Megadeth bandleader Dave Mustaine revealed in June of this year that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer and would be canceling the bulk of his band's scheduled live dates as he underwent treatment for the condition. In a new interview with his right-hand man and bandmate David Ellefson, the bassist says Mustaine is now completed those treatments, leaving the band primed to get back to business.
Talking to Pomelo Rocker, Ellefson relayed, "With Dave's throat cancer treatments that he has now completed, and he's just going through the recovery now, we're hopeful and optimistic about a full recovery for him with that."
What lies ahead for Mustaine now is recovery and physical therapy, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, but Ellefson believes Megadeth are well on their way to completing their next full-length, the follow-up to 2016's Dystopia, in the coming year. "Once he's through that process," the bass player explained, "we're gonna just let that take as much time as it needs, and then we'll resume with the album. I'd like to hope maybe 2020 we'll be able to get a new album out."
Megadeth are currently scheduled to get back out on the road in January following the band's recent Megacruise, which took place October 13th through 18th. You can find a full list of dates and grab tickets here.
