MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine has reportedly entered the studio to kick off the writing and recording process for the band’s upcoming album.
A fan post on Reddit revealed that Mustaine shared a message with members of MEGADETH‘s Cyber Army, stating he’s heading into the studio with producer Chris Rakestraw for the next six months. Bassist James LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari are contributing song ideas remotely and will join Mustaine in the studio at a later stage.
In an interview with Chuck Armstrong on “Loudwire Nights” earlier this year Mustaine discussed the possibility of a follow-up to MEGADETH‘s 2022 album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! When asked if he is currently considering the next full-length MEGADETH album, Mustaine responded: Yes, we are. We’re not gonna be taking as long in between offerings as we did this time. There were a lot of setbacks — the pandemic, the blockade, you name it. It’s just so many things that went on. [My throat] cancer treatment, the lineup change, having to start from scratch with a new bassist. And the cancer treatment also was difficult on the guys because they were watching me go through all this stuff. And one day, I would be seemingly normal.
“The other day, I would be so medicated that I couldn’t stay awake. And that was hard for the guys to see. I had two days that I was really, really sick that I threw up. Out of the whole treatment, I thought that was really good. I was fighting with everything, every moral fiber of my being, to make sure that I stayed in the game, because they kept saying over and over again, ‘If you don’t eat, if you lose weight, we’re gonna put a tube in you.’ And I got so serious. And we started to pick up the pace when we were doing the [The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!] record.”
In September 2023, Mäntysaari stepped in to replace Loureiro, who had announced earlier that month his decision to sit out the next leg of MEGADETH‘s “Crush The World” tour to remain at home with his children in Finland. It was later confirmed that the 37-year-old Finnish guitarist would continue performing with MEGADETH indefinitely, as Loureiro appeared to have no plans to return.
MEGADETH‘s latest album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, was released in September 2022. This is MEGADETH‘s first album to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren, their final album with guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and their first studio release in six years since Dystopia (2016), marking the longest gap between studio albums in the band’s history.
In 2021, longtime bassist David Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH due to allegations of sexual misconduct. His bass tracks were removed from the album and re-recorded by TESTAMENT bassist Steve Di Giorgio. After the album was completed, former bassist James LoMenzo rejoined the band.
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