Megadeth just released a new album, The Sick, the Dying... And the Dead!, and Dave Mustaine has been an open book while talking about it to the press. Naturally, the lovably feisty thrash pioneer has been happy to indulge journalist's questions about his co-founding stint in and subsequent firing from Metallica, and Mustaine got particularly candid about his relationship with his old bandmates during a new interview with Classic Rock.
The interviewer brought up an excerpt from Mustaine's 2010 autobiography, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir, in which the musician referred to himself as "the leader of the band" when he was in Metallica in the early Eighties. The interviewer noted that that was "quite a statement to make" given that Mustaine's former bandmates James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich are "such alpha males," and Mustaine had a very different interpretation of the early Metallica hierarchy.
"Oh no. I am clearly the alpha male between the three of us," Mustaine said. "Why did I have to do everything when I was in the band? Why did they always ask me talk to the promoters and collect the cash? Why was I the one who had to do the fighting? Why did I have to talk in between songs?"
Although Mustaine has often said that the bitterness he felt upon being kicked out of Metallic is long gone, the interviewer mentioned that him being fired did stick with him for many years.
"How can you expect a boy who's 20 and the guitar player in one of the biggest new things in the world to have a grasp on reality?" Mustaine replied. "Everything from that point forward was a fucking feud. Everywhere I went it was: 'So, how's everything going with Meta ... er, Megadeth?'"
Recently, former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson opened up about his final years under Mustaine's wing, including the "abusive" way he was treated upon being fired last year following a sexual misconduct scandal. Ellefson claimed that Mustaine is still resentful about being fired from Metallica nearly 40 years ago and sacked him from the band because he "wanted to do to somebody else what he felt [Metallica] did to him."
The Classic Rock interviewer asked Mustaine if he still has trouble talking about Metallica all these years later. "No. I really don't give a fuck," Mustaine said. "And you know what? I love those guys. I sent a text message to James just a couple of days ago after he'd said that he was insecure about his playing. I said: "James, I love you and I really like your playing." He didn't answer. Of course not. Why would he? The point is I wanted him to know that I've had those feelings, too, but I don't now.
"I must remind you that when I joined Metallica, James did not play guitar. He just picked it up and started playing when I was in the band. But let's be honest, James is one of the best metal guitar players in the world. So for him to have those feelings, that's a lie, because he's a mind-blowingly talented guy. So I just felt I needed to say something to him. I didn't tweet it. I didn't want anybody to know what I said. But I'm telling you because, hey, you brought it up! "
The Sick, the Dying... And the Dead! is out now and is available on CD form at Revolver's shop. Below, watch Mustaine talk about how he made the album — the first Megadeth record in six years, and first since Mustaine was diagnosed with and beat cancer — while "the fucking world falls apart."
