Dave Mustaine says he hopes Megadeth’s final album will spark a “renaissance” for the thrash metal genre as he moves toward retirement.
The 64-year-old guitarist revealed last August that the thrash giant’s self-titled 17th album will be their last. The decision to call it quits after 43 years came as a surprise to many.
But as Mustaine reveals in a new chat with NME, his impending retirement has been forced upon him. He realized halfway through making the new album that the end was near.
“My hands were hurting, and I’d already had issues with them because of arthritis,” he says. “Then I had numbness from when my neck was fused. My neck was broken by a chiropractor, so I have a metal plate in my neck with some screws. So my hands were already messed up.”
As Mustaine explained in an interview with MariskalRockTV, he suffers from a rare hand condition called Dupuytren's contracture, also known as Viking Disease, given its commonality in Northern European populations where the Vikings first emerged. It causes tissue under the skin to thicken. Eventually, the fingers adopt a bent position, as if clutching an imaginary axe.
Although the condition isn’t painful, it can make day-to-day tasks more challenging. Operations can alleviate many symptoms, but Mustaine’s health is compounded by other ailments, including spinal stenosis. He says he’s accepted that his riffing days are numbered.
“I’ve always said that when I don’t feel like I can do it anymore, that’s going to be the time for me to stop,” he tells the NME.
Mustaine’s retirement would end one of the longest-running careers in thrash metal. He was a member of Metallica before being fired prior to the making of their debut album, Kill ‘Em All. (He later accused Metallica of stealing his riffs from a tape he left behind.) Rivalry between Metallica and Megadeth was a constant focal point for much of the groups’ careers, although former Megadeth guitarists Marty Friedman and Chris Poland have said the competition was blown out of proportion.
Mustaine is hopeful the new album will change people’s perceptions of both Megadeth and thrash.
“I said to the band that I think there’s going to be a renaissance when this record comes out because it’s going to smack a lot of people upside their earholes,” he explains. “I think people are going to say ‘I forgot what I loved about this kind of music.’
“A lot of people have been saying to me that they hadn’t listened to us for a little while, but they really like the new album. Man, I’m so happy to hear this stuff from journos and radio personalities because I’ve been on defense almost all my career.”
Although Megadeth could live on as a touring act using avatars, an approach adopted by legendary acts like Kiss, Mustaine isn’t sold on the idea.
“I have seen some avatars, and if they’re done well, it could be a fun experience,” he says. “If the band is a phenomenon like ABBA, that works; people will go see a puppet show of ABBA. Right now, though, I love playing live, and I don’t know enough about all of that.”
Meanwhile, the band's golden-era bassist, David Ellefson, has reflected on why Dave really kicked him out of the band and “having to fight for every nickel and songwriting credit” on those classic albums.
