It's Official: MEGADETH Taps NEVERMORE/JAG PANZER Guitarist CHRIS BRODERICK

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET first reported on January 7, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has finally officially confirmed that the band has parted ways with guitarist Glen Drover and replaced him with Chris Broderick (NEVERMORE, JAG PANZER).

"I've noticed [on the Internet] that people are pissed with me over the way things were handled with Glen quitting the group," says Mustaine, "but they're gonna be pissed even more when they hear how fierce we are with Chris! MEGADETH is playing at a new level."

In a November 2007 posting on the forum of MEGADETH's official fan club, MegaFanClub (accessible to members only),Mustaine stated about Drover, "sadly, Glen is having a really difficult time handling the demands of touring and we are finding that we are having to cut our European run down already, but that it is going to be one of the last long ones for some time."

Chris will make his live debut with MEGADETH on February 4 in Finland, where the group — Mustaine, Broderick, drummer Shawn Drover and James Lomenzo on bass — is kicking off a long string of international dates which wrap March 14 in Bangalore, India.

Chris Broderick has been playing guitar since he was eleven years old and has been teaching for the last 15 years. Styles range from classical, rock, blues, and jazz. He started taking lessons at 14 years of age studying guitar as well as voice, violin, and piano. Chris has a degree in classical guitar music performance at the University of Denver and the Lamont School of Music. He has performed in many master classes including ones given by David Russell, Benjamin Verdery, and his primary instructor, Ricardo Iznaola. In addition, Chris has taken classes such as jazz improvisation, chord voicing, advanced music theory, and sight-reading.

The third installment of Gigantour — the acclaimed traveling heavy music festival launched in 2005 by Mustaine — will kick off April 12 in Denver, CO with headliner MEGADETH, Swedish metal band IN FLAMES, Finland's CHILDREN OF BODOM, Arizona's modern extreme JOB FOR A COWBOY and Oakland, CA heavy power trio HIGH ON FIRE all confirmed. The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America and wraps May 22 in Phoenix, AZ.

Mustaine sums up the philosophy behind Gigantour, hailed by Revolver magazine as "the mother of all shred-fests": "If the bands and the fans are treated well, then the entertained and the entertainers go home happy — it's a win-win situation." Since its inception in 2005, Gigantour has galvanized bands that emphasize true musicianship and virtuosity, offering them a new opportunity to showcase their talents. "I think that in a small way, we are cleaning up the environment of crappy bands," he says, laughing. "All of the people that really love this kind of music know that they can count on these bands to deliver the goods this year."

Gigantour features bands hand-picked by Mustaine with a sharp eye on true musicianship and a heavy focus on top-notch guitarists. The first incarnation in 2005 included DREAM THEATER, FEAR FACTORY, NEVERMORE, LIFE OF AGONY, SYMPHONY X, DRY KILL LOGIC and BOBAFLEX, while the 2006 trek included LAMB OF GOD, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY, OVERKILL, INTO ETERNITY, SANCTITY and THE SMASHUP. The trek always offers a strong connection between fans and musicians.

Gigantour 2008 tour dates featuring MEGADETH, IN FLAMES, CHILDREN OF BODOM, JOB FOR A COWBOY and HIGH ON FIRE:

Apr. 12 - Denver, CO The Fillmore
Apr. 13 - Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
Apr. 15 - Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre
Apr. 16 - Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Pavilion
Apr. 17 - Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theatre
Apr. 19 - Louisville, KY Louisville Gardens Sun
Apr. 20 - Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Apr. 22 - New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Apr. 24 - Worcester, MA Palladium
Apr. 26 - Baltimore, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
Apr. 28 - Quebec City, QC Pavilion De La Jeunesse
Apr. 29 - Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Apr. 30 - Toronto, ON Arrow Hall
May 01 - London, ON John Labatt Centre
May 03 - Detroit, MI DTE Music Center
May 04 - Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
May 06 - Chicago, IL Aragon
May 07 - Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
May 09 - Minneapolis, MN Myth
May 10 - Winnipeg, MB Convention Center
May 11 - Saskatoon, SK Prairieland Exhibition Hall
May 12 - Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Center
May 14 - Calgary, AB The Corral
May 16 - Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
May 17 - Salem, OR Salem Armory
May 19 - San Jose, CA Event Center @ San Jose State
May 20 - San Diego, CA Cox Arena
May 21 - Los Angeles, CA Long Beach Arena
May 22 - Phoenix, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre

Watch Chris Broderick's "five-octave arpeggio" video clip that was done for Guitar World's "Betcha Can't Play This" DVD:

Practicing for NEVERMORE's European festival appearances: