Dave Mustaine Disses Supercollider Producer Johnny K, Says “Fans Don’t Want” Broderick and Drover in Megadeth

I’m sure this will only add to fuel the rumors that the Rust in Peace-era Megadeth reunion is actually happening: in his first interview since guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover left the band last year, Dave Mustaine has deflected the blame for Megadeth’s recent missteps (as he always does), basically disowning not only those two musicians, but pretty much everyone who’s ever been since Marty Friedman and Nick Menza split, and the group’s most recent album, the super-crappy Supercollider.

Speaking to Full Metal Jackie, Mustaine said the following (transcription via Metal Injection):

“[We had] James Lomenzo, James MacDonough, Glen Drover, Shawn Drover, Chris Broderick… all those guys… the fans don’t want those guys in Megadeth.”

Thing is, at least in the case of Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover, the musicians weren’t fired — they quit. Which suggests that Mustaine wasn’t all that concerned with “what the fans want,” at least in terms of the band’s line-up. So this feels a little bit like Mustaine trying to do the whole “You can’t quit, I’m firing you” thing.

Mustaine then goes on to assert that “I’m not making another radio song ever,” because those types of tracks have been “the bane of Megadeth’s existence.” The he tosses Supercollider producer Johnny K under the bus:

“[A] lot of people don’t like [Supercollider], because there’s so many radio-type songs on it, and I think a lot of that has to do with the producer that you’re working with.”

Which is another claim that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, ’cause Johnny K also produced the ‘Deth album prior to Supercollider, Thirteen, and no one accused that record of being full of poppy garbage (and that’s to say nothing of the fact that Johnny K also mixed the debut album by Dan Spitz’s Red Lamb, very likely as a result Mustaine’s recommendation). Also worth considering: Dave Mustaine is a 53-year-old adult, and has been making metal music for more than three decades. He should not be letting producers dictate what he does anymore. You’d think Risk taught him that it’s name on the record and he’s the one who’se gonna take the blame if it sucks.

So, yeah, the bad news is that Mustaine continues to insist that nothing is ever his fault. But the good news is that either Friedman and Menza really are coming back to the band, or Mustaine is going to have to hire some other guys who are especially noteworthy, or other backtrack again re: the whole “the fans don’t want those guys in Megadeth” statement. Regardless of the outcome, it should be entertaining for us all!