The following feature first appeared in the November 2011 issue of Guitar World.

When Guitar World travelled to Milan, Italy, on July 6, to pull together the Big 4 cover shoot with Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, we narrowly managed to corral everyone together for the cover photo.

But due to transportation delays, Metallica six-stringers James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were unable to participate in the roundtable interview with Slayer's Kerry King, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine and Anthrax's Scott Ian that occurred earlier that day.

When we eventually caught up with Hetfield and Hammett after the show, they treated us to a lively discussion on the legacy of the Big 4, how drummer Lars Ulrich's nervousness helped create the fastest right hands in the business, and why Dave Mustaine should watch his back during the Yankee Stadium Big 4 show.

When I spoke earlier to Kerry King, Dave Mustaine, and Scott Ian, the consensus was clear: they never expected a "Big 4" tour to actually happen.

James Hetfield: We never expected it either!

Kirk Hammett: Definitely not. At a certain point in the Eighties, it was like we were all running neck and neck to see who could outdo each other. For me, that lasted into the Nineties. Then somehow that attitude became less important, and a certain amount of maturity set in. I think when you get older your priorities change. We started to pay more attention to the musical side of things instead of the more superficial side of things.

Hetfield: We've reached 30 years of being a band. We've hit some milestones and we're at a place where we want to celebrate those things instead of running from them. We felt that it was also important to really put this scene on the map. You always hear about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but what about the Bay Area thrash scene and the Big 4? Hopefully these shows will help us make an even deeper mark in history.

James, when I spoke with the other guys, Scott and Kerry said Lars first suggested the Big 4 tour idea, but Dave thought you had. Can you clarify who first had the idea?

Hetfield: I believe it was me. But my memory is pretty horrible, so Lars may claim a few different things. [laughs]

But it doesn't really matter, because it's happened. It probably came out of us talking like, "Hey, let's do a Bay Area show with all the bands we grew up with." Then, "What about the Big 4?" Obviously the business and logistical side of things is Lars' deal, but it doesn't matter. It came from the Metallica camp.

Dave said he had reservations about joining the tour. Mainly, he wanted to make sure all four bands weren't scattered across different stages or interspersed with other acts. Did you feel the same way?

Hetfield: When the idea first came into our minds, we were thinking of it as just the four of us. The first European dates already had bands on them, but they were great festivals and everyone was able to play them. So it was like, "This is a great, established festival and lots of people are gonna show up. Let's get the Big 4 in there." I mean, you can't really just throw off bands that are already booked. But for the later shows, in Indio and this last European run, it was just the Big 4 and possibly one opener.

Hammett: There were certain situations where the promoter had to put more bands on the bill to break even. I understand the economics of the situation. To me it didn't matter; it was just important that all four of us were together on the same bill.

Obviously for a New York native like Scott Ian, playing at Yankee Stadium is huge. Does that venue hold any particular sentiment for you?

Hammett: Nope. [laughs] I had no idea of the significance until Scott called me and was hyperventilating. He was more hoarse than he's ever been, going – [in a rough voice] – "You don't understand! Yankee Stadium!"

Hetfield: I think the obvious connection for us is with [Yankee pitcher Mariano] Mo [Rivera]. For the past 10 years, he's used Enter Sandman as the music that's played before he comes out on the field. He's helped keep that song alive, especially in that stadium.

And even though they're in a new building now [across the street from the location of the original Yankee Stadium, which closed in 2008], it's still great to have that connection. That's actually how we first announced the Big 4 show at Yankee Stadium. During one game, right as the song started, they cut to this video I did where I said, "Stop, stop!" and then announced the show. It was pretty cool.

Dave mentioned that he's turning 50 the day before the Yankee Stadium show. Do you have anything up your sleeves?

Hetfield: [laughs] It'll be great, and Dave better beware. [laughs] I'm not releasing any ideas at this point, but it'll be fun. What better place to celebrate than Yankee Stadium?

The press first applied the Big 4 label to you guys in the Eighties. Back then, did you feel the same solidarity with the other bands as you do now?

Hetfield: No, that definitely developed over time. Back in the Eighties there were thousands and thousands of bands, but there's not too many that have survived 30 years. The Big 4 moniker didn't mean as much then as it does today.

Hammett: Back then, Scott [Ian] and [Anthrax drummer] Charlie [Benante] were the only people I had relationships with. I had no relationship with anyone from Slayer or Megadeth. But over the years that's changed. Now these guys are my peers, and I'm really proud of all our accomplishments.

I also love that, because of the Big 4, there's a bunch of little kids out there now that think Slayer is the shit. And they'll tell their friends, and the legacy will spread even farther. It doesn't start and stop with one band. Until you see all four bands together you won't get a picture about what this is really all about.

In the early days, did you look to the other bands for inspiration when it came to guitar playing?

Hetfield: Oh yeah. There's a huge competitive vein that runs through my body. Competition has always been a very healthy thing for us. At first it started out as basically pure hatred for pop music and "heavy" radio rock. From that hatred it went on to, "Ah, Slayer released that song... We're gonna do this!" And that's still happening onstage at these Big 4 gigs, too. You go out there and see how good they're doing and how well the crowd is reacting to them, and you think, Okay, "I gotta step it up."

Scott was talking about how the four of you basically invented that signature right-hand rhythmic downpicking approach. James, is that something you and Dave developed together during the early days of Metallica?

Hetfield: It's pretty interesting that someone is trying to define the origin of downpicking. It's silly. It's like, who invented music? There's plenty of punk rock bands doing that technique.

The first time I remember seeing an extremely fast right hand was Johnny Ramone, except he was doing a more acoustic-style thing and not muting and punching it like we ended up doing. That was one main inspiration, and the other one was probably the competition between Dave and I. Like, "Here's a riff... Wait, you can't play that. Hahaha!" And then he'd come back with an even faster riff. So at that time the competition was not only between bands but within them, as well.

Hammett: Actually, I'd say Scott Ian is the king of alternate-picking rhythm playing. He can do that like no one else. He's super tight and doesn't get the credit he deserves.

But as far as downpicking goes, I was always aware of it. I remember the first time I heard [Black Sabbath's] Paranoid back in 1978, I thought, "Wow, that guy is picking all downstrokes." Then I heard Symptom of the Universe and thought, "There it is, he's hitting all those downstrokes." Then I heard the Ramones, and there it was again.

When I was in Exodus with Gary Holt, we had some songs that had that early fast downpicking. Back in the early days, a lot of the Bay Area bands were doing it. It was really integrated into that style of playing. So it was nothing new to me.

You guys just kicked it up a notch.

Hammett: Well, that was because of Lars. Back then he was very energetic and way into Motörhead and Diamond Head. So his goal was always to play fast.

But I also think that during those first few years Lars was just nervous. And when he's nervous, his tempos speed up, so I think trying to keep up with Lars' nerves was as big an influence as anything on our fast downpicking technique. [laughs]

Speaking of Gary Holt, he's been sitting in with Slayer while Jeff Hanneman is recovering from his infection. Kirk, what's it like reconnecting with Gary on a tour like this?

Hammett: It is great to finally tour with Gary Holt. We totally rekindled our friendship and started hanging out a lot and speaking the old language we used to speak to each other in high school. It's very cool and one of the best things that came out of these recent Big 4 dates.

Touring back in the early days was filled with a lot of youthful, drunken troublemaking. There's the classic story of Scott Ian and Cliff Burton pissing down laundry chutes in London...

Hetfield: [laughs] Yeah, now it's shitting down laundry chutes. [laughs]. There was certainly some childish behavior that happened on the road. There was a lot of pent-up energy back then. And I can only speak for myself, but now I'm able to channel that energy a lot better and focus it on the music.

But I will say watching my kid piss off the balcony is still pretty funny. I wasn't even the instigator, but the wife still busted me. But she's supposed to. So I have to tell my son, "Hey, don't do that again!" But it was so funny. [laughs]

Hammett: For these Big 4 shows a lot of the guys have their families out with them. So you don't get that crazy debauched rock-and-roll party scene you might have gotten 15 years ago. I hate to say it but now it's all about dealing with the family and being tired from hanging with the family. But take away all the responsibility and it would be one great party scene at every show.

Kerry was saying that the party still follows him pretty closely. James, are you still not drinking?

Hetfield: Yeah, I've got over 10 years [sober], which is great. For me, there's plenty of ways to party without getting hangovers. I'm grateful to have all my days and not feel like crap.

But it doesn't stop anyone around me from doing it. They gotta do what they gotta do. I know there's also a part of me that celebrates being a loner. So when they go out hanging and partying, I'd just rather not do that. People annoy me a lot of the time. [laughs]

The Metallica machine has grown significantly over the years. Ever get nostalgic for piling in a van and hauling your own gear?

Hammett: Heck no. [laughs] I have neck, back, shoulder and knee problems. But I do get nostalgic for the old days, when things were very simple. To play a show nowadays it means you have to alert everyone and crank up the machine. I wish we were a lot more stealthy and quick on our feet. But we're an established band that's been around for a long time. What are you gonna do? We're brontosauruses.

Hetfield: [laughs] Usually we'll hop in some vehicle together, take a little ride and realize that's good enough. There's just so much other stuff in life that is fun for us and inspires us. And you know what? Heading out on tour is still one of those things. It's hard to say goodbye and leave the family, but once you get out there you realize you really crave this guy hang time, whether that's jamming and writing together or just hanging out at HQ. We're all still a bunch of guys that need the guy hang.

The circle is just a lot smaller than it used to be, and the word party means something a little different now. We do get nostalgic about the old days, and what they meant to us. But we're making "old days" right now. Ten years from now we'll look back and wonder why we were wasting our time looking back at the previous 10 years. We're making history now, and enjoying it while we do it.

James, I noticed that you were having a good time on the side of the stage watching Megadeth's set. Is that a regular part of the hang, too?

Hetfield: Oh, definitely. I love to see what's going on if I have time. It's real nice to get up there early and see what's up. It's annoying that I don't get to stand there the whole time and watch the show. But there are a lot of other parts of touring for us, with the fan club, interviews, and actually grabbing a bite of dinner.

It's nice to see how the crowd's reacting, and it's a good sign when the crowd's up for it. Because, really, we want everyone to do well and feel the vibe. And when a crowd is anti one of the Big 4, that's no fun. We're all moving forward in the same direction, so you gotta put that stuff aside. Sure, you might like one band better than the other, but hey, you're seeing some history.

What are your pre-show rituals before hitting the stage for one of these Big 4 shows?

Hammett: I usually try to see a chiropractor, then I do yoga to get centered, and then I sit and do guitar warm-ups. I have all sorts of different exercises that I do, but basically I run through different scales. The process takes a long time, mostly because of the yoga thing. I have to unwind and center myself and make sure my thoughts are grounded.

I find that when I do yoga before going onstage my show is much better, both mentally and physically. It used to be like, "Let's do a shot of vodka and go!" But after a while that stops working. Now it's like, "Let's do a shot of espresso!" [laughs]

Hetfield: The first part of getting the vibe up for me is the meet-and-greet. Such a good vibe is created from talking with people and hearing what songs they want to hear and how music's affected their lives. Whether people are introducing me to their kids, who they've turned on to our music, or I'm meeting a Make-A-Wish kid, there's always something in the meet-and-greet that's very inspirational.

Then there's the regular stuff, like grabbing some grub, stretching, and getting our warrior gear on, which is basically putting on a different black shirt than the one you already had on. Then we go into the tuning room. I'll go through my vocal warm-up tape, which helps me get prepared. Then we go in the jam room and knock some rust off. We all trickle in at different times and find out how each other is doing.

[Bassist] Rob [Trujillo] is always there first. He's a bass player's bass player. He loves to play. Sometimes I'll sit behind the drums and we'll goof around on some tunes. It's always a good vibe and we come out pretty sweaty. Then it's right to the stage.

During the Clint Eastwood tape [Ecstasy of Gold from Ennio Morricone's soundtrack to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly] we do a little huddle and someone steps up to be the inspirational speaker of the evening [laughs], whether it's telling jokes or memories of the last time we played that city. Dude, we're human and sometimes people need a little help and a push. And when someone's not feeling it, the other guys rally around them.

These Big 4 dates are clearly significant for everyone. Can you recall a specific gig in your early career that was a similar benchmark?

Hetfield: I'd say our first time playing Day on the Green [in 1985 in Oakland, California]. I can't even tell you who else was there, maybe Yngwie Malmsteen and Y&T? All I know is that we were there, [original bassist] Cliff [Burton] was in the band, and it was a big deal, especially for Kirk and Cliff, because it was their hometown show.

Hammett: Definitely. Those Day on the Green shows had been going on since the early Seventies, and I'd seen so many bands play there. One of my all-time-favorite shows that I've ever seen was Day on the Green in 1978. Listen to this bill: AC/DC, Van Halen, Pat Travers, Foreigner, and Aerosmith.

It was so amazing. I remember coming back feeling so inspired that I played my guitar for days. So going from seeing those shows to playing on that stage was amazing. After I found out we were playing it, I was walking on clouds for months. It really felt like we hit a milestone.

Hetfield: Another memorable show was opening for Ozzy [in 1986]. Also playing in Moscow with AC/DC and Pantera [in 1991] after the coup attempt [against the Soviet Union leadership] was unbelievable.

And then there's our second gig ever, which was opening for Saxon. That was definitely a "We've made it" moment... after which we got our $19 pay, hopped back into our Pacer that constantly broke down, and drove home. [laughs]

But these moments are still happening. Playing the Big 4 in Germany was the biggest show we've done in 30 years. It's crazy to think that after 30 years we're still playing before bigger crowds.

Right now, Yankee Stadium is the last scheduled Big 4 show. Are there any plans to add more dates?

Hammett: Well, there's a lot of surf spots I've yet to hit in the world. [laughs] I think we should bring the Big 4 to Indonesia, Tahiti, the Maldives, and Tavarua. [laughs]

But seriously, the vibe at these shows is genuinely good. We'll do a slew of Big 4 shows, go do our own things for a few months, and when we come back everyone is glad to see each other. It's a super-cool thing for us, and I'm sure there are a lot of fans still out there that would love to see the show. I won't say yes, but I won't say no, either.

Hetfield: We don't know what's gonna happen. We're trying to cover the U.S. coasts, at least. Then we gotta get in and start focusing on writing a new record. But more Big 4 shows? We never say never, because obviously, this was never gonna happen in the first place.

It was not unusual for opening acts for thrash metal’s Big Four to suffer at the hands of the audience, not all of whom shared the tastes of the headliners who had hand-picked their support.

Alice In Chains stuck out like a sore thumb during the epic all-star Clash of the Titans Tour of 1991. Queensrÿche and the Cult would tell you that the late ’80s Metallica crowd were a rowdy bunch. One show in Helsinki saw Queensrÿche being showered in bottles. Those were tough gigs.

Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots can relate. The Californian alt-rockers were just getting started when they got the invite from Dave Mustaine to come out and open for Megadeth. Core was in record stores. MTV picked up Sex Type Thing. Things were moving for the band.

Speaking to Guitar World in 2017, the STP guitarist said the Megadeth tour was a huge chance to prove that their sound could translate from the club to an ice rink enormodome.

“It was our first introduction to playing arenas. All of us had been playing clubs from a very young age – in our teens, so we had had our fill of that,” said DeLeo. “And then when STP hit the road we played our fair share of clubs globally. And when we came back we got all these offers to go out with other bands.”

In the early days, Rage Against the Machine took STP out. But it’s the Megadeth gig DeLeo remembers from that time. Mustaine, he says, was a gent. The crowd, once they had filed in, did not have the patience to sit through a support act, nor the manners to humor them.

“Megadeth asked us to go out with them, and I’ll tell ya, Mr. Mustaine was very, very kind to us, man. Very supportive,” recalled DeLeo.

“Nobody knew who we were. We were simply the opening band. We would come out to an arena that was only a third full. And then we’re trying to do our thing, and you’ve got little pimple-faced boys with Iron Maiden shirts just giving you the finger all night. Like, ‘Man, this sucks!’ They just wanted to see Megadeth.”

This did not go down well with Mr Megadeth himself. Dave Mustaine took umbrage that his fans were not pleased at his choice of support act, and if the fans let it be known that they were unhappy, so too did the Megadeth frontman. DeLeo says Mustaine would intervene and call for order.

“Dave Mustaine would sometimes come out,” said DeLeo, “and he’d grab the mic and go, ‘Listen, you fuckers. I personally picked this band to be here. Fucking listen!’ It was like, ‘Holy shit!’ Mustaine was amazing to us.”

And STP returned none the worse for wear. Core was hot. By the summer of ’93, it was charting at number three on the Billboard 200. Creep, Plush, and Wicked Garden joined Sex Type Thing on MTV, on the radio, and ultimately shifted more than eight million copies in the US alone.

Dave Mustaine has divulged that he believes that he’s had a massive influence on his fellow Big Four of thrash metal, namely, Slayer, Metallica, and Anthrax.

In an interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station [via Blabbermouth], Mustaine shares his honest thoughts on the metal community and his overarching legacy.

“I’ve been very invested in the metal community,” he says. “Kerry [King, Slayer guitarist] and I played together [during the early days of both bands], and I showed him how to play Megadeth songs, which was before [Slayer] started having all their pivotal records. Kerry and I had a really great time together.”

As for Metallica, the band he was the lead guitarist for between 1982 and 1983, he asserts, “I wrote music in Metallica, and I wrote music in Megadeth. So I’ve been very influential with the guitar with these three bands.”

He also believes he had an influence on Anthrax’s Scott Ian, stating that the band started crafting a different sound after they met Mustaine-era Metallica.

“When I met Scott and the guys in Anthrax out in New York, same thing happened. Their first record was very different from the record they made after they met me and the guys in Metallica. So I think that's great.”

Ultimately, though, Mustaine is quick to clarify that, “I love all those bands.”

Megadeth recently released their seventeenth and final album, and Mustaine gave Guitar World an exclusive track-by-track rundown of his swan song.

Steve DiGiorgio – who’s lent his licks to Sadus, Death, Testament, and more – seems chilled out. But beneath the surface is a seething four-stringer who loves to push the envelope.

“I’ve always gravitated toward the obnoxious,” he laughs. “In junior high, I I got a referral from band class that said, ‘Dismissed because he likes to blast his horn and play loud!’ That carried through into the nature of how I approach everything: in a slightly aggressive manner.”

Di Giorgio is credited as an originator of fretless bass within extreme metal. “I was just the first to get noticed for doing it,” he says. “I just ran with it. I’m still finding my way. My tone has evolved to where I’ve gotten the most un-fretless tone out of that instrument!]”

He also got noticed for his playing on Death albums Human (1991) and Individual Thought Patterns (1993). But at the time he had no idea he was making history. “When those came out, we weren’t exactly sure of what we did,” he admits.

“We didn’t know the impact they were going to have. We were young and going for it. I was just trying to fill up the gaps. I guess it kind of created a ripple!”

He’s modest about his extreme-metal legend. “People liked it,” he shrugs. “They did the same thing later after us. You have no idea what the impact will be. If you set out to do something special, it can dissipate. We had a light attitude about it, although we were half-serious. I guess we did something right.”

What got you going on bass?

I started off playing upright acoustic bass in the orchestra at school. When I got into the class I’d never played a string instrument before. I was relegated to the rehearsal room with a bass and a beginner book. I just had to woodshed.

The other bass player in the orchestra was really cool – he taught me things the book didn’t. He brought in an electric bass one day; I think it was a Fender. When I tried it, I knew I had to pursue it because it was easier to learn on. It had lines, dots and markers.

Can you remember your first proper electric bass?

I went to a local music store, pointed to this bass on the wall because it was black – I had no idea of the brand or model. The shopkeeper was like, “Okay, what are you gonna plug it into?” He turned me on to a little no-name speaker amp.

I played some Black Sabbath and Judas Priest songs with some friends from school, and I think I blew the amp up right away! So I had a crash course in electronics, tone and volume. To this day I’m being told to turn down. I guess I’m traumatized by shitty equipment!

What led you to the fretless bass?

I learned the fretted instrument pretty quickly. I played basslines by Steve Harris, Geezer Butler, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire and Bob Daisley. I was also a big fusion-head and a lot of bass players were playing fretless there, so it was like a lightbulb moment.

Once you switched to the fretless, what gear were you using?

After playing my Rickenbacker for so long, I called the company and said, “I want to buy a fretless Rickenbacker, but I don’t want any markers on the neck because it’s against orchestra standards.” The guy said, “We don’t do any custom work. What you see is what you get.”

Being young, naïve, and obsessed with the aesthetic, I decided to build my own bass. It first appeared on Individual Thought Patterns. I’d done Human with my old ’81 Ricky, so that’s all fretted four-string bass. I didn’t bring the homemade bass when I moved to Florida – it didn’t seem appropriate for what I was going on. Which was totally wrong! Once I blended with those guys I could have used that tool and made it work.

I used it on the Sadus album in ’92 [A Vision of Misery], and the second recording I did with Autopsy [Fiend for Blood]. But those albums didn’t get as much recognition as Individual Thought Patterns.

What was it like putting together Death’s Human?

We jammed a lot. It was easy to do because Chuck Schuldiner was a close friend. He called me and the next thing I knew, we’d rented a rehearsal room in Miami. I would just burn a joint and play whatever came to mind. It was a big improv session most of the time.

You probably didn’t know you were making landmark albums with Human and Individual Thought Patterns.

No, not a clue! We were just doing what we had to do. I look back on it and I wouldn’t have done it any differently. But it’s almost like some of the stuff that we played was in spite of the material. It was kind of like a challenge to fuck it up the most we could!

Like, if something was expected, we purposefully did it the other way. It felt weird at the time, but Chuck embraced that abstract approach. He supported individuality.

We weren’t particularly invested in the genre to the point where it was paint-by-numbers or monkey-see-monkey-do. We almost thought it was a waste of time if we played something that felt familiar, so we were always reaching for something different and strange.

You worked on Chuck’s Control Denied album before moving on to Testament. Did you keep in touch before he died in 2001?

As much as I could. We had some phone conversations when he was going through radiation and surgeries. It was pretty tough. When someone is so severe and so far along in that terminal process, you don’t really know what to say. There’s no advice or experience you can offer.

I just tried to talk to him like everything was – not normal, but I just put aside what was going on. For example, one time we were talking about this problem I was having with the band I was working with. The band leader was such a drama queen and Chuck was giving me advice on how to handle people with these attitudes.

Suddenly I was like, “Oh, man, I’m sorry. I’m talking about these stupid, meaningless problems while you’re going through something so severe. That’s selfish of me.” And Chuck goes, “No, this is exactly what I need. It’s so much more interesting.

“On a day-to-day basis it’s appointments for an hour on this machine that makes me sick, then I’m walking around the neighborhood or taking a nap. It’s really boring. I appreciate you giving me some good, juicy stuff to distract me!”

It must have been hard to see a close friend struggle.

Time started going by and he got worse and worse, and he wasn’t able to talk on the phone anymore. I left him a couple of messages.His caretaker said that even though he couldn’t speak very well, he still liked to listen to his messages. But that was even more awkward because you’re just talking to a machine, trying to be positive and realize he’s in a bed, fading away. It was horrible.

What was it like joining Testament in 1998?

That was a growing process. When I came into the band they were on a comeback mission. Their idea was to hire guys who were recognizable – they got Dave Lombardo, James Murphy, and I got brought in last. That’s why the album was called The Gathering.

You left Testament in 2005 but returned in 2014.

When they got the original lineup back together, I was out doing my own thing. I’d run into them and they kept saying, “Be ready!” I’d be like, “What does that mean?” But sure enough, when they lost the OG bass player [Greg Christian], Chuck Billy was ringing my phone off the hook, and I went back.

When Dave Ellefson was fired from Megadeth in 2021, Dave Mustaine called you.

When Ellefson was having – I don’t even know what to call it – his online episode, we were all watching to see what was gonna happen. It was a very new and different thing. People have been exposed in the press for embarrassing things that led out of bands like money issues, drugs, or common things. That stuff comes with the territory, but what happened to Ellefson was pretty unique.

I felt like if you put yourself in the guy’s position, how horrifying to be so exposed like that. We were all watching, and when he was booted from the band, and he made his statement about him doing nothing wrong, it just kind of faded away.

Were you surprised when Dave Mustaine called you?

Once the main impact was gone I stopped paying attention. So I was surprised when the phone rang, and it was Mr. Mustaine looking to get me to replace Ellefson. I was like, “What the hell?” I just didn’t picture it happening. I felt like there were so many other deserving bassists who would have fit the role better. So I declined.

Then Dave said he needed to hurry and finish the album because whatever Ellefson had contributed had been erased. They were looking for someone to do that and continue touring. I said, “Well, I’m not gonna leave Testament. If I were to help you guys, it would have to be some kind of a juggle where I don’t mess up my Testament plans.”

They were like, “No, we need a full commitment.” I was like, “I can’t do that.” So I declined again. And then, the third time, and they said, “You have a reputation for coming in and getting recordings done on the spot. Come to Tennessee, do the record, and we’ll see if this is meant to continue.”

I said, “Okay, that’s definitely something I’m used to doing.” I got on a plane, went out there, and I finished the tracks. But the more we talked about the potential success of the record, and the business of the schedule, It just didn’t seem like it would be fair to either band to split my time.

So I just said, “I’m happy where I am. I’m just gonna stay loyal to my bros.” I knew I was kissing a good gig goodbye, but I was fine where I was. Everybody understood and we parted as friends. It was a great experience.

What was it like working with Dave Mustaine?

I mean, Megadeth is Megadeth, man. Nobody’s gonna go in there and reinvent it. That’s Dave’s world. He has a specific sound and way of everybody contributing to make that sound. I just put my session hat on and approached the job the way it needed to be approached.

I listened to his advice and I was wide open to be guided. There were times when Dave would stop and say, “This part needs a little decoration. What have you got in your toolbox?” He opened some stuff up. I even played a part on the title track on fretless, which was something new for Megadeth!

I know people wanna hear that Dave’s some kind of dictator. It was totally not like that. He was super cool and a very chill dude. I didn’t come in there all brash, thinking I was gonna reinvent the wheel. He felt relaxed around me and he opened me up. It was a totally positive and an unexpected experience.

Testament’s latest record, Para Bellum, is doing well.

It’s off to a better start than the last two! There’s a lot of energy, and when the fans start reporting back to you with what they feel about it, and you start seeing the chart and sales results, you go, “Wow, this thing really has a ball of steam to it, man.”

We have a lot of tour dates coming up in 2026 – I think my whole calendar is booked. It’s exciting that this far along in the band’s career and at our age, we’re still making music that people get really excited about. I didn’t expect it! But like they say, good things happen when you least expect them.

• Para Bellum is on sale now. Testament are currently on tour.

Steve Di Giorgio has an enviable list of heavy metal greats on his résumé – the bassist has played with the likes of Testament, Sebastian Bach, Death and Autopsy. However, one of his most surreal moments was working as a sideman with Dave Mustaine on Megadeth’s 2022 record, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!

“When [David] Ellefson was having… I don’t even know what to call it… his online episode, we were all kind of watching what was gonna happen,” Di Giorgio tells Bass Player, referring to the leak of sexually explicit videos featuring Ellefson.

While Di Giorgio acknowledges that “people have been exposed in the press” for a range of scandals, he mentioned that what happened in Ellefson's case was “pretty unique.”

“That stuff comes with the territory. I felt like if you put yourself in the guy’s position, how horrifying [it is] to be so exposed like that. We were all watching, and when he was booted from the band, and he made his statement about him doing nothing wrong, it just kind of faded away.”

However, Dave Mustaine, and, by extension, Megadeth, still decided to distance themselves from Ellefson and were on a quest to find a replacement. Turns out, Di Giorgio was at the top of his list.

“I was surprised when the phone rang, and it was Mr. Mustaine looking to get me to replace Ellefson,” he relates. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’ It was not expected… I just didn’t picture it happening. I felt like there were so many other deserving bassists who would have fit the role better, so I declined.

“I didn’t wanna mess up my longterm Testament gig, and I didn’t feel like I was the right guy for the job. But he [Mustaine] said he needed to hurry and finish the album tracks because whatever Ellefson had contributed was erased, and they’d gotten rid of his participation.”

Megadeth not only needed to get the record done, but also required someone to step in on the touring front. Di Giorgio was conflicted, and proposed “some kind of juggle where I don't mess up my Testament plans.”

He continues, “They were like, ‘No, we need a full commitment.’ I was like, ‘I can’t do that,’ so I declined again. And then, the third time came, and they said, ‘Okay, we want to present two different offers. You have a reputation for coming in and getting recordings done on the spot. The first offer is to come to Tennessee, do the record, and during your stay, we’ll see if this is meant to continue.’ I said, ‘Okay, that’s definitely something I’m used to doing.’”

Lo and behold, Di Giorgio got on a plane and promptly finished the tracks. However, the more they talked about the record's potential success, the more he realized he couldn't commit to a Megadeth touring schedule.

“So, I just told him [Mustaine], ‘I’m happy where I am. I’m just gonna stay loyal to my bros.’ I knew I was kissing a good gig goodbye, but I was fine where I was. Everybody understood, and we parted as friends. It was a great experience.”

And, as far as working with Mustaine, as Di Giorgio aptly puts it, “Megadeth is Megadeth, man. Nobody’s gonna go in there and reinvent it. That’s Dave’s world. He has a specific sound and way of everybody contributing to make that sound. I just put my session hat on and approached the job the way it needed to be approached.

“But I know people wanna assume the worst and say he’s some kind of dictator and forced me to do it. It was totally not like that. He was super-cool and a very chill dude. I didn’t come in there all brash, thinking I was gonna reinvent the wheel.

“He felt relaxed around me, and he opened me up. It was a total positive and an unexpected experience,” he concludes.

Bass Player’s interview with Steve Di Giorgio will be published in the coming weeks.

In more recent news, Mustaine revealed the real reason why he’s being forced to retire Megadeth.

Megadeth’s latest hotshot shredder, Teemu Mäntysaari, has taken to the ice for a ‘skate through’ of the band’s guitar solo-rich single, Let There Be Shred, and it’s seriously impressive.

The young Fin is the successor to Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who left the band after two albums in 2023. He’s been sworn in for Megadeth’s final album, and his virtuosic fingerprints are all over a record that, somewhat bizarrely, ends with a cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning.

“Teemu is a monster,” bandleader Dave Mustaine said in 2024. “He is the guy I've been looking for for a very long time.”

He’s proven to be a powerhouse on what is to be his only studio album with the thrash metal giants, and his ice skating and guitar-playing shenanigans are certainly a unique take on the playthrough concept.

As time goes on, it looks like 2026 is becoming the unlikely year of shredding on ice. Nuno Bettencourt played a guitar solo while ice skating during a recent Extreme music video, and Canadian band Brass Camel's new video for Ice Cold is, quite possibly, the first time a 1963 Stratocaster has gone for a powerslide on ice.

Granted, Teemu’s playthrough is also pre-recorded; we don’t get new, raw audio from the guitar for the sake of the video, but it’s impressive nevertheless because it looks like his playing is pretty much spot on.

“This was so much fun,” Teemu says, commenting on the video. “[I’m] combining two of my favourite things, guitar and ice hockey!”

Teemu has told Guitar World that the band was 10 months into the album writing process before Mustaine dropped the bombshell that it would be the band’s last. Mustaine has since explained that his retirement decision was forced upon him as he struggles with a rare hand condition that has seen his hands “betray him.”

In 2002, he suffered severe nerve damage in his arm, and also underwent spinal surgery in 2014. Both instances heavily impacted his playing abilities.

Say what you like about Dave Mustaine and his inability to consign his departure from Metallica to the dustbin of history, but it gave him the fire and the fury required to put together a band that would be have its own legacy as one of thrash metal’s pioneers – one of metal’s most-enduring acts.

With Mustaine announcing the end for Megadeth, Guitar World takes a trip down memory lane for a blow-by-blow account of one MegaDiscography.

Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good! (Combat, 1985)

Guitarist: Chris Poland

Still bitter about being fired from Metallica, Dave Mustaine returned with a band fashioned from his own imagination. The songs were sharp and socially aware, while the music was surprisingly mature. Mustaine had immediately made his intentions clear – namely to take the thrash beast he’d helped create and give it a rounded metal education. It didn’t chart on the Billboard 200, but it was loved from the start.

Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? (Capitol, 1986)

Guitarist: Chris Poland

Originally recorded for Combat Records, this was switched to the much bigger Capitol label, with the band given the budget to completely re-mix. The result is a true landmark album.

Forget about thrash; here was Mustaine leading a charge through the whole spectrum of musical emotions. The title track itself is something of an epic, showcasing Megadeth’s startlingly creative process. Meanwhile, Chris Poland’s playing is nothing short of brilliant.

So Far, So Good.. So What! (Capitol, 1988)

Guitarist: Jeff Young

Two years after Peace Sells…, a new Megadeth lineup landed on their feet with a record that refused to conform to expectations. While the cover of Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the U.K. seemed somewhat superfluous, Mustaine was at his finest on the emotional In My Darkest Hour – a tribute to the late Cliff Burton of Metallica – and the haunting Mary Jane. We also don't mind Hook in Mouth and Set the World Afire.

Rust in Peace (Capitol, 1990)

Guitarist: Marty Friedman

The debut album from arguably Megadeth’s finest lineup, with Mustaine and long-time bassist Dave Ellefson being joined by guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza.

Trying to come to terms with his substance dependence, Mustaine became much more politically charged in his lyrical themes, exploring the implications and ramifications of war.

The music is, at times, breathtaking, with Friedman proving he could cope with the considerable demands put on the guitarist in this most exhaustive of metal bands. Hangar 18 is a striking moment of genius.

Countdown to Extinction (Capitol, 1992)

Guitarist: Marty Friedman

Max Norman, the man behind Ozzy Osbourne’s solo success, was brought in to co-produce with Mustaine, and his obvious commercial leanings can be heard in the way many of the songs here are structured. Gone were the sprawling epics, only two tracks – Sweating Bullets and Ashes in Your Mouth – were over five minutes in length, and many had an almost traditional arrangement.

However, Symphony of Destruction was a triumph and remains a Mega classic. Was this an attempt to challenge Metallica’s success with the Black Album? If so, it worked to some extent, as Countdown to Extinction came up just shy of the mark, making it to Number 2 on the U.S. charts.

Youthanasia (Capitol, 1994)

Guitarist: Marty Friedman

Now the band were really starting to alienate some of their diehard fans. Almost divorced from the qualities that had made their early albums so successful, Megadeth were moving inexorably towards melodic hard rock.

Norman’s guidance saw them become virtually one-paced, which meant that songs like Train of Consequences weren’t given the credit they deserved. While A Tout Le Monde provided a moving interlude, nevertheless it appeared that Mustaine had lost touch with his roots.

Cryptic Writings (Capitol, 1997)

Guitarist: Marty Friedman

Often dismissed as the worst album of the band’s career, Cryptic Writings actually saw Megadeth get back in touch with their thrash roots, on songs like FFF, She-Wolf and Vortex. And I’ll Get Even saw them re-igniting a creative spark. The problem was in the production.

Mustaine has in recent times expressed his regret at the decision to bring in Dann Huff, known for his work in melodic rock circles – far removed from where Megadeth should have been. And it cannot be denied that this record suffers from a somewhat tame timbre.

Risk (Capitol, 1999)

Guitarist: Marty Friedman

The last Megadeth album of the 20th century and Friedman’s farewell performance. Part of the problem here is that tracks like the single Crush ’Em are so smooth that they positively glide, rather than truly bombing along in Mega style.

Mustaine has claimed that the decision to take Megadeth even further into the jungle of melodically driven music was suggested by Lars Ulrich and, as the album title suggested, it was a real risk.

Again, the production from Huff was a problem, and the album suffers for it. However, it couldn’t be denied that Mustaine was still a formidable songwriter, as he proved on Prince of Darkness and Breadline.

The World Needs a Hero (Sanctuary, 2001)

Guitarist: Al Pitrelli

A new label, a fresh guitarist (Al Pitrelli) and a return to the hard stuff. After the hard-rock dabbling of the ’90s, the band got suited up in body armor and plunged back into the metal melee.

While this was not a complete return to the band’s original principles, the album had just enough rough and tumble to keep diehard fans satisfied.

The System Has Failed (Sanctuary, 2004)

Guitarist: Chris Poland

After calling time on the band due to a career-threatening arm injury, Mustaine intended this as a solo return. This was subsequently changed, although it was very much a Mustaine-plus-hired-hands effort.

A darker, more insidious record than The World Needs a Hero – it offered no solutions but highlighted current social and political problems and inconsistencies. However, what it did do was put Megadeth right back to the fore. They were once more metal heroes.

United Abominations (Roadrunner, 2007)

Guitarist: Glen Drover

Although Megadeth were once more a true band, it was obvious that the songs were the product of Mustaine’s mind. However, if The System Has Failed was a little inconsistent, this time it was clear Megadeth had found their range again.

A cover of Zeppelin’s Out On the Tiles and a re-visit of A Tout Le Monde (with a guest appearance from Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia) apart, it pulled no punches.

In keeping with modern cynicism, Mustaine showed himself to be as angry and agitated as he was in 1985. UA topped the GW readers poll for 2007’s best metal album.

Endgame (Roadrunner, 2009)

Guitarist: Chris Broderick

Endgame features yet another new lead guitarist entering MegaDave’s midst. This time around, it’s Chris Broderick, who came in hot, adding bouts of old-school thrash meets new-school edginess.

The result is an album that felt like a true band effort that was still clearly spearheaded by Mustaine, who continued to run the gamut of lyrical topics, ranging from Lord of the Rings themes to the Great Recession.

Songs like Head Crusher and 44 Minutes showed that Mustaine wasn’t just back at it, but aiming to properly reinstate the Megadeth machine atop the proverbial MegaMountain. And once again, this barn-burner topped Guitar World's end-of-year poll for the best metal album of 2009.

Th1rt3en (Roadrunner, 2011)

Guitarist: Chris Broderick

For the first time since the halcyon days of Marty Friedman, Megadeth made an album with the same lead guitarist as the previous one. Also noteworthy is the return of founding bassist David Ellefson, whom James LoMenzo had previously replaced. The results were good, if not outstanding… in a way.

The Al Capone-inspired Public Enemy No. 1 was kind of weird, but also kinda awesome in that Mustaine continued to push his lyrical ideas past their limits. And then there’s a cut like Sudden Death, which found Mustaine and company pummeling away at full blast with intent to kill.

Super Collider (Universal, 2013)

Guitarist: Chris Broderick

Three albums in a row with a guitarist not named Marty Friedman? Madness! Sadly, this would be Broderick’s Megadeth swan song. Thankfully, he went out with a bang, as Super Collider was the band’s best since the vaunted Rust in Peace. This is not to say Super Collider is as good as Rust in Peace, but that Mustaine had harnessed some sort of latter-day resurgence, landing Megadeth back among the genre’s best and most consistent bands. Evidence can be found in songs like Kingmaker and Burn!

Though great things were to come, it’s a shame Broderick didn’t stick around to challenge the vaunted Friedman era for consistency and dominance. That aside, he did find his way onto GW's cover (our June 2013 issue), becoming the first Megadeth guitarist to share the cover with Mustaine since Friedman back in 1991.

Dystopia (Universal, 2016)

It’s not hyperbolic to say that Dystopia was the best Megadeth album since the band’s first few beloved records. But this time, this isn’t just because it’s good, but because it’s truly great.

With former Angra guitarist Kiko Loureiro aboard, Mustaine found the best foil he’d had since the ’80s, leading to the creation of a modern metal monster. Fatal Illusion, The Threat Is Real and Post American World are commentaries that pummel the listener into blissful submission. Dystopia is top-tier Mustaine, so it’s no wonder that it nabbed him a Grammy for Best Metal Performance.

Guitarist: Kiko Loureiro

The Sick, the Dying… And the Dead! (Universal, 2022)

Mustaine and co carried the momentum from Dystopia into the sessions for The Sick… leading to another late-career metal masterstroke. But there was more at play here, such as the Covid pandemic and Mustaine’s throat cancer diagnosis.

We’ll Be Back netted Megadeth another Grammy nod for Best Metal Performance, which was the icing on the cake given all that Mustaine had been through. On the downside, this record put a period on Lourierio’s tenure.

Guitarist: Kiko Loureiro

Megadeth (Frontiers, 2026)

Given the fact that Mustaine and his band of merry men had nabbed two Grammys after the release of the band’s previous two records, and that their live show is as hellacious as ever, it was a surprise to hear that Megadeth will be the band’s final album.

But it’s not all bad, as newbie Teemu Mäntysaari made like it was 1990, delivering a Friedman-ish performance across Tipping Point, I Don’t Care and Let There Be Shred. Mustaine is going out like he came in: kicking, screaming and delivering blood‑boiling rock just as he did in ’85.

Guitarist: Teemu Mäntysaari

• Megadeth is out now via Frontiers.
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Dave Mustaine’s wild heavy metal journey is ending via a final Megadeth album – January’s self-titled release – and a globetrotting tour.

He tells Guitar World, “We have a lot of territories we need to play before we stop. We’ve got a lot of stops to get to so that we can see everybody. It’s more than just weekend-warrior stuff here in the States. We’re not just here traveling in a Winnebago.” [Laughs]

It’s hard to imagine the metal landscape without Mustaine, a man whose playing is as fiery as his personality. Thankfully, those traits come across throughout Megadeth. Mustaine is going out with a massive bang.

Below, he discusses the new album, track by track. As is the case with any Megadeth offering, the themes run a wide gamut, but it’s the album's final track, The Last Note, that seems the most symbolic.

“It’s like we’re playing to carry on forever,” Mustaine says of the song. “For people who know my music, it’ll carry on. I know it will.”

1. Tipping Point

This song came along in the middle of the recording process; the songs were numbered, and Tipping Point was Number 9, so we had gotten through a good portion of the record by the time we started working on it. As far as performing in the studio, we had some crude racks from Lowe's or Home Depot, and we had all of our amps stacked up there.

We had our Marshalls and a bunch of other amps I've never seen before, all the stompboxes and stuff. This song came together pretty easily. The hardest part was knowing when to stop, because Megadeth songs reveal themselves – if that makes sense.

The first time you listen to it, it sounds like something, and then you listen again, and you hear so many things you didn’t hear before. The easiest way to say it is that it's like peeling an onion, and every time you listen to it, you hear a little something more. Teemu [Mäntysaari] is definitely going to be a star. The guitar work he did on this record was just amazing.

2. I Don’t Care

It’s song Number 2, but it was song Number 4 in the list of songs. That was the order the songs were penned – not as far as their importance. I Don’t Care is really a super-punk track I had been hanging onto in my head for a long time and thinking about, you know, how aggressive it would be to do a really great skating video, or any of those extreme sports. It just kept fueling the song.

When it was time to sing the lyrics, I don't know what I was thinking, but I went up and just spat out these lyrics – and all that stuff came out the second time I sang it.

The first time I sang it, it reminded me a lot of Nirvana and then Fear. I was in one of those little obnoxious Dave Mustaine moods, and I got through the first pass. Then the producer, Chris [Rakestraw], goes, “You need to just go ‘da da da da da’ during that middle part there.” I kind of tilted my head, went in there and just said the most obnoxious things I could say – and there you go! [Laughs]

The fun part about doing the guitar layering was, when we started with the main riff, we added another, which was all down-picking the same chords. Then we had another layer that went on top that was like when you do the first note and then an octave higher – that jazzy kind of chord, where you can slide it, like a George Benson chord. At the very end, there was one more layer that’s a cross between a percussive sound and a little bit of a pinch sound.

3. Hey God?!

When we started this one, it had different lyrics. We went through numerous ideations where the song stayed the same, but the lyrics were really hard to come down on.

I spent so much time getting this lyric right that I lost it, and I just wrote down what ended up becoming the final lyrics. A lot of the thought process for the retirement stuff was swirling around in my head around that period. The thoughts would come and go, but that's when I zeroed in on those lyrics.

The song – the music – was written; it was the second musical track we were working on, but the lyrics took forever. But when we finally got to that place, about how we’re nearing the end here, that’s when these lyrics came up.

It's funny because there’s a lot of those, I don’t know if “slogans” is the right word, but they’re like wives’ tales and limericks and stuff like that about footprints in the sand, looking back. And there was only one set of footprints. And you say to God, “Where were you?” And God says, “Well, those footprints were mine, when I was carrying you.” I thought, “That’s a really cool concept.”

It’s like the old poem that says something like, “It’s better to live your life like there is a God, and when you get to Heaven, find out there is none, than to live your life like there’s no God and go to Heaven and find out that there is.” I thought, “That’s pretty heavy.”

4. Let There Be Shred

Let There Be Shred has nothing to do with AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock, although I’m a huge AC/DC fan and I love that song. Teemu is such an exceptional talent that he really lit a fire in me for my playing. We were joking around and constantly talking about how we have to make this record absolutely shred and that we needed to put a lot of solos in it. I think we accomplished that.

We didn’t write songs like [we used to in former] periods of Megadeth’s lifetime. We had songs that were great songs, but were fit for a time, like the Countdown to Extinction years. Those songs are classic, but they’re not fast by today’s standards. The songs people like are like those on the new record, but, you know, different songs for different times.

A pretty unique thing about Let There Be Shred – in terms of the guitar duels Teemu and I were doing – is that he would do all the shred stuff, and I’d do all the hippie stuff. I thought that was really fun, based on what the lyrics were about, because it was supposed to be a guitar challenge.

I think if we did a video, it'd be really great to get a bunch of super-amazing young guitar players in there just going for it, and then the song ends and it’s me standing out in front of the audition place with my guitar case like, “Wait a minute, I’m, I’m here…” [Laughs] It's kind of like a David Lee Roth video.

5. Puppet Parade

When we wrote this song, we knew the melody was really catchy. As for the guitar parts, the rhythm is close to several songs we have, but it isn't the same. We didn’t want to borrow anything from ourselves, but the simplicity of the riff makes it really catchy. Sometimes you want it to be super-explosive, but the riff doesn't call for that; the riff calls for a simpler performance. Maybe you take out one or two rhythm notes; maybe that's the difference between good and great.

With Puppet Parade, the rhythm in the beginning is really cool and hooky. The chorus is from when I dug into trying to sing again, you know – really sing along with the song. Believe it or not, the chorus was one of the hardest parts on this song. Not the lyrics, but the music. When we got that done, we knew it was going to be a catchy song. And Teemu did a great guitar solo; we both did.

6. Another Bad Day

This was fun to write. I’m inspired by things from my past and from when I was growing up – especially videos and movies. Another Bad Day reminds me of that Madness video for Our House [1982], where everything’s fucked, and you can cross that with that 1993 Michael Douglas movie, Falling Down. There’s a whole meltdown – he’s got a baseball bat, his car breaks down. That’s my visual for this song. [Laughs]

He wakes up and has no idea what’s going on. He’s losing everything, and his normal routine is gone. The song discusses the hardships in life. I’ve had a lot of experiences like that; these things happen to everyone. Singing about it sometimes makes it a little bit easier for people who are struggling with stuff like this.

7. Made to Kill

This was one of those songs where the first half is like the second half, but it’s telling a story. There’s the first half, and then it goes back to the beginning, and I think there’s some really cool riffs in there.

The lyric ideas talk about the state of affairs in our country right now, where people are so agitated that they start organizing. I'm not saying one side’s right or one side’s wrong; I'm saying this is what’s coming next if things don’t change.

8. Obey the Call

This was the second-to-last song we wrote. We had some pretty good soloing and trading off, if I remember right. Teemu had the majority of the solos, and it was kind of a follow-up to [the cover art of 2018’s] Dystopia, that kind of bombed-out city, where everything’s all fucked up. I’ve written about this a lot of times.

The first time I really got into something like this was when I saw the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Timecop [1994] and we were finishing up Rust in Peace.

We had just finished Poison Was the Cure, and we needed a little bit more for the record, and David Ellefson had written this part, which we ended up using as the beginning of Poison Was the Cure. I watched Timecop, and I had this dream where I had my own vision of what it would look like. The lyrics were me dipping my toe into full-on apocalypse stuff.

9. I Am War

It’s simple, but the lyrics are deep. I’m a big fan of Sun Tzu and The Art of War – it’s something every band leader should read. It’s not generally made for musicians, but the credo throughout the book – the “not taking shit from anybody and knowing how to defeat your enemies and how to be a warrior” part – really inspired me when I first started getting into martial arts.

When I heard businessmen were reading it, I figured, “Shit, I'm gonna read this for sure now.” So I did, and it’s very difficult to understand, but I got through it and read it a second time. It’s like our records, where it reveals itself as time goes on. That’s important when you're trying to learn something; you learn it like you're gonna teach it.

When you learn something and somebody makes it too fucking difficult, you're not gonna learn it. It’s the same with martial arts – and with guitar. I thought this was really cool. The song shows the dichotomy between these two approaches to war. One is the leader going to war and trying to win; the other person tries to win and then goes to war. He is somebody who will plan out his attack, like a reaction to a response.

10. The Last Note

This started out as a very sad song. It was actually called “Jumpers,” because it was about the dilemma on the Golden Gate Bridge – the tragic problem they have there with people ending their lives on the bridge so often that they’ve got a police force just for the bridge. There’s a clip that shows several people jumping off the bridge and what happens when someone jumps.

They hit the ground with such velocity that their bones turn into splinters, which go upward, piercing every organ in their body. As soon as the rescue team gets there, they go to where the person jumped and throw this flare off the side of the bridge. It goes into the water and floats along with the current so that you can see the body trail. It's gnarly stuff when you think about it.

I wrote a song about it, but when it was time to sing it, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. There was no way I could get any emotion behind it. I mean, I sang it well, but it just didn’t sound good. There was no way I could make that something somebody could sing, so we changed it to The Last Note.

I was out last month [October] during our European/U.K. tour, and some of the first interviews we did there were with some really rugged guys – strapping guys from Scandinavia. A couple of them said to my face, “When I listened to The Last Note, it brought a tear to my eye.” And I went, “What?” – because this was the first time we’d done any press on this record.

Imagine that I haven’t spoken to anybody since we shut the record down, and this was one of the first times I heard from anybody about the record, and certainly about that song.

When these two guys, in two separate interviews, said the same thing – one said it brought tears to his eyes and the other said it almost made him weep – I was like, “Mission accomplished.”

11. Ride the Lightning (Bonus Track)

The main reason I chose to do this was to close the circle and pay my respects to my partners. I thought this was a really great way to do that. Whenever we select any other band’s music to go on our albums, sometimes there’s a lot of thought behind it and sometimes there’s not.

This was one of the ones that we thought long and hard about, because all I wanted to do was play the song I wrote with the guys in Metallica. I wanted to pay my respects to James Hetfield, who I think is an amazing guitar player, and Lars Ulrich, who was an excellent songwriter. I remember when I was there and we were putting these songs together, Lars didn’t just sit there; he was very instrumental in making these songs.

Of course, when we got into making demos of these songs, it was fun to do the recordings, but we were never really able to do a full-on produced version of Ride the Lightning, and I would have loved to have heard that.

I gotta tell you – listening back to James’ original vocal performance, it was really tremendous. Anyway, there’s no big strategy; I have respect for the guys, and I just wanted to show that. And it’s a hell of a song!

• Megadeth is out now via Frontiers.
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Marty Friedman states he has no regrets. He’s seen and done just about everything a guitarist can, with career highs including Cacophony’s Speed Metal Symphony (1987), his debut solo record, Dragon’s Kiss (1988), and Megadeth’s Rust in Peace (1990). And in 2024 he dropped what he feels is his definitive work, Drama.

He’s delighted to have reconnected with old pal Dave Mustaine, and to have joined Megadeth onstage for a few songs at Budokan and Wacken in 2023 – which reminded the world how high the stakes go when he’s on a big stage.

“It may be because it’s what I do most naturally and best,” Friedman says. “When someone’s doing what they’re meant to do, it has a profound effect. Perhaps greater than someone who has the gift to play beautifully but who’s multi-talented with a true calling in carpentry or aviation, for example. There aren’t a lot of other things I do well!”

Friedman, of course, is aware that Mustaine is in the process of calling time on Megadeth – which has him thinking about his own past and future.

“I'm proud of the legacy I've built with the band, and I love the fans even more now,” he says. “They remind me of myself as a teenage Kiss fan.

“Whenever Megadeth retires will be the right time. Dave and I could have both retired decades ago, but we’re both lifers – we play music because that is just what we do. When the grind of touring eventually outweighs the joy of playing, I’d say that’s the time to retire.”

What are your earliest memories of music?

Johnny Cash had a TV show when I was a kid, and it came on right at my bedtime, and I used to plead with my parents to let me watch it. Most of the time they didn’t, so I listened to it through the central heating vent in the floor. He was always talking about jail and rebellious stuff – it was this forbidden thing, and I loved it.

What specifically drew you to the guitar?

I never cared about guitar! I thought they were for folk singers and college kids singing around the campfire. When I saw Kiss in concert I just wanted to be in that high-energy, high-adrenaline world, and the guitar seemed to be the way to get into it.

How did the scene you grew up in affect you?

I was very lucky. My first band, Deuce, was the foundation of everything to come. I was playing live in front of people from the very beginning, even though I could barely play! It forces you to be an entertainer, to always play your best and to avoid screwing up at all costs. No one hears your mistakes if you’re in your bedroom.

After Jake E. Lee left Ozzy, you auditioned for the job. What was that like?

I was flattered to be flown down to audition. I think I played very well, but my image at that time was more of a guitar nerd than a partying rock star. I didn’t look like the guys in the band. I think Zakk Wylde was absolutely perfect for Ozzy, with more than enough playing ability to back up his wild appearance.

How did you first meet Mike Varney, leading to signing a deal in the so-called shred era?

Back then, “shred” wasn’t a term you heard much. It always made me think of a guy playing as fast as possible in his basement – fingers were flying and looking impressive, but if you closed your eyes it sounds like absolute vomit. But a lot of people listen with their eyes; they see these guys and are impressed and they think shredding is cool. I hated being lumped in with shredders.

I first met Varney by sending a demo to his Spotlight column in Guitar Player magazine. He called me and we made several albums together. But it slightly irked me that despite all that, he never put me in his column!

Tell us about the writing and recording of solo album Dragons Kiss, which put you on the map.

I’d put all my guts and all my material into Cacophony's Speed Metal Symphony, so when Mike Varney signed me on for a solo album, I had no material. I was motivated solely by the fact that a label was willing to put out my music. I didn’t want to let anyone down.

The recording was brutal. It was done in shifts – daytime was Dragon's Kiss and nighttime was Jason Becker's Perpetual Burn, which I was also co-producing. I was in the studio 16 to 18 hours a day, with no time for trivial things like food and sleep. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

It was forcing me to come up with so much on the spot. Sonically, Dragon’s Kiss can be hit and miss, but I’m glad I put Forbidden City on there. I feel that was a well-done piece of music, despite my limited life experience at the time.

What had led to your hooking up with Jason Becker?

Mike had played me a demo of Jason beforehand, and I was nonplused. The best I could say about it was that he was good for a 16-year-old – but so what? But Mike insisted I meet him, and since Mike was holding the keys to the album I wanted to release, I humored him.

When Jason came into my apartment I immediately fell in love with the guy. I could see that, although songwriting and recording were not yet things he was any good at, he had an unlimited amount of talent for playing the guitar.

So I made the ultimate sacrifice and scrapped my solo album to form the band Cacophony with him. We became best friends almost immediately. I was growing as a guitarist at a pretty good pace, but Jason was growing like some kind of Guinness world record holder!

In one short year, at age 18, he went from a crappy demo tape to writing, arranging, and recording Perpetual Burn, an album that stands up today as a benchmark of jaw-dropping guitar playing. It was uncanny.

Your work with Jason, along with your solo work, got your star rising. Is that what first caught Dave Mustaine's attention?

No – Dave didn’t particularly like the Cacophony stuff. One time we were listening to it in the car and he was telling me he liked this part and that part. But he’s always been a song guy, and Cacophony was less about songs, more about new melodies, unique sections, far-out arrangements – and, of course, guitar acrobatics. Great songwriters, we were definitely not!

I was recommended to Megadeth's manager by a mutual friend, after they’d unsuccessfully auditioned around 60 guitarists.

Were you a fan of Megadeth?

I wasn't too familiar with the band, but I remember really liking the Peace Sells album when it came out. What I knew I could bring to the table was a much more melodic way to present the heavy music they were doing, and I could update the lead guitar work.

Megadeth always had good lead guitar work, but when I joined they only had two major-label albums out, and the guitar was not recorded very well – so you couldn’t tell how good it was. I wanted a much stronger and clearer presentation of guitar. We got exactly that when we started recording together.

It's undisputed that your era with Megadeth bred the band's best work. Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction are all-time albums. Why do you think that is?

We were each the perfect guy for the job, all in the band at the same time. No weak links, and we constantly pushed each other. It was a lot of very hard work, and very little resting on laurels, if any. We were deeply emotionally invested in the product we were creating.

In my autobiography Dreaming Japanese, I went into great detail about making the albums. Each had separate challenges; some were more fun than others, but none of us ever slacked off on any of them. It’s no coincidence that they still hold up pretty well today.

While you were with Megadeth in the ‘90s, you continued your solo work. Was Dave okay with that?

Dave and Megadeth management were totally cool with my solo career coinciding. At the time I wasn’t touring with my own band, like I am now. That would have likely caused a conflict. But when I was off tour, I was always working on my own music as well as Megadeth stuff.

A lot of people think it was a mistake to leave Megadeth – but there’s a strong argument that you left at the right time.

I understand that, for a fan, anything that changes your favorite lineup is catastrophic. But for me, it was the best career move I ever made. It wasn’t easy to leave such a well-established band that I’d had so much success with.

But leaving allowed me to eclipse my role in Megadeth on so many levels and create a niche for myself that’s served me very well. Megadeth went on to win Grammys and do some amazing things in my absence, so all is well on both sides.

Things seem to have thawed between you and Dave in recent years.

It’s great – we’ve both kept our things going strong for several years, so there’s a mutual respect between us. It was quite casual and easy for us to play together the few times we have at Budokan and Wacken.

You’ve remained prolific ever since, releasing amazing solo records, leading up to Drama. What keeps you chasing new sounds?

There are always new depths of melody to be created and new expressions to share, and I’ve always pursued those things. I think Drama is the ultimate representation of my musical evolution.

I’ve been concentrating on touring the album much longer than usual before starting the next one. I can't imagine topping it – so, being the lazy ass I can often be, I’ll just enjoy playing the Drama music on tour until I feel like I can do something better.

What’s the backstory of your guitars and the gear that gets your notable tone?

I’m very fortunate to have signature guitars, pickups, amps, and pedals. The Jackson Marty Friedman MF-1, the EMG MF pickups, the ENGL Marty Friedman Inferno amp, and the Tech 21 Marty Friedman pedal will lead anyone to the tones I like.

To be honest, though, I’d sound like me through any gear. I use these products because they’re extremely reliable work tools, rather than having some kind of special sound I can’t live without. I just need a workhorse that can take a constant beating.

What are you up to now, and what’s next?

I've been touring for the Drama album since it came out in late 2024 and I plan to tour it even more in 2026. And I’ve been working with several Japanese artists, doing plenty of Japanese TV shows as usual. And I have a YouTube channel called Rock Fujiyama that has me playing guitar with interesting guests every week.

• Drama is on sale now.

Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has said that his worsening hand condition has forced the band’s retirement.

The band’s final studio outing, aptly titled Megadeth, was released last month, with Mustaine making headlines by closing out the record with a cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning. It was also the Megadeth debut of Finnish virtuoso Teemu Mäntysaari.

Mustaine has already dropped the bombshell that his guitar-playing days are numbered. He’s been diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture – also known as Viking’s Disease – which is making it “really painful” to dish out the riffs.

Speaking to Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation (via Louder Sound), he’s given more insight into how that influenced his decision to bring Megadeth’s five decades to a close.

“It's not that I don't want to stay, it's that my hands are betraying me,” Mustaine admits. “If there were another way around this, I would swallow my pride and say, ‘I was able to find some miracle cure,’ or I could play left-handed or something. But I'm cool with going out right now where we're at. This is just wonderful.”

Dupuytren's contracture is a condition that gets steadily worse over time. It sees the connective tissue in the sufferer's palm thicken to the point that the hand remains permanently bent.

Mustaine is willing to fight through the pain barrier to sign off Megadeth in style. Just don’t expect the band’s farewell tour to roll out former members: he’s said it isn’t going to be a “puppet show.”

Golden-era guitarist Marty Friedman, meanwhile, has said leaving Megadeth after 10 years was the best decision he ever made, and Mustaine has explained why he and James Hetfield are no longer on talking terms.

He also sat down with Guitar World to talk about the hiring and firing of every single Megadeth guitarist, and, in a surprise to no one, it’s a wild read.

Megadeth’s golden era lead guitarist, Marty Friedman, says he has no regrets about leaving the band at the turn of the millennium.

Friedman joined Dave Mustaine’s outfit in 1990 for a decade-long stint. He introduced himself to the Megadeth fanbase via his fireworks-laden guitar solos on the metal classic Rust in Peace. He was part of the band’s most successful period, which saw them releasing a handful of seminal records, including Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, and Cryptic Writings.

He was subsequently replaced by Al Pitrelli heading into the early 2000, and Friedman feels he left the band at the right time.

“I understand that as a fan, if anything happens that changes your favorite lineup, it’s catastrophic,” a sympathetic Friedman tells Guitar World. “But for me, it was the best career move I ever made.”

As for why he has no regrets leaving when he did, Friedman says it gave him the freedom to explore new avenues in his career.

He continues, “It was not easy to leave such a well-established band that I had so much success with. But leaving it allowed me to eclipse my role in Megadeth on so many levels and create a niche for myself that has served me very well.”

Following his departure, Friedman relocated to Japan, where he's established a cult following. He's made records with J-Pop star Nanase Aikawa, Japanese idol group Momoiro Clover Z, and a score of works for TV. Not to mention a cluster of solo albums, with his last, Drama, written as a love letter to his fans, coming in 2024.

By stepping away from the gung-ho world of thrash, Friedman has been able to explore his guitar playing with unbridled freedom.

“There are always new and undiscovered depths of melody to be created, and new expressions to share, and I have always pursued those things,” he adds.

“I think Drama is the ultimate representative of my musical evolution; I’ve been concentrating on touring for the album much longer than usual before starting to work on the next one. I can't imagine topping it.”

Friedman has had offers to return to Mustaine's side, famously turning down the chance to reunite the Rust in Peace line-up, but did play two shows as a guest with them in 2023.

In related news, Mustaine recently revealed the life-changing hand condition that has forced Megadeth’s retirement, and explained the strange reason why Friedman nearly didn’t get the gig.

At 38, Teemu Mäntysaari is Megadeth’s youngest – and newest – member. He was handpicked by Megadeth’s commander-in-chaos, Dave Mustaine, to carry on a lead-guitar legacy that includes Chris Poland, Marty Friedman and Kiko Loureiro.

He’s helming the band’s six-string duties (besides Mustaine, of course) for their final studio album and tour. But Mäntysaari isn’t sweating it.

“It was a pretty amazing process,” he says. “After I got the gig, Dave said, ‘If you have any ideas, it’s good to start saving them.’ By the end of the 2024 touring season, we started talking more and more about what we wanted to do.”

Mäntysaari says that one of the first things Mustaine had the band do was listen to the group’s entire 16-album discography to springboard them into what would become 2026’s Megadeth.

“We’d have an Excel spreadsheet where we’d make notes about every song,” Mäntysaari says. “That was the first bit of inspiration, and also, us looking back at the legacy of the band.”

By the time Megadeth’s final run is done, unlike Mustaine, Mäntysaari will have his entire career ahead of him. He’ll walk away with cache, but there’s more to it.

“It was a lot of learning,” he says. “Dave was telling us about how those songs from back in the day came about. It was really inspiring, and it helped us understand how to make a good Megadeth album.”

Megadeth has an old-school feel. Was that intentional?

Absolutely. We really wanted to honor the old-school Megadeth sound and have some of that punk attitude, plus some of the rougher, raw edges with sprinkles of modern production – but not too modern! We created something new and cool that reminds you of something [older] but still sounds fresh.

When did Dave tell you this would be the final Megadeth record?

Pretty late in the process. We were in the studio for a good 10 months, and that’s when there were first talks about the “farewell” idea. So most of the album was done, I’d say. But, for example, the lyrics for The Last Note were done after the farewell decision, so we really didn’t think about it while making the other songs.

How did the news make you feel?

I have huge appreciation for Dave. It’s super-exciting to have my name printed in the [album] booklet; that’s probably only going to hit when you actually see the physical product. But I haven’t thought about it too much; I’m just living in the moment and making the best of the time we have. And the farewell tour isn’t going to be short; we’re going to go everywhere.

Did Dave give you a lot of freedom from a guitar perspective while recording?

There were a bunch of times when Dave had an idea, and then there was a Dropbox folder for the band where everybody could contribute their ideas. So we’d keep track of ideas that could maybe go together stylistically and tempo-wise.

Some were snippets of a riff, some were fuller arrangements. It was like Lego pieces you put together. Dave has a huge catalog of things that haven’t been used, so we all contributed.

Given that you wanted a timeless yet fresh record, what gear did you use?

We basically had a chance to try anything we wanted. I brought a few amps to the studio, and I like to tweak sounds. One of the main things I brought was a German amp by a builder called Eddie Lenz [Lenz Amplification], which he tweaked to my taste.

But we ended up using mostly Friedman. And the producer, Chris Rakestraw, has a big pedal wall connected to this MIDI switching system, so we could easily engage any sound we wanted. So we had a lot of fun exploring tones, but all the amps were in the classic Megadeth direction – modified Marshalls, British sounds, but with some modern tightness.

What will you take away from having played lead guitar on Megadeth’s final LP?

I really value collaboration, having a common goal and good vibes. It was a lot of long days, but the good communication and appreciation of everyone’s input were two of the biggest takeaways. I like the power of collaboration.

• Megadeth is out now via Frontiers.
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

You can look at Dave Mustaine’s career in two ways: as a revenge tour or as a story of perpetual redemption. If Mustaine’s life, which is earmarked by iconic records like 1986’s Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying, 1990’s Rust in Peace and 1992’s Countdown to Extinction, is viewed through the post-Metallica-related revenge lens, then you might conclude that ol’ Dave has done pretty well for himself.

Metallica is thrash metal’s top dog, but Megadeth is one of the other three of that movement’s Big Four along with Anthrax and Slayer. That means something. Mustaine, a fire‑breathing, self-taught, V-wielding player, still endures at age 64 despite addiction issues, personality crises, a nasty arm injury, a cancer diagnosis and an ever-revolving band lineup. To that end, it’s perhaps more astute to focus on the “perpetual redemption” angle, right?

After all, we’re talking about one of rock and metal’s most enigmatic and dynamic characters. And with that comes the push and pull between revenge and redemption – aka the naming of Mustaine’s arc – that may never be finalized. At least, not now.

But maybe soon: Mustaine has said that Megadeth, the band’s 17th studio album, which features yet another new lead guitarist, Teemu Mäntysaari, will be their last. On top of that, the ensuing tour will be Mustaine’s final trot around the globe.

Mustaine cautions that he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as Megadeth’s international fanbase dictates that a large-scale tour around said globe will be in order. As for that new album, it sounds decidedly old-school. You know, the kind of sound that made Mustaine a thrash metal legend back in 1986, 1990, 1992 and so on.

And then there’s Mäntysaari, whom Mustaine believes will be a “star.” His playing is something out of the ’80s and early ’90s, aka the era helmed by Marty Friedman, whom Mustaine calls “incredibly talented” and “incredibly mysterious.”

Listening to Megadeth’s final record, you can’t help but be transported back in time to the days when Rust in Peace made waves via Friedman’s playing. But just because Mustaine is kicking it old-school doesn’t mean he plans to cozy up with Friedman – or any other former Megadeth alumni – while on his final jaunt.

“We’ve already done that with Marty,” Mustaine tells Guitar World [Friedman joined Megadeth on stage twice in 2023 – February in Japan and August in Germany]. “And, I mean, let’s look at the other people we’ve played with… there’s a lot of people. [Laughs]

“That would be a huge undertaking. I don’t think I want to do that. I’d rather keep doing what we’re doing and let the fans [experience] Megadeth music and be happy about it. It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth.’”

’Deth ghosts still haunt Mustaine, however.

“I wish I would have kept in touch with [late drummer] Gar [Samuelson],” he says. “You see that Ace Frehley passed away and how sad that is. Whenever stuff like that happens, I feel fortunate because I’m still kicking. But on the opposite side of the coin, I think, ‘Fuck… that could have been me,’ but by the grace of God, it’s not.”

Mustaine’s words on life and death refocus the revenge versus redemption arc he’s been penning since he was booted out of Metallica, picked himself up and formed the band that would feature him as one of metal’s grizzliest warriors, aka a man not to be messed with.

There is always an inherent darkness that looms over the band. It’s a matter of light and shade, hate and anger, life and death and revenge and redemption. Whatever that cocktail is, it’s what makes Dave Mustaine and his band, no matter the members, tick.

With that dichotomy comes a harrowing impact that can sure as hell be felt, but not so easily defined. To this, Mustaine shrugs, saying, “I try to stay humble. I know we did something pretty monumental with creating a music style. You can’t go anywhere and not hear people playing guitar like we did, and some of the drum patterns and chord changes – I hear that all the time in young bands, and it makes me very happy. I’m very proud.”

After leaving Metallica, what was your vision for forming Megadeth?

When I left New York [after Metallica], I got home, dusted myself off, moved to Hollywood and was trying to piece together what was to be called Megadeth. The first thing I did was meet this guy in a building next to me named Robbie McKinney. He stayed in touch with me over the years. He’s a great guitar player, but he wasn’t the right fit.

Then I ended up moving into an apartment, and you know the story about [bassist] David Ellefson living underneath me and me throwing a potted plant into his air conditioner… [Laughs] Anyway, we got into the studio together, started playing, had a drummer who then said to me, “I’m going to go find myself,” and he left.

We auditioned drummers, and we got Gar Samuelson, who was a mind-blowing jazz drummer. No one had ever given thought to doing jazz drumming in metal, but we did, and that’s what set us apart.

How did you land on Chris Poland as your initial partner in guitar crime?

We were trying to get our guitar situation replaced because we temporarily had Kerry King [of Slayer] sitting in with us. So Gar said, “Hey, I know somebody,” and we ended up auditioning Chris Poland. His playing was so bizarre and unorthodox that I thought, “If he could do this, this could be the missing ingredient we need. This could really set us apart from everybody else by not having the same wang-bar, doodly kind of stuff on the solos.”

So we hung out for a little while, and that’s basically when we made the decision because, besides his incredible playing ability and a lot of the things we did in our private lives that we all did together, it wasn’t hard to make friends and blend, if you know what I mean.

To your point, Chris was fabulous on Megadeth’s first two records, Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good! and Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? What led to Jeff Young replacing him for So Far, So Good… So What!?

Jeff Young is a great guitar player. It’s unfortunate that the world knows that Jeff is a great guitar player, but they don’t know how really bright he is. I saw something in Jeff when we hired him; it was kind of a strange occurrence. We had tried to find a guitar player, and I went with David Ellefson to the country club in Reseda, where we watched this band called Malice.

Malice had this big, tall, good-looking guitar player [Jay Reynolds] that had a Gibson Flying V and was heavily influenced, to me, by Michael Schenker. We talked to him after his show, and then we met him, and I said I wanted him to be in Megadeth. He was excited about joining the band; then we were in the studio recording So Far, So Good… So What? and I was like, “Okay, it’s time to do your solos, man.”

He goes, “Okay, I’m gonna call up my guitar teacher, have him do [the] solos and then have him teach me.” I thought, “Get out – you’re pulling my leg.” But no, that was true. That’s what he wanted to do. I went along with it, and Jeff showed up, and like I said, Jeff was a really superb guitar player. He really had his own unique style, like Chris did, and we started working on the record.

What made Jeff stand out?

If I remember correctly, he was really influenced by the gunslingers that were coming out of Mike Varney’s stable. One guy I know – I think his name might have been Tony MacAlpine – was just a mind-blowing talent.

Another was Vinnie Moore. It was apparent that Jeff was a shredder. I remember standing out on Melrose Avenue, and I said to Jeff, “Do you wanna join the band?” He said, “Yes,” and I thought, “Thank God. This is too funky right now.”

I didn’t wanna go back to looking for another guitar player because we’d spent so much time looking for Jay, and then that whole thing happened, where he said, “I’m gonna have my teacher come down.” That really threw me for a loop.

Sadly, Jeff didn’t last too long, either.

After we parted ways with Jeff, we started looking for new guitar players again. It was difficult. I mean, you’ve got Chris Poland and you’ve got Jeff Young playing in your band, so how do you find somebody that’s gonna compare with those guys? It’s gonna be really hard, right? And it was really hard.

We had a guy come in from San Francisco, and he set up his amp, put on his guitar and goes, “Show me the songs.” I looked at Ellefson, and I just went, “Oh, my God…” And then we had one guy who I’d never seen in my life, not once, and he comes in, sets up his stuff and he’s got this bright green and fuchsia-colored Ibanez JEM with the handle on it – one of those Steve Vai models.

We had this [unspoken agreement] where when an audition was over, I’d reach behind me and turn off my wireless setup. This guy comes in, starts setting up his guitar, stops for a second and goes, “Yeah, man, I wrote [Megadeth’s] Wake Up Dead…” I looked at Ellefson, and I reached back and clicked off my unit at exactly the same time David did. We just said, “Interview’s over…” [Laughs]

How did you find Marty Friedman?

Marty’s CD, Dragon’s Kiss [1988], had been sitting on the counter in the management's office, and I remember walking past it. The cover was this black picture with bright orange lettering on it, and it was pretty eye-catching. But I just couldn’t do it because of his hair. [Laughs]

His hair?

He had two different colors in his hair. His hair was black from the roots down to about his ear line, and then it was red all the way down to his armpits. I thought, “I can’t do this,” but against my will, I said, “Okay, let’s do this…”

So, he came in, and he walked in with a Carvin, which wasn’t a company renowned for its guitars. He had this ADA rackmount unit, but I don’t know what it was for or how he thought it was going to help him. [Laughs] By then, I had already had minimal success and had a lot of amps, so I said to my guys, “Do me a favor, please set up a stack for Marty over there.”

And when it came time to do the solo, Marty just popped in. We’ve been through guitar player after guitar player, and we get to the solo part in Wake Up Dead, and he nails it. I just thought, “Oh, my God…” and I reached behind me, turned off my wireless, went out and called my manager and said, “I think we’ve got him.”

It was the right choice, as Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia were huge records in the Nineties when grunge was all the rage and metal was waning.

It had a lot to do with around 1992 when Nirvana had Nevermind. They were so successful that normal heavy metal closed up a bit and was done. Metal wasn’t getting played on the radio anymore, but Nirvana was, along with all these bands from Seattle, like Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden and all those other bands. Those bands became the flavor of the day, and hard rock and heavy metal had to go underground, which is where most bands dissolved, sadly.

But Megadeth didn’t. Did that make it all the more tough when you lost Marty after recording Risk?

That was a really weird period. I don’t even know if Marty knows why we were brought together and why we were taken apart, but I had a fun time with Marty. But Marty is an enigma, and a very unique human being.

I think you can ask any of the people who have played with him… he’s incredibly talented, but very mysterious. He loves Oriental music, and we were able to make that work with Megadeth, so it’s sad that we stopped working together.

You two seemed to have a unique musical chemistry. Plus, he brought stability to the lead-guitar spot, a notoriously volatile spot for Megadeth. It must have been painful to have him leave.

I had a couple of songs that I needed to write to get the feelings out of me from Marty leaving. There were a couple of songs I wrote that were cathartic to be able to talk about what happened.

Which songs were those?

1000 Times Goodbye [from 2001’s The World Needs a Hero] wasn’t written to or about Marty, but about the feelings I was going through. It was inspired by that because I was very confused. I hadn’t really had somebody that I cared about that much walk out.

It was the first time I’d ever had that happen, and I didn’t know how to deal with someone I really respect… I don’t want it to come off weird, but I really did enjoy Marty’s goofy one-liners and the stuff we did together.

Marty's leaving, combined with an arm injury that nearly ended your playing career, led you to fold Megadeth in 2002, but you came back in 2004 with Chris Poland back on lead guitar on The System Has Failed.

Let me explain about Chris Poland coming back; he wasn’t invited back to play with me on a permanent basis. In the same way as the Metallica thing, I thought I was done.

I thought my arm was done. I was going to do one more record, and then I was going to hang it up. So I asked him if he would come and play the solos, and that was it. Nothing more. And he did well; it was neat to see him play again.

Aside from Chris, you ran through Al Pitrelli, Glen Drover and Chris Broderick. That level of volatility from the lead guitar spot must have been challenging.

Oh, yeah, it was tough. I had to have a lot of mentors. I heavily backed into martial arts and had several spiritual mentors that I worked really closely with for a while because I was sad. I felt like I’d lost my mojo. Do you know what I mean?

It can be tough when you’re putting everything you have into something, and there are perpetual roadblocks.

Yeah, absolutely. But I really enjoyed playing with Glen. He and his brother [drummer Shawn Drover] came in after a really ugly period where we tried to get the Rust in Peace lineup back together, which wasn’t meant to be. Working with Glen and Shawn was enjoyable because a lot of the hardcore Swedish, Danish and English heavy metal that I loved, they knew.

We would play it a lot, and that was great. Shawn is a really amazing drummer, and his brother is a first-class guitarist. And here’s a thing people don’t know: the two of them can switch instruments without missing a note. They both play guitar and drums, and they’re both exceptional at it.

It seems as if Kiko Loureiro’s arrival in the band before Dystopia stabilized Megadeth. You had a lot of success with that record, and its follow-up, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! Was it painful to have him leave, sort of like it was with Marty?

No. By the time Kiko had come, I had pretty much galvanized myself toward people. And by that time, Kiko just started feeling like he was being away from home too much.

I did tell him we were gonna be doing a lot of touring when we first met, and unfortunately, I’m the leader of a band that requires more time, you know? But I hear from him every once in a while, or I’ll see something that somebody sends me, and I smile. Kiko was a good guy.

With Teemu Mäntysaari in the fold, Megadeth still seems to have a lot left in the tank. Is it hard knowing you’re releasing the band’s final record and embarking on its final tour?

We do have a lot left in the tank. And it might seem counterintuitive, but I also think that if people look at what I said, you know, this being our last studio album, and the part about touring, we’re an international band. We’ve got, by the grace of God, fans around the globe, so it’s going to take time to see everybody and say goodbye to everybody.

With this being Megadeth’s final tour, once you hit the road, will you be exclusively using your new signature gear, or will you bring out any old gear to make the occasion?

I don’t have any old gear for old time’s sake. [Laughs] I’ve got one Jackson, but my [new] Gibsons are the guitars I want to be playing. And this isn’t some product-placement thing; those guitars are exactly what I want and what I’ve always wanted. We made some slight adjustments to the guitars.

It’s kind of like a modified F1 [race car] where, over time, there are a couple of things you can do and bring along with you from what you’ve had in the past. I think that’s where we’re at right now with this, the new custom guitars. They’re like hot rods. The only thing we’re contemplating now is making the legs have points.

How do you hope to be remembered as a guitar player?

As someone who made a difference.

• Megadeth is out now via Frontiers.
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Dave Mustaine has shed light on what fans can expect from Megadeth’s farewell tour later this year – and we won’t be holding our breath for any high-profile reunions.

In late 2025, Mustaine announced that he’d be retiring the Megadeth banner in 2026 with a final studio record that would be joined by a global send-off. So far, the thrash pioneers have shared three singles – one of which was a shred guitar celebration.

As far as the tour is concerned, it’s set to be one of the guitar world’s biggest events this year.

However, whereas some legacy bands have previously taken the opportunity to reunite with past members for their own farewell jaunts, Mustaine and Megadeth will be steering clear of the cameos.

In other words, don’t expect Marty Friedman, Kiko Loureiro, Chris Poland or any other past member of Megadeth to show up during the tour.

Mustaine shot down chances of a spectacular reunion in the new issue of Guitar World, during which he was asked about the possibility of bringing ‘Deth alumni out on stage.

“We’ve already done that with Marty,” says Mustaine [Friedman joined Megadeth on stage twice in 2023 – February in Japan and August in Germany].

“And, I mean, let’s look at the other people we’ve played with… there’s a lot of people. [Laughs] That would be a huge undertaking. I don’t think I want to do that. I’d rather keep doing what we’re doing and let the fans [experience] Megadeth music and be happy about it. It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth.’”

So, those hoping to see one last rodeo with Mustaine, Friedman, Loureiro and other Megadeth fan favorites should probably temper their expectations. That said, it certainly frees up the spotlight for the band’s current shredder, Teemu Mäntysaari, whose post-Megadeth future is looking very bright indeed.

There will be one blast from the past for Megadeth’s farewell festivities, though. On the record, Mustaine will be covering a Metallica classic that he co-wrote while in the band.

Elsewhere in his Guitar World interview, Mustaine looked back on the ill-fated guitar appointment that led Megadeth to Jeff Young. The thrash icon has also opened up about the life-changing hand condition that was behind his decision to retire Megadeth.

For the full interview with Mustaine, pick up a copy of Guitar World issue 600, on sale now.

As Dave Mustaine gears up for the 17th and final Megadeth release – the aptly-titled Megadeth – he's taking the opportunity to reflect on the philosophy and guitar style that not only carried him throughout his career, but defines his legacy as a thrash metal pioneer.

“The term ‘rhythm guitar player’ seems a little diminishing for me,” he tells Premier Guitar. “I love the riff.”

It’s precisely the riff-centric approach that landed him his gig with his pre-Megadeth band, Metallica, and one that would bring more eyeballs (and ears) to his playing.

“When I went to Norwalk [California] the day that I met James Hetfield and [original Metallica bassist] Ron McGovney, I didn’t know what was gonna happen,” he admits. “Nobody did. But I had my style, and it was based around the riff.

“I went in there, and I didn’t have any Marshalls yet because I was just starting to get serious. I had these Risson amps – they were tan, so from the moment I set up my stack, I was different.”

He continues, “I plugged in my guitar and I started warming up, and I kept warming up and warming up. And I finally said, ‘Where the fuck are these guys?’ I set my guitar down and switched my amp to standby.

“And then I went out there and I said, ‘Man, where’s my audition?’ They said, ‘You got the gig.’ So I got my job just by warming up.” Clearly, Mustaine's inimitable style made the right impression. Mustaine was recruited on the spot. The rest was history.

Recently, Mustaine revealed the life-changing diagnosis that ultimately led to his decision to retire Megadeth.

Dave Mustaine has revealed that he’s suffering from a hand condition that is severely impacting his ability to play guitar, which is a driving factor behind his impending retirement.

The metal guitar icon is retiring Megadeth after the album cycle for their forthcoming 17th studio release, aptly titled Megadeth, wraps up. While early single releases show the guitarist still has plenty of chops – for instance, Let There Be Shred is a guitar solo love-fest – his Dupuytren's contracture diagnosis has made it “really painful to play.

“It's already started, where it's kind of bunching up a little bit,” he tells MariskalRockTV in a new interview. “And then if you look at the tips of my fingers, they're severely arthritic. So all those bumps make it really painful to play.”

The condition is often referred to as Viking Disease due to its commonality in Northern European populations. It sees tissue under the skin thicken to the point it pulls fingers into a bent position, as if the hand were clutching an imaginary axe.

Straightening the fingers back is said to be difficult, and while surgery is an option to slow its progress, Mustaine won’t consider it until Megadeth’s race is run.

“If I wait until my hands are causing a problem and I try it and it doesn't work, well then I've toured everywhere, I've said farewell to everybody and am not leaving stuff unsaid or unfinished,” he explains.

Megadeth is poised to be a poignant send-off for the guitarist. It will be the first and only release to feature new hotshot guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who is in to succeed Kiko Loureiro’s two-album spell.

The record will close out with a cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning, a thrash classic for which he has a co-writing credit from his ill-fated time in the band. Mustaine believes that offering his take on the song will provide a full-circle moment to close his career in the right way.

Elsewhere, Mustaine has revealed how he found Chris Poland’s successor, and the bizarre request that cost the would-be new guitarist the job – at the expense of his guitar teacher.

As the release of Megadeth’s final studio album looms, the band’s chief everything, Dave Mustaine, has been reflecting on a topsy-turvy career, including the tale of how they found their second lead guitarist after a bizarre guitar solo request.

Mustaine had rather unceremoniously formed Megadeth after his bitter departure from Metallica – a band he consistently says stole a bunch of his riffs. After teaming up with the unique metal shredder Chris Poland for their first two albums, he was reportedly fired in 1987 for substance abuse and selling some of Mustaine’s gear.

The band found their replacement, Jeff Young, in a rather roundabout way, after first thinking someone else was the man for the job.

“I saw something in Jeff when we hired him,” Mustaine says in the new issue of Guitar World. “It was a strange occurrence. We had tried to find a guitar player, and I went with David Ellefson to the country club in Reseda, where we watched this band called Malice. Malice had this big, tall, good-looking guitar player [Jay Reynolds] who had a Gibson Flying V and was heavily influenced, to me, by Michael Schenker.”

Mustaine’s head was turned. Reynolds was approached after the show.

“I said I wanted him to be in Megadeth,” he continues. “ He was excited about joining the band. Then we were in the studio recording [third album] So Far, So Good… So What? and I was like, ‘Okay, it’s time to do your solos, man.’

“He goes, ‘Okay, I’m gonna call up my guitar teacher, have him do [the] solos and then have him teach me.’ I thought, ‘Get out – you’re pulling my leg.’ But no, that was true. That’s what he wanted to do.”

It’s a wild pitch. It seems unlikely that Metallica would have stomached Kirk Hammett drafting in Joe Satriani to track his Ride the Lightning solos. The decision would cost Reynolds the gig.

“I went along with it,” Mustaine explains, “and Jeff [Young, his teacher] showed up, and as I said, Jeff was a really superb guitar player. He really had his own unique style, as Chris did, and we started working on the record.”

Much of Poland's unique playing style was the result of a freak accident that forced him to re-approach the instrument. Young too had his own style, and with it, Megadeth had their man.

The band’s latest lead guitarist, Teemu Mäntysaari, has showcased his superlative talents on the new single, Let There Be Shred, which is meant as a celebration of the electric guitar.

Notably, the album will close with a cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning, a song on which Mustaine has a co-writing credit – he has since explained his thinking behind the eyebrow-raising call.

For the full interview with Mustaine, pick up a copy of Guitar World issue 600, on sale now.

Megadeth have dropped the third single from their final studio album – and it’s an old-school, throwback thrash romp that serves as a celebration of the electric guitar.

Titled Let There Be Shred, the new track is the latest preview that Dave Mustaine and co have shared ahead of the arrival of their last-ever record, which is set to land in January.

The self-titled LP was announced in August this year. At the time, it was also confirmed that a global farewell tour would follow, after which Mustaine will draw the curtain on his 40-year-plus career with Megadeth.

But, as had already been made clear with previous singles I Don’t Care and Tipping Point, the band is going out with a bang.

Naturally, there’s already an air of festivity around Megadeth and what the record represents. But it’s being helped along by some truly whirlwind playing from Mustaine’s latest – and last – guitar foil, Teemu Mäntysaari.

If you name a song Let There Be Shred, you need to deliver the goods. Mäntysaari – making his Megadeth studio debut after replacing Kiko Loureiro – does just that, and then some.

Swapping his Ibanez for a custom Gibson Explorer that will no doubt set the signature guitar rumor mill into gear, the Finnish virtuoso plays like a man possessed, ripping through a tome of otherworldly lead lines, which culminate in a death-defying solo.

Mustaine has his own solo, too, in a form of quasi-guitar duel against his young protégé. It was all done by design, as Mustaine explains to Guitar World.

“Teemu is such an exceptional talent that he really lit a fire in me for my playing,” Mustaine says of Let There Be Shred in the upcoming issue of GW. “We were joking around and constantly talking about how we have to make this record absolutely shred and that we needed to put a lot of solos in it. I think we accomplished that.

“A pretty unique thing about Let There Be Shred – in terms of the guitar duels Teemu and I were doing – is that he would do all the shred stuff, and I’d do all the hippie stuff. I thought that was really fun, based on what the lyrics were about, because it was supposed to be a guitar challenge.”

Speaking of lyrics, they deserve some love, too: “Guitars are all screaming / They squeal with delight / Clawing fretboards away / At the speed of light.” Oh, and did we mention the music video has Dave Mustaine doing karate?

Mäntysaari is clearly relishing his painfully short period with Megadeth, and leaving his own mark on the band’s catalog with his contributions here. It’s a shame we’re only getting one Megadeth album with him, truth be told.

“This one was written with a big grin and a lot of love for loud amps, fast fingers, and all of you who live for that feeling,” he wrote in a comment below the music video. “If it made you smile, headbang, or air-shred even once, then mission accomplished. Thank you for letting us do what we love – now turn it up and let there be shred!”

At the time of Megadeth’s farewell announcement, Mustaine thanked fans and took the opportunity to look back on the impact he’s had on the wider thrash world.

“Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years,” he said. “We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world.”

Megadeth will arrive via Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with BLKIIBLK on January 23, 2026. Visit Megadeth’s website to preorder.

Dave Mustaine's full interview with Guitar World will features the new issue, which will be available from Magazines Direct on December 30.

Dave Mustaine has revealed he has some unfinished business with Metallica. When Megadeth release their final studio album in January 2026, the eponymous thrasher will sign off with a ripping cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning.

And Mustaine promises that the mid-paced, headbanging title-track from Metallica’s sophomore album will be performed as you will never have heard it before.

The question is why? In a YouTube video, Mustaine explains everything. In short, it’s a tribute. He wants to “close the circle” before riding off into the sunset, and to pay tribute to the early days of Metallica when he and frontman/guitarist James Hetfield were straining at the leash to get their songs out there, on tape, and to turn metal guitar upside down.

“Obviously, the song, I had a lot to do with writing it,” says Mustaine. “James and I, when we were working on the song, it became clear to me, when James first started playing guitar, how good of a guitar player he was. And I thought it would be really cool to close the circle, to show respect, to play the songs that I’ve written with Metallica and to honor our friendship – even though it’s been strained and ruined from emotions over the years, when we were not necessarily friendly.”

Ah yes, not necessarily friendly. Historically, Mustaine has scarcely needed an excuse to talk about Metallica. His acrimonious 1983 departure from the band has been recurring theme in his career, a regular talking point in interviews, with an on/off and largely one-way feud lasting decades but now has largely thawed.

But Mustaine insists that all this is water under bridge – Hetfield and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich are officially on his Christmas card list – and what better way to show that than put Ride the Lightning on a Megadeth record?

“One thing I’ve always said is I’ve always had a tremendous respect for James’ guitar playing – and Lars’ songwriting,” he says. “So it was cool to do this and add it to the record.”

Mustaine says he and Megadeth lead guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari have been playing around with the arrangement.

It has long been a staple of Megadeth concerts, that when performing Mechanix – a track sharing much DNA with Metallica’s The Four Horsemen, another ‘Tallica song that Mustaine co-wrote – he would play the riff and say something to the effect, “This is how they play it…” and then play it again at Mechanix tempo, i.e. much quicker.

So it will be no great surprise that when we hear this version of Ride the Lightning to hear it faster. Also, expect fireworks in the solo.

“We sped it up just a little teeny bit, and we kind of played around a little bit with the solo,” reveals Mustaine. “Teemu and I both tossed it back and forth to each other. So you might hear a little bit of some differences with the tempos, and of course, I sing different from James too.”

On this occasion, however, Mustaine says it’s not thrash metal oneupmanship. It’s a tribute, y’know, to himself, but also, of course, to Papa Het.

“It was about completing the circle and just us showing what James and I as guitar players did to change the world,” he says.

Historians disagree on when the Great Epic Thawing of Megadeth and Metallica Relations first happened. Some might date it to 2004, when Mustaine appeared in the Metallica rockumentary, Some Kind of Monster, and there was a full and frank sharing of emotions. Others would say 2010 was when it ended, with both bands sharing the bill with Anthrax and Slayer as The Big Four of thrash metal embarked on a stadium tour. That was the Berlin Wall coming down.

But there are plenty of incidences lately when Mustaine has been keen to offer praise Metallica’s way. In 2023, he admitted to Louder that Hetfield’s abilities as a guitar player blew his mind.

“I was kind of playing at Lars’ level, because Lars was still learning to play drums back then,” said Mustaine. “But watching James play guitar for the first time was kind of shocking, because I didn’t know he knew how to play guitar.”

Mustaine even had some kind words for Kirk Hammett, the man who replaced him as lead guitarist, telling Guitar World that Hammett honored Mustaine’s role in the band by playing his solos and not changing them.

“Jokes aside, I’ve always kind of poked fun at Kirk. And unfairly so, as he never did anything to me,” said Mustaine. “Whenever I felt singled out, picked on, or antagonized by James or Lars, it was really easy to pick on Kirk. But the truth is Kirk did me an honor by trying to play my solos on those early songs the way he did.

“I think that some people would have just started over again. So, I thought it was honorable that Kirk took my solos and did his best to play them as I did. That couldn’t have been easy.”

Mustaine even defended Hammett from the trolls, insisting that the Metallica shredder-in-chief has never dropped his level.

“There was a time when Kirk won every guitar contest in the world, and I don't think he's gotten any better or worse as a player,” said Mustaine. “He’s always been really good. Kirk was a good player when he was in Exodus. And he’s been steady the entire time he’s been in Metallica.”

Megadeth is scheduled for release on 23 January 2026 via Frontiers Records.

Dave Mustaine may forever be associated with the iconic Flying V shape, with a roster of signature models under his belt that help cement his position as one of the main metal men of the Flying V.

Yet, in a 2023 Guitar World interview celebrating 40 headbanging years of Megadeth, Mustaine revealed why he initially didn't gravitate toward this particular model and design – and why, eventually, adopting it was a no-brainer.

“My first electric guitar was an $80 Gibson SG copy; after that, I got a Les Paul copy,” said Mustaine.

“Not long after I started playing in [his pre-Metallica band] Panic, I started using an Ibanez Destroyer, a copy of a Gibson Explorer. And when I joined Metallica, I came upon the V, but I didn’t think much of it because of the weird shape. I didn’t think it was very playable, but I soon realized its versatility because I could do a lot with it once I got comfortable.”

What exactly made him change his mind? “Once I learned I could rest the guitar between my legs, that was a game changer in the studio,” he explained.

“With that, I could take my hands off the guitar and have them float instead of holding the neck upright to keep a grip. And I eventually got comfortable with it live, too. After that, I became fascinated with its beautiful shape; it’s iconic. So much so that it’s become a signature of what I do in Megadeth.”

So when Mustaine and Gibson's long-rumored partnership finally came to fruition in 2021, culminating in the Dave Mustaine Collection, it was safe for Megadeth fans to assume that the line would be well and truly centered around the V.

The initial rollout included the Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP in Metallic Silver, Mustaine's first signature Kramer – the Dave Mustaine Flying V Vanguard in Natural – and the Dave Mustaine Flying V 30th Anniversary Rust in Peace Edition.

Other Vs followed suit, comprising the Epiphone Dave Mustaine Flying V Prophecy and the Flying V Custom.

In other news, last month, Mustaine revealed that Megadeth’s next studio album, which is due to arrive next year, will be his and the band’s final record.

Dave Mustaine has revealed that Megadeth’s next studio album, which is due to arrive next year, will be his and the band’s final record.

Mustaine made the surprise announcement in a post on social media and, through band mascot Vic Rattlehead, confirmed that not only was a new Megadeth album on the way, but that it would also be the band’s last.

The as-yet-unnamed album, which will be Megadeth’s 17th, will be followed by a global farewell tour and a memoir penned by Mustaine, both due in 2026.

“For over four decades, I've been chained in silence, but the end demands my voice,” a usually voiceless Rattlehead says in an announcement video on Instagram. “It is confirmed, the next Megadeth studio album will be the last 40 years of metal, forged in steel, ending in fire, and when the New Year rises, the global farewell tour.

“You've heard the warning, now prepare yourself, cyber arm. Stay loud, stay tuned and meet me on the front lines.”

It brings the curtain down on Mustaine’s four-decade-plus career with Megadeth, which first began when he formed the band in 1983. In the 42 years that have since passed, the thrash metal icons have released 16 records, with the latest – The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! – arriving in 2022.

“There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” Mustaine says in a press statement. “Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.

“We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour,” he continues. “If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now.

“This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album. We've made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.

“Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world.

“The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”

The next Megadeth album will arrive via Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with BLKIIBLK. According to Megadeth’s website, preorders for the record begin in 42 days.

Head over to Megadeth’s website to sign up for more details surrounding the new album and the farewell tour.

Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's final concert, Back to the Beginning, was a pure rock and metal extravaganza, with a lineup that included some of the genres' finest – Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Tool, and Pantera, just to name a few.

However, one noticeable omission was Megadeth, who, it turns out, weren’t invited. According to a yet-unpublished interview with Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo for Japan’s Burrn! magazine, the band wasn't even approached to participate in any capacity.

“Hi brother, I sure missed seeing you here in Birmingham this week. It was noticeable that the Big Four was short one,” journalist Charrie Foglio tells LoMenzo, noting that the remaining Big Four of thrash metal – Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax – were all present.

To which LoMenzo replies, “Charrie, I’m going to let the cat out of the bag. The truth of the matter is, I don’t believe that anybody asked us, which was fine.”

“Not everybody gets invited to every party,” he adds. “But at the same time, when we were in Europe last week, David [Mustaine] said that he was reaching out to everybody and telling them that we were in the neighborhood and that we were close enough to come.

"And if they wanted us to, we could stay over for a few days and work it out… If they wanted us to. I don’t know what our manager had accomplished with that, but it didn’t get accomplished, so we just came home.”

He continues, “Even before all of this started, everyone was saying, ‘Well, what about Megadeth?’ It was really funny to read because there was no invite and there was no talking to people, there was actually nothing to do with any of it.

“It was this exciting situation where we’re celebrating Ozzy in his retirement… Is that the right word? Retirement? Isn’t that hard to believe? Anyway, the show was amazing! I would have loved to have been there.”

Elsewhere in the interview, LoMenzo admits that he “knew about the show months and months ago” because he was recording with Sabbath drummer Bill Ward. Furthermore, the bassist also shares that Ward was “intimidated about the show. I would ask him if he had spoken to any of the guys in Black Sabbath, and he said that he spoke to Ozzy every day because Ozzy wasn’t feeling very well at that time, so I was curious.”

“He said, ‘By the way, it looks we may do this final show.’ So he knew about it, obviously, before they announced it. So I was excited when it came to fruition because I knew that it meant a lot to all the guys in Black Sabbath to have Bill up there.”

As for Megadeth's general thoughts about the omission, LoMenzo says, “I don’t see it as controversy or anything. I do know that conspicuously we were missing, but nobody was invited.”

Weeks after the Back to the Beginning show, Ozzy Osbourne passed away at the age of 76. In the wake of the news, the music world came out in full force to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the Prince of Darkness.

It is the golden rule of internet content creation: never read the comments. That way madness lies. But there are exceptions to the rule, like when you set up the camera, dial in a gnarly metal guitar tone, play your track, post it, and then find that a bona fide thrash legend has turned up in the comments.

And that’s exactly what happened to Los Angeles-based guitarist Zia Cyan a couple of weeks back. Cyan posted a cover of her favorite Megadeth track, Angry Again, that Grammy-nominated cult classic from the Last Action Hero soundtrack.

She played through the intro and the riff, and in the comments, yeah, you’ve got some requests – “You should play some Children of Bodom” – some off-topic questions, a bunch of GIFs, and wait... Who’s that? Only the guy who actually wrote the song, Dave Mustaine.

And not only did MegaDave offer his vote of approval, he also offered some advice on how to play it the way it was done on the record.

The Megadeth catalog is no gimme. The solos are off-the-charts, with Mustaine’s animalistic pentatonics facing off with the Friedman/Loureiro axis of exotic note choices, or the liquid legato of Chris Poland. They did not call them the state-of-the-art speed metal band for nothing.

But Mustaine says Cyan was making it harder for herself. Even he doesn’t play that many notes there.

“Good Job!” writes Mustaine. “The opening has less notes than you are playing. The opening riff is all quarter-notes. Like I said, Great job!”

Mustaine tells Cyan it’s just a matter of counting, “1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4. You are playing 1,2, and 3,4 - 1,2, and 3,4 - 1,2, and 3,4 - 1,2, and 3,4. Does that help?”

Well, in fact, it did. Cyan posted a second cover – take two – and with harmonized guitars. It just goes to show, one day you’re playing a rhythm cover, the next Dave Mustaine comments on it, and by the time you are through with the track... well, Cyan is pretty much Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman all in one. And yes, it sounds just as it does on the record.

We say record, but Angry Again was a weird one. It was written and recorded in 1993, a year after the epochal Countdown to Extinction was released. Mustaine was supposedly listening to the Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go when he wrote the lyrics.

Angry Again was picked up for the Last Action Hero soundtrack, featured in the movie, and was arguably stronger than anything on 1994’s Youthanasia, and has been a staple of the live show, and yet it never made it onto a Megadeth album.

The question is: has Mustaine seen Cyan’s second take and what does he think about it? That’s what everyone in the comments wants to now. You can check out Zia Cyan’s playing by following her on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Calling Megadeth’s debut, 1985’s Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!, a “landmark” album isn’t hyperbole – it’s a fact. It’s a lynchpin of trash metal – and it served as a proper picking of oneself up off the deck for Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, who had been fired from Metallica in 1983.

The story of the Metallica-related chip on Mustaine’s shoulder has been beaten like a dead horse. But former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland sees it a bit differently.

“You know what? Maybe twice in the whole time I’ve known Dave has he ever said anything about Metallica,” he says. If you believe Poland, as far as “the looming specter of Metallica” goes, there’s not much to tell – aside from the fact that several songs from Killing Is My Business were originally intended for Metallica, namely the album’s most notable track, Mechanix.

Poland was incredibly new to Megadeth at the time, meaning Mustaine was very much in control.

“I kind of knew the songs,” Poland says. “Dave took care of the rhythm parts, and mostly, I just did solos. But if it wasn’t for a friend of the band who took Dave aside and said, “You need to give Chris more solos,” I wouldn’t have had those solos!”

If total control over an album’s guitar approach sounds like “on-brand-Mustaine,” that’s because it is. But Poland comes to Mustaine’s defense. “I’d only been in the band for maybe two weeks,” he says. “I’d just met Dave; I was learning the songs. We didn’t have a lot of money. We did the best we could under the circumstances.”

Money was indeed a factor for Megadeth in ’85. The reported budget for Killing Is My Business ranges from $6,000 to $8,000 (Poland says it was $6,000), and to be fair, for such a tiny sum, Mustaine and company could’ve done a whole lot worse.

“It was a blur, man,” Poland says. “Guitar tone wasn’t even a thought. Dave just took a Marshall and dimed it! He had a B.C. Rich Bich that had a 25dB boost. He’d just crank that up and punish that Marshall. And I just took a Rockman and plugged it into the front of a non-Master Volume Marshall.”

In terms of tracking, Poland says Mustaine would be “pissed if I wasn’t doing pull-offs when he was. If he was doing a pull-off when he was doing rhythm parts, we both had to; otherwise, we wouldn’t be simulating double tracking.”

But what really made tracks like Rattlehead, which Poland feels is the album’s standout, unique – and difficult for future Megadeth guitarists to follow – was a freak high-school-era injury to Poland’s hand.

“I cut my hand on the glass of a 200lb oak door coming at me,” he says. “I put both my hands up, my hand hit the glass, and it broke. My hand got totally trashed. I looked down and could see the bone of my pointer finger. I lost the ability to bend that, and I can’t feel my pinky from nerve damage. It drove me to play how I play.”

Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good! – not-so-killer budget and all – went on to become a classic, boosting the launch and subsequent commercialization of the genre – but Poland wasn’t around to see it firsthand. He stuck around for one more album, 1986’s Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?, before egos and substances got in the way. He has no regrets.

“I wouldn’t want to change anything,” he says. “What happened is what happened. I remember just how good those first two records are – but that first record was groundbreaking. I’m just proud to have been a part of it.”

• Killing Is My Business (...and Business Is Good) is out now via Legacy.
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Consult any “most influential metal albums of all time” list, and you’ll probably come across Megadeth’s debut album, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! Likewise, ask anyone for their favorite cut from the 1985 record, and Rattlehead will receive considerable support.

With a distinct riff and thrash feel that introduced listeners to the early Megadeth sound, Rattlehead was pieced together by an electric guitar double act comprising Dave Mustaine and Chris Poland – but, according to the latter, it got its specific six-string swagger thanks to a freak injury that Poland suffered when he was still at school.

In the new issue of Guitar World, which looks back on some of the greatest guitar records of 1985, Poland sits down to reflect on the making of Megadeth’s explosive debut, and notes how tracks such as Rattlehead got their unique style – which was a result of a horrific accident. Squeamish readers, look away now.

“I cut my hand on the glass of a 200lb oak door coming at me,” he says. “I put both my hands up, my hand hit the glass, and it broke. My hand got totally trashed.

“I looked down and could see the bone of my pointer finger. I lost the ability to bend that, and I can’t feel my pinky from nerve damage. It drove me to play how I play.”

It sounds unimaginably painful, and perhaps one of the worst injuries that a guitar player could endure, but Poland insists that having his hand destroyed by the glass panel of a solid oak door eventually gave him some playing quirks that others can’t emulate.

As Poland’s Artist page on Yamaha notes, for example, “Chris' clean, overdriven tone, and legato phrasing make him instantly recognizable. His unique style can be partially attributed to an injury to his index finger on his fret hand.

“This injury forced him to develop a style that includes smoothly phrased passages and wide intervallic leaps.”

This intervallic approach heavily informed the solos he was instructed to play across Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good, but as Poland explains to Guitar World, he needed a mutual friend of the band to step in and fight his corner in order to get an appropriate number of lead efforts.

“I kind of knew the songs,” Poland says. “Dave took care of the rhythm parts, and mostly, I just did solos. But if it wasn’t for a friend of the band who took Dave aside and said, ‘You need to give Chris more solos,’ I wouldn’t have had those solos!”

Head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the newest issue of Guitar World, which also includes interviews with Jim Babjak, Kiki Wong, Nancy Wilson, Jimmie Vaughan and more.

A 12-year-old heavy metal prodigy named Vox Realis is making waves in the guitar world, after he was accepted into a mentorship program run by a former Megadeth electric guitar player.

Realis, who first picked up the guitar at the age of seven and learned Black Sabbath’s Iron Man as his first song, was recently the topic of a KOMO News piece, which explored the aspiring shredder’s guitar journey so far.

And, unsurprisingly, the young player has hit a fair few milestones already in his burgeoning career, including playing onstage at The Kelly Clarkson Show, amassing thousands of followers on social media thanks to his ‘Metal for Breakfast’ clips… and being accepted into a mentorship program organized by metal legend, Kiko Loureiro.

As Realis explains, he first met Loureiro after submitting a speculative application to join his mentorship program, though believed his chances to be slim after thinking it was mainly for older guitarists. Realis’ playing, though, made an impression on the ex-Megadeth shredder.

“How I met him was he posted online about an opening slot in his mentorship, but it's mainly for adults,” Realis says. “So I was like, ‘I'm a kid. I should apply. He's gonna say no, right?’ But he said yes. So I'm in Seattle, and he's in Helsinki, Finland, so we have to Zoom, and we Zoom every two weeks, and we talk about everything guitar.”

Despite conducting the majority of their initial sessions online, the pair eventually met in person, when Realis flew over to Finland to talk and jam with his hero in the flesh.

It takes a particularly bright talent to catch Loureiro’s eye, and naturally he’s especially praising of Realis’ already well-developed guitar skills.

“My initial reaction when I saw Vox play, I was amazed,” Loureiro remembers. “I saw his videos on Instagram. I was just amazed how this young kid can play so well. And of course, it takes me back to when I started playing guitar.”

Realis himself, meanwhile, has set himself some lofty goals, and is hoping he will be able to put his own stamp on the metal world.

“I'm thinking sponsorship with my own signature guitar, probably an album out and touring with a metal band,” he says of his future.

“But I don't know where metal is going to be in 10 to 20 years, but I want to put my stamp on it. I'm going to be me and metal is going to be me. I'm going to put my stamp on it.”

Visit Vox Realis’ Instagram account for more.

Dave Mustaine has made scathing comments about the nu-metal movement that dominated the late ‘90s and early 2000s while poking fun at the limitations of the guitarists that defined it.

Megadeth came of age during an '80s period when acrobatic shredding was a must and where, like a peacock flaunting its train, virtuosic talent was a way of one-upping the competition.

Nu-metal, typified by bands like Korn, Slipknot, and System of a Down, then changed the face of heavy music with low-tuned riffs and, much to Mustaine’s derision, the sudden (and, fortunately, temporary) death of the guitar solo.

Megadeth, by that point one of the biggest metal bands in the game, were then “forced” to bring nu-metal bands on tour with them, but that didn’t stop MegaDave getting some jibes in.

“There was a period in 2000 where we had these bands called — I think it was nu metal, and they didn't do any solos,” he tells LifeMinute in a new interview. “Well, why didn't they do any solos? They couldn't do solos. And thank God that genre went away.

“People started to learn how to do solos,” he expands as to the reason the movement fizzled out. “I would say, if you're in a 'nu metal' band, you probably would be challenged even playing [Chuck Berry’s 1958 hit] Johnny B. Goode, so I'm glad that went away.”

Of course, it’s not unusual for Mustaine to speak with a sharpened tongue, and his comments follow similar retorts made to WSOU 89.5 FM in 2022.

“I can't tell you how much we would laugh about the bands that we were forced to take out on tour with us, especially during the nu-metal period,” he had said. “You know, all these bands that wouldn't play solos and stuff.

Speaking to Metal Hammer in 2011, Mustaine had celebrated the movement’s demise.

“These days no one remembers about nu-metal,” he smiled. “All that shit that was out. No guitar solos. Everyone played with their pants down around their ankles.”

Ultimately, he believed the lack of versatile musicians pushing nu metal’s stylings, from the likes of Wes Borland to Stephen Carpenter, meant it could never survive what he reckons was “a bleak period” for metal.

“Most people in the music business, when something like that happens, they're dead,” he continues. “They don't have the capacity to reinvent themselves and if they do reinvent themselves and it doesn't work, they don't have the catalog to rely on to pull them through. It was a bleak period, but we came through it.”

Slipknot’s Mick Thomson, meanwhile, recently how Slipknot’s hand was forced when it came to solos on their debut album, explaining how “any kind of technical guitar playing was mocked and frowned upon”. They would reclaim solos in their later material.

Though we may have to break the news to Mustaine gently, nu-metal is making an undeniable comeback – albeit now with added solos.

Diamond Rowe, for instance, has been doing exactly that in Tetrarch. However, she previously explained that having started out playing thrash metal, she had to accommodate her approach to lead parts as their nu-metal flavors took hold.

“Not many bands of that nature play guitar solos, I've had to learn how to fit our style and not just play some dad-rock solo,” she says. “It was a mental thing first, where I stopped worrying about how everyone else was doing things and thought more about being Diamond in the best way that I can.”

Perhaps with a little more virtuosity involved this time around, Dave Mustaine won’t be quite so harsh on the bands forging its return.

Meanwhile, he seemingly has no qualms with the soloing talents of Megadeth's latest hot-shot shredder, Teemu Mäntysaari, describing him as the guitarist he’s “been looking for for a very long time”.

Enough time has passed since December 1991 that it feels okay that we can revisit that month’s Guitar World cover and declare it one of the greatest of all time.

Neal Preston took the photo, and it is a work of art Megadeth’s twin-guitar partnership Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman were the subjects, both in the possession of Jackson guitars, period-correct hair, and Preston even manages to capture Mustaine in a Mona Lisa mood. Just look at that face; is MegaDave smiling?

Maybe. Or perhaps it was indigestion. Anyhoo, it’s Friedman we’re interested in, and more to the point the Jackson that this magnificent shred poodle of a man is holding. The story behind this prototype Firebird-esque electric guitar is what we’re after when we gave Friedman a call…

When and where did you buy this guitar?

“I’m sure I was somewhere on the road, right around the time of the photo shoot, when Jackson presented me with several guitars of very cool shapes. It might have been a prototype.”

What drew you to it?

“I loved the shape. Jackson should get more recognition for being the first top-tier company to make guitars of radically ‘heavy metal’-looking shapes way before anyone else did. Arguably, they were the only top-tier company making them for a very long time. Before Jackson, all the weird-shaped guitars were sonically and visually suited to other genres, like surf music or retro stuff.”

Did you modify it to fit the music you were playing at the time?

“I’ve never needed to modify any Jacksons.”

How did this guitar — as opposed to others — impact how you played?

“At this time, in [Megadeth], we used only a pretty basic palette of guitar sounds, so any given guitar taken on tour would have a similar tone – a big, thick rhythm sound and a juicy lead tone. That was all I needed to get the job done.

“I was playing my signature model, the KE-1, for most of any given set, so I would bring this guitar out once or twice because it looked like a curvy version of my main guitar. That was the main difference.”

What notable recordings or tours did you use this guitar on?

“[Megadeth’s] Countdown to Extinction – the album and tour – and maybe one or two more after that. I didn’t play it much.”

Did you use this guitar post-Megadeth?

“Doubtful.”

Why did you choose this guitar for your GW cover shoot?

“I probably just got it and was in love with the shape. It might have been smarter to choose my signature model, though!”

Do you still have this guitar?”

“It was sold at a charity auction that I held in 2011 for the victims of Japan’s tsunami/earthquake.”

• Marty Friedman's biography, written with Guitar World's Jon Wiederhorn, is titled Dreaming Japanese and out now via Permuted Press.

Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman has shared the reason why, back in 2015, he rejected Megadeth's invitation to reunite the celebrated Rust In Peace lineup. According to Friedman, the “salary offer” was as low as what he was offered in 1990 when he first joined Megadeth.

Following the departures of drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick in 2014, Friedman met Dave Mustaine and then-bassist David Ellefson at the 2015 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, to discuss a potential reunion. This discussion included bringing him and drummer Nick Menza back into the mix.

However, as Friedman reveals in his recently released autobiography, Dreaming Japanese, the amount Megadeth's then-manager Ron Lafitte offered was abysmal.

“Let's just say he wasn't even in the ballpark,” he writes [via Blabbermouth]. “Hell, he wasn't even in the parking lot for the ballpark. The amount they offered was right around the first salary I got when I joined Megadeth in 1990.

“If I'd had any idea they would lowball me like this, I never would have met with them in Anaheim. Had I taken that offer, I would have been paid less in a week than I made on a normal day in Japan.”

He continues, “I was stunned and angry and told them I couldn't even consider it. I made a counteroffer, which was the bare minimum I could accept, and far less than I have received from any of the artists I've toured with in Japan.”

Lafitte had floated the possibility of a Megadeth-Iron Maiden tour, which initially made the proposition attractive. In fact, Friedman was “willing to take the financial hit” because such a bill “could open doors for me again in America.”

“Even if they met my rate, the tour would have been a huge windfall for them. They easily could have agreed to that, and the reunion would have been on, but they said I wanted too much money.”

Friedman concludes that he was “happy with my career in Japan, doing what I loved, making real money without the kind of drama that comes with Megadeth.”

He adds that the band hadn’t even acknowledged that they had just lost a drummer and a guitarist, and “needed me more than I needed them. When I got over my initial anger, I was puzzled and sad.”

In an exclusive excerpt from his new autobiography hosted by Guitar World, Friedman told the inside story of his auditions with Ozzy Osbourne and Madonna – and how he eventually landed the Megadeth gig.

• Marty Friedman’s autobiography, Dreaming Japanese, is out now via Permuted Press.

Like many kids growing up in the ‘70s, Glen Drover was drawn to the guitar sounds of Ace Frehley and Tony Iommi – but it wasn’t until he heard ‘80s neo-classical shredhead Yngwie Malmsteen that his playing entirely took form.

“Lots of bands help shape my direction,” says the Canadian guitarist, who formed Eidolon with his brother, drummer Shawn Drover, and went on to play with Megadeth, King Diamond, Testament and others.

“When we started to write for Eidolon, there were a lot of different branches off that rock tree that we were influenced by. Nobody’s completely unique. It’s like Robert Plant said – ‘We’re all thieves.’”

Lately he’s been working on Withering Scorn’s second record, tentatively due in 2025. Asked what he’s learned along the way, he replies: “Be true to yourself. Don’t try to emulate someone else. Try to make something unique that you can put your name on.”

There’s more: “If you’re going to collaborate, which a lot of people do, the goal is to make it sound cohesive. There’s so much information out there, and you can learn by video and literature – it's crazy. Take your influences and inspirations, put them into something, and try and spit them out in your own way.”

What inspired you to pick up the guitar?

“Kiss was the first band I heard with a distorted hard rock guitar sound, so I’d say Ace Frehley. Then, when I was eight or nine, and I actually started playing and got excited about the instrument, I discovered Black Sabbath.

“That’s when things started to pick up and my playing started to excel. I learned how to play Paranoid and Iron Man, which was my introduction to barre chords. Before long, I was trying to learn their whole repertoire just because I was picking it up easily.”

Why do you think you were drawn to Sabbath’s early records?

“It’s slower – the songs aren’t as difficult to play compared to trying to learn Rush or something. That was a good place to start. I’m still a Sabbath fanatic after all these years.”

How did you get into thrash and power metal, leading up to forming Eidolon with Shawn?

“In the early ’80s there was a lot of growth in metal and there were speed metal bands coming out like Metallica. Exodus was a big one for me. Of course, Yngwie Malmsteen – the first time I heard him, which I guess would have been in about ’82 or ’83 when he joined Alcatrazz, was the beginning.

“At that point there was a major leap in guitar playing. Everybody was trying to play like that; it was very inspiring. For me, man, Yngwie was like, ‘Wow, that’s inhuman – you can’t play like that!’ He inspired tons of people, and still does to this day.”

What did your rig look like when you formed Eidolon?

“I went through a lot of different stuff. I was really into the Valvestate Marshall. I was doing King Diamond at the same time as our stuff, and me and Andy LaRocque were using Marshall Valvestate 4x12s for the most part.

“I’ve always loved the Boss Overdrive; it's a great pedal. It doesn't matter what amp I use – I’ll put that overdrive in front of it. During that period, the ADA preamp was still popular; I would use that with a power amp or through a Marshall cabinet.”

What guitars did you lean on most?

“My main one was a Charvel Model 5 that I bought in ’88. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent in my life. I was like 18 and they let me make monthly payments for a year or so. I was in heaven. To this day, that's my favorite guitar.”

Did your gear change much when you joined Megadeth?

“Going through King Diamond and Megadeth, at one point, it was all about ESP. I was using the ESP M-1000; it’s like a Super Strat. That type of guitar is what I’ve always been kind of attracted to. And I was playing custom Dean Cadillacs when I was in Megadeth too.”

How did your approach change when you joined Megadeth?

“I was stepping into someone else’s shoes. In King Diamond there were a few guitarists before me; in Megadeth it was the same thing. I looked at it from a fan standpoint; I thought, ‘How would I want to hear the guitar solo I heard on the album?’

“There’s these identifiable moments; but at the same time, you want to put your own spin on it and have your DNA there. It’s a combination of both, which is very important and natural. If I’m going to see a band, and there’s a different guitar player, I want to hear the solo I know, to a certain point.

“I also want to hear what that guitar player has to offer. That was my approach. Dave Mustaine was a little bit more – you know, he really wanted you to nail those solos as closely as possible, which is fine. Whereas with Kind Diamond you could venture off a little bit more.”

What was the most challenging Megadeth song and solo to undertake?

“The Marty Friedman stuff is kind of structured in a way where you really can’t venture off too much or too far – which I wouldn’t anyway. They were structured so heavily that if you missed something, you could fall off track a little bit. So, I found his stuff to be more challenging.

“With solos like Symphony of Destruction, Tornado of Souls, Holy Wars or Hanger 18 – the fan favorites – I wanted to keep them real close to how they were recorded. It was very much, ‘Let’s get those Marty Friedman solos down really well.’ It’s not an adlib kind of thing; it was really well put together.

“Trying to emulate all these different guitar players was a little bit of a challenge too. They’re all different; Chris Poland to Marty Friedman is like night and day, you know? But I liked the challenge; that’s what excites me.”

What's your biggest takeaway from playing guitar alongside Dave in Megadeth?

“If you want to play in a band that size, there's a lot of things you have to learn along the way, like how to conduct yourself, how to dress – so many different things. I definitely learned a lot that put me more on a pro level.

“Going into King Diamond, I was a little bit green. I learned a lot from King, and then I went into Megadeth and learned a lot more. I’m very grateful that I learned these things and had the opportunity to actually play with these bands I grew up idolizing. Priceless stuff!’

Lately you’ve been working on your latest project, Withering Scorn. What’s the story there?

“I’m not just a guitar player anymore – now, I'm an audio engineer, blah, blah, blah. And that's fine because I have control over certain things, and at the end of the day, they come out the way I want. We started this project two or three years ago, and we've already put out one album, Prophets of Demise.

“We just signed to Frontiers for a four-album deal. We’re about 70 percent finished recording the new album. I’m not sure when it's going to be released, but I would imagine this coming summer. Things are going really, really well.”

What’s the state of your rig these days?

“I still have my Super Strat guitars, but the Gibson Les Paul has always been a favorite. I have a couple that I love to death; one is the Modern. It’s a fairly recent one that I’ve had for a couple of years. All the pots are push/pull. I have a Traditional Les Paul too.

“I’ve just discovered some new plugins that have become game-changers in helping me achieve the tones I want and take them to the next level. For guitar, I've been using the Kemper and some of my favorite profiles, especially the 5150, along with a Celestion speaker plugin. Combining profiles from the Kemper has been great. The results are amazing.”

What are you most proud of when you reflect on your career?

“I would have to say I’m proud of all the bands I’ve played with. They were all unique situations and very exciting. I’ve learned a lot from them. And, of course, I’m very proud of the projects me and my brother Shawn have done together.”

• Prophets of Demise is on sale now.

In this exclusive excerpt from Dreaming Japanese, Marty Friedman’s new autobiography (co-written by frequent GW contributor Jon Wiederhorn), the ace guitarist details his auditions with Ozzy, Madonna and Megadeth.

Take No Prisoners

The first shot I had at joining a big act happened while I was living in San Francisco, sometime in the late ’80s. Ozzy Osbourne was looking for a guitarist to replace Jake E. Lee, and someone recommended me to his wife and manager, Sharon. She called and offered to fly me to Los Angeles for an audition. I was thrilled that someone in Ozzy’s camp had even heard of me and was willing to pay my airfare to hear me play.

As great as they are, Ozzy’s and Black Sabbath’s songs are way easier to play than anything by [my band] Cacophony. I had no problem learning them, and then I over-practiced until I was so confident I could have played the songs fluidly in the middle of an earthquake.

I was looking forward to plugging in and showing Ozzy my chops, but when I got to the studio, neither Ozzy nor Sharon was anywhere in sight. Only bassist Phil Soussan and drummer Randy Castillo were there, which kind of bummed me out. But they were all set up and ready to play, and I was raring to go. I introduced myself and told them how stoked I was to audition.

Phil grunted. Randy shrugged. “Are we going to do this?” Randy asked as if he had somewhere to be in 30 minutes. From their bored expressions and the dozens of manilla envelopes and cassettes lying around, I got the feeling that they had already auditioned tons of guitarists.

I played four or five songs with them and didn’t miss a note. The musical vibe was great, natural, and relaxed, and we sounded totally major league. And while Phil and Randy were polite and pleasant, it seemed like they would rather be sitting in a proctologist waiting room than auditioning me.

When I got back to San Francisco, I eagerly waited to hear back from Ozzy’s camp. They never called. A couple years later, I learned that Zakk Wylde had gotten the gig. He was the perfect choice, a highly skilled player, who probably fit in with the guys better than I did.

I don’t think anything about my playing got me crossed off the list. It was all about the magic chemistry among the band members. Playing well is a given. Great players are a dime a dozen. It is the stuff on top that lands you the gigs. Ozzy’s guys were wearing Sunset Strip regalia even at a rehearsal, and I wasn’t even sporting a shirt with a band logo. They had a casual attitude about the music and plowed through it, yet I paid attention to every detail.

Sometimes I wonder if Phil, Randy, and I had immediately hit it off, joked around, went out and picked up some tarted-up girls, and partied ourselves sick after the audition, whether tales of our outrageous chemistry might have gotten back to the boss man and convinced him that I was “one of them.” Either way, I think Zakk did a better job with the gig than I would have.

My next big audition came about a year later when I found out Madonna needed a guitarist. Being a pop singer, I didn’t think she would hire a metal player like me, but pop music had started to feature guitar solos, so I thought maybe I had a tiny shot.

It was an open-call audition, so I had no idea what to prepare. I decided to learn a bunch of Madonna’s obscure songs since I could easily improvise my way through any of her hits, even if I didn’t prepare. I really wanted the gig, not because I’m a huge Madonna fan, but because my resources were wearing dangerously thin. I was broke and getting desperate.

I lived a couple blocks from Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), which occasionally hired me to teach seminars and masterclasses. I was grateful for the work, but many of the students also lived in my dilapidated rat nest apartment building, so whenever I finished a seminar, I had to take the walk of shame back to my fleabag room with a bunch of starstruck guitar students following me. I felt like the Pied Piper in the slums of Hollywood.

For a young, aspiring musician, releasing an album on any label is a dream come true, so when these kids came in contact with someone like me, who had released a few records, received solid press, and toured the world, they assumed I was a rich rock star. Walking back home with them to the same squalid living conditions they were subject to was both demoralizing and embarrassing. I’m sure they were surprised and disillusioned.

Just a couple days before my Madonna audition, I received an interesting call from my good friend, heavy metal insider Bob Nalbandian. He told me Megadeth had been auditioning guitarists for a long time to no avail, and their manager, Ron Lafitte, had asked Bob if he could recommend someone. Bob asked me if I was interested. I went from sitting around fanning my balls to suddenly having auditions for Madonna and Megadeth in the same week.

I was not that familiar with Megadeth’s music, but I knew I liked it a hell of a lot more than I liked Madonna’s, which, to be fair, I also liked. And I was a more natural fit for Megadeth. I looked the part, and we shared many of the same influences.

When Ron Laffite found out I was interested in auditioning, he called me and told me to learn five songs: Wake Up Dead, In My Darkest Hour, The Conjuring, Hook in Mouth, and a cover of Alice Cooper’s No More Mr. Nice Guy.

I bought a couple Megadeth cassettes at a used record shop and learned the tracks note for note. I was confident. I was good to go. Then, Megadeth’s management called again and told me to learn another few songs. I worked on those as well. More calls came. “Hey, Marty. Dave wants you to learn a couple more.”

This kept happening until it got to the point that they were asking me to learn songs from the debut album, Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!, which was on an indie label and hard to find. I couldn’t track down a used copy and eventually found a new one, but I didn’t have the $12.99 that it cost unless I went without eating for the day. My stomach incessantly grumbled as I tried to master the last few of the 13 or so songs that I prepared for the audition.

Unlike Madonna songs, Megadeth songs are intricate and tricky and feature lots of rhythm and tempo changes, and even more solos than Ozzy tracks. I wasn’t familiar with the band members and their playing styles, so I had no idea which solos were played by Dave Mustaine, and which were handled by the guitarist I hoped to replace.

Up to that point, the mixes on Megadeth albums were somewhat muddy, and the guitars often lacked separation. I had no choice but to try to thoroughly learn every guitar part so I could rip through anything I might be asked to play.

Mainly though, I was just happy for the opportunity to audition for such a cool band, so I dug into one song after another and learned them backwards and forwards. Learning all that material was exhausting, but I knew I could handle the playing part.

Megadeth was like [my band] Hawaii on steroids. I was much more concerned about vibing with the guys. All I knew about Megadeth was that Dave Mustaine was an original member of Metallica, and I really liked Metallica’s No Life ’Til Leather demo that he played on before starting Megadeth.

When I lived in Hawaii, I got that primitive recording through underground tape trading and played it constantly. I’d pop the cassette in my Walkman when I went jogging through the lush, scenic Portlock area of Hawaii Kai, which overlooked the sparkling ocean. The demo was the ultimate contrast to the very un-metal Hawaiian vistas.

Listening to it made me feel like I had maintained my punk and metal roots. I had no idea that Dave was unceremoniously kicked out of Metallica just before they were signed and started on the path to becoming the biggest heavy metal group of all time.

I feared a repeat of the Ozzy situation since, in established bands, the chemistry between members is far more important than actual playing ability. Mastering the music is a given, as it should be, but it’s just a part of what it takes to join a band, which is like an exclusive club, or even a family.

The chemistry between members involves intangibles like childhood background, personality, and common sense in an extremely uncommon occupation. These are elements that are impossible to prepare for.

I knew I had a better shot of landing the Megadeth job than the Madonna, or Ozzy gigs. But I still wasn’t sure what to expect at the audition. Fortunately, what I lacked in familiarity I made up for in practical maneuvering. In what I must humbly admit was a stroke of genius, or a rare moment of common sense, I hired my good friend Tony DeLeonardo to tech for me.

Tony and I were already good friends when he single-handedly took on all crew duties in Maryland for my old band Hawaii. Tony was now an in-demand tech in L.A. and had even done Zakk’s tours with Ozzy.

I have always had a complete lack of interest in anything mechanical. I was never a gear guy. Not back then, not now. The thought of setting up the amps and making sure everything was running correctly sent chills through my brain.

I just knew I wouldn’t look cool humping gear, plugging it in, and setting the knobs to the right sound. I am not proud to say that to this day I don’t have the slightest idea how to adjust the length of a guitar strap or roll up a guitar cable.

When I hired Tony for 65 dollars, I was living on 99-cent bags of lollipops and white rice with La Yu chili oil, so that money, a bargain for a pro tech, was extremely hard to part with. But something told me I had to do it, and I’m glad I listened to that little voice.

Tony got technical details from Megadeth’s crew, carted my gear into the audition like a boss, made sure my guitar was properly strung, intonated, and tuned, got a great sound from the amp in no time, and strapped the guitar on me when it was time to play.

Before I hit note one, I looked like a pro. I’m sure this made a good impression, especially compared to how lame it would have looked had I been fiddling with knobs on the amps and schlepping in all my heavy equipment.

After meeting all the band members – the serious-faced ringleader Dave Mustaine, diplomatic bassist Dave Ellefson, and loose-cannon drummer Nick Menza – Mustaine called out, “Wake Up Dead.” Nick did a four count, and we dove in.

Right away, the band gelled. We sounded like a unit already. I was so locked into this heavy groove that I hardly noticed there was a massive old-school video camera on a tripod right up in my face.

“Okay, that’ll do it for now,” Mustaine said as he put down his guitar. I asked if we would play No More Mr. Nice Guy, and he said he hated that song. The rest of the band joked about not liking it either. I remember thinking, “So why did you ask me to learn it?”

We wound up playing only the first batch of songs that I was asked to learn. Having auditioned numerous musicians for my various projects, I’ve realized that countless factors go into what you ask people to play when they try out.

So, having to learn an ever-growing laundry list of songs for the Megadeth audition made a lot more sense to me a decade-plus after the fact, but at the time I was kind of miffed.

“Stick around, man. Don’t go too far away,” Mustaine said, then walked off.

David Ellefson came back and told me, “I think that means you probably got the gig. Good going, man.”

I was elated but kept my cool. “Oh and by the way, Dave told me to tell you that you played many of the wrong guitar parts.”

My heart sank into my high-tops. “Hey, I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” he laughed. “You’re good. We can tell you know your shit.”

• This is an excerpt from Dreaming Japanese by Marty Friedman with Jon Wiederhorn (Permuted Press; December 2024).

It took Kiko Loureiro a year to make the decision to leave Megadeth in 2023, but the deciding factors were simple enough. “My kids are more important,” he tells Guitar World. “Me being home is more important. Do I need to deny the family thing to feel like a rock star every night?”

After handpicking replacement Teemu Mantysaari, Loureiro laid low for a while. But he’s returned with seventh solo record, Theory of Mind, which demonstrates his genre-bending ways.

“I get great messages from people who see me as a more capable musician,” he reports. “I’m bringing more elements. It’s an intersection of instrumental metal and prog. I don’t know about the guy who only likes Megadeth’s Symphony of Destruction – he might listen say, ‘Oh, it’s too complicated.’”

He doesn’t expect a return to Megadeth-scale stages, but it’s more important for him to feel like he’s being creative.

“Anything related to creativity and the brain is super-interesting – I like to analyze myself and who I am through the music I play. When you create, you make decisions about what’s good. So I wonder, ‘Why do I believe this thing is good?’ It connects with my deeper feelings.”

What’s your state of mind been like since leaving Megadeth leading up to Theory of Mind?

“The album wasn’t composed after I left Megadeth – I started writing maybe two-and-a-half years ago. So it’s not a reflection of Kiko leaving Megadeth, but of Kiko thinking about leaving Megadeth.

“It was a long process. It starts slowly in your mind: that feeling with the kids, me being on tour in different time zones, not being there for them. I started to feel bad; you reflect on how many years you’ve been touring. The reflection started a year prior.”

Did you postpone the release intentionally to let the dust settle?

“During my time off before I left Megadeth, I checked the melodies on the demos, and then the decision came. I completed the album in March, but the whole deal was a lot of work. I thought, ‘It’s better to release this when I can dedicate time to social media and record some playthroughs.’ I have to do things in small doses to extend the conversation about the album.”

You’d just come off a massive promotional cycle with Megadeth – releasing an album on your own must be a very different animal.

“It’s not very different; it doesn’t feel different because I’ve done solo albums, so it’s more about aligning your expectations. I’m not expecting to play Madison Square Garden! With Megadeth somebody would book the interviews – now, I’m talking to people directly. Levels of expectations are very important for every artist to understand.”

How would you describe Theory of Mind to someone who only knows you from Megadeth?

“If they discovered me through Megadeth and hear this, they might say, ‘Oh, wow, he’s able to do all this, too!’ If they're a musician, that’s one thing. But if they’re a metalhead, they might not like it because it’s instrumental music. The lyrics in Megadeth are so intense, and people really like the messages – but that was not my intention.”

What was your intention?

“You have the metal circle, the guitarist circle, the shred circle, and the prog circle; I’m inside all these circles. It’s a small niche but my album is for all these people. They have to be fans of metal and guitar, or they won’t like it.

“I told my drummer, ‘This time it’s going to be super-simple.’ My first idea was to have the riffs be very direct – but the album became complicated. My drummer said, ‘This is one of the most difficult albums I’ve recorded!’ I was like, ‘Really? My bad!’”

You purged a lot of gear after leaving Megadeth. What led to that?

“When I came from Brazil to California, I had to learn how to get rid of gear. I was collecting and collecting; and when you move, you say, ‘This is too complicated.’ It’s easier to be more minimalistic.

“I had like 15 guitars with Megadeth. Shipping them overseas when they were about to go on tour would have been hard, so the easiest thing was to sell them on Reverb. It was more about being practical than thinking, ‘I want to open space to buy new, different guitars!’ But I’m not minimal. I have a lot of guitars. If you pass 10 guitars, you're not being minimalistic!”

What guitars did you use on Theory of Mind?

“It’s mainly Ibanez for the leads. I have a Fender Strat for some clean tones and for when I’m trying to do more of a Jeff Beck melody kind of thing. Sometimes I want to have a kind of crystal-clear tone, and I think the Ibanez is better for that. It’s more modern.

“On maybe two or three songs I use my classical guitar, made by a luthier in Brazil. These songs are difficult to play – I have to choose the guitar that feels most comfortable, so my Ibanez signature model is what I usually go for.”

Which song from the album best represents the guitarist you are today?

“I’m not sure! I wanted to more of a fusion thing and I wanted to be a bit more metal. Then, maybe a song with a nice melody. The whole thing describes who I am – it’s like a fractal kind of thing because I like everything. I like shred, I like simple groove, and I like when something has a little bit of a Brazilian feel.”

Has writing songs with Dave Mustaine impacted your approach?

“I tried to take some influence from Megadeth during my songwriting process. I’m trying to write more direct riffs, which I think is the influence. I tend to be more of an improviser. It’s always about how you feel – my visions and the images that come will lead to one thing and then another. If I get stuck, I’ll come back next week to see if you have new visions.

“With Megadeth, of course, you think about the riff and that’s it. You don’t try to develop a second idea from that riff. You record the riff and that’s it. Dave has those riffs and he connects them. Once you believe all the riffs are amazing, it doesn't matter how you connect them because everything is great. All the thrash metal bands from that period follow that rule, I guess.”

“I was always jamming, saying, ‘Let’s keep playing and see what’s gonna happen.’ That wastes time when the Megadeth way is like a factory. You create great products and make an amazing bundle. I tried to be a little bit more like that. The Megadeth influence is in the way I create songs, but I still have fun discovering things.”

Theory of Mind represents a significant transition in your life. Where do you go from here?

“One thing is for sure: I like playing, creating songs, and recording. It’s very hard for me to play an AC/DC kind of song, but that’s something I want to do in the future. I want to write a very simple and direct song. I think Megadeth does that.

“It’s an interesting process, and never-ending until I retire or die. When you start as a musician you might think, ‘My album has to be amazing.’ Now I feel this album is part of a journey; I’m thinking about what’s going to be next.”

• Theory of Mind is out now.

Megadeth have fired back at Peter Frampton, who recently claimed he was forced to cancel a live show because the heavy metal outfit had damaged the stage during their soundcheck a few nights before.

It truly is the guitar beef that has taken everyone by surprise. Both acts were scheduled to play at the Virginia Credit Union Live! at Richmond Raceway earlier this month, but both were forced to cancel at the last minute.

At the time, both parties remained tight-lipped over the cancellation. Megadeth cited “unexpected and unpredictable circumstances”, while blues rock guitar great Frampton ambiguously pointed the finger at “unforeseen circumstances”.

However, a few days later, Frampton seemingly shed more light on the situation, alleging it was actually Megadeth’s fault that the shows couldn’t take place.

“We had a show canceled the other day because of the weather," Frampton informed the crowd at a subsequent show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "And also Megadeth did a soundcheck, I think a couple of days before our show, and after they finished their soundcheck, there was structural damage to the stage.

“I'm not blaming them – could have been another band – but it looks pretty like it. So, sorry, Megadeth. I had to rat on you.”

Camp Megadeth, clearly unhappy with Frampton’s onstage remarks, have now fired back with a strongly worded statement, with Dave Mustaine accusing the guitarist of, erm, talking out of his “ass”.

“It seems Frampton was misinformed about our show being cancelled,” Mustaine says. “The decision was purely based on safety. It's disappointing when someone you admire talks out their ass about you.”

In a longer statement, the band’s reps said: “Megadeth did not even get a chance to sound check at all in Richmond, Virginia contrary to what Peter Frampton reports.

“Megadeth’s rigger was in the venue's steel grid system above the stage getting ready to hang the lights when he noticed there was damage to the venue's grid. He pointed this out immediately to the promoters and the venue.

“It was determined that it was unsafe for Megadeth to hang their production or put the band on stage at the risk of in-house grid failure to support the weight of the touring lighting and sound which could fall on the band, crew members, or audience, as it could cause serious injury or death.

“Therefore, Megadeth, the local promoter, the venue, and booking agents had no other option than to cancel the show.”

Mustaine recently sat down with Guitarist for in-depth discussion about his guitar collection, during which he discussed the guitars he most misses, his amp philosophy, and why he's now smitten with the amp modeler.

Until recently, Dave Mustaine didn’t seek out electric guitars; the guitars sought him out, with endorsements from Jackson, Dean, ESP and now Gibson providing the arsenal for Megadeth’s state-of-the-art metal guitar sound.

But things have changed. This artist relationship with Gibson has awakened the collector in him, and now it’s time to stop, look around and smell the nitrocellulose. Here, he discusses a life in gear, the electric guitars he most misses, his guitar amp philosophy, the advice he has for all players, and why he is now smitten by the amp modeler.

What was the first serious guitar that you purchased with your own money?

“My Jackson… no, my BC Rich Bich 10-string.”

What was the last guitar you bought and why?

“I just bought a Gibson Les Paul Silverburst; it’s the second guitar in my collection. I just started collecting guitars once I went to Gibson because… honestly, all of the guitar companies I’ve been with [have enabled me to play] really wonderfully made guitars. The collection I’ve got now includes a Les Paul Junior and the Silverburst – it’s kind of changing colours because it’s so old.”

What’s the most incredible bargain you’ve ever come across?

“I don’t know… I really haven’t bought many guitars up until the last guitar I bought, which was the Les Paul. Gosh, I can’t even think about another guitar that I’ve bought lately because I’ve been so blessed to have endorsements for so long!”

Is there a guitar that you regret getting rid of?

“There are a lot of double-neck guitars that I’ve had to part ways with. And those were especially heartbreaking because the double-neck thing is kind of a work of art.”

What’s the worst case of buyer’s remorse you’ve ever experienced?

“I’ve had guitars that I really didn’t like, though I didn’t buy them, I possessed them. One that I really didn’t like was the aluminum Jackson [Roswell] Rhoads guitar. It didn’t sound good, didn’t play good, but it was a really neat moment.

“Even though Randy Rhoads had passed on, I don’t think he was the guy who would have played an aluminum spaceship-shaped guitar. He was more along the lines of the shark fin and his Les Pauls.”

What’s your best gear-buying tip?

“Learn how to play. Learn how to play because if you can’t play, you’ll find a pedal and you’ll cheat. You’ll find a pedal that makes you sound really good and you won’t be really good; you’ll be living a lie. Once you learn how to play really good, you’ll see those pedals as exactly what they are: a simple non-moving, analogue device that is a signal processor.”

Do you have a favourite place to shop for gear?

“I like the Gibson Garage. And there are a couple of other places, but like I said, I’m not a real big guitar collector yet. But I am realising that in the next couple of years, I will be because I’ve actually started enjoying walking around.

“I guess I’m at an age now where going out and seeing and getting to know the community where we’re playing is great. I can feel like, ‘Man, I really do have an emotional connection with this city or county,’ before I can go out and play the show.”

When was the last time you stopped and looked in a guitar shop window or browsed online and what were you looking at?

“I love what’s going on with my Gibson relationship. I look at a lot of that stuff. We’re doing some models, like the Flying V with 24 frets, and we’ve talked about a couple of others and are making them perfect. One of those is the Dave Mustaine Les Paul. It will play like a beast, be a 24-fret guitar, and have the heel shaved down.”

If forced to make a choice, would you rather buy a really good guitar and a cheap amp, or a cheap guitar and a top-notch amp?

“I think I would rather have a great guitar. If you have a really bad guitar, all you’re going to be doing is amplifying a really bad guitar that’s really difficult to play. And if it’s difficult to play, it’s gonna be like anything; you won’t hear it right any more.”

If you could only use humbuckers or single coil pickups for the rest of your career, which would it be and why?

“I don’t know what the single-coil thing is with me, but I’ve never really dug them. I know that I fell in love with Judas Priest in the beginning, and part of the sound that I liked was Glenn [Tipton]’s Strat on Victim Of Changes – that solo changed my world. Though it could have been K.K. Downing because I usually get who solos mixed up… [laughs] It was wonderful to hear, but it wasn’t my sound.

“My sound is humbuckers, which are brighter and crunchy. I have my Seymour Duncans – Seymour Duncan wrote the book on pickups. There’s a winder there who knows exactly what I like, and my [signature] Thrash Factors, to me, are the best pickups I’ve ever heard.

“They were modelled after Jeff Beck’s JB pickups [specifically the one on the guitar used to record fourth Megadeth album, Rust In Peace], and when I made my pickups, I said, ‘I want to have my own pickup,’ and so I made them mine. We noodled around with them and they’re great.”

Dave's go-to rig

“I’m using a Neural [DSP Quad Cortex] effects processor now; it’s like having the key to the city. I don’t know that there are a lot of beginners who are going to be able to make that kind of financial commitment to a piece of gear, but I absolutely love the processor. It does everything you can imagine. And I’m just getting started because there’s so much in there that you can go down a rabbit hole and never come up [laughs].

“For real amplifiers, I have my [Marshall] JCM800 and a white Randy Rhoads head that I use when soloing in the studio, but I don’t let anyone play or touch it. I like the JCM800 for that natural, surging, loud English crunch.

“For guitars, it’s any one of my Gibson Flying Vs, although I love my Explorer and my Les Pauls. They all sound great. The only difference is the wood, the finishing process and if the guitar has binding because that changes the sound and how it vibrates from the centre to the edges.

“These are the things that are really neat and interesting and have to do with physics and logic and all that shit. Most guitar players don’t worry about that stuff, but I’m very picky.”

• The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! is out now via UMe.

Marty Friedman's 1985 Jackson Kelly San Dimas, which was used on Megadeth's iconic Rust in Peace (1990) and Countdown to Extinction (1992) albums, is currently up for sale. It's also reportedly one of the first 500 guitars Jackson ever built, which probably explains why it could eventually sell for as much as $125,000.

In addition to the two mammoth Megadeth albums, the storied guitar was also Friedman's axe-of-choice for Cacophony's Speed Metal Symphony (1987) and Go Off! (1988), as well as his solo albums Dragon's Kiss (1988) and Scenes (1992).

“I purchased it in Hawaii around 1985 while I was in the band Hawaii,” Friedman states in the certificate of authenticity. “It originally had a black-and-white tiger-striped graphic, along with two humbuckers and 2 tone pots. When I joined Megadeth, it was re-painted black and converted into a single humbucker with one volume pot.

“I did several Hawaii recordings and concerts with it. At one time, it even had a flame thrower on the headstock. This was my #2 touring guitar for most of my Megadeth years. Like Kelly #1 this guitar was featured in many '90s magazines, Jackson catalogs, and advertisements.”

With countless shows under its belt, the guitar shows “all the signs of a well-loved, heavily played instrument” and “scratches, dings, chips, cracks, and faded finishes”.

However, it still promises to deliver a tone that is “pure Marty Friedman, with those mids that cut through any mix”. The guitar is already set up with Friedman-preferred 10-46 strings and is therefore ready to play.

The rare guitar is being sold by Friedman’s longtime manager, who purchased it in a 2011 eBay auction benefiting the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust and the ALS Therapy Development Institute.

According to the certificate of authenticity, the guitar has been kept in climate-controlled storage and maintained by one of the world’s top luthiers since Friedman’s time with Megadeth.

The auction is still open and all offers are being considered. For more information, head to Reverb.

Gibson has unveiled its latest batch of signature Dave Mustaine products, which sees the brand branch out into the world of signature electric guitar strings.

In the past, Mustaine and Gibson’s collaborations have been strictly electric guitar in nature. The pair previously partnered for Epiphone and Kramer Flying V signature guitars, a Gibson Flying V EXP, and even a signature Songwriter acoustic guitar.

This time round, though, the two parties have turned their attention to the accessory department, with Gibson announcing a new set of Mustaine guitar strings.

Though at first glance this may seem a fairly tame drop, it’s worth noting Mustaine’s is the only set of signature guitar strings currently offered by Gibson. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any hint of signature Gibson guitar strings in the recent past, save the Ultra-Light Les Paul-endorsed pack.

It’s certainly an interesting move from Gibson. Could this open the door for future signature strings for its other artists? Possibly – and probably. We’d be quick to rule out a Slash set, though: he’s firmly in the Ernie Ball camp.

Regardless, the Mustaine strings have supposedly been designed to “bring out the best in his signature Gibson guitars” – though we imagine they’d work just fine on practically any electric guitar – and deliver the “powerful, heavy sound and exceptional playing performance” the Megadeth frontman requires.

And, as an extra seal of approval, these are the same strings that Mustaine has been using on all his guitars during the band’s tour. In Gibson’s words, “They’re the loudest, best-performing strings he’s ever used.”

Specifically, they’re a top heavy set, with a gauge of .010, .013, .017, .030, .042 and .052.

The strings have been joined by a signature guitar strap, which isn’t as eyebrow-raising. It joins Adam Jones and Sister Rosetta Tharpe signature straps, and is made from full-grain black leather with and embossed Vic Rattled head artwork.

To find out more about each new release, head over to Gibson.

Kiko Loureiro is the latest guitarist to announce he’s selling a load of staged-played and studio-used gear on his very own Reverb store.

The Official Kiko Loureiro Reverb Shop has already opened its virtual doors for customers, and will give metal guitar fans the chance to acquire some kit selected straight from the former Megadeth member’s arsenal.

There are, of course, a bunch of guitars up for sale, including a handful of Loureiro’s  Ibanez signature guitars (a prototype KIKOSP3 model can be found in there) as well as a host of acoustic guitars that have all seen action with Megadeth.

That list comprises a Godin Multiac ACS SA Grand Concert used during the ‘23 world tour,  and a Godin Arena Pro CW and an Ibanez GA6CE-AM that went on the road with Loureiro in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

As for electrics, there are also a “couple of well-used Kramer models”, such as an SM-1 and Custom. There are some more surprising models included in the list, too, such as a Gibson Les Paul Modern that Loureiro played for two songs every night during the 2022 Megadeth tour.

The Kiko Loureiro Reverb Shop also has rooms on its digital shelves for some backline kit, too. “Several” Neural DSP Quad Cortex units (presumably with the guitarist’s presets still loaded in there) will be up for grabs.

A DV Mark Multiamp and Neoclassic 1x12 cab lifted straight from the Megadeth jam room is also set to go up for sale.

If you’re a Loureiro fan but would rather buy his, erm, Gracie Barra Brazilian jiu-jitsu gear, you’re in luck, because a bunch of miscellaneous personal items will also be sold alongside the guitar equipment. There are some sweatbands and a few shirts, if you feel so inclined.

Loureiro comments: “You can find all the gear, all the guitars, that I was using during the years with Megadeth. All the tours, and also the pre-production and recording of the album, The Sick, The Dying… and The Dead!

“Instead of bringing it home, I decided to get all the gear that I had in Nashville at the Megadeth headquarters to send to Reverb.”

It’s worth noting that Loureiro perhaps feels ready to part ways with all of his Megadeth gear after officially leaving the band late last year. 

This represents something of a hard reset, and while there may be a few leftover pieces of Megadeth memorabilia left in his arsenal, it looks as though Loureiro is getting ready for a fresh start.

Head over to Kiko Loureiro's Reverb Shop to find out more.

Dave Mustaine has heaped praise on Megadeth’s new guitarist, Teemu Mäntysaari, calling him a “monster” player and “the guy I’ve been looking for for a very long time”.

During a recent interview with Colombian YouTuber Alejandrosis, Mustaine shed more light on Kiko Loueiro's departure, and detailed what it's been like having Mäntysaari's monstrous talents onboard.    

Waxing lyrical of his skills, Mustaine said (via Blabbermouth) “Teemu is a monster. He is the guy I've been looking for for a very long time. I ask him to learn a song, he learns it. I ask him to learn a solo, he learns it. I ask him to learn a vocal part, he learns it. 

“He has a really great right hand,” he adds. “It's very intelligent. It's a lot like mine. I love watching him play and I love watching him learn, because he learns as fast as anybody else could, and it's made me really interested in my craft again. 

“I was not looking at [the] guitar like something I needed to make part of my day, every single day. Sometimes I would set the guitar down and I wouldn't touch it for a couple of days. 

“Ever since Teemu came in, I'm ready to warm up, I'm ready to practice, I'm ready to go over the solos, and I'm ready to fucking rip.” 

Mustaine also delved deeper into the departure of Mäntysaari's predecessor, reflecting: “Kiko leaving was bittersweet. Kiko is a really good dad, and he loves his family, and he also loves his craft. He's a wonderful guitar player, and he's been a good friend to me, Megadeth fans, and the band. 

“We found out that Kiko was having stress and strain on his family, being away so much, and we knew that it wasn't gonna get any better; it was just gonna be more shows and more time away from home.” 

He adds that Mäntysaari, who had originally stepped in as a touring member, joined to help Loueiro relieve some of that strain on his family. 

“We all agreed [to] bring in an understudy,” says Mustaine. “Teemu came in and helped us for a little while, and then we realized that this is probably the best thing, is for us to stick with Teemu and [for Kiko to] step aside and take care of [his] little ones until everything's okay.” 

Since entering the fold, he’s blown Mustaine away for his ability to learn the music and adapt into his new surroundings. 

In his interview with Alejandrosis, Mustaine continues: “I talk to Teemu and I say, 'We need to add a new song to the set.' [And he says] 'Okay. What song?' Are you fucking kidding me? You know how much I had to beg for the last 30 fucking years to get any of the other guitar players to learn somebody else's solo?! 

“And here you come in and flail this stuff out like you're eating Rice Krispies. I'm so excited, and I can't wait for you to see this dude.” 

Mäntysaari played his first show with the band in September 2023, having done “detective work” on the techniques employed across the Megadeth discography. 

Speaking to Guitar World for his first official interview since joining the American thrashers full-time, Mäntysaari said he’s “excited to bring my spice to the Megadeth soup” and has even hinted that there might be some “Rust in Peace vibes” to forthcoming material.

Loureiro, meanwhile, has recently teamed up with Plini to pen a song for Neural DSP – and made a huge impression on the Aussie maestro in the process.

No-one was surprised when Kiko Loureiro’s absence from Megadeth turned from temporary to permanent. After all, this is a band that’s featured upwards of a dozen guitarists since 1983 – it’s not as if lineup stability has been a thing. 

Still, Loureiro was a fan favorite. He’d been in Megadeth for nine years and had lent his virtuosic playing to well-loved records Dystopia (2016) and The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! (2022). For some, he even rivaled the iconic Marty Friedman.

Losing Loureiro wasn’t ideal, and it was especially tricky for Dave Mustaine, who, at times, had championed him as the best guitarist Megadeth had ever employed. Perhaps that’s why Loureiro took it upon himself to select his replacement.

“Dave is the commander, right?” he told Guitar World in January. “I told him, ‘You choose the guitarist, and I’ll help them however I can. But it wasn’t happening, so I took the first step and made a list of guitarists, and Teemu was on that list.

“I had heard good things and seen some videos, and the fact that he was in Europe and could easily travel to the part of the European tour helped. I presented the idea to Dave, and he agreed.”

It’s been so far so good for the 37-year-old Finnish guitarist Mäntysaari, who’s previously crushed skulls with Wintersun, Imperanon and Smackbound, and has now cozied up alongside Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

And while Loureiro’s popularity rivaled that of Friedman, Mäntysaari’s style is said to be closer to that of the man who penned the iconic solos heard across Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction.

Things seem to be going so well that new music is afoot. “There’s been talks of pre-production for the next album,” Mäntysaari says. “I’m excited to hopefully bring my spice to the Megadeth soup.”

That’s energizing news – but if we know one thing about Megadeth, it’s to expect the unexpected. “The band has such a cool history across all its albums,” Mäntysaari says. “I know there are expectations, and you can’t please everybody, but there’s a really good continuum from the last two albums. I don’t know exactly, but I think we’ll maybe look to get back to the roots.

“Maybe you’ll hear some Rust in Peace vibes, or maybe some things like the last two. Either way, the direction Megadeth is going now is good, and the vibe within the band seems to be in a very good place.”

He continues: “I’m very open to immersing myself in the experience of writing with the band and getting in the studio. I’m looking forward to jamming old-school style and seeing what comes. There haven’t been detailed talks but I think we’ll start working on ideas after we get together for the tour. I’m honored to be a part of this process.”

What led to getting the call to join Megadeth?

“I was doing some shows with my other band, Smackbound. I got a call from Kiko Loureiro, who explained the situation and asked if I’d possibly be available for some touring in the fall of 2023. I was immediately very excited and said, ‘Yeah, I’m available.’ He asked if I could record some video clips as an audition to send to management to check out my playing, and I did. Things progressed from there.”

Were there any nerves involved, considering you were stepping into a situation involving a massive band?

“The legacy of Megadeth is huge – of course, I never thought something like this would happen to me. But at the same time, I’ve always felt like being prepared was important in case a big band like this did call me.

“I have a specific skillset where I can learn fast, jump into new situations and be comfortable. I’ve always liked doing that; I love teaching, and I’ve been on many cover projects, so being detail-oriented is part of my skillset.”

It seems safe to say that you were a fan going into this.

“Megadeth was always kind of there in the background for me. I was very aware of the band – they’re one of the biggest metal bands in existence. So, of course, when they called me up, it was a bit surreal.

“But from the first phone call with Dave, they were so welcoming. He even said, ‘I really liked your audition,’ meaning the videos he saw. The momentum from that, and how fast-paced it’s been, has allowed me to concentrate on getting my work done, so there wasn’t much time to be nervous.”

What types of tips and tricks did Dave give you?

“Dave is very detail-oriented. I learned the songs by ear and from some tips Kiko gave me. Kiko showed me how things work within the band and gave me some tips, but I’ve worked mainly with Dave. 

“I’d have Zoom meetings with Dave, go through the riffs, and look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side. We talked a lot about what Dave wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both.

“We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There’s a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave was amazing.”

A big part of your role is centered around locking in with Dave. What are some of the things you admire about him as a guitarist?

“Dave is a very confident guitarist. He has a great sense of rhythm and his tone is great. As a writer, he’s a master of both riffs and solos. He chooses special types of notes, uses cool techniques, and all these very interesting tapping parts.

“There’s a lot of groundbreaking stuff; to think he came up with a lot of it in the ‘80s and how influential he’s been is crazy. We still feel that influence even today.”

You mentioned that Kiko imparted some wisdom to you, too. 

“Kiko was fantastic about welcoming me and training me, and the idea was that he’d maybe spend a little more time so Dave didn’t have to do too much. But it turned out that Dave wanted to do more, so I learned a lot of the practical stuff about being in the Megadeth machine from Kiko. There are a lot of moving parts, and it takes time to adapt to, so Kiko was very helpful with that.”

Did Kiko leave you with any of his gear or Quad Cortex presets? 

“Kiko was open to offering his gear and guitars, but I wanted to bring my own because they’re a little different than what Kiko uses, though we both play Ibanez. I had my own guitars, as I’m used to, but I used a lot of Kiko’s stuff because it was easier, and we wouldn’t have to change much. I ended up putting DiMarzio pickups in my guitars to keep things smooth, since that’s what Kiko was using.”

Will you be integrating more of your gear into the mix in the future?

“We may try different things for the next tour and mess with the presets. My touch and pick attack slightly differ from Kiko’s, and even my overall guitar sound differs. We’ll tweak the presets, but the setup won’t be too different.

“Once it was clear that Kiko was not returning, my ideas for updating the rig became more welcomed, so we’re talking about trying some new things for the next tour. I’m a gear nerd, and I’m in the position of having a lot of companies who are now interested in being involved, so there are a lot of possibilities.”

Can you shed some light on what specifically you’ll experimenting with?

“We’ll stay with the Quad Cortex as I have a good relationship with the Neural DSP guys. They’re from Helsinki, and I’ve known them for a long time. One funny thing is the amp that Kiko was playing was modeled from my physical Friedman amp that I loaned to the Neural DSP guys years back.

“But we may try a different power amp and tweak a few things with the guitars as far as modifications go. It’s a long process, but more doors are opening, and I hope that, at some point, I can do something like a signature pickup; that would be cool.”

Which songs have been the most challenging thus far?

“Every song has details where, once you pick up a guitar and begin learning, you discover nuances you didn’t know. The style of Megadeth is where I’ve been coming from for a long time, so there’s a lot of familiarity. But there’s always room for improvement in terms of vibrato and intonation; it’s an ongoing process. 

“As far as the touches, I’d say Hanger 18 because there are so many little solos – but it’s one of my favorites. Another is Holy Wars… The Punishment Due. It was a tough one that was very cool to learn. It’s a complex song for the riffs, and so is Tornado of Souls, which also has a legendary solo. I spent a lot of extra time getting the muscle memory and the details down for those.”

That’s got to be tough, considering so many different players have come and gone in Megadeth.

“Yeah, but even though somebody else composed the parts, after playing the songs for a while, you start to feel like you could have come up with something similar yourself. The songs almost become yours in a way.

“That’s not to take anything away from anyone else; a song like Tornado of Souls is an absolute Marty Friedman masterpiece. That’s an example of a solo where I try to replicate it because, as a fan, I would love to hear that as it appears on the album.

“Depending on the situation, you can get away with making something your own – but I think every Megadeth guitarist has gone with the strategy of playing the solos as they’re intended and then carefully throwing in their own spice here and there.”

Is there a Megadeth guitarist you identify with most?

“I’m very honored to be in the band and part of the great legacy of guitarists before me. I’m more familiar with some of them than others, but I had to dive deeply into everyone’s style by learning the songs.

“Chris Poland was a guy I’d never tried learning, so to dive in and discover where he was coming from and that he was very into Allan Holdsworth – like me – was very cool. Hearing Chris’s isolated tracks was incredible, as was learning his stuff.

“But I’d say Marty Friedman is the one I’ve studied the most. People probably hear him in my style. I always loved his exotic bends, surprising note choices, phrasing and cool vibrato.

“I’ve also always loved Kiko. He brought his own spice to Megadeth while staying true to the legacy and sound of the band. It’s been incredible to take all that in.”

• Megadeth tour South America and Europe in 2024 – see Megadeth.com for full dates.

Megadeth guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined the legendary thrash band in something of a whirlwind last year, drafted in as a last-minute replacement for fan-favorite Kiko Loureiro, who was called away to be with his family. 

Now, in a forthcoming interview for Guitar World, he tells us that though he never expected such a dream opportunity to land right in his lap, that didn’t stop him spending years preparing for just such an eventuality…

“I never thought something like this would happen to me,” says Mäntysaari. “But at the same time, I’ve always felt like being prepared was important in case a big band like this did call me.”

Mäntysaari was already an established pro when he got the call – widely respected among the European metal cognoscenti for his fleet-fingered fretting in power metal band Wintersun, alongside Smackbound – his poppier collaboration with Finnish actress Netta Laurenne. 

However, that blend of technicality and an openness to new projects seems to have left him in good stead for the opportunity of a lifetime: joining the ranks of Megadeth.

“I have a specific skillset where I can learn fast, jump into new situations, and be comfortable,” says Mäntysaari. 

“I’ve always liked doing that; I love teaching, and I’ve been on many cover projects, so being detail-oriented is part of my skillset.”

It’s a good thing, too. The guitarist says he’s worked extremely closely with both Loureiro and, in particular, Dave Mustaine in a forensic analysis of the parts. 

“[We’d] look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side, explains Mäntysaari.

“We talked a lot about what Dave wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both.

“We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There’s a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave was amazing.”

Learning the Megadeth catalog to such a depth is an incredibly demanding task, but Mäntysaari notes the scale of the challenge has helped him cope with the wider “surreal” experience of joining the thrash icons.

“The momentum… how fast-paced it’s been has let me concentrate on getting my work done,” adds the guitarist. “There wasn’t much time to be nervous!”

Keep an eye on Guitar World for our full interview with Megadeth’s newest member 

Meanwhile, if you want to see how he handled the challenge, check out the footage of his first show with the band above and then find out more about Megadeth's new guitarist – a man described by Loureiro as an “an amazing, incredible player”.

Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G has revealed he was once approached to audition for Megadeth and Machine Head – but despite being a “huge” fan of the thrash icons, he turned them both down.

In a recent interview on the Chuck Shute Podcast, he opened up on how his time with Osbourne refocused his priorities, and explained why he ultimately decided against auditioning for the big-name metal groups.

The Greek guitarist – who rose to prominence with power metal band Firewind before featuring on Osbourne’s 2010 album Scream – said the Megadeth offer came in 2015, while he was still a part of the Ozzy camp. 

The band were looking for someone to fill Chris Broderick's shoes, who has since gone on to join In Flames. 

Speaking to Shute, Gus G said his decision to turn down an audition was made out of respect for his then-current bandmates. Two weeks later, Kiko Loureiro joined the band instead.

“I've had offers to audition for other bands and stuff – not to join, but to audition – but I didn't do it,” he said. “During my time with Ozzy, Megadeth reached out. I said, 'Well, I can't really leave Ozzy for that,' even though I'm a huge Megadeth fan.

“Two weeks later, Kiko [Loureiro] was in the band. And Kiko was a buddy of mine; we've known each other. His old band Angra and Firewind have toured together, so I knew him and I thought he was a great fit.”

It certainly strikes up a case of ‘what could have been’. Loureiro went on to find great success in Megadeth, with the 2016 album Dystopia winning the ‘Best Metal Performance’ Grammy at the 2017 ceremony. That accounted for one of many “pinch-me” moments the guitarist experienced during his near-decade-long tenure in the band.

By comparison, not long after the release of Scream, Osbourne rekindled the Black Sabbath flame with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. That dramatically impacted the role Gus G played in Ozzy’s group, and in 2017, he officially left the band. 

Then, in 2019, Machine Head approached him regarding another audition, after Phil Demmel’s time in the band had come to an end the year prior. This invitation was also turned down.  

“I'm not sure if I'm really made for being a hired-gun kind of guy,” Gus G went on. “I'm enjoying calling my own shots. It's two different worlds doing those things.

“Doing your own thing, of course, involves a lot of risks – financial, of course, because you don't know if things will work out…if people are gonna like it.

“Then, of course, being a hired gun for a band, you don't have to worry about any of that. But you're also disposable.”

Machine Head would ultimately go on to recruit Decapitated guitarist Wacław ‘Vogg’ Kiełtyka, who played a key role in the 2022 album Of Kingdom and Crown. 

Since the release of Scream, Gus G has put out four albums with Firewind, and four lead-littered solo releases as he continues to work on his own terms.

However, his love for Megadeth hasn’t gone away. Talking on the podcast, he reflected on his cover of Marty Friedman’s masterful Tornado of Souls solo on his YouTube channel late last year.

“We all know Marty Friedman is an out-of-this-world level player,” he observed. “The rest of us can keep trying! Megadeth always had insane lead guitarists in their ranks. For me, it's an inspiration.”    

Speaking to Guitar World in support of his 2021, and latest, solo album Quantum Leap, he also admitted the allure of playing with Ozzy has never gone away.

“I loved my time with him, of course, I would do it again,” he said. “I don’t think there is a guitar player on earth that would turn that down!”

For now, his attentions are honed in on Firewind. They will release their 10th album, Stand United, March 1 via AFM.  

When Kiko Loureiro joined Megadeth on April 2, 2015, he knew he’d experience a windfall of fame, fortune, and emotions. It must have been difficult to leave Angra, the band he’d co-founded in 1991. But it must have been even more difficult assuming the role of lead guitarist in Dave Mustaine’s band Megadeth – a hotbed of activity since Marty Friedman split the scene in 1999.

After Friedman, there was Al Pitrelli, Glen Drover and Chris Broderick. None of them stuck; in fact, most of them flamed out in infamy. And so, by 2015, many assumed Mustaine to be impossible to work with and that Megadeth was on its last legs.

Truthfully, that was the case – until Loureiro came along. In short order, much like Friedman had before him, he helped right the ship with two critically acclaimed records in Dystopia (2015) and The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! (2022).

Now in reflection mode after stepping away from the MegaMachine in the fall of 2023, Loureiro tells Guitar World, “I’m so proud of what we did. Dystopia was a Grammy winner, and The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! was nominated.”

“I wrote several songs with Dave, played amazing places, did huge tours, and I still have a great relationship with the guys. I can look back and be proud of what I did with Megadeth, and I will one day be proud to catch up with them, wearing a Megadeth shirt!”

Unlike many who have departed the band in the past, Loureiro seems to be a rare case of an amicable divorce. It helped that he left the band in good shape by suggesting his replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari. “It’s all positive vibes, man,” Loureiro says. “I’ve been in situations in the past where it wasn’t, and I’ve learned that when you dedicate your life to creating music with someone else, you don’t want bad feelings.”

“I don’t want weird feelings connected to music. When you’ve make music with someone, you don’t want to disconnect over stupid fights. So while I didn’t want to be in Megadeth anymore, I’m still proud. And I’m glad about that – as everyone knows that it hasn’t always been that way when it comes to Megadeth.”

Now in possession of his freedom – which means something different than most think – Loureiro adds: “Everybody knows that Megadeth is a place where musicians come and go. It’s not surprising to anybody that I’d eventually go.

“People were probably saying, ‘Oh, if he stays, he’ll be there longer than Marty,’ or whatever math people like to do. No matter what, people would [eventually] say, ‘Kiko is past his due date.’ Some bands are more stable, and others keep changing members. It’s whatever works, you know?

“It’s rare that any band stays together forever like U2 or Rush. So nine years was okay, and I did well. It could have been more – but I needed to be out for personal reasons. I had the freedom to choose if I wanted to stay or go. I made my choice. No regrets.”

You left Megadeth at the end of 2023. What brought you to that decision?

“It started when I booked a trip home to Brazil. The last time I’d been was in 2019, before the pandemic; I got to a point where I said, ‘I need to visit my family,’ so I booked a trip for the Thanksgiving period in 2023 because Megadeth never does anything around that time.

“When you’re young, not married and have no kids, the mindset is, ‘The more concerts, the better.’ But my daughter is 12 now, and I want to spend time with her. I also want to be out there playing. When the Megadeth thing happened for me in 2015, I had a young daughter and twins who were newborns. I was always struggling with knowing I needed to be touring, but also wanted to be home with my kids and my wife.

“So the feeling of, ‘Should I be out doing this rockstar thing while my kids are at home?’ kept coming up. And the more moments and important dates I missed, the harder it was.

“It got harder in 2023, especially during the three-month summer tour. So I went to Dave in June, saying, ‘This is too much. I’m not feeling like I’m in the right place or mood to give 100 percent.’

“It was complicated for me to say because I wanted to play, but I knew I needed to be at home. And, of course, Dave was not expecting it. We had just done a show in Florida with the Misfits, and it was right after that show that I talked to Dave.

“And then Megadeth management was there, and I let them know I could not do the September gigs. I offered to help find a replacement and do what was needed to help Megadeth be ready to go.”

What led to your departure being a permanent situation rather than just a temporary thing?

“My proposal was not to do the September shows and help them find a replacement, which turned out to be Teemu. But then I had some situations with my kids and had to go to the doctor, and I felt like I wanted to be home.

“And I get it – Megadeth must go on, right? Being able to pick and choose where and when I play is not going to be a thing. I mean, I guess it could be, but that’s not the way it turned out.

“Maybe they felt like, ‘Well, Kiko might come out on the next tour and say the same thing,’ which I understand. So I told them, ‘I understand if you guys feel that I’m unreliable,’ They kept asking me, ‘Are you sure?’ 

“Ultimately, I had to take control because I knew I needed and wanted to be home. People who don’t have kids won’t understand, while if you do, you will.”

The only comment you’ve made until now came during an appearance on the Amplifica podcast, where you mentioned “freedom”. What does freedom look like for you now?

“It was a friend’s podcast. He didn’t want to ask anything about Megadeth, but I felt like I needed to talk about everything. So I mentioned this ‘freedom’ thing, and I have no idea how the internet interpreted it because I barely go on there. I’m sure people took it differently.

“It came about through a long conversation about my feelings about my life – it wasn’t about wanting to be free from Megadeth in a bad way. I know that many people aren’t able to quit their jobs and choose to be unemployed, but I had two viable options: to be in Megadeth or not. I chose my personal life.”

Did the idea of going from being in Megadeth to unemployment scare you?

“No. I was playing a lot with Megadeth, and I could have kept doing tours, you know? But if I did that, I felt my home life would be worse. And look, everyone survives in this scenario. I had the option of not being in Megadeth – even if you never know the future – and I chose that option so I could be home.

“I don’t want to regret my choices about my kids in 10 years because I wasn’t there. The type of freedom I was talking about was deciding what you want to do with your life. Not specifically freedom from Megadeth.

“I totally understand that having the freedom to decide like this is a luxury. It’s not like in the past, when I had to worry about my next meal or bill; I could decide. It took courage to decide to be with my kids, but I knew they needed me to do that.”

Considering the chemistry between yourself, Dave, James LoMenzo and Dirk Verbeuren, I assume they understood.

“Dirk has no kids, and James and Dave’s kids are grown, so they can tour endlessly without worrying about raising young kids like I do. And anyone can substitute for you, right? I was already substituting for other guitar players who came before me.

”I’m sure Dave, James and Dirk don’t want to be in a situation where a guy in the band doesn’t want to tour. Megadeth must go on, and while I love touring and playing guitar, being with my kids has become more important.”

What about Teemu led you to pick him as your replacement?

“Dave is the commander, right? So, I told him, ‘You choose the guitarist, and I’ll help them however I can.’ But it wasn’t happening, so I took the first step and made a list of guitarists, and Teemu was on that list. I had heard good things and seen some videos, and the fact that he was in Europe and could easily travel to be part of the European tour helped. I presented this to Dave, and he agreed.”

Did you leave Teemu with any knowledge or access to your Quad Cortex presets?

“We had him watch as many concerts over the summer as possible. He came to my house and I gave him access to everything – my presets and even my guitars. I said, ‘You use Ibanez, too. If you want, you can borrow anything you like.’

“He came out and filmed the shows, and I showed him all the moves to prepare him. Later he came to my hotel room and we went through the whole thing many times. I wanted to have as clean a transition as possible to show that I wasn’t quitting Megadeth on bad terms. I wanted what was best for the band.

“So any guitars, gear, or knowledge I had, I offered it to Teemu. I also offered insight into the dynamics of being in Megadeth, which has its own rules – it’s kind of like a corporation and has its own style. I wanted to give him knowledge, so that I wasn’t just giving Dave a guy for now but a guy for forever.”

Many people assumed – or hoped – that Marty Friedman would rejoin Megadeth. Was that discussed?

“Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave that I thought bringing Marty back would be amazing. I have no idea if they’re talking about it or talking to him, but I did say that. Beyond that, I don’t want to make anything more complicated.”

Marty is so revered amongst Megadeth fans. Was that difficult for you while you were in the band?

“I always felt so accepted the whole time I was in Megadeth. The fans never said anything bad about me or complained, which was amazing. But I’m a fan, and I always understood that Marty was a part of those iconic albums like Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. I understood that Marty was the guy who helped create that sound and style.

“From the moment I joined, I knew I would never win their hearts over Marty. I just tried to be myself and play as close as possible to the classic sound. It was amazing to play this amazing catalog of classic songs, have the fans praise me, and have me nearly side by side with Marty Friedman.”

Where did you leave Megadeth in terms of new music?

“We had great moments like the Grammys, but they weren’t talking about recording a new album anytime soon. For me, It’s so important to keep recording and making new music – but with Megadeth, you play the same 20 songs and maybe add one or two new ones.

“I understood it, but at the same time, I still think it’s important to be creative. As far as I know, they’re not planning anything new for the next few years.”

It sounds like you are interested in recording new music, though. Do you have anything in the works?

“For sure. Even before I talked to Dave I had around 11 new songs done. By May, I had the drums recorded, and in June I did the rhythm guitars for what’s going to be an instrumental solo guitar album. I now need to finish the solos and melodies, and I finally have time.

“This is the fun part for me – I can be looser as I don’t have to worry about touring. I had to keep postponing recording it, so I’m very excited to get going on it this year.”

How did being a part of Megadeth for nearly a decade change you as an artist?

“I have this good feeling over me that I don’t remember feeling before Megadeth. It’s like, ‘Oh, I can finally say no or yes to anything I want.’ Before Megadeth, I had to agree to everything because while Angra was successful in Japan, we had to work hard for everything.

“When asked, we’d tour Canada, Europe, South America, or wherever else. And I was one of the guys who pushed for that. So it’s an amazing feeling to be 51 and have people ask me to do things and be able to decide if I want to do them or not.

“It’s also dangerous because I’m now depending on myself to do stuff  – like finishing my solo album. There’s a deadline, but I’m the one putting it out there, and I’m the one who will have to record it and decide about touring.

“I finally get to be like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. I love to play in bands, but I never had the time or courage to sit back and be like those guys. This is the first time I say, ‘Well, here’s Kiko.’ Not Kiko from Angra or Kiko from Megadeth – just Kiko, and nothing extra after that.”

Now we understand what “freedom” means to you at this point in your life, is instrumental guitar where you see yourself going exclusively?

“That would be the easy path. But who knows? I was talking to Dave the other day – we’re still good friends, so to some degree, the door will stay open. I could play with Megadeth or maybe some other band who calls me and has me saying, ‘Okay, now it’s time.’ I don’t know the future, and it will take time.

“I do know that I want to be home more, and that I love to play guitar. I also love to learn and am excited to have more time to do that. I want to play other instruments and work on composing – but like I said, that all depends on me. If someone else asks me to do something, I’m not looking for that. I am not searching for another band; I want to play guitar.”

So it’s wait and see, then?

“Yeah, let’s see how it goes. I want to be more connected to the internet and the guitar community. I plan to do more YouTube and just be more present by doing interviews and talking to people. I think engaging with the community, my guitar academy, and the internet will be important.

“I can do it from home, on my terms, and in my own time while I finish this album and maybe start another. Let’s see what happens… I’ll probably have a better idea in a few months.”

• Find out more at the Kiko Loureiro Guitar Academy.

Kiko Loureiro has released his first new music since leaving Megadeth: a collaborative track with Australian virtuoso Plini, written and recorded in just one day.

Out of the Void shows the pair putting the newly released Archetype: Plini X through its paces for a new Neural DSP promo.

When the Finnish plugin experts announced the updated plugin in November, there was great excitement at the mention of players being able to use its tones both in their DAWs and with the Quad Cortex floor modellers. While the Cortex seen in the video is merely being used as an audio interface, it does give a great taste of what the updated plugin can do.

It was the first time the Australian and ex-Megadeth man had met in person, sitting in a studio with their guitars as they piece together ideas. Plini wields his true temperament Strandberg Sälen, and Kiko his Ibanez Prestige, and the resulting song showcases the best of their musical personalities.  

Their creative process has been documented with an accompanying video, as the guitarists navigate each other’s playing, tastes and chord progressions. The illuminating 20-minute video shows the pair bouncing ideas back and forth, with Kiko’s chordal work catching Plini’s ears early on.

“We just started noodling and I liked the tonality of your playing and was like, 'We should use that',” he says of the song's creation. As they knuckle down with the progression later on, Plini quips, “Are you improvising? Damn, you're good!”

Neural DSP released the updated Archetype: Plini X in November, adding octave, fuzz, delay, distortion and modulation effects in a free update. Chief among those new features is the octave/fuzz combo, with Plini having been drawn to the effects first present on Archetype: Gojira, which have since become a core part of his writing process, as heard on new EP, Mirage.

Those tones are present again on Out of the Void, with a gnarly, fuzz-snarled riff driving out of the track’s luscious opening, before we’re treated to oodles of smooth, meandering lead playing from Loureiro. It’s a song that Plini calls “harmonically weird”.

“We started five hours ago, and it was the first time we’d ever met before,” says Loureiro. “It was a risky thing to come here and maybe nothing happens, but it’s fun.”

Drums for the track, recorded at a later date, were played by Angra’s Bruno Valverde, with Arch Echo guitarist Adam Bentley – whose presets feature on a number of Neural plugins – handling mixing and mastering.

The track follows a rich line of Neural DSP collaborations, with Plini having previously written Blue Angel with Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood. Tosin Abasi and Ivan Chopik, meanwhile, teamed up for the aptly named Archetype.

For Kiko, life after Megadeth looks prosperous, with many new creative avenues opening up before him. Alongside his collaboration with Plini, he revealed to Guitar World that a new solo album is in the works.

“Even before I talked to Dave [Mustaine about leaving], I had around 11 new songs done,” he says. “By May I had the drums recorded, and in June I did the rhythm guitars for what’s going to be an instrumental solo guitar album. I now need to finish the solos and melodies, and I finally have time.

“This is the fun part for me – I can be looser as I don’t have to worry about touring. I had to keep postponing recording it, so I’m very excited to get going on it this year.”

Finnish metal guitar prodigy Teemu Mäntysaari may have been announced as his Megadeth successor, but the Brazilian initially recommended Marty Friedman was brought back into the fold.

“Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave that I thought bringing Marty Friedman back would be amazing,” he told Guitar World. In the interview, he also called Mäntysaari “an amazing, incredible player.”

Having released Mirage in December, Plini tours Australia and Japan in March, with summer festival dates starting to be announced, including two trips to the UK at ArcTanGent and RADAR Festivals.

• For more information about Plini: Archetype X, head to Neural DSP.

Late last year, Kiko Loureiro announced his departure from Megadeth – and it turns out at the time the outgoing electric guitar virtuoso recommended to Dave Mustaine and co that he be formally replaced by one of his predecessors.

In November, the Ibanez signature artist officially drew his nine years of heavy metal service to a close, mere months after it was announced he’d be stepping down from Megadeth’s tour shows due to family reasons.

No successor was immediately named in the aftermath of Loureiro’s announcement, and for a brief period, guitar fans wondered whether former Megadeth man Marty Friedman – who had reunited with the band for the first time in 23 years not long before – was poised to make a sensational return.

As events would transpire, Friedman did not end up rejoining Mustaine, with the gig instead going to Finnish metal guitar prodigy Teemu Mäntysaari, who was formally christened the new Megadeth guitarist after first temporarily filling in for Loureiro.

But before Loureiro had scouted and selected Mäntysaari for the role, he approached Mustaine and Megadeth management with another option: to rehire Friedman.

When it was put to him in an upcoming interview with Guitar World that many metal fans would have been holding out for Friedman’s return, Loureiro revealed, “Actually, I even mentioned to management and Dave that I thought bringing Marty Friedman back would be amazing.”

Though, obviously, that didn’t pan out in the short-term, Loureiro did imply that further conversations concerning personnel may be ongoing: “I have no idea if they’re talking about it or talking to him, but I did say that. But again, I have no idea beyond that, and I don’t want to make anything more complicated.”

Whether anything comes of it remains to be seen, but for now, the mantle of Megadeth lead guitarist remains firmly with Mäntysaari, who entered the fray with sky-high praise from Loureiro: “He's an amazing, incredible player.”

In his conversation with Guitar World, Loureiro – who replaced Chris Broderick – also took the opportunity to reflect on his time as Megadeth’s guitarist, and paid tribute to the fans who accepted him in Friedman’s role.

“The fans never said anything bad about me or complained, which was amazing,” he said. “But I’m a fan, and I always understood that Marty was a part of those iconic albums like Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. 

“I understood that Marty was the guy who helped create that sound and style, you know? From the moment I joined Megadeth, I knew the fans could show me love, but I would never win their hearts over Marty.” 

What can we take away from all this? Well, perhaps the door isn’t completely closed on a Friedman return at some point in the future. As mentioned, he’s already refamiliarized himself with Megadeth material thanks to those two guest performances he completed last year.

Last year, Friedman said of his relationship with Mustaine, “We're just two rock 'n' rollers with teenage dreams that never die. Both of us did whatever we had to do to make it happen. I think with guys who have had long careers, you'll probably find that we are very much in touch with our 15-year-old selves. And that is the prime motivator to go out of our way.”

No doubt his potential enlistment would go down well with Megadeth fans, who would certainly welcome the return of one of the band's most influential past members.

Stay tuned to GuitarWorld.com for the full interview with Loureiro, in which he opens up about why he left Megadeth, and what's in the cards for his future.

Dave Mustaine has officially named Megadeth’s new electric guitar player, following Kiko Loureiro’s announcement that he would be stepping back from the band for the foreseeable future.

Loureiro, who dropped out of the band’s fall tour earlier this year citing family reasons, confirmed in a post yesterday (November 21) that he’d be extending his absence into 2024 as Megadeth eyes up yet another hectic year of touring.

In his statement, the Ibanez signature artist said he didn't “want to hinder any of the band’s plans,” and reflected on his “unbelievable journey” with the band.

At the time, fans began theorizing who his replacement would be, and now Mustaine – in a touching post that paid tribute to the heavy metal guitar hero – has finally put the rumors to bed by confirming the band’s immediate plans.

As many had been expecting, Mustaine confirmed that Teemu Mäntysaari, the young Finnish metaller who Loureiro hired and trained to fill his boots this year, would be carrying on as “the guitar player for Megadeth” for the foreseeable future.

“The 2023 tour is over, and it was long and arduous,” Mustaine said in his post. “Last year saw a substantial amount of touring, and it appears that 2024 is gearing up to be even more intense, with extensive touring commitments keeping us on the road for most of the year.

“We have had many conversations with Kiko about this, and they have all been very positive,” he continued. 

“Kiko is going to remain on an extended leave of absence due to our heavy touring commitments next year, and we are going to continue to move forward with Teemu Mäntysaari as the guitar player for Megadeth.”

The news puts to bed any fanciful theories concerning a sensational return for Marty Friedman, who recently rekindled his onstage relationship with his former bandmates in their first performance together in 23 years.

It is also a huge vote of confidence for young Mäntysaari from Mustaine, and a clear sign of just how highly the Finnish shredder is viewed by his new bandmates. 

We can’t say we’re surprised, though: Mäntysaari absolutely smashed his first live show with Megadeth (see the video below), and Loureiro himself vouched for the youngster by calling him “an amazing, incredible player.”

Similar to Loureiro’s own post, Mustaine’s update seemingly leaves the door open for the outgoing guitarist to return after 2024, should that be desired by both parties. 

Elsewhere in the post, Mustaine paid tribute to Loureiro – who was drafted in to replace Chris Broderick – saying Megadeth’s recent success would not have been possible without the services of the Brazilian virtuoso.

“I want you to know that I love, respect, and fully support Kiko’s decision,” he wrote. “He has emphasized his love for me, Megadeth, and all of you, our fans.

“Kiko is a top-notch professional, a maestro – and he did not want to hurt me or Megadeth. We came up with a solution to find a fill-in for him during that time and that’s when he presented and trained Teemu Mäntysaari to take over for us.

“In the beginning, this was only going to be until the first week of October. However, things rarely turn out the way they are planned.

“I would like to thank Kiko for his dedication and hard work these past 9 years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on Dystopia and the additional awards we have received on this latest record, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro.”

This isn’t the first time Mustaine has reserved such praise for his right-hand man. Speaking to Guitar World earlier this year, the Gibson signature artist labeled Loureiro as the best-ever guitarist in Megadeth’s history.

“Megadeth has had guys like Jeff [Young] and Marty [Friedman], but Kiko is the best we’ve ever had,” Mustaine said. “I don’t say that because Kiko is in the band now; I say it because it’s the truth. Kiko is the best guitar player out of all of them.”

To keep up to date with Megadeth, head over to the band’s official Instagram account.

Kiko Loureiro has announced he will be leaving Megadeth after serving as one of the legendary heavy metal outfit’s electric guitar players for the past nine years.

Breaking the news on social media, Loureiro confirmed it had been “collectively agreed” between concerned parties that he would extend his absence, paving the way for a new, currently unannounced guitar player to fill his spot.

The formal departure comes mere months after Loureiro announced he’d been forced to step down from the band’s recent tour leg back in September due to family reasons.

“I want to share with you a decision that hasn’t been easy for me,” Loureiro said in a statement. “In September, I had to step away from the US leg of the tour for family reasons. Looking ahead, during 2024, we anticipate an even heavier touring schedule for Megadeth.

“After thorough reflection and discussions with Dave Mustaine and Megadeth’s management, we have collectively agreed that it is the right move to extend my absence,” the Ibanez signature artist went on. “I don’t want to hinder any of the band’s plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour. 

“My nine years with Megadeth have been an unbelievable journey, filled with countless ‘pinch-me’ moments. Unforgettable tours, a Grammy Award for Dystopia, a Grammy nomination, and various accolades for The Sick, The Dying, and The Dead are just a few of these highlights.”

“I am sure any heavy metal fan can appreciate how incredible it is to play and create music in a band you grew up listening to, and to share the stage with a guitar legend like Dave Mustaine, along with phenomenal musicians like James LoMenzo and Dirk Verbeuren, not to mention our incredible crew.

“However, the most cherished aspect of these nine years has been getting to know the incredible army of devoted Megadeth fans around the world. Your dedication is inspiring, and I have immense admiration and respect for you all.”

By the very nature of the statement itself, the guitarist seemingly leaves the door open for a return in the future post-2024, but for now, the future of Megadeth looks Loureiro-less.

Loureiro was initially brought in to replace Chris Broderick, and will be fondly remembered for his prolific, near-decade stint with the heavy metal icons by both fans and his former bandmates. Indeed, Dave Mustaine recently labeled the Brazilian virtuoso as the best guitar player in Megadeth’s history.

“Megadeth has had guys like Jeff [Young] and Marty [Friedman], but Kiko is the best we’ve ever had,” Mustaine told Guitar World earlier this year. “I don’t say that because Kiko is in the band now; I say it because it’s the truth. Kiko is the best guitar player out of all of them.”

In wake of this announcement, fans have already begun speculating over Loureiro’s potential replacement – and it wouldn’t be completely unreasonable to suggest his successor may already be in place.

When Loureiro announced he’d be taking a step back from live duties, he was replaced by young Finnish metal guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who made a lightning-quick start to life as Megadeth’s new fill-in fretter. Indeed, he absolutely nailed his first live show (see the video above), with Loureiro introducing the youngster as “an amazing, incredible player” at the time.

Of course, Mäntysaari certainly seems like the obvious candidate for the job – Mustaine recently told Wes Styles that he was “super-excited with what Teemu has brought” – but that won’t stop fans putting other theories forward.

Another name that will inevitably get thrown up, no matter how sensational it may seem at first, is Marty Friedman. Sure, it’s unlikely, but Friedman – a former Megadeth guitarist himself – recently rekindled his relationship with Mustaine and co, and joined the band for the first time in 23 years at a headline show in Tokyo.

That was followed by a further guest spot, with Friedman then joining the band for a four-song cameo during the Wacken Open Air festival in August. Were these shows just an excuse for Friedman to refamiliarize himself with Megadeth material? Like we say, it's unlikely, but we imagine there would be no shortage of fans who'd like to see that happen.

As such, it seems Mäntysaari will continue in his current role for the foreseeable future, and since he's been rather inactive on social media as of late, a special announcement may be incoming.

Head over to Megadeth’s official Instagram account for future updates.

UPDATE 11/21/2023: Megadeth's new guitarist has been officially announced.

"The absolute terror of seeing Jimi Hendrix in the Woodstock movie when I was around 12 or 13 is what inspired me," former White Lion and current Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo tells Guitar World.

"I saw him play and thought, 'Oh, my God, that makes no sense to me. But I didn't go running away and screaming into the night; instead, probably by happenstance, I picked up the bass guitar, which bridged my love for rhythm, and arpeggiating and dictating the way music flows through a song."

Of course, considering that LoMenzo has played with the likes of Vito Bratta, Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne, David Lee Roth, Slash, and most recently, Dave Mustaine, he's got used to the shock and awe of rock music.

Still, despite his immense accomplishments both in the studio and on stage, the most interesting aspect of LoMenzo's increasingly gargantuan resume is that it's continuously expanding, despite the veteran four-stringer's set-in-stone approach.

"Since I started on my journey of trying to really understand the bass guitar, from day one, my approach hasn't changed at all," LoMenzo reveals. "I call myself a journeyman bass player in that I still feel like I'm learning how to do this. I've never been satisfied playing one genre of music, and I'm into everything from metal to classical."

He continues, "I even love the old James Bond soundtracks from the '60s where suddenly, you'd hear the booming sound of the low end from the upright bases they would use. I loved how the different sounds came together, which intrigued me to find different sounds and voicings."

Steadfast in his approach while simultaneously forever open to learning and soaking in all that his life in rock 'n' roll has granted him, James LoMenzo is the definition of a pro's pro.

To that end, when asked what the pivotal moment for him was in finding that singular voice that has left him one of the world's most bankable players, LoMenzo says, "The big thing for me was when I started to realize that you could have a different kind of a voice on the bass guitar that not everybody else would necessarily use or even be interested in. That's what started me trying to find a voice, you know, on the instrument. It's simple, but I still try and do that to this day."

During a brief break from Megadeth's ongoing activities, James LoMenzo dialled in with Guitar World to discuss a record-breaking 15 bassists who shaped his sound.

1. John Entwistle

"I can't say enough about what a massive influence John Entwistle has had on me. As far as my choices for what kinds of basses I play, the kind of tonality I would use, and the type of aggression I would employ throughout a rock song, John is everything.

"To me, he's like the whole package of what first excited me to pick up the bass when I was growing up. So, he has to be at the top of the list for that reason alone. There's never really been a player like him before or after, which definitely counts for something."

2. Paul McCartney

"Without Paul McCartney, I think a big swathe of modern music wouldn't even exist. His approach to the bass is so melodic that it's almost orchestral. Paul had a way of adding just the right number of movements into a pop song to really raise it up, which is something I learned to play along to as a kid.

"I remember playing along to those old basslines, and emulating them, which is probably something a lot of kids my age did. Paul's songwriting was incredible, but he really did have an awfully big influence on many bass players, too. You'll see that throughout this list."

3. Stanley Clarke

"Stanley Clarke was a guy who caused my head to turn when he came onto the scene. There was something about his style, even though he kinda hung out within the jazz-fusion idiom, that was just so aggressive. He had a way of playing that kinda felt like Paul McCartney, but he could do it with rapid-fire speed with his thumbs and fingers that sometimes seemed to defy physics.

"To this day, he's one of my favorite guys to watch and listen to play. He also influenced my choices in neck-through basses and electronics. The stuff he used gave him a really clear voice, and that immediately interested me."

4. Chris Squire

"I could probably name 20 more guys, but one that sticks out is Chris Squire. As a young bass player, I was always listening to progressive rock music but didn't realize just how much a lot of it influenced me. And then, and at some point, I started to realize that listening to all these players on the radio doing all these hit songs really inspired me tonally and viscerally. Chris was a unique bass player with a sound that suddenly opened my eyes to a whole other level of things that I could do with this four-stringed instrument."

5. Tim Bogart

"From Chris Squire, I probably went and discovered Tim Bogart. There was an old friend of mine who, when I was playing the clubs, used to play a lot of Tim Bogart's old Cactus stuff. He'd also play the Beck, Bogart & Appice stuff, which was incredible. I heard Tim Bogart, who had this crazy sound that would come warbling out, and I had to take a step back to get my head on straight.

"I didn't fully understand it at the time, and I definitely couldn't understand it as a traditional bass guitar, but it was easily another thing that really got me started early on."

6. Chuck Rainey

"I loved a lot of different music growing up, and some of that was the old Motown stuff. Again, I would listen to this stuff – which was considered pop music – on the radio, and it really affected me.

"The thing was, though, with the Motown stuff, you never really knew who was playing on the tracks, just that it sounded cool. But later, once I started to find out who these guys were, one that influenced me a lot was a guy named Chuck Rainey, who played with Aretha Franklin, and so many others.

"Once I really started honing in on his stuff, I couldn't believe how active of a contributing musician he was within the context of her music. His bass playing really carried its own little space within her music and helped propel it forward."

7. Dee Murray

"Another guy who is in keeping with the same theme as Chuck is Dee Murray, who played bass for Elton John. Dee was somebody who caught my ear immediately because he had this interesting style that was almost like Paul McCartney. He used to find very melodic ways that would tie sections together even though they sounded very simple.

"But then, when you give him a second listen, you unpack all of these complex bridge notes and passing tones that really made Elton's songs more incredible to the point that they almost drove the music. He had an incredible way of standing out amongst Elton's piano tones and really propelled the song forward when he played. I loved that."

8. Tony Franklin

"Tony Franklin really caught my ear in the '80s and early-'90s when he was playing with Blue Murder. I was just so floored by his playing, which you can hear a great example of in the song Riot. Listen to that song, and you'll get it. That's all I need to say.

"I mean… for a fretless player, he just kind of dug in, which isn't easy to do. And I've always felt that the best music is when the frets seem to go away, you know? But Tony actually made that real and does so for a living! So, he's one of my favorites and was a huge influence on me."

9. Jaco Pastorius

"This guy was just so talented… he's like the dream I'll never reach [laughs]. Jaco was somebody that was just so musically deep that, in my mind, I just have to keep fighting to try and get good like he was every day.

"But the truth is that his level of skill is almost unapproachable. He was the kind of guy who blazed a complete trail for himself and shone a light for the rest of us to aspire to."

10. Geezer Butler

"I love Geezer Butler, but the weird thing is that I was more visually introduced to Geezer than I was sonically. I was introduced to him when I saw the '74 California Jam thing on TV. I remember his hands being off the strings and then dropping down onto them like piano hammers, which left me thinking, 'Boy… if you're gonna play bass with your fingers, that's the way to do it!' He made a statement, almost like a drummer, which was very memorable for me. Geezer Butler is just an amazing player."

11. Mark King

"Mark King had a very controlled way of playing with his thumb, which really propelled a lot of that Level 42 stuff he was a part of. The way he played bass really showed that a bass guitar can be used as an identifiable rhythmic instrument, which is what I liked most about him. So, he was a huge influence on me in the '80s. I remember listening to him quite a lot and really absorbing all of it when I'd be traveling."

12. Carol Kaye

"Carol Kaye is on a ton of records. She was on soundtracks, the Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, and so many more. Her bass playing is part of the fabric of '60s pop music. And that's because her style was just so assimilative. I'd have the radio on, and no matter what came on, she was always there.

"So, as a young bass player, I couldn't help but soak it in. To this day, if I come up with a bassline, I often joke to myself, 'I obviously stole that from her because it's been sitting out there for all those years.'"

13. Billy Sheehan

"Billy Sheehan is a guy that literally turned the bass guitar upside down and made it into a rock machine. He created a voice and style that's entirely his own. His dexterity, power, and speed, and the way he makes things sound just so fucking big; it's incredible. His tone is massive, and he can carry a song alone; it's just the most amazing thing.

"I remember going to see him in clubs with my younger brother before I was even in White Lion, and my brother used to say, 'Hey, that bass player reminds me a lot of you,' and I think my brother had me on too high of a pedestal [laughs]. I'd be watching Billy, and my jaw would just hit the floor because I was mesmerized and confused by all these wonderful things he was doing. Billy showed us that the bass can be taken to the same space that the guitar occupies, and he does that better than anybody."

14. Larry Graham

"Sly and the Family Stone is another one that's just such a monster player and so influential. That guy would be up there thumping and slapping, which gave Sly and the Family Stone a real sense of massive propulsion.

"Larry made all those hits jump as he was slapping away at the bass. He was just someone that was so musical, so aggressive, and incredibly amazing on his instrument."

15. Tal Wilkenfeld

"As far as someone who is maybe a little bit more contemporary, Tal Wilkenfeld is a bass player that I've admired for some time. In my mind, she is the entire package. Tal Wilkenfeld is a player that can not only literally play anything, but on top of that, she just plays it all so well. She’s definitely someone who I admire, and I really respect the way she goes about her instrument."

Dave Mustaine recently discussed the first time he got to witness James Hetfield play guitar, describing the moment as “kind of shocking.”

These days, Hetfield is renowned as one of the planet’s finest rhythm players, but clearly that was not the case in the early ’80s – even amongst those who knew him best.

Mustaine is interviewed in the new issue of Metal Hammer and – among the other ups, downs, and, well, unadulterated chaos of life as a thrash metal legend – recalls his earliest rehearsals with Metallica.

At that time in their careers, Mustaine says the burgeoning thrash icons were still finding their feet, with Hetfield preferring to take on vocal duties and leave his electric guitar at home. 

As such, the band were hosting auditions for a rhythm guitarist, but had struggled to find a good fit. Meanwhile, Mustaine, says he wasn’t pushing himself as a guitarist, either.

“I was kind of playing at Lars [Ulrich]’s level, because Lars was still learning to play drums back then,” says Mustaine (via Louder). 

“But watching James play guitar for the first time was kind of shocking, because I didn’t know he knew how to play guitar.”

Mustaine says Hetfield’s move to rhythm duties was born more out of a lack of options, rather than any need for Hetfield to prove himself. Indeed, he compares the experience to his own fruitless search for an alternative singer in Megadeth. 

“We just got fed up one day of auditioning guitar players, just like I did with singers,” says Mustaine.

“And he picked up this guitar and started playing, and inside I’m going, ‘Get the fuck out of here. How can you possibly be satisfied being a singer when you play like that? Why not be both?’ I’ve always thought he was a really talented guitarist.”

The animosity between Mustaine and Metallica seems to be long gone now, and the Megadeth man has been dishing out the compliments lately – not least to Kirk Hammett. 

Back in Mustaine’s June Guitar World interview, the guitarist was asked his opinion on Hammett’s lead work on Metallica’s new album, 72 Seasons. 

Rather than twist the knife, Mustaine took the chance to discuss how Hammett did him an honor taking on his Metallica solos –  and pointed out just how quickly metal guitar’s armchair critics had turned on Hammett. 

“There was a time when Kirk won every guitar contest in the world, and I don't think he's gotten any better or worse as a player,” said Mustaine. “He's always been really good… he's been steady the entire time he's been in Metallica.”

To read Mustaine’s full interview, check out pick up a copy of the new issue of Metal Hammer.

Teemu Mäntysaari made his first appearance with Megadeth last night (September 6) and fan footage of the show has now appeared online. 

The band were performing at the Revel Entertainment Center in Albuquerque, NM. The show was the first in a run of fall dates as part of their ongoing Crush The World tour. It was also the band’s first show without regular guitarist Loureiro, who has had to sit out the run due to family reasons.

Megadeth fans will know that the band have a penchant for opening proceedings with Hangar 18 – a tradition maintained both in tribute to the departed Vinnie Paul (who first suggested it) and because its long instrumental opening is handy for gauging the sound levels. 

On the downside, the track is famed for the fact it’s loaded with solo sections, so it’s fair to say that Mäntysaari had something of a baptism of fire facing him. However, if the Finnish metaller was nervous, he hid it damn well.

Fan footage shows Mäntysaari doesn’t miss a beat on Hangar 18’s multiple lead sections. That said, he sounds equally sharp on just about everything else the set throws at him – whether it’s the melodic À Tout le Monde, or the challenging closers and Marty Friedman-era highpoints, like Tornado of Souls or Symphony of Destruction.

Mäntysaari and Loureiro have something in common as guitarists, both being based in Finland and having a shared power metal/neoclassical lineage. It’s clearly left the former in good stead for the gig.

We’re still unsure just how long Mäntysaari had to prep for his first show, but given the news he would be standing in for Loureiro was only shared 24 hours before the show, we can assume it was not long.

He’ll still have to go some to cover as much stage as Loureiro does in a typical show (the Brazilian guitarist works hard up there), but there’s no doubt that Kiko has found a killer stand-in.

We look forward to seeing more clips as they land, but for now you can watch most of the show on the video above and then learn more about Kiko Loureiro’s Megadeth stand-in Teemu Mäntysaari.

Kiko Loureiro has announced he has been forced to step down from the forthcoming fall leg of Megadeth’s Crush The World tour due to family reasons.

Never one to do things by halves, though, Loureiro has already sourced his own replacement, in the form of Finnish metal guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari. The band made the announcement with a post on social media yesterday (September 5). 

“I have something that is difficult to share,” writes Loureiro in the update. “But we always like to keep you informed with the truth. I have to leave the tour for now, to be home with my children, and to help them face the difficult challenges that arise from us being Dads that work away from home.

“I found a guitarist, Teemu Mäntysaari, to fill in for me during the fall, and I think you'll be very happy. He's an amazing, incredible player. I have shared this with my partner in shred, Dave Mustaine, and to no surprise, he said, 'Go! Go be there for your family and keep us posted!'

“To my band mates and all of our fans around the world, see you all very soon, back out on the Killing Road!”

The post also states that the band have no intention of canceling tour dates and that Mäntysaari is set to make his debut tonight (September 6) at the band’s show at the Revel Arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

So who is Mäntysaari? The 36 year-old guitarist is a star on the Nordic metal scene. He hails from Tampere in Finland, and is best known for his role in respected power metallers Wintersun, who he joined in 2005.

That gig has given him plenty of experience in front of big crowds. Mäntysaari also teaches guitar, taking on students from around the world for online lessons and posts YouTube clips and playthroughs.

In 2015, he also teamed-up with Finnish actress and singer Netta Laurenne to form the poppier hard-rock band Smackbound, which shows he’s comfortable switching styles.

Loureiro (who is married to Finnish pianist Maria Ilmoniemi, and lives in Finland with their three daughters) was no doubt already familiar with Mäntysaari’s formidable chops. 

Like Loureiro, Mäntysaari’s background in the pace-y, hyper-technicality of neo-classical power metal should leave him in good stead for the demands of the Megadeth gig.

In particular, Mäntysaari’s renowned for his jaw-dropping speed and precision, and his clips are full of insanely clean sweep picking and deadeye rhythm chops. However, pace alone won’t be enough to win his new boss over, as Dave Mustaine revealed in his Guitar World interview earlier this year.

“It's not about how fast you can shred, you know?” said Mustaine. “For me, a guitar player is evaluated the most on what type of player they really are. What kind of songwriter are they? What kind of rhythm player are they? How do they execute solos? How do they do with layering?

“That last one is big – you need to be able to layer guitar tones properly. If you can't, you're missing a massive piece of the puzzle.”

We suspect Mäntysaari has it covered. In the meantime, if you want to get a sense of the standards demanded, check out this clip of Mustaine, Marty Friedman and Kiko Loureiro rehearsing together.