MEGADETH Mainman Checks In From Amsterdam

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has issued the following update from the "Priest Feast" European tour, also featuring JUDAS PRIEST and TESTAMENT:

"So the last day of the 'Priest Feast' tour is upon us, and last night was the first night that I actually got a chance to talk to Rob Halford, and beside a few 'Hey, how are yas' to Ian [Hill] and K.K. [Downing], and the occasional chit-chat with Scott [Travis], the person I talked to the most on the tour was Glenn [Tipton]. And rightly so, because he was one of my heroes growing up.

"I am going to sit in the audience tonight and watch the whole show because I always do that at the end of a tour; try to go out and see the headliner. I have seen enough times in my life when a band is on tour with another band and they start to copy each other.

"I think that is lame. Be yourself and let the chips fall where they may, for shit’s sake! I have seen a lot of stuff from the side of the stage and I really respect JUDAS PRIEST for reforming with Rob and putting their differences aside. I think that is what the fans ultimately want with bands that the voice has left, for whatever the reasons.

"I am looking forward to melting into my couch at home tomorrow night and watching some movies with my kids and snuggling with all of the living, loving creatures at my home. I have to, and I want to say thank you.

"Thank you my wife, family, friends, representatives, and crew for making this one of the most rewarding, and most intense tours I have ever done. We played better on this tour with this line-up than we have ever played before at any period in MEGADETH's history.

"I want to say thank you to all of our promoters around the world who believed in us and gave us this support slot with the mighty JUDAS PRIEST, and thank you to the J.P. crew. And an enormously delicious, lip-licking thank you to the catering crew from Eat To The Beat!

"Thank you to all of JUDAS PRIEST's fans who sat through our concert and we hope that you are now fans of ours too. Thank you to all of the foreign crews, the stagehands, backstage help, security, medical staff (especially these guys for when you as fans get hurt — I love how well they always treat you . . . such mercy in their touch).

"And lastly, I thank God for all of this. I wouldn't have you to sing to, or my family to shower my love and affection on, or a band to stand on top of the world with, or a crew of loyal men and women then would bleed for me (maybe not bleed a lot — but still bleed).

"Yesterday I showed Andy Sneap [MEGADETH producer] the lyrics I wrote to a song called, '- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' and I am thinking about having a few more song puzzles with the letters and what-not like we always do. Whaddya think my lovelies?

"Well, that is it for today. I will no doubt take a rest when I get home for a little home. I will stay in touch through TheLiveLine [a service launched by Dave Mustaine that enables musicians to connect to their audience over the phone]. And it brings me great pleasure to say that we have just signed Chris Broderick [MEGADETH guitarist] to do this, and the opportunites are mindblowing with CB. We also are talking to thrash legend Chuck Billy about coming to TheLiveLine, with not only TESTAMENT but his side projects too."

Fan-filmed video footage of MEGADETH's March 19, 2009 concert in Barcelona, Spain as part of the "Priest Feast" tour with JUDAS PRIEST and TESTAMENT can be viewed below.

Tentatively due on September 1 via Roadrunner Records, MEGADETH's forthcoming LP will be the group's first with Chris Broderick, who replaced Glen Drover at the end of 2007.

The recording process for MEGADETH's twelfth studio album began on January 7 at the band's own Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California.

The CD is once again being helmed by British producer Andy "Undie" Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD),who worked with MEGADETH on the band's last album, "United Abominations", which came out in May 2007 via Roadrunner.