According to Dave Mustaine, he changes the lives of guitarists once when he recognizes them.
In a recent chat with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, Dave said he thinks metal musicians understand metal music better than those who play different styles like rock, bossa nova, or jazz. He gave examples of former Megadeth guitarists Chris Broderick, Kiko Loureiro, Glen Drover, and Al Pitrelli, each having their own skills. He added:
“I’ve often thought, although I’ve never said it, I do believe that when somebody gets singled out by me, that’s pretty much it for them. They’ve been indoctrinated into the world of great guitar players, and from that moment on, their life will change.”
Dave Is Pleased With Teemu’s Contribution To The Group
Mustaine was also asked if he thinks the band’s new guitarist, Teemu Mäntysaari, will help write songs for their next album. Here’s how he replied:
“I think he’s gonna be a great addition to Megadeth. He already has. We’re playing more songs now than we were playing before. And that has nothing negative to say about any of the previous lineups. It just says that he knew more about the band and understands the metal backbone of so many of these songs more than some of the other people would understand it.”
In September 2023, it was said that Kiko Loureiro would temporarily leave the North American tour. Mäntysaari would take his place. Then, in November 2023, Teemu officially joined Megadeth as their lead guitarist because Loureiro decided to extend his break from the band.
Teemu Was The Best Option For Megadeth
In April, Mustaine talked with Alejandrosis about Mäntysaari joining as Megadeth’s new guitarist. Mustaine said Mäntysaari was the perfect replacement and explained why it was tough for Loureiro to continue because being away strained him and his family. He stated the following about Teemu:
“Teemu came in and helped us for a little while, and then we realized that this is probably the best thing, is for us to stick with Teemu and [for Kiko to] step aside and go back and take care of [his] little ones until everything’s okay.”
Megadeth’s North American tour starts on August 2 at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, AR, and ends on September 28 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band is currently on the road for their European shows.
You can listen to the rest of Dave’s interview below.