Chris Broderick mentioned that joining IN FLAMES has afforded him greater artistic freedom than his previous stint with MEGADETH.
In a recent episode of Jonathan Montenegro‘s “My 3 Questions To” series, Broderick was asked whether, after his departure from MEGADETH some time ago, he found a sense of “artistic freedom” with IN FLAMES or if he pursued those interests in other ventures.
He said: “I think they [IN FLAMES singer Anders Fridén and guitarist Björn Gelotte] definitely give me a lot more freedom because I can pursue them in my own ways. I think, though, at the end of the day, they’re going to always write an album that is IN FLAMES. And so they’re going to be the ones really kind of scrutinizing what that will be.”
“I understand that to no end because they are one of the original bands of that sort of Swedish sound, and nothing I could do could really create that,” Broderick continued. “I would love to add to it, and they’ve already allowed me to do that, and I love that. At the same time, they’re, like, ‘Oh, if you wanted to go and write a solo album or anything like that,’ I have the opportunity to do that as well.”
Towards the end of 2014, drummer Shawn Drover left MEGADETH after a decade, as he wished to explore his personal musical passions. Soon after, Broderick also exited after a six years stint the band , citing creative and musical disagreements as the reason.
“I just tried to put my head down and play the guitar,” Broderick said during an interview on “Scars and Guitars Podcast.” And that’s always what it’s about for me initially. Like, I love playing the guitar. So, I remember I got an interview right when I joined MEGADETH, and this kid, he was so awesome.”
When asked what was the question that made the interviewer so “awesome”, Chris responded: “‘You’re the 22nd member that’s been in Megadeth. How does that make you feel?’ I just started laughing. I mean, 22nd, second guitarist, it doesn’t matter – I’m here to play guitar. And I just did my best to focus on that as much as possible. So, that’s the one thing that grounded me and kept me sane for the amount of time that I was in that band.”
In a last year’s interview with Guitar World, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine revealed what led to the departure of Broderick and Drover.
“We had gotten a tour with IRON MAIDEN, but the whole thing ended because Bruce [Dickinson, IRON MAIDEN singer – who was battling throat cancer at the time] got sick. In the blink of an eye, an entire year’s worth of work was canceled, which was financially devastating for Shawn and Chris.
“So, the management we had took it upon themselves to call Shawn and Chris and say, ‘The tour is now canceled; you should probably go find another job.’ But I didn’t know about this; all I knew was that my drummer and guitarist had quit. I understood the circumstances, and I might have done the same thing, but I would have f**king told me before I went and quit.
“Having me find out afterward tells you all you need to know about Shawn and Chris’s characters. But it’s okay; they’ve got MEGADETH on their resume. We had some good times together there for a bit.”
In a 2016 interview with Ultimate Guitar, Broderick said about the circumstances that led to his decision to quit MEGADETH: “I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily artistic and musical differences as much as it is the ability to express my musical and artistic choices. Everybody knows that MEGADETH is really Dave [Mustaine] and that’s fine.”
Asked if he have known when he joined MEGADETH that Dave Mustaine was captain of the ship, he responded: “I knew that going in. But there comes a time where you’re like, “I’ve done this and it’s great but I’m a musician and artist at heart and I need to express myself that way. So I need to have that outlet for myself and not just do it in support of another person.”
Regarding how MEGADETH was run, Broderick said: “It wasn’t a democratic or an equal band in terms of the decision-making process. And again, I was totally fine with that at the time. It was awesome for my career and it was great playing for all those fans but at some point, when do you decide you’re gonna be a musician and really create your own music or are you just going to record what somebody else wants?”
Asked if he would stayed in MEGADETH if he had been given more input and creative freedom, Chris said: “Oh, yeah. Definitely.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.
