Dave Mustaine spoke about one of the most talked-about moments from Megadeth's new and final album: Metallica track that he co-wrote before leaving the band.
In an interview with MariskalRockTV , the guitarist explained why he chose not to make major changes to the guitar solo in the Megadeth version of "Ride The Lightning" compared to the original 1984 Metallica recording by Kirk Hammett [transcription via Blabbermouth ].
“I think Kirk… If you listen to the demo of No Life 'Til Leather [by Metallica, from 1982] and then listen to the Kill 'Em All album, it’s pretty clear that Kirk received some instructions [on how to approach the guitar solos on that album]. Was it note-for-note? No. But it was pretty close. So, when the opportunity arose to do 'Ride The Lightning' [with Megadeth], I didn’t feel like I knew the song very well, and I don’t remember what I played on that song, for Ride The Lightning [the album]. I had difficulty finding anything I had played on. So we thought, 'Screw it. Teemu [ Mäntysaari , current Megadeth guitarist] and I will split the solo, half for him and half for me,' and it ended up that Teemu did a little more than half.”
album is scheduled for release on January 23, 2026, and their farewell tour will begin in 2026. In Brazil, the band has confirmed a single show on May 2nd at Espaço Unimed in São Paulo. Tickets are already sold out.
The idea of Megadeth releasing a Metallica cover
Dave Mustaine also spoke about his decision to include his version of "Ride The Lightning" on the album.
“Probably because it was the song that best represented my guitar influences. The spider chord… You know how I play the spider chord. And then there’s this thing called a growl, where I play the chord a half step below the note I want to reach. I press down on the string and slide into it… It’s much heavier. So, for me, I call that a growl. Spider chords and growls are in 'Ride The Lightning',” he explained.
Dave continued: “Having written so many songs with… [Metallica] People think I wrote a lot, but on that album [ Ride The Lightning ], it was 'The Call Of Ktulu', which was previously called 'When Hell Freezes Over', and [the title track] 'Ride The Lightning'. And the previous album [Metallica's 1983 debut album, Kill 'Em All ] had four songs that I co-wrote.”
In an exclusive interview with Kerrang! last November, Dave Mustaine emphasized that the track is not a cover: “I also wrote the song, I don’t think it’s a cover. After we recorded it, we played it for some people, and many of our acquaintances are fans of that band [Metallica] and that song, so they knew exactly what they were hearing, version A versus version B, and the consensus was pretty much the same: we did a worthy tribute. I think we were at least as good as them, maybe a little faster.”
READ ALSO: Dave Mustaine rejects former Megadeth members on final tour: “It’s not a puppet show”
