevenson, General Manager, Frontiers Label Group/BLKIIBLK Records. “We, at Frontiers Label Group/BLKIIBLK Records, couldn’t be prouder to have partnered with the band and CTK Management to help achieve this amazing accomplishment, marking a milestone in the legendary career of one of metal’s most important bands.”

The Orchard team added, “Great things happen when you build strong partnerships. The Orchard team collaborated closely with Megadeth, Frontiers, BLKIIBLK, CTK Enterprises, and Results Global. This collaborative spirit successfully engaged and excited Megadeth fans globally, leading to a #1 album debut, a first for the band, and revitalized appreciation for Megadeth by audiences worldwide. We are proud to be part of this achievement.”

Released January 23 via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label, the album garnered critical acclaim and hit #1 in 11 countries worldwide and landed Top 5 positions on 11 additional charts. Leading up to the album’s release MEGADETH issued four singles: “Puppet Parade,” “Let There Be Shred!”, “I Don’t Care,” and “Tipping Point.” MEGADETH also includes a very special bonus track: a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.

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About Megadeth

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched nine Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by Dave Mustaine’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

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