MEGADETH: Drum Tracks For New Album Completed

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and drummer Shawn Drover have both posted separate messages in the "Forums" section of the band's official web site:

Dave Mustaine: "Just checking in to say things are progressing, and I had the great pleasure of having Brian Tatler of DIAMOND HEAD and his family come to the studio for the day and seeing one of my favorite guitarists for a friendly day together in the studio was super inspiring for me.

"Please don't read into this that Brian is on the record, because he is busy preparing his own new record, and he just came to visit.

"Other than watching '24' episodes (thank you) and having to work, I am having a good time in the studio; excluding some cuts and bruises we are all doing great.

"G2 [Gigantour 2] info to come next month!!!"

Shawn Drover: "As I write this, I have completed the drum tracks for the new MEGADETH record, which I have to say I am pleased with the results. I had one of John Bonham's drum kits (YES, you did read that correctly) incorporated in with my drum set which made for some interesting drum passages in certain songs. All in all, I had a good time doing these drum tracks.

"Brian Tatler from DIAMOND HEAD dropped by the studio today, which was a nice suprise — he is such a great guy, as are all the guys in DH, so it was great to see him again. We played him one of the new tunes, to which he gave his nod of approval — a good sign in my book.

"This entire studio adventure here in rural England has been a real positive experience for all of us. We are all in good spirits and are certainly enjoying the creative process that is the next MEGADETH record."

MEGADETH are recording the follow-up to 2004's "The System Has Failed" with producer Jeff Balding. The recording sessions are being filmed by director Michael Sarna (who directed the band's "Of Mice And Men" video) and exclusive clips will be available to MEGADETH Fan Club members.

In a recent interview with About.com, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine stated about the upcoming CD, "We're going to take a different approach to this record. I'm not going to say any more than that. I know what we're capable of doing. 'The System Has Failed' was a great comeback record, and I think this is going to continue claiming new fans and reintroducing ourselves to some old fans who may have gone to listening to other music."

MEGADETH's last CD, "The System Has Failed", has sold more than 175,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The group, who were most recently signed to Sanctuary Records, were joined by bassist James Lomenzo (ex-BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, WHITE LION) in February following the departure of James MacDonough (ex-ICED EARTH).