Dave Mustaine Says Megadeth is “a Band Again” with Teemu Mäntysaari
From David Ellefson tossing himself off of the band with that solo sex tape controversy to Kiko Loureiro leaving to be closer to his family, there’s been some turnover in the Megadeth camp. As a result, it’s largely been considered that the iconic thrash metal band was reduced to Dave Mustaine and a handful of hired guns going through the motions.
However, during a recent stint on the Loudwire Nights podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), Mustaine made it sound like the band’s current configuration takes him back to a more stable time. As in back during a more stable era with axeman Marty Friedman in the mix.
“Well, we are a band again. It doesn’t feel like me and some side players or some session guys. Not that it felt like that with any of the previous lineups, but that was one of the fears that I had. I feel like Kiko [Loureiro] did us a really huge courtesy by helping us find Teemu because with Kiko needing to step down… I thought I was gonna finish my career out with Kiko, and when things came up with him, he couldn’t tour anymore because he needed to be home for his kids. So I see he’s touring again, which I’m happy that he’s still playing. But he had to go home. And when he did, he introduced us to Teemu. And it was an even closer connection between me and Teemu than Kiko and I had. We’ll [Kiko and I] always be friends, but this new relationship I have is — it harkens me back to the days when we had Marty Friedman in the band and the four of us actually felt like a band.”
You gotta admit, that’s some lofty praise coming from someone as discerning about the people surrounding him as Mustaine. I mean, we’re talking about the guy that discredited Ellefson and any other potential founders by saying he was the sole dude responsible for the band’s creation.
Given the kumbaya nature within the band at this moment, it’s easy to assume that they’d want to commit some new tunes and put out a record as a group. Mustaine said that’s definitely in the cards, especially now that things have leveled out.
“We’re not gonna be taking as long in between offerings as we did this time. There were a lot of setbacks — the pandemic, the blockade, you name it. It’s just so many things that went on. [My throat] cancer treatment, the lineup change, having to start from scratch with a new bassist. And the cancer treatment also was difficult on the guys because they were watching me go through all this stuff. And one day, I would be seemingly normal. The other day, I would be so medicated that I couldn’t stay awake. And that was hard for the guys to see. I had two days that I was really, really sick that I threw up. Out of the whole treatment, I thought that was really good. I was fighting with everything, every moral fiber of my being, to make sure that I stayed in the game, because they kept saying over and over again, ‘If you don’t eat, if you lose weight, we’re gonna put a tube in you.’ And I got so serious. And we started to pick up the pace when we were doing the [The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!] record.”
You can catch Megadeth live at any of the dates below.
MEGADETH “Destroy All Enemies U.S. Tour 2024” Dates
with support from Mudvayne and All That Remains
SEP 3 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre [Tickets]
SEP 5 – Huntington, WV – Marshall Health Network Arena* [Tickets]
SEP 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion [Tickets]
SEP 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek [Tickets]
SEP 9 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena* [Tickets]
SEP 10 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena* [Tickets]
SEP 11 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank [Tickets]
SEP 13 – Bethel, MY – Bethel Woods Center For The Arts [Tickets]
SEP 14 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater [Tickets]
SEP 15 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live!* [Tickets]
SEP 17 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center [Tickets]
SEP 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE [Tickets]
SEP 20 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center [Tickets]
SEP 21 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre [Tickets]
SEP 22 – Cleveland, OH – Temple Live [Tickets]
SEP 24 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory [Tickets]
SEP 26 – St Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL [Tickets]
SEP 27 – Southaven, MS – Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove* [Tickets]
SEP 28 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium [Tickets]
*non-Live Nation Dates
