Megadeth

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Dave Mustaine (left) and James Hetfield onstage in the early ’80s

“How can you possibly be satisfied being a singer when you play like that?”: Dave Mustaine recalls the first time he heard James Hetfield play guitar

By Matt Parker published

The Megadeth man has said Hetfield kept his talent hidden, and that witnessing him play for the first time was “kind of shocking”

Dave Mustaine and Teemu Mäntysaari

Delivering the goods: Teemu Mäntysaari plays his first show with Megadeth – and has it dialled from the second he steps onstage

By Matt Parker published

The Finnish metaller is filling in for Kiko Loureiro and appears to have nailed his first show

Teemu Mäntysaari will fill-in for Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro on the band's fall 2023 dates

“He's an amazing, incredible player”: Meet Teemu Mäntysaari, the fast-fretting fill-in set to take on Kiko Loureiro’s Megadeth tour duties

By Matt Parker published

The Megadeth lead man is taking time out from the band’s fall shows to support his family, but he’s got a formidable replacement lined-up

Kramer Dave Mustaine Vanguard

Kramer Dave Mustaine Vanguard review – if shredding is your business... then business is good

By Amit Sharma published

The Megadeth main man's signature Kramer V might just be the most metal MegaDave model yet

Megadeth and Marty Friedman rehearsing

Watch Marty Friedman, Kiko Loureiro and Dave Mustaine rehearse for one of the summer’s biggest festival sets in new Megadeth behind-the-scenes footage

By Matt Owen published

See the ensemble run through sections of their four-song setlist – complete with an up-close view of Friedman's absurd solo powers

Marty Friedman (foreground, right) performs with Megadeth at the Wacken Open Air Festival on August 4, 2023

Marty Friedman revisits his thrash heyday once again for ferocious four-song guest spot with Megadeth

By Jackson Maxwell published

The Wacken Open Air festival played host to the legendary shredder's second 2023 reunion with the metal icons

Epiphone Dave Mustaine Flying V Custom

Epiphone Dave Mustaine Flying V Custom review – a metal-tailored V that virtually plays itself

By Amit Sharma published

MegaDave's signature 24-fret V reveals itself as a serious metal guitar at any price

Megadeth's early lineup featuring Greg Handevidt

“I'd hear Dave Mustaine aimlessly riffing on the couch, and it's the riffs that ended up on the first two Megadeth – and, frankly, Metallica – records”: Megadeth's first lead guitarist Greg Handevidt on the birth of a metal institution

By Andrew Daly published

The first guitar player to stand toe-to-toe with Dave Mustaine in Megadeth looks back on his intense initial meeting with the metal icon, and his memories of the band's mythical demo tape – their equivalent of Metallica's No Life 'Til Leather

Chris Poland

"I don't even own a Strat! I used my Dean Thoroughbred, a far cry from what David Gilmour used": How ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland ended up covering Pink Floyd

By Andrew Daly published

Dave Mustaine's former right-hand man was surprised to find himself tackling Floyd's San Tropez, but it's the perfect showcase for his flexible chops. He explains his approach to playing Gilmour's leads, what he thinks of Megadeth's latest material, and why he was "so bummed out" when he first heard Peace Sells…

Dave Mustaine with his signature Epiphone guitars

Dave Mustaine explains why "it's not really that hard to shred fast" and what makes his Gibson and Epiphone models impossible to tell apart

By Andrew Daly published

The Megadeth leader shares how working with Gibson is "the greatest thing that's ever happened" in his career, the "massive piece of the puzzle" that makes a good guitarist, and why he "unfairly" poked fun at Kirk Hammett

Dave Mustaine plays a hardtail Gibson Flying V

Dave Mustaine thinks everyone has been using the whammy bar wrong – with two exceptions

By Matt Parker published

“Whatever you do on the guitar with the whammy bar you should be able to emulate with your fingers,” says the Megadeth icon

Dave Mustaine's Epiphone Flying V Custom and Prophecy, and Kramer Vanguard signature guitars

Dave Mustaine’s Epiphone and Kramer signature models are finally here – and it looks like they’ve been worth the wait

By Matt Owen published

More than 3 years after the guitars were announced, Mustaine's affordable signature models have arrived, complete with Seymour Duncan or Fishman Fluence pickups and an assortment of metal-friendly aesthetics

Kayla Kent playing a Kramer JK8000

What if Dimebag Darrell played the solo in Megadeth’s Symphony of Destruction? Kayla Kent makes it a reality – and the results are scary accurate

By Matt Owen published

Can anyone channel the spirit of Dimebag better than Kent? We don’t think so – and after watching this, you might agree

Slipknot

Live Review: Knotfest, Sydney 25/03/23

By Australian Guitar published

"Knotfest is home for the maggots who never felt that they had a home anywhere else"

Dave Mustaine

Dave Mustaine: “I’m a very advanced rhythm guitarist who can play complicated rhythms and sing over the top of them – most people can’t do that”

By Andrew Daly published

The Megadeth main man discusses his forthcoming signature “Gibson Les Paul for thrash guys”, why Kiko Loureiro is the band’s best-ever guitarist, and succeeding even though “Metallica has always tried to hold me back”

Jeff Young

Former Megadeth guitarist Jeff Young says he turned down the chance to play in David Lee Roth’s band

By Matt Owen published

While Roth was in the market for a new guitarist following Steve Vai's departure in the late '80s, Young was initially sounded out for the role that ultimately went to Jason Becker

Marty Friedman performs live

Marty Friedman on the challenge of relearning his solos for the recent Megadeth reunion, his guitar legacy, and pushing the studio limits with Jason Becker

By Andrew Daly published

As he sets out on his first US tour since the pandemic, the veteran shredder reflects on what he'd change about his early Shrapnel records and why he "borrowed" the Les Paul's shape for his Jackson signature model

Marty Friedman, Dave Mustaine and Kiko Loureiro

Marty Friedman hints at next Megadeth performance – and it might be closer than you think

By Matt Owen published

Fans had to wait 23 years to see a reunion between Megadeth and their long-estranged guitarist. It's looking likely that the next wait will be much, much shorter

Marty Friedman and Dave Mustaine

Watch Marty Friedman perform with Megadeth for the first time in 23 years

By Matt Owen published

Dave Mustaine and co reunited with their former guitarist for a headline show at Tokyo's Budokan to perform three songs from Friedman's tenure

Dave Mustaine

Dave Mustaine says his influence on Metallica is “pretty f**king deep”: “I wrote many of the songs that made you famous”

By Matt Owen published

Reflecting on his relationship with Metallica, the Megadeth frontman also gave his opinion on Kirk Hammett playing his parts – and claimed James Hetfield only played guitar in the band because they “couldn’t find anyone else” to do it