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Megadeth | |
|---|---|
 Megadeth performing in June 2018. Left to right: David Ellefson, Dirk Verbeuren, Dave Mustaine, and Kiko Loureiro. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Fallen Angels (early)[1] |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Discography | Megadeth discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Past members | Full list |
| Website | megadeth |
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer,[3] responsible for the genre's development and popularization. Their music features complex arrangements and fast rhythm sections, dual lead guitars, and lyrical themes of war, politics, religion, death, and personal relationships.
In 1985, Megadeth released their debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, on the independent record label Combat Records, to moderate success. It caught the attention of bigger labels, which led to Megadeth signing with Capitol Records. Their first major-label album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground metal scene. Band members' substance abuse issues and personal disputes had brought Megadeth negative publicity during the late 1980s. Nonetheless, the band went on to release a number of platinum-selling albums, including So Far, So Good... So What! (1988), Rust in Peace (1990), and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums, along with worldwide tours, brought them public recognition. Megadeth's most recent album, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!, was released in 2022.
Megadeth has undergone multiple lineup changes throughout its 41-year career, with Mustaine being the sole consistent member of the band. The band temporarily disbanded in 2002 when Mustaine suffered an arm injury and re-established in 2003 without longtime bassist David Ellefson, who had taken legal action against Mustaine. Ellefson settled out of court and rejoined the band in 2010, but was fired in 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Megadeth's current lineup includes Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.
Megadeth earned platinum certifications in the United States for five of its sixteen studio albums,[4] and has received twelve Grammy nominations. Megadeth won its first Grammy Award in 2017 for the song "Dystopia" in the Best Metal Performance category.[5] The band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead, regularly appears on album artwork and live shows. Megadeth has hosted its own music festival, Gigantour, several times since July 2005, and held its first MegaCruise in October 2019. As of 2023[update], the band sold more than 50 million copies of their albums worldwide.[6]
History[edit]
1983–1985: Formation and Killing Is My Business[edit]
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On April 11, 1983, Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica just prior to the band recording their debut album Kill 'Em All due to substance abuse and personal conflicts with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. As Metallica's lead guitarist since 1981, Mustaine had composed some of the group's early songs and helped hone the band into a tight live unit.[7][8] Afterward, Mustaine vowed revenge by forming a band that was faster and heavier than Metallica.[9] On the bus trip back to Los Angeles, Mustaine found a pamphlet by California senator Alan Cranston that read: "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to."[10] The term "Megadeath" stuck with Mustaine and he wrote a song with that title with the spelling slightly changed to Megadeth, which, according to Mustaine, represented the annihilation of power.[11]
After arriving back in Los Angeles, Mustaine began the search for new bandmates for his band. He formed the band Fallen Angels, which included Lor Kane on vocals, Robby McKinney on guitar and Matt Kisselstein on bass, in April 1983.[12] The band's name was changed to Megadeth on Kane's recommendation.[13] As the founder, Mustaine added his new neighbors David Ellefson and Greg Handevidt to the band, who had moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles and played bass and guitar, respectively.[14] A demo was recorded by the lineup (which had expanded to include Richard Girod on drums),[15] though the band realized that they would have to retool some of the songs following the release of Metallica's debut album, in July 1983.[16] The only Metallica-era song that ended up on Megadeth's debut album was "Mechanix".[17] Songs from that time period included "No Time", "Self Destruct", "Hair Pin Trigger", "Speak No Evil", "Eye for Eye" and "Heaven Knows".[15] "Speak No Evil" was the original title of "Looking Down the Cross",[18] while "No Time" was an early title for "Set the World Afire" and "Self Destruct" was the original title for "Mary Jane."[19]
While Handevidt would only last a few months, Mustaine and Ellefson formed a tight musical bond. Despite his enthusiasm, Mustaine had trouble finding other members to fill out the lineup. He and Ellefson auditioned about 15 drummers, hoping to find one who understood meter changes in music. After briefly playing with Dijon Carruthers, they selected Lee Rauch. Following six months of trying to find a lead singer, Mustaine decided to perform lead vocals himself.[20] Singers who temporarily joined the band included Billy Bonds[17] and John Cyriis, who would found Agent Steel after his firing from Megadeth.[21]
In 1984, Megadeth recorded a three-song demo tape featuring Mustaine, Ellefson, and Rauch.[22] The demo tape, Last Rites, was released on March 9, 1984. It featured early versions of "Last Rites/Loved to Death", "The Skull Beneath the Skin", and "Mechanix", all of which appeared on the band's debut album.[23] The band was unable to find a compatible second guitarist. Kerry King of Slayer filled in on rhythm guitar for several shows in the San Francisco area in 1984, starting with the debut gig on February 17 at Ruthie's Inn in Berkeley, California,[24] as well as a gig at The Keystone in Berkeley that April[25] and would play five shows in total with the band.[26] Afterwards, King went back to Slayer and Megadeth replaced Rauch with jazz fusion drummer Gar Samuelson; he officially joined Megadeth on October 24, 1984.[27] Samuelson had previously been in the jazz band The New Yorkers with guitarist Chris Poland.[28] After seeing Samuelson perform with Megadeth as a trio, Poland went backstage and suggested an impromptu audition as lead guitarist for the band; he joined Megadeth in December 1984.[9]
After considering several labels, Mustaine signed the band to Combat Records, a New York-based Independent record label that offered Megadeth the highest budget to record and tour.[29] In 1985, Combat Records gave the band $8,000 to record and produce its debut album. After spending $4,000 of the budget on drugs, alcohol, and food, the band fired the original producer and finished the recording themselves.[30]
Despite its low-fidelity sound,[31] Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! was relatively successful in underground metal circles and attracted major-label interest.[32] The band was calling itself State Of The Art Speed Metal. [33] Music writer Joel McIver praised its "blistering technicality" and stated that the album "raised the bar for the whole thrash metal scene, with guitarists forced to perform even more accurately and powerfully".[34] The front cover marked the debut of band mascot Vic Rattlehead, who regularly appeared on subsequent album artwork.[35]
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! features "Mechanix", a song Mustaine wrote during his time with Metallica. Though Mustaine told the band after his dismissal not to use the music he had written, Metallica recorded a different version of the song, "The Four Horsemen", with a slower tempo and a melodic middle section.[36] The album also included a cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' ", at a faster tempo and with altered lyrics. Megadeth's version generated controversy during the 1990s, when its writer, Lee Hazlewood, called Mustaine's changes "vile and offensive".[37] Under threat of legal action, the song was removed from pressings released from 1995 to 2001.[38]
In mid-1985, on a bill with Canadian speed metal band Exciter, Megadeth played its first North American tour: the Killing for a Living Tour. Guitarist Mike Albert replaced Poland, who was battling drug addiction.[39] Although Albert was originally supposed to be a permanent replacement,[29] Poland rejoined Megadeth in October 1985, shortly before the group began recording its second album for Combat.[40]
1986–1987: Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?[edit]
According to Mustaine, Megadeth was under pressure to deliver another successful album: "That sophomore offering is the 'be-all or end-all' of any band. You either go to the next level, or it's the beginning of the nadir."[41] Mustaine composed the music for the album, with the other members adding arrangement ideas.[42]
The album was produced on a $25,000 budget from Combat Records. Dissatisfied with its financial limitations, the band left Combat and signed with Capitol Records. Capitol bought the rights to the album, and hired producer Paul Lani to remix the earlier recordings. Released in late 1986, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? has clearer production and more sophisticated songwriting.[43] Mustaine wanted to write socially conscious lyrics, unlike mainstream heavy metal bands who sang about "hedonistic pleasures".[44] The album was noted for its political commentary and helped Megadeth expand its fanbase.[45] The title track was the album's second single, and was accompanied by a music video that received regular airplay on MTV.[46]
In February 1987, Megadeth was the opening act on Alice Cooper's Constrictor tour,[47] and the following month began its first headlining world tour in the United Kingdom. The 72-week tour was supported by Overkill and Necros, and continued in the United States.[48] During the tour, Mustaine and Ellefson considered firing Samuelson for his drug abuse.[49] According to Mustaine, Samuelson had become too much to handle when intoxicated. Drummer Chuck Behler traveled with Megadeth for the last dates of the tour as the other band members feared Samuelson would not be able to continue.[50] Poland quarreled with Mustaine, and was accused of selling band equipment to buy heroin.[49] As a result, Samuelson and Poland were asked to leave Megadeth in 1987, with Behler becoming the band's full-time drummer.[48]
Poland was initially replaced by Jay Reynolds of Malice, but as the band began working on its next record, Reynolds was replaced by his guitar teacher, Jeff Young, when Megadeth was six weeks into the recording of its third album.[50]
1988–1989: So Far, So Good... So What![edit]
With a major-label budget, the Paul Lani-produced So Far, So Good... So What! took over five months to record. The production was plagued with problems, partially due to Mustaine's struggle with drug addiction. Mustaine later said: "The production of So Far, So Good... So What! was horrible, mostly due to substances and the priorities we had or didn't have at the time." Mustaine clashed with Lani, beginning with Lani's insistence that the drums be recorded separately from the cymbals, an unheard-of process for rock drummers.[51] Mustaine and Lani became estranged during the mixing, and Lani was replaced by Michael Wagener, who remixed the album.[52]
So Far, So Good... So What! was released in January 1988 and was well received by fans and critics.[53] The album featured a cover version of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K."; Mustaine changed the lyrics, later saying that he had simply heard them incorrectly. To support the album, Megadeth embarked on a world tour that lasted for nearly eight months. The band (along with Savatage) opened for Dio on the Dream Evil tour and supported Iron Maiden on their Seventh Son of a Seventh Son tour, both in the United States.[54] They also headlined a North American tour with Warlock and Sanctuary (whose debut album Refuge Denied was produced by Mustaine), and a European trek with Testament, Nuclear Assault, Flotsam and Jetsam and Sanctuary.[55]
In June 1988, Megadeth appeared in Penelope Spheeris' documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.[56] The documentary chronicled the Los Angeles heavy metal scene of the late 1980s, and Spheeris, who had directed Megadeth in the video for "Wake Up Dead", decided to include them to feature a more serious band in contrast to the glam metal groups.[57][58] Mustaine remembered the film as a disappointment, as it aligned Megadeth with "a bunch of shit bands".[59]
In August, the band appeared at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, performing to an audience of more than 100,000. One show featured a guest appearance by Metallica drummer (and Mustaine's former bandmate) Lars Ulrich. The band was added to the Monsters of Rock European tour, but left after the first show due to Ellefson's drug problems, for which he was treated immediately.[60] Megadeth was replaced by Testament.[61]
Shortly after the Monsters of Rock appearance, Mustaine fired Behler and Young and canceled Megadeth's Australian tour. "On the road, things escalated from a small border skirmish into a full-on raging war," Mustaine later recalled. "I think a lot of us were inconsistent because of [drugs]."[62] During the tour, Mustaine noticed problems developing with Behler and brought in drummer Nick Menza as Behler's drum technician. As with Samuelson, Menza was expected to take over if Behler could not continue the tour. Menza replaced Behler in 1989.[63] Young's dismissal resulted from Mustaine's suspicions that he was having an affair with Mustaine's girlfriend, an allegation Young denied.[64]
The band was unable to quickly find a suitable replacement for Young. Although 1989 marked the first time since its inception that Megadeth did not tour nor perform at least one show, they recorded a cover version of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" which appeared on the soundtrack to the Wes Craven horror movie Shocker.[65] The video was directed by Penelope Spheeris, who recalled the filming as a "Herculean task" as Mustaine was unable to play guitar because of his drug addiction.[56] During the March 1989 auditions for a new lead guitarist, Mustaine was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of narcotics after crashing into a parked vehicle occupied by an off-duty police officer.[66] Mustaine entered court-ordered drug rehabilitation shortly afterwards, and became drug-free for the first time in ten years.[56]
1990–1991: Rust in Peace[edit]
With Mustaine sober, Megadeth continued searching for a new lead guitarist. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash had been jamming with Mustaine and Ellefson, and although it seemed that he might join Megadeth, he remained with Guns N' Roses.[67] Dimebag Darrell of Pantera was offered the job, but the deal fell through after Mustaine refused his request to recruit his brother, Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, as he had already hired Menza.[68] The offer was also extended to Criss Oliva who also declined as he did not want to leave Savatage.[69] Jeff Loomis, who would later go on to form progressive metal titans Nevermore, also auditioned though Mustaine deemed him too young to join as Loomis was only 18 at the time.[70]
Marty Friedman filled the guitarist position at the recommendation of Ron Laffitte, a member of Capitol management. Laffitte had heard Dragon's Kiss, a solo recording by Friedman when he was in Cacophony.[71] Mustaine and Ellefson were satisfied with Friedman's style and thought that he understood Megadeth's music.[72] With Friedman in the group, the band completed what fans consider the definitive Megadeth lineup.[73] The revitalized band entered the studio at Rumbo Recorders in March 1990 with co-producer Mike Clink to begin Megadeth's most critically acclaimed album, Rust in Peace. Clink was the first producer to complete a Megadeth album without being fired.[74] Its recording was documented in Rusted Pieces, a home video released in 1991 with six music videos and an interview with the band.[75]
Released in September 1990, Rust in Peace debuted at number 23 in the United States and number eight in the United Kingdom.[76][77] Mustaine had developed a writing style with a rhythmically complex, progressive edge, and the songs featured longer guitar solos and frequent tempo changes.[78] Described as a genre-defining work by Decibel,[71] the album solidified Megadeth's reputation in the music industry.[20] It features the singles "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18", both of which were accompanied by music videos and became live staples. Rust in Peace received a Grammy nomination in 1991 for Best Metal Performance,[5][79] and was the group's third platinum album, certified in December 1994.[80]
Early in 1990, Megadeth joined Slayer, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies for the successful European Clash of the Titans tour, featuring several American thrash metal bands.[81] An American leg began the following year featuring Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, with Alice in Chains as a supporting act. The tour was considered a multi-headliner, as the three main bands alternated time slots.[82] In addition to the Clash of the Titans tour, Megadeth (along with Testament) supported Judas Priest on their Painkiller tour in North America late in 1990 and appeared at the second Rock in Rio festival in January 1991.[83] In July 1991 the song "Go to Hell" was featured in the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and on its soundtrack.[84]
1992–1993: Countdown to Extinction[edit]
The music for Megadeth's fifth studio album was written in two different sessions. The first session occurred after the conclusion of the Clash of the Titans tour, while the second session happened in the fall of 1991 following a one-month break.[85] Recording sessions for the album began in January 1992 at Enterprise Studios in Burbank, California. Max Norman was chosen to produce, as the band was pleased with his mixing of Rust in Peace.[86] Megadeth spent nearly four months in the studio with Norman, writing and recording what became the band's most commercially successful album, Countdown to Extinction.[87] The album, whose title was suggested by Menza, features songwriting contributions from each band member.[88] Ellefson explained that the band changed its approach to songwriting for this album, beginning to write more melodic songs.[89]
Released in July 1992, Countdown to Extinction entered the Billboard 200 chart at number two and was certified double platinum in the United States.[3][4][9