Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine admitted he still has an issue with how Metallica used his music after booting him from the group. Mustaine was a member of Metallica in 1982 and early-’83, and did not play on any albums by the band. Blabbermouth transcribed some of Mustaine’s chat on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he revealed, “The thing that bothered me the most was I had all my music, and I left it behind and I said, ‘Don’t use my music.’ And of course they did. They used it on the first record (1983’s Kill ‘Em All), on the second record (1984’s Ride The Lightning). There’s parts of my music on a song on the third record (1986’s Master Of Puppets). All the solos on the first record are mine, except that they’re just performed by Kirk (Hammett). And (they’re) close but not the same. And he’s not a bad guitar player.”
Mustaine was pressed as to whether he’s received royalties for the music he wrote for the band and said: “Well, most of ’em, yeah, but Kirk got my royalties for (the song) ‘Metal Militia’ (from Kill ‘Em All) for many, many years. And he has to see the check, so I know somebody saw that I wasn’t getting paid.”
Today, after decades of torment over his firing from the band, Dave Mustaine feels as though he’s essentially moved on from the hurt feelings his firing nearly 40 years ago caused him: “I just look at it like where I’m at right now. (I was) 20 in Metallica, and now, look at me, I’m 60 in Megadeth. And I’m a Grammy winner. I’m a New York Times best-selling author — all these things.”
Megadeth performs on Friday (August 26th) with 5FDP at Phoenix, Arizona’s Ak-Chin Pavilion.
SIDE NOTES
Megadeth will release its 16th studio set, The Sick, The Dying. . . And the Dead!, on September 2nd.
The tracklisting is:
“The Sick, The Dying. . . And The Dead!”
“Life In Hell”
“Night Stalkers”
“Dogs Of Chernobyl”
“Sacrifice”
“Junkie”
“Psychopathy”
“Killing Time”
“Soldier On!”
“Célebutante”
“Mission To Mars”
“We’ll Be Back”
CHECK IT OUT: Megadeth’s 2022 video for “Night Stalkers: Chapter II” – featuring Ice-T: