Guitarist Kiko Loureiro spoke with Guitar World about his departure from Megadeth and discussed his plans for the future.
Kiko left the band in September 2023 and was replaced by Teemu Mäntysaari, surprising fans. Speaking about his departure, he commented: “It started when I booked a trip home to Brazil. The last time I was there was in 2019, before the pandemic, so I reached a point where I said, ‘I need to visit my family,’ so I booked a trip around Thanksgiving 2023 because Megadeth never does anything around that time.”
He continued: “When you’re young, unmarried, and don’t have kids, the mentality is, ‘the more shows, the better.’ But my daughter is 12 now, and I want to spend time with her. I also want to be there playing. When the Megadeth thing happened to me in 2015, I had a young daughter and newborn twins. I was always struggling with knowing that I needed to be on tour, but I also wanted to be home with my kids and my wife. So, the feeling of, ‘should I go out there doing this rock star thing while my kids are at home?’ kept creeping in. And the more important moments and dates I missed, the harder it was.”
The idea of being closer to home hit a little harder in 2023, with things reaching a peak during the band's summer tour. Loureiro says: “I went to Dave [ Mustaine ] in June and said, ‘This is too much. I’m not feeling in the right place or mood to give 100%.’ It was complicated for me to say because I wanted to play, but I knew I needed to be home. And, of course, Dave wasn’t expecting it. We had just done a show in Florida with the Misfits , and it was right after that show, I talked to Dave. And then Megadeth’s manager was there, and I informed them that I couldn’t do the September shows. I offered to help find a replacement and do whatever was necessary to help Megadeth get ready to go.”
Kiko Loureiro reflects on Megadeth.
Regarding his time with Megadeth, he told Guitar World : “I’m very proud of what we did. Dystopia won a Grammy, and The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! was nominated. I wrote many songs with Dave, played in incredible places, did great tours, and I still have a great relationship with the guys. I can look back and be proud of what I did with Megadeth, and one day I will be proud to reach them, wearing a Megadeth shirt!”
Regarding his departure, he explains: “It’s all positive vibes, man. I’ve been in situations in the past where that didn’t happen, and I’ve learned that when you dedicate your life to creating music with another person, you don’t want bad feelings. I don’t want strange feelings attached to the music. When you make music with someone, you don’t want to disconnect because of stupid fights. So, although I didn’t want to be in Megadeth anymore, I’m still proud. And I’m happy about that – because everyone knows it wasn’t always like that when it comes to Megadeth.”
He concludes: “Nine years were good and I did well. It could have been more – but I needed to leave for personal reasons. I had the freedom to choose whether I wanted to stay or go. I made my choice. No regrets.”
Plans for the future
The guitarist admitted that although he's not sure what comes next, he already has some songs in progress and will probably release a solo album at some point.
“Even before talking to Dave, I had about 11 new songs ready. In May, I recorded the drums and, in June, I did the rhythm guitars for what will be an instrumental album of solo guitar and melodies, and finally I have the time,” said the guitarist. “That’s the fun part for me – I can be more relaxed, as I don’t have to worry about touring. I had to postpone recording, so I’m very excited to start this year.”
He adds: “Finally I can be like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai . I love playing in bands, but I never had the time or courage to sit down and be like those guys. This is the first time I've said, 'Well, here's Kiko.' Not Kiko from Angra or Kiko from Megadeth – just Kiko, and nothing more.”
The guitarist also said he is open to other opportunities and that "the door remains open" with Megadeth. "I don't know what will happen in the future and that will take time," the guitarist says about his next step beyond releasing his solo music.
