Kings of Thrash Seemingly Diss Dave Mustaine on First Original Track

Man, this shit just keeps getting wilder by the day. The Megadeth cover band with plans of writing their own material, Kings of Thrash, finally released a song that wasn’t found on either Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good or So Far, So Good…So What during a show last night in Columbus, Ohio.

Titled “Bridges Burned,” the song naturally sounds like a classic thrash metal tune — which makes sense given the fact that ex-Megadeth members Jeff Young and David Ellefson are heading the project. The intro is fire, there’s killer solos in it, the whole nine. In fact, the band says the main riff was originally written by Young for the song “Rust In Peace.”

“Here it is, our first KOT original song ‘Bridges Burned’! One that has its origins from a riff Jeff brought in back in 1988, intended for what became ‘Rust In Peace’. Today that riff laid the groundwork for a truly collaborative effort between the four of us in Kings of Thrash and paves the way for our creative path forward… more to come!”

But since half of the group is comprised of dudes that were fired by Dave Mustaine, you know it’s gotta be messy some how. And boy, is it.

Aside from the music, which again, is pretty cool — it’s the lyrics that give the game away. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have a full-fledged Dave Mustaine diss track from a group that plays two entire Megadeth albums on its current tour. I wish I could embed the video below so you can watch and listen, but they’the band disabled that feature for the video, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself.

Thankfully, the video’s description includes the song’s lyrics. Just read these lines and tell me it’s not about Mustaine.

Once upon a time in the land of the blind
They called you a “King” but you were dead inside
From cradle to grave – You can’t escape the Karma you make
Now the Devil’s hand is calling you!

You’re goin down
You’re goin under now
Trapped in a haze – you’re a lying disgrace
Now there’s nobody left – all your bridges burned down

You never care who you hurt or betray
Just like a viper – slither away
Poison running through your veins
On your knees – accept the blame
Desitny calls your name
You’re goin under now

You’re goin down
You’re goin under now
Trapped in a haze – you’re a lying disgrace
Now there’s nobody left – all your bridges burnin

You’re goin down
You’re so blind – You’re losing your mind
Just an empty shell
All your bridges burning

Now, you can make the argument that this could be about anyone, but let’s go over it a bit. The king bit could be a reference to the fact that Mustaine created Megadeth and considers him the only founding member. Dude definitely thinks pretty highly of himself and his accomplishments, as he should. That being said, he’s pissed off a lot of people in his 40 year career, so he’s probably got some bad karma somewhere.

But then it gets real spicy. There’s mention of the subject being a lying disgrace, which mirrors what Jeff Young recently said about Mustaine being a “pathological liar.” The second verse talks about betrayals and hurting people, which I bet Ellefson personally wrote.

The rest is just kinda more of the same after that, so I can finally put away my detective hat and magnifying glass on this track. Again, you can only see it right now if you go to the actual YouTube page.

Could I be looking too deep into things? Abso-fucking-lutely. But given how much the Kings of Thrash guys have talked about Mustaine since their announcement, it all would make sense. Just like Mustaine’s fixation with Metallica, these guys seem to have a hyper focus on their former boss/bandmate. I wonder if Dave will have any response or if he’ll let it roll off their back while he continues to front one of the biggest metal bands of all time.

If you want to see Kings of Thrash play this song live, you can check them out on tour at one or more of the following dates. At each show, they’ll be playing the entirety of Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good and So Far, So Good…So What.

KINGS OF THRASH ON TOUR:
2/24 — Flint, MI — The Machine Shop
2/25 — Cincinnati, OH — Legends Bar And Venue
2/27 — Cleveland, OH — Beachland Ballroom And Tavern
2/28 — Warrendale, PA — Jergels
3/1 — Buffalo, NY — Town Ballroom
3/3 — Poughkeepsie, NY — The Chance
3/4 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
3/5 — Harrisburg, PA — Midtown Arts Center
3/7 — Ardmore, PA — Ardmore Music Hall
3/8 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theatre
3/10 — Charlottesville, VA — Jefferson Theatre
3/11 — Greensboro, NC — Hangar 1819
3/12 — Asheville, NC — The Orange Peel
3/14 — Charleston, SC — Music Farm
3/15 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade (Hell)