Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO Doesn't Get Writer's Block

During his final livestream of 2024 on his YouTube channel, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with MEGADETH and ANGRA, was asked how he deals with writer's block. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's a good question. I don't have that, the writer's block. I don't know. I think to write ideas, it's more how much you're judging your ideas. I think that's the problem. You play something, and it's, like, 'Hey, I did that already,' or, 'It doesn't sound good,' or, 'I don't like this,' 'Nobody's gonna like it.' You start thinking about other people. Do you think they're gonna like that? They're gonna sell the album. I think bigger bands might have that because they're afraid of just doing whatever they they're doing. I kind of don't have that, or I try to work on my thoughts so I don't have that, but I'm not [pop superstar] Beyoncé or something. So I just do it. Of course I have my conflicts — like, 'Is this good? Maybe not. Maybe I can try a better, a better part,' et cetera. So this is all good. But it doesn't mean I have some sort of a block that nothing happens. Something happens, and then I do it. Sometimes I'm not even liking that much, but then I think like, 'Wow, I have to put this thing out and see what happens.' Because sometimes you write something that you don't like. And also I'm doing this right now, in this last two months."

He continued: "After [my latest solo album] 'Theory Of Mind' was released, I was thinking, ''Theory Of Mind' is quite complicated. Can I do something very simple?' It was a question to myself. And then I started writing very simple things…And then I'm not giving names to the ideas. I just like trying to have a bunch of ideas. So I think I'm around number 20. I was just checking yesterday. So, okay, 20 ideas. 20 songs? I cannot call [them] 20 songs — it's 20 ideas, 20 melodies. And then I was doing one melody, [and] it was not so good, but it's, like, 'Well, let me finish. Let me see where this is gonna lead.' Because sometimes a melody that is not so good leads to another part that's better. And then you get rid of the not-so-good melody, or that not-so-good melody is just a transition to something else. So, that melody kind of works as a transition, but it's not the main thing or it's not the chorus or the main theme of the song. So, we never know. So that's why the writer's block, in this sense, it doesn't happen to me, I guess. And also, when I'm on tour or if I'm traveling a lot, I'm not in a mood to write stuff. So sometimes I don't even try. So maybe if I try during crazy flights or things like that, then maybe it's not gonna work. So, yeah, during the tours I could consider that I have a writer's block because my mind is more into playing well the songs of the tour. But sometimes you get into that place in a hotel room or backstage that you start playing. It's, like, 'Oh, that's a cool idea.' And you get more inspired or you feel more creative and you try to record that. Also with the years doing that, you kind of learn how to put yourself in that space, mental place, mental space. You sit down, you know it takes 30 minutes, one hour to start feeling comfortable of creating stuff that you can use. Then you have always to record your ideas with no judgment. That's very important. So sometimes I go back to my ideas… Sometimes I find the original recordings of some songs that I have."

"Theory Of Mind" was released in November.

In November 2023, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

Kiko revealed in September 2023 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.

One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision. He described Kiko as "a top-notch professional, a maestro" and thanked the guitarist "for his dedication and hard work these past nine years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on 'Dystopia' and the additional awards we have received on this latest record 'The Sick... The Dying...And The Dead'." Mustaine added: "I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro."

MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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.

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