Dave Mustaine says Metallica stole ‘Enter Sandman' riff from another band
Dave Mustaine, frontman of Megadeth and former Metallica guitarist, has reignited a long-running controversy by accusing his former band of lifting the signature riff from their most popular hit, 'Enter Sandman,' from a lesser-known thrash act.
In a recent appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, Mustaine claimed that Metallica's 1991 hit bears a striking resemblance to 'Tapping Into the Emotional Void,' a track by Los Angeles crossover thrash band Excel released just two years earlier.
'Hell, their biggest song, 'Enter Sandman' — go look up the band Excel right now,' Mustaine said. 'Look up their song, I think it's something 'Into the Unknown.' Pretty similar.'
The track in question appears on 'The Joke's on You,' Excel's second studio album. Though the band never filed a lawsuit, similarities between the two songs have fueled speculation for decades.
'A lawsuit, unfortunately, sucks everything else out of your life,' Excel's then-manager Jane Hoffman told the Los Angeles Times in 1991.
Metallica co-manager Cliff Burnstein said at the time that he had never heard the Excel track, though he was familiar with the band.
Mustaine, who was dismissed from Metallica in 1983 before the band recorded its debut album, has a history of accusing his former bandmates of using his material.
'I told them when I left, 'Do not use my music.' And of course they used it,' he said, citing songs like 'Ride the Lightning,' 'The Call of Ktulu' and 'The Four Horsemen.'
'I wrote a bunch of 'Leper Messiah,' too,' Mustaine added. 'They didn't give me credit on that. You listen to the riffs, you know they're my riffs.'
He first raised the Excel comparison more than 20 years ago, and the claim continues to resurface.
In 2023, 'Enter Sandman' surpassed 1.6 billion streams on Spotify, securing its place in the platform's '1 Billion Club.'
Earlier this month, the track headlined Metallica's first-ever show at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium — a fitting location, as the song has famously accompanied the Hokies' football entrance for nearly 25 years, even causing minor seismic activity.
'Enter Sandman,' which debuted on Metallica's self-titled 1991 release, also known as 'The Black Album,' remains a staple of the band's live performances.
Metallica — consisting of frontman James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — is currently touring North America on its 'M72 World Tour.' The band is scheduled to perform at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on June 20 and 22.
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Dave Mustaine, frontman of Megadeth and former Metallica guitarist, has reignited a long-running controversy by accusing his former band of lifting the signature riff from their most popular hit, 'Enter Sandman,' from a lesser-known thrash act. In a recent appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, Mustaine claimed that Metallica's 1991 hit bears a striking resemblance to 'Tapping Into the Emotional Void,' a track by Los Angeles crossover thrash band Excel released just two years earlier. 'Hell, their biggest song, 'Enter Sandman' — go look up the band Excel right now,' Mustaine said. 'Look up their song, I think it's something 'Into the Unknown.' Pretty similar.' The track in question appears on 'The Joke's on You,' Excel's second studio album. Though the band never filed a lawsuit, similarities between the two songs have fueled speculation for decades. 'A lawsuit, unfortunately, sucks everything else out of your life,' Excel's then-manager Jane Hoffman told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. Metallica co-manager Cliff Burnstein said at the time that he had never heard the Excel track, though he was familiar with the band. Mustaine, who was dismissed from Metallica in 1983 before the band recorded its debut album, has a history of accusing his former bandmates of using his material. 'I told them when I left, 'Do not use my music.' And of course they used it,' he said, citing songs like 'Ride the Lightning,' 'The Call of Ktulu' and 'The Four Horsemen.' 'I wrote a bunch of 'Leper Messiah,' too,' Mustaine added. 'They didn't give me credit on that. You listen to the riffs, you know they're my riffs.' He first raised the Excel comparison more than 20 years ago, and the claim continues to resurface. In 2023, 'Enter Sandman' surpassed 1.6 billion streams on Spotify, securing its place in the platform's '1 Billion Club.' Earlier this month, the track headlined Metallica's first-ever show at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium — a fitting location, as the song has famously accompanied the Hokies' football entrance for nearly 25 years, even causing minor seismic activity. 'Enter Sandman,' which debuted on Metallica's self-titled 1991 release, also known as 'The Black Album,' remains a staple of the band's live performances. Metallica — consisting of frontman James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — is currently touring North America on its 'M72 World Tour.' The band is scheduled to perform at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on June 20 and 22.
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The post Dave Mustaine: Metallica Stole 'Enter Sandman' Riff from Another Band appeared first on Consequence. Dave Mustaine has once again asserted that Metallica stole their most famous riff from a song by another band. In a new interview on 'The Shawn Ryan Show,' Mustaine accused his former band of lifting the 'Enter Sandman' riff from crossover thrash band Excel and their 1989 song 'Tapping Into the Emotional Void.' Get Metallica Tickets Here Comparisons between the songs have been made over the years — even by Mustaine himself some 20 years ago — and members of Excel once considered taking legal action against Metallica, per a report in 2003. The riffs do bare similarities, as does the tom-drum buildup in both songs, and Mustaine felt the need to remind people when he began discussing Metallica in the interview. 'I made sure not to ever say that I quit, because I wanted people to know that I was unfairly dismissed and that I didn't give a shit,' the Megadeth mastermind said of his tenure with Metallica. 'Because we may not be as big as they are. Hell, their biggest song, 'Enter Sandman' — go look up the band Excel right now. Look up their song, I think it's something 'Into the Unknown.' Pretty similar,' referring to 'Tapping Into the Emotional Void.' Mustaine ended up discussing Metallica at length during the three-plus-hour conversation with Shawn Ryan, and elsewhere, took digs at the band and his replacement Kirk Hammett for using material he'd written. 'At the time, I was really mad and I didn't wanna forgive them for what they did,' Mustaine said of his ousting from Metallica. 'And I told them when I left, 'Do not use my music. And of course they used it. 'Ride the Lightning,' I wrote. 'The Call of Ktulu' I wrote. Let's see, what else? There's 'Phantom Lord,' 'Metal Militia,' 'Jump in the Fire', 'The Four Horsemen.' And I wrote a bunch of 'Leper Messiah,' too. They didn't give me credit on that. You listen to the riffs, you know they're my riffs. He continued, 'It's, like, you think I'm gonna all of a sudden hear my riff and say, 'That's not me.' So, yeah, I wrote a lot of their music that made them, and all the solos on that first record were mine — the best Kirk could try and copy them.' For what it's worth, Mustaine, Hammett, and James Hetfield all made Consequence's list of the 100 Best Guitarists of All Time. Fans can catch Metallica performing 'Enter Sandman' and other classics on the current North American leg of their 'M72 World Tour' (pick up tickets here). You can listen to the full interview below, as well as the Excel song 'Tapping Into the Emotional Void,' along with Metallica's 'Enter Sandman.' Popular Posts Billy Joel Diagnosed with Brain Disorder, Cancels All Upcoming Tour Dates Man Wearing Nazi T-Shirt Gets a Beatdown from Fans at Punk Rock Bowling Fest Freddie Mercury's Alleged Child Revealed in New Biography David Lynch's Personal Archive Going Up for Auction The 30 Best Action Movie Stars of All Time, Ranked Is The Who's Farewell Tour in Turmoil? Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
