“It’s not puppet show Megadeth”: Megadeth’s final tour won’t feature appearances by the band’s many former members
Megadeth made waves in the metal world last year when Dave Mustaine announced that their self-titled 17th studio album – set to arrive later this month – will be their swansong.
The album will be the band’s only outing with guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari – who replaced Kiko Loureiro in 2023 – and will also, notably, feature a cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning, a song Mustaine helped write during his Metallica tenure in the early ‘80s.
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Mustaine, Mäntysaari, bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Dirk Verbeuren will hit the road this year – starting in Canada next month – for a mammoth world tour celebrating the new record and the band’s multi-decade career. But as Mustaine confirms, don’t expect appearances from any of the group’s long list of previous members.
In an interview in the latest issue of Guitar World, the 64-year-old frontman is asked whether he plans to give any former Megadeth members a moment in the spotlight on the band’s upcoming trek.
“We’ve already done that with Marty,” he says, referring to the times Marty Friedman joined the band onstage twice in 2023. “And I mean, let’s look at the other people we’ve played with… there’s a lot of people. [laughs]
“That would be a huge undertaking. I don’t think I want to do that. I’d rather keep doing what we’re doing and let the fans [experience] Megadeth music and be happy about it. It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth.’”
Elsewhere in the interview, Mustaine reflects on still being a highly active thrash metal musician at the age of 64.
“I wish I would have kept in touch with [late Megadeth drummer] Gar [Samuelson],” he says. “You see that Ace Frehley passed away and how sad that is. Whenever stuff like that happens, I feel fortunate because I’m still kicking. But on the opposite side of the coin, I think, ‘Fuck… that could have been me,’ but by the grace of God, it’s not.”
Dave Mustaine famously revealed in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. He confirmed he was “100% cancer-free” the following year, but in 2022 revealed he had nearly lost control of his left hand while undergoing chemo.
Megadeth’s final tour kicks off 15 February in Victoria, British Columbia – part of a string of Canada shows before the band head to South America, Mexico, Europe and the US later in the year.
“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” says Dave Mustaine. “Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I’m at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them…
“We have done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”
For tickets and a full list of upcoming Megadeth dates, head to the band’s official website. You can also check out the album’s lead single Tipping Point below.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
