Forty-two years ago, on April 11, 1983, Dave Mustaine was informed of his dismissal from Metallica . The decision came from the band's leader, vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield , and drummer Lars Ulrich . The dismissal was due to Mustaine's behavior, marked by many fights, disagreements, and the musician's excessive alcohol use during his time with the group, from 1981 to 1983. At the time, Mustaine was replaced by Kirk Hammett .
The documentary Some Kind of Monster (2001) shows Metallica's routine during the recording of the album St. Anger , delving into the toxic relationships within the band to illustrate a journey of self-discovery and healing. Focusing on this concept, the production featured Dave Mustaine, in which the guitarist met with Lars to vent, as in a therapy session, and recounted how he didn't cope well with the way his colleagues chose to fire him [on April 11, 1983]: he was suddenly woken up and informed of the decision, without a chance to try to correct himself.
Ulrich and Mustaine spent several hours discussing their pain, always supervised by Phil Towle , Metallica's therapist. That occasion was the first chance Mustaine had to free himself, confiding in Lars: “ I was erased from any involvement [with Metallica], the quotes said I should never have been here, that I was a drunk. All the horrible things that were said, right after I was fired.”
In the lengthy conversation, Musteine opened up about his dismissal – 18 years after it happened: “The band continued to be successful and we never got over the way I was fired. My God, man, I didn’t… I didn’t get another chance. We had a dream together. And then, it all ended.”
“It’s tough, Lars. Everything you touch turns to gold and everything I do explodes,” he said, explaining that he thinks people yell “Metallica” in the streets to provoke him. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?” Mustaine continued.
Below is an excerpt from the conversation:
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