MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE: I've Certainly Embraced My Mortality As Of Late

Francois Marchand of the Edmonton Journal recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow.

On whether it's inappropriate to picture him as a "curator" of heavy metal:

"Not a curator, bud. That sounds like a smoking jacket and a pipe don't make me have to kill you. How about 'elder statesman' or something like that? That's cool."

On Gigantour, which started in the summer of 2005, becomibg Mustaine's way to bring new bands into the spotlight:

"The only way I could see that I could do something with any credibility was to use the experience and the help and the strength that I've acquired and accumulated along the way and pass that on to some of the younger bands."

On this year's Gigantour lineup, which includes new metal favorites CHILDREN OF BODOM, HIGH ON FIRE, IN FLAMES and JOB FOR A COWBOY:

"I think it's as good as any other one, but the media is going crazy over it they say it's the best one yet. I'm thinking, 'Wow, that's quite a statement because we had some good guys on the last couple Gigantours.'"

On recording "United Abominations" in part at SARM Hook End Studios in the U.K., which also happens to be PINK FLOYD guitarist David Gilmour's house:

"There wasn't a magical vibe it wasn't like I went in there and started writing 'Money' or something like that. I think even more significant was the fact that I'd rented John Bonham's drum kit for Shawn (Drover) to play on. Yeah, it's great to be in David Gilmour's house but, my God, we had John Bonham's drum kit. That's massive."

On the fact that many of the songs on "United Abominations" are much more personal, dealing with nightmares ("Sleepwalker"),video games ("Play For Blood", "Gears of War"),personal relationships ("Never Walk Alone") and love and death ("A Tout Le Monde"):

"I've certainly embraced my mortality as of lately. Growing up, I never thought I would live this long. Now, I'm at that age where I'm thinking, 'If I live to be 92 I'm 46 right now I'm at the halfway point in my life.' I'm not going to be 92. ... (My) insides are already 92."

On the criticism he received after guitarist Glen Drover left MEGADETH, replaced by Chris Broderick of NEVERMORE:

"(Glen) actually was the one who co-signed the recommendation to have Chris as the new guitar player. There's people who say I mishandled things with Glen. To them I say, 'Kiss my ass,' because I didn't do anything about that. Glen quit. How could I have handled anything? In fact, he quit and it was two weeks before I even found out."