Latest news with #DaveMustaine
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Dave Mustaine claims he was left without credit for songs that 'made' Metallica
Dave Mustaine has claimed he penned "a lot of" music that "made" Metallica. Before he co-founded thrash metal band Megadeth, Mustaine was the lead guitarist for Metallica, though he was dismissed from the band before their debut album in 1983. In a recent interview, the 63-year-old rocker admitted he was left "p***** off" after the band allegedly went ahead and used his riffs - despite him telling them not to use his music. Asked whether it was his booze habit that led to his departure, Mustaine told 'The Shawn Ryan Show': "We all drank. That's why they called it Alcoholica. I mean, they didn't call it Dave-Alcoholica. We all drank. And they continued to drink like that even after I was gone. But that was, I think, the beginning of the end.' Mustaine then shared that he had left Metallica with a tape of his riffs. He went on: 'Just me playing and playing and playing… We took that tape player and the reel of tape with us out to New York. 'We did two shows out there, and after those two shows, they woke me up one morning and said, 'Look, you're out of the band.' 'And I said, 'What are you talking about?' 'You're out of the band.' I said, 'No warning? No second chance? You're not gonna give me a warning? You're just gonna kick me out?' And I thought that was unfair. And it showed a grotesque lack of character. And so that p***** me off and was a huge part of the fuel. 'But at the time, I was really mad and I didn't wanna forgive them for what they did. 'And I told them when I left, 'Do not use my music. And of course they used it.' Mustaine claims Metallica tracks such as 'Ride The Lightning', 'The Call Of Ktulu', 'Phantom Lord', 'Metal Militia', 'Jump In The Fire', and 'The Four Horsemen' contain his riffs. He added: 'And I wrote a bunch of Leper Messiah [on Metallica's third album, Master Of Puppets] too. They didn't give me credit on that. 'You listen to the riffs, you know they're my riffs. 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 [Hammett, Mustaine's replacement] could try and copy them.'
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
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.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dave Mustaine: Metallica Stole 'Enter Sandman' Riff from Another Band
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.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Megadeth guitarist says Dave Mustaine damaged his career by calling him a 'liar'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland says that bandleader Dave Mustaine calling him a 'liar' negatively affected his career. Poland joined the thrash metal icons in 1984 and played on their first two albums, 1985's Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! and 1986's Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?, before being fired for disruptive behaviour stemming from heroin abuse. Talking to fellow former Megadeth member David Ellefson on Ellefson's podcast, Poland claims that Mustaine branded him a 'liar' onstage for 'years' after his firing. 'I have no regrets about everything that's happened – except one,' Poland says (via Blabbermouth). 'I regret that Mustaine for years would go onstage and call me a liar. I never really thought much about it, but then I did the math and I realised that's why things were so hard for me to try and get deals.' As evidence, he points to an interaction he had with guitar manufacturer Carvin. 'I walked into Carvin one day and I thought, 'You know what? These guitars aren't bad. I wanna talk to their A&R guy.' So I spoke to the guy and he goes, 'Dude, we don't use people like you on our roster.'' Poland continues: 'I have a feeling that Dave's anger with me about what it was really was like dragging around a fucking 50-pound ball all the time – back then.' Ellefson, who was fired from Megadeth in 2021, then backs Poland up, pointing to the experiences of former guitarist Jeff Young. Young played on the thrashers' third album So Far, So Good… So What! (1988) and was fired due to Mustaine believing that Young had flirted with his then-girlfriend. 'There was some derogatory comment [Mustaine made] that kept [Young] from getting work for a long time,' Ellefson explains. 'I could say the same was attempted at me. Fortunately, I just kept moving. I just kept going and was like, 'Alright, I'm just gonna ignore that comment and keep moving.'' In a 2022 interview with Sofa King Cool, Poland stated that he was the subject of the song Liar from the So Far… album. 'Obviously, Dave was very upset with me when I left the band – when he fired me, basically,' the guitarist explained. When asked if the lyrical scathing made him angry, he said no and pointed towards Mustaine's own heavy drug use at the time: 'It's like the pot calling the kettle black, man. When you point your finger, man, there's three pointing back at you. I just rolled my eyes and was like, 'Really?'' That same year, Poland claimed that he took a job in a diner after his Megadeth exit. 'I would be bussing tables on a weekend, and some guy would go, 'Dude, you're Chris Poland!' And I'd have to go, 'Yeah, I am!',' he told The Metal Voice. 'And it was so weird, because he just looked at me like, 'Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?' And I would just say, 'Hey man, I've gotta eat. I've gotta pay the rent.'' Poland briefly reunited with Megadeth in 2004, playing guitar on their album The System Has Failed. However, things soon soured again, with Poland suing Mustaine over the inclusion of three demos on a 2004 re-release of 1990 album Rust In Peace. Poland said in 2022 that the pair haven't spoken since. Megadeth – now composed of Mustaine (vocals/guitars), Teemu Mäntysaari (guitars), Dirk Verbeuren (drums) and James LoMenzo (bass) – released their latest album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022 and are currently in the studio working on its follow-up.
