“There are people who still think that metal is scary and violent; “They don’t see how fun it is.”

“Guitarist wanted” was the newspaper advertisement that brought the iconic musician Dave Mustaine along a path full of unrepeatable guitar solos and trips around the world. The reason why he passed that audition was none other than his great ability – in addition to owning a BC Rich guitar – which made him join a small group that would leave its mark on musical history under the name of Metallica.

It would not take more than a year for his adventure to end as quickly as it began, with him being expelled from the band due to addiction and alcoholism problems that led him to undertake another trip, one of 48 hours from New York to his home in Los Angeles. After touring the United States from coast to coast, upon getting off the bus, the young guitarist would read a political pamphlet that would give the beginning, and the name, to one of the four most important metal bands along with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax: Megadeth.

“It was a wild ride, there have been many changes in the world since we started, but we are a band that sings about political issues, society, human relationships and the war machine, that’s why I don’t see this adventure ending soon, also, still This path is fun.”, Dave Mustaine tells El Comercio. He, who claims not to maintain ties with his former Metallica colleagues such as James Hetfield, also does not want to talk about matters related to Metallica.

One of the first trips around the world that the band would undertake after being formed would be the Youthanasia World Tour that would take them to South America in 1994. However, Peru would have to wait fourteen years for Mustaine and his band to play for the first time at the Stadium. Monumental, immortalizing the night with the phrase: “Welcome to the house of Megadeth”.

“We only played there once many years ago, but the fact that we don’t visit them every time has nothing to do with the Peruvian fans, but with the promoters and economic issues, in addition to the trip. If Peru was close, we would play there more times. “I only have good memories of that trip where we were welcomed by very nice people and that crazy drink they call pisco.”remembers the renowned guitarist.

The most resistant metal

As time went by, even the “hardest” metal bands became malleable, including in their repertoire collaborations and productions inclined to new trends, as in the case of Metallica with its recent collaborations with Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus. A commitment to musical exploration that for Mustaine seems like a difficult step. “We also take those risks, but nothing compared to other colleagues in the genre who tried to be pop bands and write pop songs, but it is difficult for me because it is simple, very few chords and repetitive melodies. Metal is the opposite, a complex matter. “I don’t know what I would do if I had to go on stage and just play four chords.”emphasizes the musician

Although the rhythms change, as do the lyrics of the songs, metal still maintains certain stereotypes that can hardly be separated from this musical genre. “There are people who still think that metal is scary and violent; They don’t see how fun it is. They also don’t see how much fun people have together. They don’t talk about that kind of thing, on the contrary, they wonder if there will be a fight or if something terrible happens, without understanding that we musicians owe it to our audience and if they don’t have fun, we don’t either.”he mentions, while remembering that his style is influenced by genres such as jazz and R&B, including sounds from Motown, the record label of bands like Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder.

Unlike their “Countdown to Extinction” – the band’s popular song that alludes to the disappearance of an era – Mustaine assures that, on the contrary, metal is slowly being reborn thanks to the help of the few who continue to play in this musical genre. “I’ve been in this business for many years, now is my time to help other bands. Before, if someone I met told me that they had a band, I was like, ‘cool, another damn band.’ Now I say: ‘that’s great, let me listen to some of your music’he adds.

After 50 years of experience, surviving throat cancer, replacing guitarist Kiko Loureiro with Teemu Mäntysaari, leaving his record label, firing his lawyer, manager, editors of his songs, his merchandising company and other members who made up the band. team behind Megadeth late last year, Mustaine is willing to sacrifice everything but the essence of his music.