Dave Mustaine says Metallica “always tried to hold me back”
Former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine has claimed the group “always tried to hold me back” after he tasted success with Megadeth. Mustaine co-founded Metallica in 1981 but left after two years.
Mustaine has now talked about no longer needing to be associated with Metallica due to his success with Megadeth. “People know Metallica has always tried to hold me back,” he told Guitar World. “They never expected me to do what I did after they fucked me over, but I succeeded and made better records along the way. But I don’t care because I’m happy with my success, and I’ve had plenty of it”.
After getting kicked out of the band, Mustaine formed Megadeth, which started a rivalry that lasted for many years. Both bands were key players in the American thrash metal scene, each going on to mainstream success in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Mustaine was later interviewed by Metallica for their documentary Some Kind of Monster, where he aired his frustration over being fired.
In the new interview, Mustaine claimed he no longer sees any competition between Metallica and Megadeth. He remarked: “We’re different bands, and I believe Megadeth has been more consistent. But the sad thing is that the drama between us has been more popular than the music ever was. And remember, Metallica got a big head start, and they did so on the back of what I helped create”.
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