DAVE MUSTAINE: I Apologized To JAMES HETFIELD For Bringing Up 'Supergroup' Idea

MEGADETH singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine has apologized to METALLICA's James Hetfield for publicly discussing the fact that Dave wanted to assemble a "supergroup" combining Mustaine and MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson with Hetfield and METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich.

Hetfield laughed off talk of a possible collaboration between members of his band and members of MEGADETH in a new interview, calling it "crazy" talk on the part of Mustaine. An original member of METALLICA before being kicked out in early 1983, Mustaine has jammed with his ex-bandmates on several occasions over the past couple of years during "Big Four" shows and at METALLICA's 30th anniversary concerts last December.

Hetfield told So What!, METALLICA's fan club magazine, "I see [Mustaine] healthier now. I see him as less of a bitter guy. But I do see a lot of stuff in the press with him talking about jamming with us and making an album. All this other crazy stuff. I read it and say to myself, 'Hold on. This is the Dave that we kind of wanted to forget about. You know, the big-mouth that wants to just go-go-go."

Hetfield added, "But there is an authenticity about him when he speaks. He doesn't think too much before he does. He just goes off the cuff. Plus, when he says stuff like that, it's well-intended."

In an interview with Artisan News conducted on Friday, May 11 (see video below),Mustaine was asked about Hetfield's comments. "I already sent [James] a text message and said I apologized to him for saying that and that I won't ever mention it again," Mustaine said. "I like James and I thought what he said was flattering, and then it kind of went the opposite way, and then it kind of came back again. And you know, that's OK. I guess my whole thing was I just wanted them to know that I loved them and that I missed them and I enjoyed playing with them. If that's not mutual, then I understand. I still respect him, and I still care about the guy. If he doesn't wanna play [with me] anymore, that's cool. If he doesn't like the idea of what I said, that's OK, too. It wasn't like I said it was gonna happen, it was something that I kind of wished would happen. But you know, it's OK now, since it doesn't seem like it's gonna happen. And you know what?! It's off my bucket list."

He added, "The thing is that I probably shouldn't have said stuff like that, 'cause, I guess, to some people, they may think that I'm trying to use that as a way to get publicity, so I can see where there would be some feelings about it, and that wasn't my intention."

Mustaine feuded with the members of METALLICA for more than two decades before finally patching things up over the last couple of years.

METALLICA is currently on a European tour, during which it is playing its self-titled 1991 fifth album, also known as the "black album," every night in its entirety — but in reverse order.

METALLICA will play both the complete "black album" and, for the first time, its entire 1984 effort, "Ride The Lightning", at its own Orion Music + More festival, scheduled for June 23 and June 24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.