Dave Mustaine claims Megadeth would have been less successful if not for the motivating factor of Metallica “trying to hold me back”
While peacefully coexisting in 2026, the relationship between Metallica and Dave Mustaine’s Megadeth has been rocky over the years, to say the least.
Dave Mustaine was Metallica’s lead guitarist from 1982 to 1983, writing riffs that would later appear on debut album Kill ‘Em All – and even followup Ride the Lightning – before being ousted from the band for alcoholism, drug misuse and aggressive behaviour towards his band members.
And as he’s asserted over the years, it was the fallout with Metallica which heavily influenced his drive to succeed with Megadeth.
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Mustaine has reflected on his relationship with Metallica a lot in the past few months, after it emerged that a cover of Ride the Lightning – the title track from Metallica’s sophomore album – was set to appear on Megadeth’s self-titled final album.
And now, in a new interview with the LA Times, the guitarist and frontman reflects again on the motivating effect of the fallout and subsequent hostility.
“Think of it,” he says. “Where would I be right now if I didn’t have one of the biggest bands in the world spending their time trying to hold me back? They don’t do it anymore, but most of the time when they did, it just made me shake my head.
“And it wasn’t just Metallica, it was everybody. For a long time, it very much was me against the world. It was like, okay, if you’re not with me, you’re against me.”
On Megadeth’s Ride the Lightning cover, Mustaine continues: “There may not be a chance to ever say hello to James [Hetfield, Metallica guitarist] or Lars [Ulrich, Metallica drummer] again. I knew some people would have a hard time with me doing the song, but that’s okay because I wanted to pay tribute and show my respect.
“If they like it, fine. If they don’t like it, fine. If they listen to it, fine. If they don’t, fine.”
Megadeth are currently on tour in support of their landmark swansong record, Megadeth. See the band’s official website for dates and tickets.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
