Was New MEGADETH Guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO 'Allowed' To Contribute To 'Dystopia'? Watch His Response

New MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro took part in a masterclass on November 3 in Russia. You can watch video footage of his appearance below.

Asked during the question-and-answer portion of the masterclass if he was "allowed" by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine to contribute musical ideas to the band's new album, "Dystopia", Kiko said: "I don't think the word is 'allow.' The thing is, I met everybody and I jumped into the band, MEGADETH, [when] they already [had] the songs [more or less ready to go] in the studio. So, out of respect, you don't go to somebody's house and start saying, 'Hey, the color of the wall is wrong. I don't like the sofa.' So, being very respectful to the legacy of the band, I sat down and watched. I listened to the ideas and learned and tried to absorb and understand where they were gonna go with all this. Because a band is a concept. A band is a concept. So the thing is, I needed some time to understand, and I started saying some stuff. Some stuff was aligned with the concept, some was a bit out. I think the stuff that I said was aligned with the concept; I had some ideas there [that were used on the album], sure."

In a recent interview with Jump Metal, Loureiro was asked what it has been like joining MEGADETH as the replacement for Chris Broderick. He responded: "Yeah, it has been great to work with Mustaine, [David] Ellefson [MEGADETH bassist] and Chris Adler [LAMB OF GOD drummer, who played on the upcoming MEGADETH CD and is playing select shows with the group]... It's amazing [to be part of MEGADETH]. It's a great opportunity, it's a great band, great guys, great music. I'm very honored to be in MEGADETH and that the guys have chosen me to be the guitar player. It's a band that always had a great spot for guitar players. They always had great guitar players since the beginning: Chris Poland, Marty Friedman, Chris Broderick... some great guitar players. So I'm honored to be part of this legacy."

Mustaine told Revolver about Loureiro: "Finding Kiko was really a mind-blower. It was the first time since Marty Friedman joined the band that I was really intimidated as a player. He's such an amazing talent, and he's been coming in with all of these fresh ideas." Mustaine has also called Loureiro the "best guitarist we've ever had," adding that he was a good fit personality wise. "Chris [Broderick] and I had a good chemistry, but we weren't really as close as I would have wanted us to be," Mustaine explained. "Kiko, I feel like I've known him for years."

MEGADETH's fifteenth studio album, "Dystopia", will be released on January 22, 2016. The follow-up to 2013's "Super Collider" was recorded earlier in the year in Nashville, Tennessee and was mixed by Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, ALL THAT REMAINS and GOJIRA.