“This was about showing respect to a man that I don’t believe thinks I respect him”: Dave Mustaine on James Hetfield and why he’s re-recorded Ride The Lightning
If you’ve kept up with the rocky relationship between Metallica and Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine over the years, what you’re about to read may have your jaw on the floor: Megadeth have re-recorded Ride The Lightning out of “respect” for their thrash metal contemporaries, and namely James Hetfield’s guitar prowess.
After his sour exit from the band, it seems Mustaine wants to make it clear that he actually respects Metallica, and patch up any old wounds. Though he was fired before their 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All was released he still received a writing credit on a number of Metallica tracks, including Ride The Lightning from their second record of the same name.
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The track is due to feature on Megadeth’s final album before they retire, which lands in January 2026, and was originally teased by the band online through an intentionally illegible graphic. Some believed the cover was a final ‘up yours’ to the band, but it truly is the opposite.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in a new interview, Mustaine explains, “It wasn’t really that I wanted to do my version, I think that we all wanted it to turn out a certain way, and for me, this was about something so much more than how a song turns out. It was about respect.”
Mustaine goes on to refer to Hetfield as a “fucking powerhouse” when it comes to guitar, and says he’s “always respected him” as a player. He further adds, “I wanted to do something to close the circle on my career right now, since it started off with [Mustaine’s band before Metallica] Panic and several of the songs that ended up in the Metallica repertoire, I wanted to do something that I felt would be a good song.
“Our intentions were pure,” he states. “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.”
Mustaine also says Megadeth didn’t reach out to Metallica about the re-recording’s existence ahead of time, but “it was not for lack of having the thought”. He shares, “I know the last time James and I talked, we were talking about some business stuff and I haven’t spoken to him since. I’ll be more than happy to talk to him when I get the opportunity, but I don’t have his number anymore.
“I think the whole purpose of this was not to try and rekindle relationships or anything. It was about showing respect to a man that… I don’t believe he thinks I respect him and I wanted to make that clear,” he states.
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.
The post “This was about showing respect to a man that I don’t believe thinks I respect him”: Dave Mustaine on James Hetfield and why he’s re-recorded Ride The Lightning appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
