DAVE MUSTAINE Says 'A Lot Of People Are Enjoying' MEGADETH's U.S. Tour With MUDVAYNE And ALL THAT REMAINS

During a recent appearance on "Drinks With Johnny", the Internet TV show hosted by AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine spoke about his band's ongoing "Destroy All Enemies" U.S. tour with MUDVAYNE and ALL THAT REMAINS. Regarding how he is getting along with the other bands on the trek, Mustaine said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I knew Chad [Gray, MUDVAYNE singer] back in HELLYEAH, so I didn't know him in MUDVAYNE. But I did know him in HELLYEAH. And oddly enough, we haven't had a chance to get together. And I look for him every day. I either see a bunch of guys walking around that look just like him with the same haircut or I see him in his makeup, and there he is, and he's ready to work. So, I hope that I get a chance to spend some time with them and catch up because it's been really an interesting lineup and I think a lot of people are enjoying this."

Mustaine added: "I think they're all gentlemen and they're showing me some respect. But I don't want them to not allow me the chance to get to know them, because they're being respectful and giving me my time. I don't want them to not come up and say, 'Hey, man. I got a question for you.' Or, 'Remember that time' or 'What would you do?' 'Cause, like you, I've been around the block many times and I have a lot of experience with dealing with problems and know how we dealt with those problems. It may not be the right solution for you or for them, but a lot of times the problems that befall us out here are human-nature problems and it goes back to communication and that goes back to fear. And it's all fear — fear of not getting something you want or fear of not keeping something you already have. Everything goes back to that."

MEGADETH kicked off the "Destroy All Enemies" summer 2024 U.S. tour on August 2 at Walmart AMP, Rogers, Arkansas. Produced by Live Nation, the trek is hitting 33 cities, including Las Vegas, Boston and St. Louis, before wrapping up on September 28 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined MEGADETH last September after the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, announced earlier that month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland. It was later revealed that Mäntysaari would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

MEGADETH played its first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

Since its inception in 1983, MEGADETH has ascended from its raw thrash metal roots to become an unstoppable force in the heavy metal world. With founder Dave Mustaine at the helm, MEGADETH's journey has been marked by a penchant for pushing the boundaries of speed, technicality, and complexity in their music. Their groundbreaking album "Rust In Peace", released in 1990, is frequently cited as a seminal work in the thrash metal genre. Along with the critically acclaimed "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", it cemented MEGADETH's place in the annals of metal history.

Over four decades, the band's discography has earned numerous certifications, including platinum and multi-platinum awards, with albums like "Countdown To Extinction" and "Youthanasia" achieving widespread critical acclaim. 2016's "Dystopia" not only marked a high point with their first Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" after twelve nominations but also set the stage for their latest triumph, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" in 2022. MEGADETH's status as part of the "Big Four" of thrash metal underscores their trailblazing role in the genre, laying the groundwork for countless bands and musicians who have followed in their wake.