GLEN DROVER On Leaving MEGADETH: 'Towards The End Things Went Really Sour'

Classic Rock Revisited recently conducted an interview with former MEGADETH/KING DIAMOND guitarist Glen Drover. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Classic Rock Revisited: How did you get the gig with MEGADETH? Had Dave [Mustaine] heard your work with EIDOLON?

Glen: I was referred by someone who was a fan of EIDOLON. It was a guy who had been in contact with the webmaster from Megadeth.com. Dave was looking to put together a new version of the band I guess and this guy mentioned that he should check out this guy from Toronto. I guess he felt that I would be a good fit. That's how it came about. I got an e-mail from him the morning after he had put in a word for me, and he said that the band was auditioning guitar and bass players. I wasn't expecting too much, to be honest. It was a Saturday morning and it was really early, but within a couple of days I was on the phone with all of them and it happened very, very quickly.

Classic Rock Revisited: What was it like stepping into a situation like that? They were a well-established band with such a rich history. Were you intimidated at all?

Glen: Well, there was a little bit of pressure, but that was OK. Unfortunately, it's one of those bands where the fans for the most part are very critical of anybody except for Marty Friedman. Everybody has to sound like him, which is unfortunate, because you're not given the chance to express yourself. All they care about is that you sound like him. I love Marty, he's a great player and I grew up listening to him and a lot of stuff from the Shrapnel label when it first came out. So that was a little bit of a drag. Not everybody was like that, but there was a lot of that surrounding the band. Aside from that, it was fun; we had fun for the first little while, anyway. Unfortunately, towards the end things went really sour and that was it for me.

Classic Rock Revisited: What stands out for you the most or what did you enjoy the most about your time in the band?

Glen: Just being able to see the world and being able to play some really cool shows with my brother. Like I said, in the beginning everybody was getting along and it was a brighter and less corrupt atmosphere, unlike what happened later.

Classic Rock Revisited: So it wasn't a tough decision for you to step off?

Glen: Yeah, it was. It was actually very, very tough. It was actually one of the toughest decisions that I've ever had to make in my life. You have to understand that being in a band like that with your brother isn't something that happens every day.

Classic Rock Revisited: Sure, because I'm sure a lot of people would probably be willing to give up a kidney for that kind of opportunity.

Glen: Yeah. The funny and sad thing was that after I left, everybody seemed to think that I had left music, I wouldn't be playing music and that I was staying home to be with my family. Even though I had said in the press statement that was first put out, that I was unhappy where I was. I thought people would have been able to read between the lines, but unfortunately for whatever stupid reason they didn't. So I had to make that a little clearer later on. Whatever, it's an old story now and it's part of the past. I had a good time, but I'm happier now doing what I'm doing without having to be in any kind of situation where I'd be miserable. I'm proud of the [new solo] album and the guys that I'm working with. They're stellar musicians, I'm doing what I want to do and that makes me happy. My brother is still in the band, he's doing OK and as long as that's cool and he's doing fine, then I'm happy.

Read the entire interview from Classic Rock Revisited.