DAVE MUSTAINE: 'It's Really Invigorating To Go Back To Playing Thrash And Speed Metal'

MEGADETH's new official biography contains several quotes from the band's mainman, Dave Mustaine, about the musical direction of MEGADETH's upcoming album, "United Abonimations", and Mustaine's lyrical approach on the new CD. Read on:

On MEGADETH's new CD, "United Abominations", being "a career landmark album":

"It's kind of a defibrillator for the metal community. Somebody's got to step up to the plate, play solos again, and play heavy rhythms that are actually recorded live in the studio — because it ain't the same six seconds pasted 300 times. Somebody had to do it again."

"It's really invigorating to go back to playing thrash and speed metal. I started playing this type of music because I loved the way it made me feel. When I started the turnaround with 'The World Needs a Hero' and 'The System Has Failed', it was obvious this was going to be where the buck stops."

On the recording sessions for "United Abominations":

"We were in the studio and Glen [Drover, guitar] had put his rhythms down on 'Sleepwalker'. And Andy [Sneap, producer/mixer] said to me, 'You know you don't really need to put your rhythm down there,' And I said, 'Oh yeah I do. My rhythm style is totally different from anybody's.' And as soon as I started playing, he goes, 'That's right! It's an old-school digging in, innit?' And I said, 'Yeah Andy. That's it.'"

On the new album's lyrical approach:

"If you have the goods musically, you can say whatever you want, and [on this album] I basically said it. I said how I feel about the United Nations. I said how I feel about the New World Order. I said how I feel about the ignorance and apathy of our fathers right now that are leading our country who are just letting everything be taken away from us."

"It's OK to practice freedom of speech, assembly, the press, religion, except when it comes to making you unpopular. When you take a stand for what's right you often become unpopular. I'm not a really popular guy. I may be semi-famous but I'm really more infamous than famous."

"I know there are some people who are prejudiced against this type of music. But I'm ready to get out there and see what the response is going to be like from the public.

"I can say that I have absolutely made my best MEGADETH record, ever."

"United Abominations" is scheduled for release on May 15 via Roadrunner Records. The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Sleepwalker (audio)
02. Washington Is Next!
03. Never Walk Alone
04. United Abominations
05. Gears Of War
06. Blessed Are The Dead
07. Play For Blood
08. A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free) (feat. Cristina Scabbia)
09. Amerikhastan
10. You're Dead
11. Burnt Ice
Japan Only
12. Out On The Tiles (LED ZEPPELIN cover)

The B-sides for special editions are:

13. Black Swan
14. The Bodies Left Behind
15. Special Live Track

"United Abominations" was mixed at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England by Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, SKINLAB, NEVERMORE). Check out the cover artwork at this location. A professionally shot video clip of MEGADETH performing a new song, entitled "Washington is Next", on October 14, 2006 at the Loud Park '06 festival in Tokyo, Japan has been posted online at YouTube.com. A rough-mix version of "Gears of War", is available for download at this location. A video clip of MEGADETH performing "Gears of War" live on October 31, 2006 at Six Flags in Springfield, Massachusetts during the "Gears of War - Match Made In Hell" event has been posted online at YouTube.com.

(Thanks: Rattlehead HQ)