In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine talked about working with Sammy Hagar on the band’s latest album.
While discussing the process and how it went, Mustaine praised Hagar’s voice and called him one of the best out there:
“The way he would talk to me was really refreshing and fun. It was like he was an older brother, and I really mean that in every sense of the word. Because he would talk to me and I would feel really good. It’s kind of like being pinched by your sister or your mom or something — annoying, but there was this dialogue between us that I wished I had growing up, that kind of banter with an older brother. But f*ck, let’s move on to the singing. Man, Sammy is one of the greatest rock voices ever. Who else sings like Sammy? Nazareth’s singer…”
Mustaine also shared his belief that Hagar belongs to the same league as Guns N Roses singer Axl Rose and the late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell:
“…Maybe [some of the] brilliant moments from Axl. But there’s not a lot of guys that sing like that. Chris Cornell has some of those moments, of that super distorted voice.”
Hagar Is Among Mustaine’s Favorite Singers
Hagar and Mustaine worked on Megadeth’s latest album ‘The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!’ on the song ‘This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell).’
Mustaine said in an earlier interview about the cover:
“We did a cover song of one of Sammy’s songs. A lot of people didn’t know Sammy before he did his time in Van Halen. I know him from back when he played in Montrose and, after that, in his solo career. I never really was convinced with the Van Halen tracks because I’d heard Sammy sing on Montrose, and that man can sing… Oh my God.”
He also revealed that Hagar is one of his favorite singers:
“He was one of my favorite singers, forever and ever. ‘I Got The Fire’ is one of my favorite Montrose songs. It’s such a heavy song; even Iron Maiden covered it. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to do ‘This Planet’s On Fire’ by Sammy?’ I contacted him and asked him, ‘Would you mind singing on it and maybe putting down some guitars?’ So he came back and said, ‘Sure, I’ll sing on it. I ain’t playing guitar because I heard you two shredders and you just leave the stuff like it is.’ I was really flattered because I think Sammy’s a great guitar player.”
The original track first appeared on Hagar’s 1979 album ‘Street Machine.’ It was the first album Hagar made without John Carter, who had produced his first three albums to try to help him score a hit single.
You can hear the song down below.