In an interview on the podcast Sixty Scales And The Truth, Kiko Loureiro spoke again about his departure from Megadeth in 2023. According to him, the intense touring schedule and family issues were the main factors in his leaving.
In the conversation, the guitarist, who lives in Finland with his wife and three children, reflected on the challenges of spending up to six months a year away from home. “During Megadeth it was great, I have nothing to complain about. But it was almost nine years, doing tours [that lasted] five or six months a year. It's very different from doing 25 days [like on my solo tour],” he explained [transcription via Blabbermouth].
To further his reasoning, Kiko elaborated that family was the "most intense reason" for the change of direction. The guitarist recalled the difficulty of balancing his activities in the band with the birth of his twin sons in 2016, and that as they grew up, his priorities changed.
“I felt that the children needed me more. Also, I have elderly parents in Brazil and I wanted the freedom in my schedule to be able to visit them whenever I wanted. When you have children, you can't just travel all the time,” she commented.
In the conversation, Kiko Loureiro also praised Dave Mustaine, leader of Megadeth
Kiko Loureiro also highlighted the good relationship he developed with Dave Mustaine and the creative freedom he had within Megadeth. He recorded the albums Dystopia (2016) and The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! (2022), where he contributed around 15 compositions. “Dave was very open [to my ideas]. We had great conversations about everything in life and about Megadeth's business. But I think there's always an expiration date. There comes a point when you think, 'maybe it's time to go somewhere else',” he concluded.
READ ALSO: Arch Enemy denies Kiko Loureiro's accusations with video: "We documented everything"
