KIKO LOUREIRO Reflects On ‘Many Reasons’ Behind His Exit From MEGADETH

Kiko Loureiro has opened up about the range of factors that led to his decision to leave MEGADETH at the end of 2023, following a nine-year tenure that included multiple albums, extensive touring, and a Grammy-winning era.

Speaking in a new interview with Niels Guns of Sixty Scales And The Truth, the Brazilian guitarist reflected on his time in the band and the gradual shift in priorities that eventually pushed him toward stepping away. He explained that while his overall experience with MEGADETH was positive, the demands of touring life over nearly a decade became increasingly difficult to balance with his personal life.

“During MEGADETH, it was great, so nothing to complain,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “But it was eight years, almost nine years, and then I was touring maybe — I don’t know — five months, maybe sometimes six months [in a year], so that’s a lot. It’s very different than doing 25 days [as I have done on my solo tour].”

Loureiro emphasized that his departure was not the result of a single issue, but rather a combination of long-developing pressures that built up over time.

“[There were] many reasons [that contributed to it]; there’s never one reason when you take a big decision in life,” Kiko revealed. “So one of the reasons was the family. That was the more intensive reason. After doing the tour, there was another three-month tour, and then it was, like, ‘Oh, maybe this is too much.’ But I was fighting with these thoughts since I joined MEGADETH, basically. My daughter was around five [when I joined MEGADETH], and then one year later [in 2016], after joining MEGADETH, the year that we released the ‘Dystopia’ album, the Grammy winner and all that, I had twins. So all those years in MEGADETH was difficult to be traveling and having newborn twins at home, and then traveling. So it makes you think a lot, because that’s what I always wanted, to be touring, etc., and playing guitar. And then also have the kids, and then your mentality, your mindset changes a lot. And then have the pandemic, and then do another album, etc. And then, at some point, I said, like, ‘I think eight, nine years is enough.’ And then I felt, like, okay. And then also I felt that the kids needed me more, more than before. [There were] some other issues happening. And there was a three-month tour [coming up], so [I said], like, ‘Look, I can help to find a substitute. If you can wait, great. If you don’t wanna wait, it’s fine as well.’”

He also pointed to the broader lifestyle challenges that come with long-term touring, especially as personal responsibilities evolve outside of music. Alongside family considerations, Loureiro said the constant cycle of recording, touring, and time away from home eventually led him to reassess his priorities.

Elaborating further, he added: “We did record the [2022] album [The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!] in between, in that period. And composing is something that I like as well. I think at some point, [you start thinking about having] freedom of your schedule. I have elderly parents in Brazil, so I wanted to [spend time] there, and there was never a time to travel and to stay — I don’t know — 10 days.”

He continued by reflecting on how experience and repetition also played a role in his thinking after years of global touring: “It’s a common thing, it’s a common thought [with touring musicians], I believe, depending on your age, of course. And then most of the places I played — we played in amazing places, but I’ve been doing this for a long time as well. So you think about this, like, ‘I did this a lot, and where [can I go] from here?’ And also there’s that too. Sometimes you think about, ‘I would love to do something else,’ or, like, ‘Should I play other kinds of music or compose differently or be more open to different things?’ But that’s a constant. The creative mind, let’s say, is never satisfied.”

Despite those reflections, Loureiro made it clear that his time in MEGADETH also provided space for artistic contribution and collaboration, particularly with band leader Dave Mustaine.

“In MEGADETH, I could be creative there because we did two albums,” he added. “I could say whatever I wanted to say about the concert, or ideas for the lights, or stage performance, or whatever. Dave was very open to [my input]. I think we had great conversations about everything in life, and also about the MEGADETH business. And that’s why I think I was such a long time there, and then I had maybe, like, 13 or 15 compositions with Dave, which is pretty much. But I think there’s always an expiring date, let’s say. There’s a moment that it’s, like, ‘Yeah, maybe it’s time to go to another place.’ So those actual forces kind of push you — maybe the family, maybe some stuff that was happening inside the band as well, maybe something about, as I said, I would love to decide when I want to go visit my parents or not. Because when you have kids, you cannot just travel. I was traveling a lot, and when you go home, you just wanna stay home.”

Loureiro had previously discussed similar reasons for leaving in a January 2024 interview with Guitar World, where he described how a planned trip to Brazil became a turning point in his decision-making process.

He said at the time: “It started when I booked a trip home to Brazil. The last time I’d been was in 2019, before the pandemic; I got to a point where I said, ‘I need to visit my family,’ so I booked a trip for the Thanksgiving period in 2023 because MEGADETH never does anything around that time.

“When you’re young, not married and have no kids, the mindset is, ‘The more concerts, the better.’ But my daughter is 12 now, and I want to spend time with her. I also want to be out there playing. When the MEGADETH thing happened for me in 2015, I had a young daughter and twins who were newborns. I was always struggling with knowing I needed to be touring, but also wanted to be home with my kids and my wife. So the feeling of, ‘Should I be out doing this rock star thing while my kids are at home?’ kept coming up. And the more moments and important dates I missed, the harder it was.

“It got harder in 2023, especially during the three-month summer tour. So I went to Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] in June, saying, ‘This is too much. I’m not feeling like I’m in the right place or mood to give 100 percent.’ It was complicated for me to say because I wanted to play, but I knew I needed to be at home. And, of course, Dave was not expecting it. We had just done a show in Florida with the MISFITS, and it was right after that show that I talked to Dave. And then MEGADETH management was there, and I let them know I could not do the September gigs. I offered to help find a replacement and do what was needed to help MEGADETH be ready to go.”

As for what made his leaving a final decision rather than a temporary one, Kiko explained: “My proposal was not to do the September shows and help them find a replacement, which turned out to be Teemu [Mäntysaari]. But then I had some situations with my kids and had to go to the doctor, and I felt like I wanted to be home.

“And I get it — MEGADETH must go on, right? Being able to pick and choose where and when I play is not going to be a thing. I mean, I guess it could be, but that’s not the way it turned out. Maybe they felt like, ‘Well, Kiko might come out on the next tour and say the same thing,’ which I understand. So I told them, ‘I understand if you guys feel that I’m unreliable,’ They kept asking me, ‘Are you sure?’ Ultimately, I had to take control because I knew I needed and wanted to be home. People who don’t have kids won’t understand, while if you do, you will.”

On September 6, 2023, it was announced that Loureiro would temporarily step away from the North American leg of the Crush The World Tour, with Teemu Mäntysaari stepping in as his replacement. By November 20, Mäntysaari was confirmed as MEGADETH’s new lead guitarist following Loureiro’s extended absence, and on November 28, Loureiro confirmed in a podcast appearance that his departure from the band would be permanent.