Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth, wants to make amends with his former Metallica bandmates before he retires from music. At 64 years old, Mustaine covered Metallica’s song “Ride The Lightning” on his band’s self-titled farewell album as a gesture of peace towards James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. However, he hasn’t heard from them yet.
“There may not be a chance to ever say hello to James or Lars again,” Mustaine shared. He acknowledged that some fans might not agree with his decision to cover the song, but he wanted to show his respect. “If they like it, fine. If they don’t, fine. If they listen to it, fine. If they don’t, fine,” he added.
Mustaine was fired from Metallica in 1983 during a tour due to substance abuse and a difficult attitude. This led him to form Megadeth, which became one of the leading bands in thrash metal. The anger from his dismissal fueled much of his early music.
Reflecting on his time with Metallica, Mustaine said, “I had a great time when I was in Metallica, and we did something tremendous. It’s a shame what the booze did, but we were all kids from broken families.” He believes it’s important to resolve their differences before he steps away from music. “We should be friends. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be friends,” he stated.
Over the years, both bands have attempted to reconcile, but those efforts have often fallen short. A 2016 dispute over royalties related to the demo “No Life ‘Til Leather” reignited tensions. Mustaine noted that the challenges with Metallica motivated him during his career, saying, “For a long time, it was me against the world.”
