Megadeth drummer says Dave Mustaine “invented thrash metal”
When you think of the forefathers of thrash metal, the likes of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and Exodus spring to mind. Whether the genre’s origins can be traced to a single person is the subject of much debate, but Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren thinks the creator of thrash is clear: Dave Mustaine.
In a new interview with Brazil’s TV Braba, Verbeuren looks back on his 10 years to date with the band, and waxes lyrical on the musical legacy Dave Mustaine has carved out.
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“To be in the band for 10 years and to kind of continue the legacy with great music – obviously everything Dave has done is iconic, but also the amazing drum work of Nick Menza, Gar Samuelson, Chuck Behler [former Megadeth drummers], all the guys that have been in the band since then, it’s truly an honour. In metal music, you can’t really go much higher than that legacy
He goes on: “And to me, Dave is the guy who invented thrash metal. He wrote a lot of the iconic early stuff that kind of defined what that genre sounded like, and you can recognise his riffs among a million riffs. He has such a unique style of playing to this day on the guitar that, to me, Dave is the ultimate rock god. Absolutely.
Elsewhere in the interview, Verbeuren remembers being a fledgling rock fan, and Megadeth being one of the first live shows he ever saw in 1990.
“It’s still surreal to this day to be part of such an iconic band. You have to know that I went to see Megadeth live in 1990, so I was like 15 years old at the time. It was one of the first shows I ever saw. I only saw two other shows before that.”
Dave Mustaine doesn’t pull any punches over how influential he has been on his thrash metal genre-mates, either.
“Kerry [King, Slayer guitarist] and I played together [during the early days of both bands], and I showed him how to play Megadeth songs, which was before [Slayer] started having all their pivotal records. Kerry and I had a really great time together,” he said in a recent interview.
“And I wrote music in Metallica and I wrote music in Megadeth. So I’ve been very influential with the guitar with these three bands.”
“And when I met Scott [Ian, Anthrax guitarist] and the guys in Anthrax out in New York,” he goes on, “the same thing happened. Their first record was very different from the record they made after they met me and the guys in Metallica. So I think that’s great. I love all those bands.”
Megadeth are currently on tour supporting their self-titled final album. Check out a full list of dates at their official website.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
