DAVE MUSTAINE Says MEGADETH Hopes To Release At Least Two New Songs Prior To Start Of European Tour

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has told Rolling Stone that the band will release at least two new songs prior to embarking on a European tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in January. "All we need to do is get in the studio and capture them," he said. "We've got scratch drum tracks. We just have to get Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] to play through the songs once or twice and then it's up to me and David [Ellefson, bass] and Kiko [Loureiro, lead guitar] to finish."

Regarding the musical direction of the new MEGADETH material, Mustaine said that "The Dogs Of Chernobyl" has a feel similar to 2016's "Dystopia" albim, while he said "Faster Than Anything Else" and "Rattlehead, Part Two" — both of which only have working titles at this point — speak for themselves.

According to Mustaine, Ellefson has contributed a ballad at the frontman's urging that will feature the bassist's lead vocals for the first time. "I said to him, 'What was the biggest song that KISS ever had?'" Mustaine said. "He goes, 'Beth'. I said, 'Yeah, we should write a song like 'Beth', where it's a ballad and it’s just you singing it. I think you should write a song about what it's like being in MEGADETH with me, because I read all your lyrics, and I know that your lyrics are aimed at me. You're upset. So why don't you write about it?'"

He added: "I'm going to try to work on it now for this record, and if it doesn't get on this record, I'm going to try to work on it on the next record. Because it was actually really cool to see Ellefson writing something and hear him singing."

The early sessions for MEGADETH's 16th studio album took place in Franklin, Tennessee with co-producer Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on "Dystopia".

Mustaine has spent the last few months receiving treatment for throat cancer with which he was diagnosed in May.

MEGADETH's next LP will be the first to feature Verbeuren (ex-SOILWORK),who joined the band more than three years ago.

Kiko made his recording debut with MEGADETH on "Dystopia", whose title track was honored in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

Mustaine and Ellefson are the two remaining original members of MEGADETH, which was formed in 1983, following Mustaine's dismissal from METALLICA.