DAVE MUSTAINE Discusses Response To 'Endgame', Touring With SLAYER, 'Big Four' Tour Rumors

Simon Milburn of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the overwhelmingly positive reactions to MEGADETH's new album, "Endgame":

"This is what we work our whole lives for — to be, y'know, press darlings, to be bands that the fans are a staple in their record collection.

"You know, it's very rarely that a record comes around like 'Endgame' does, and I'm so blessed to have it be mine. I remember that there were records when we were growing up, like 'The Wall' (PINK FLOYD, 1979). You had to have 'The Wall' and like, AC/DC's 'Let There Be Rock' (1978). You had to have that record. Then, as soon as Bon (Scott, AC/DC vocalist) died, you had to have 'Back In Black'. If you didn't have 'Back In Black', you were not a metal fan. By metal standards in the States though, Acca Dacca wasn't a metal band. They were like a rock band. I was listening to DIAMOND HEAD and I started getting into MOTÖRHEAD and JUDAS PRIEST, which I think was more in the vein of heavy metal than what people would call metal nowadays."

"Anyone that has this record is going to be experiencing the same kind of exciting metal that we experienced back when 'Peace Sells' ('… But Who's Buying?', 1986) came out, when 'Rust In Peace' (1990) came out, when 'Countdown' ('To Extinction', 1992) came out. I was there. I know what happened. I didn't have that same feeling that I have with this record on 'United Abominations' (2007) or any record subsequent to 'Cryptic Writings' (1997). 'Cryptic Writings' was the last time I had a really good feeling about a record coming out.

"You know, you hope, you hope, you hope, you hope, but you also plan for the worst and the bummer was the trends of sales going down and people burning copies of stuff and whether they burn it and listen to it and eventually legitimize the whole thing by buying the record or if they burn it and continue to burn it and burn it, and deplete the band's operating funds, that affects us when it comes down to sales and that affects the perception of the band.

"The good thing is that every once in a while you have someone like me comes along that can kind of have a little bit of fun with life and that makes people feel good. I'm glad that 'Endgame' is one of those records that makes people feel good. I'm excited beyond belief that people are responding to us.

"You know, there's a website out here called Blabbermouth, and this website, they've probably caused more harm single-handedly towards me and my band than any other website in the world. I think that's because their fans are pretty discriminant. They know what they want and what they like, and they're probably a little bit less tolerant than some people because I just think there's a kind of a clique that's going on there, too. Having said that, this website, even though they hate my guts, gave me an 8.5 out of ten and said 'It's time for us to take a page out of Professor Mustaine's book. He appears to have been right after all all along.' And I'm thinking, 'Are you kidding me?'"

On MEGADETH's upcoming tour of Australia with SLAYER:

"It's been a long time [since MEGADETH and SLAYER played together prior to the recent Canadian tour], yeah. There's a lot of people, and I'm included in it. But, a lot of that was of my own doing. I just didn't want to play with SLAYER because I had said some things that were regrettable and I don't think I was really mature enough at the time to look at my part in it. But, y'know, I have. Since then I've talked to those guys and made amends and I'm trying to live my life differently and y'know, there's gonna be people that are waiting for me to step on my dick and I'm not gonna do that. As far as having something terrible to say, I've got nothing bad to say about those guys. They're a great live band. What I said was regrettable and y'know, it was 19 years ago! God… 19 years ago, man!"

On the rumored "Big Four" tour featuring MEGADETH, SLAYER, METALLICA and ANTHRAX:

"It's just a rumor. If it was true, I would be saying something.

"This is a MEGADETH interview and it's kinda funny that right during the middle of a new release that METALLICA is back in my interview. So, I'll just answer this and say it's just a rumor. If it happened, it would be nice. I would tell you if it were happening. It's not happening. If it does happen, I'll be sure and tell you."

Read the entire interview from The Metal Forge.