“I thought to myself, ‘This guy’s not gonna be here very long’”: Dave Mustaine recalls the first time he saw James Hetfield perform
With Megadeth’s final record set to feature a re-recorded version of Ride The Lightning, it seems Dave Mustaine’s feud with Metallica’s James Hetfield is water under the bridge. In fact, the Megadeth frontman has now put his hands up and admitted that he entirely underestimated Hetfield’s talent back in the day.
Back in 1983, Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica due to his aggressive alcoholism (which apparently even saw him punching Hetfield once). As a result, Mustaine and Metallica haven’t been on good terms for over forty years – but the Megadeth frontman is trying to make amends. Speaking to Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM, he praises Hetfield, calling him “an exceptional guitar player” [via Blabbermouth].
READ MORE: “Don’t be mad, don’t be sad – we changed the world”: Dave Mustaine makes emotional statement as Megadeth announce final album
Mustaine also admits that he had initially doubted Hetfield’s talent. He’d judged the Metallica frontman at face value. “I remember the day that I saw him play guitar for the first time,” he recalls. “We were playing at the Whisky A Go Go… and he showed up in mid-1980s Rudy Sarzo garb. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s not gonna go down [well].’”
“He had a giant feather earring,” he continues. “I thought to myself, ‘This guy’s not gonna be here very long.’”
However, his tone changed at the very next rehearsal he attended. When he arrived, Hetfield was performing on his own – and his talent was clear. “It was just James playing guitar like a motherfucker!” Mustaine says. “I thought… ‘How did this guy go from singer to a great guitar player?’ And I was excited for me. I was excited for the band.”
Of course, Mustaine’s gut feelings were correct. Metallica have gone on to be one of the most iconic acts in heavy metal, with Hetfield firmly at the helm.
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Despite Mustaine and Hetfield’s relationship souring over the years, with Mustaine admitting that it was still on the rocks in 2022, Mustaine is keen to end Megadeth on a positive note. He’s paying respect to where he came from – and that includes his two-year stint with Metallica.
“The whole purpose of [re-recording Ride The Lightning] was about showing respect to a man that… I don’t believe he thinks I respect him,” Mustaine recently told Rolling Stone. “I wanted to make that [respect] clear.”
“Our intentions were pure,” he added. “I didn’t have any reason I was going to say, ‘Oh, hey man, this thing that we’ve had for 40 years where you guys will never tour with me, me doing the song is going to change things.’ That wasn’t it at all. It was more about: This is my life going forward. I want to do things that are respectable… I mean, I hate to say this, because it’s just so fucking arrogant, but the guitar playing in Metallica changed the world.”
Megadeth’s self-titled final album will be released on 23 January. You can find out more or pre-order the record via their official website.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
