In an interview with Metal XS , Dave Mustaine commented on the extensive number of musicians who have played in Megadeth and revealed that he maintains a good relationship with most of them.
In 40 years as a band, Megadeth has had more than 20 musicians come and go from its lineup, with Mustaine being the only constant. Contrary to what people might think, however, the vocalist and guitarist assures that he has maintained several friendships, with the exception of those who became "bitter".
“People who get fired are rarely happy about it,” he comments (via Loudwire ). “We’ve had a lot of people playing with us over the years and we’ve maintained friendships. And there are one or two who have become very bitter, and usually the story is publicized in the media from when it happened to how long the person keeps digging up these stories.”
Dave Mustaine also implied that these negative comments about him and Megadeth usually arise when former members need to promote something in the media, such as a new album, a tour, or a new project. Citing names, he said he had a good relationship with and misses Gar Samuelson , Nick Menza , Chris Poland , and Chuck Behler , while also praising Jeff Young and mentioning that he recently played with Marty Friedman .
In concluding the matter, Mustaine mentioned a few more names. “So, you have to look at the guys who are talking badly about me and think, ‘Okay, there’s more to this story.’ Because if you go to Jimmy DeGrasso or Al Pitrelli or any of those guys, I’m sure they’ll say the same thing, that we had a good run together,” he continued. “I got a get-well message from Shawn Drover when I announced I had cancer. I only know maybe one or two people from our past who have any issues with our band. And usually they don’t say anything about the other guys, they talk about me.”
Current Megadeth lineup
Currently, Megadeth consists of Dave Mustaine , James LoMenzo , Dirk Verbeuren , and Kiko Loureiro .
In early September, Kiko announced that he would need to temporarily step away from the Megadeth tour to deal with family matters at home. He indicated guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari to replace him on tour throughout the fall. The guitarist is famous for being a member of the bands Wintersun and Smackbound .
“I have something that’s difficult to share, but we always like to keep you informed with the truth. I have to put the tour on hold for now to be home with my children and help them face the difficult challenges that come with being working parents,” Kiko explained.
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