MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE: 'I Am No Longer The Easiest Boy To Hate In Heavy Metal'

Peter Hodgson of I Heart Guitar recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

I Heart Guitar: "Endgame" is really energetic and angry. Where did that come from?

Mustaine: I don't really know what spurred this on other than just being in a good place right now. I'm happy. I still have some of the things that have wounded me — the scars are never going to go away, but it's just the way I'm dealing with things now. And I think that's probably the key to everything. If I look at my circumstances, it's like looking at scores from yesterday's football matches. In the beginning, even though it's zero to zero, at some point that time's already designated and it's already been exposed, expired, lapsed and it happened. And for me, I've just got to accept those things and just do the absolute very best I can to work up to those moments. My career right now is better than it's ever been. I've got a brand new contract I just signed with Clear Channel radio over here for three years, my book's coming out next year, my record's coming out next month. I believe I've written the best record of my career and I love the way that the fans are reacting to it. And even more importantly than anyone's reaction to it, it just seems like people have forgiven me for whatever it was they were mad at me about, and my heart is just so, just leaping with gladness. Because I am no longer the easiest boy to hate in heavy metal.

I Heart Guitar: It seems like with "United Abominations" you were really confident going in, but with this one it seemed like you weren't really giving anything away until it was finished.

Mustaine: I think probably one of the reasons why the timing was different with that was, with the last record there were so many times where we would post about stuff and people would get excited, but I wasn't really finding myself being able to experience the record as much as I wanted to, and the reason for that was I was too caught up in what people were thinking. And I don't make music to react to people's thinking, I write music 'cause I like music. And I don't know why, but God made me good at this. Why me? I don't know! I certainly haven't done anything that stands out to reason why I would be blessed with this talent. I just know I want to try my best to use it, and I want to have fun while I'm doing it. Man, I love watching people have fun while I'm out there doing my job.

I Heart Guitar: How did having your own studio impact the sessions?

Mustaine: I think having the studio was beneficial for us because it gave us the license to be able to come and go at our leisure. If we wanted to start early we could, and if we wanted to start late we could. I think that's something that really makes the band feel respected as individuals. It's those little things that make all the difference in the world. I've been around the block a few times so those things are second nature to me, but it's not to Chris [Broderick, guitar] or to Shawn [Drover, drums] because even though they're relatively new, they've had their experiences with doing things at the proper level, and I would like, myself, I would love to get MEGADETH back to the proper level.

I Heart Guitar: Here's a question from the MEGADETH forum: Are you planning anything to mark the 20th anniversary of "Rust In Peace"?

Mustaine: Well if they're asking about me playing with those guys again I think I've made it pretty clear.

I Heart Guitar: Well even something like a special commemorative release, or playing the album start-to-finish live.

Mustaine: Yeah, I've heard that, but my answer is pretty simple: If it was gonna happen, it would have. I don't think it'll ever happen. I don't dislike any of those guys. We did have some very difficult periods together but I was just as difficult to be around as they were. And all I want to do right now is just bless them and just let them know I'm a fan of theirs. Even the ones I had a hard time with, I'm a fan of theirs. They were part of my life and I look to those times together with great fondness.

I Heart Guitar: Also with an album as strong as "Endgame", I dunno why you'd wanna look back 20 years?

Mustaine: Yeah, why? People are saying, "Can you get together and do a reunion thing?" and it's like, "Yeah, but you have to suck both my eyes out first." No disrespect to those guys, but it's like that old saying when you marry your girlfriend, "Why buy the cow when the milk is free?" I'm sure there's something nasty like that. But I love where we're at right now and I wouldn't change anything for anything. There's no reason to make any changes to anything. Period.

Read the entire interview from I Heart Guitar.

Germany's Plattenladenwoche web site recently spoke to Mustaine about his record collection and love of vinyl. Watch the five-minute chat below.