INTERVIEW WITH DAVE MUSTAINE
Dave Mustaine explains that the title and more melodic direction of 'Risk' are a conscious adaptation to the demands of the music industry to maintain commercial success, citing Metallica as the only other band from the 'big four' to achieve this adaptation. He discusses the incorporation of drummer Jimmy De Grasso, whom he considers equal to or better than Nick Menza, and how the new direction requires fewer fast 'walls of riffs'. Mustaine reveals he took singing lessons to improve his studio technique and defends the album's variety, although he admits the band's name still intimidates the press and media.
Date
January 1, 1999
Media
Unspecified Source (Unknown)
Interviewer
Unspecified Journalist
Interviewees
Rolling Stone
Dave Mustaine
“Yes. We are heading in a much more melodic direction. The bands that formed "the big four" at the beginning -- Anthrax, Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth -- only two of us went on to major commercial success. And that is one of those things where the music industry traps you, but it also tells you many things you need to stay successful. And while Metallica has adapted better than anyone, I think we were the second to adapt to what the industry has done and the changes that are necessary to remain successful.”
Rolling Stone
Dave Mustaine
“We did some new things, for sure. And one of the improvements was the singing. I took lessons again. I usually do only one lesson at most. But the person I met in Nashville gave me some incredible advice regarding my voice type and my singing posture. And when I sing live I always sang like that but I didn't do it in the studio. That gave me more confidence to tell one of the engineers "this is how you have to set everything up for me" because if I have to sing looking towards the ceiling instead of singing looking down, my vocal cords close.”
Rolling Stone
You have a new drummer. How did that affect the parts where the two guitars are together?
Dave Mustaine
“We are using Jimmy De Grasso, and he is great. A lot of people felt he wasn't going to be as good as Nick. I feel he is the same, if not better. The fundamental risk of everything was the melodicism of the album and the way the guitars have to play those parts along with the drums. There was no room to hide behind a fast wall of riffing guitars.”
Rolling Stone
There is a great variety in the new material.
Dave Mustaine
“That's what we wanted to do. You have songs like "Crush Em" and "Insomnia" that are totally unique to us. And you have songs like "Prince of Darkness" and "Seven" or "The Doctor's Calling," which are like old school heavy. You also have songs like "Breadline," "Ecstasy" and "I'll Be There" which are songs like our last album, based on heavy melodies. Then there are things that are far out like "Wanderlust" and "Time Part II," and I don't think people ever suspected that I would sing a musical dichotomy like time and time II.”
Rolling Stone
Were you influenced by Metallica's evolution from being thrash metal war horses to experimental southern metal guys?
Dave Mustaine
“Maybe a little. The title of the album came from a comment by Lars Ulrich that he made to the press saying that he wished I would take more risks. I replied that if he had meant that I had to kiss my guitarist I was not interested. Afterwards I thought about it, and decided it would be a good name for the album. But Lars' comment only mattered for the album name. I think these songs were in the can long before Load and Reload came out. For example, the lyrics to "Breadline" are about six years old.”
Rolling Stone
Do you have any fear that old fans will be disappointed by your new melodic attempt?
Dave Mustaine
“I think our fans, the ones who are going to buy the album regardless, will be 200,000 or 300,000. And the additional sales or successes we achieve are based on hard work and publicity through MTV, radio and magazines. I don't think we will suffer consequences with our fans, with those who want us to continue playing "Rust in Peace" for the rest of our lives. But I can give you a list of bands that make the same album over and over again and continue their decline in popularity. At least we have always gone gold or platinum on all our albums.”
Rolling Stone
Were there any new influences this time?
Dave Mustaine
“There were bands on the radio that are successful and that we listen to but we did not diagram our songs based on that and I don't think they would want us to say that we make songs based on what they do.”
Rolling Stone
So do you feel that this is a totally original presentation?
Dave Mustaine
“What happened is that the band has made a continuation of the natural progression that has captured us over the last four albums. Countdown to Extinction began a metamorphosis of Megadeth from a speed and thrash band to a hard rock and heavy metal band very adept at playing any style. And now we are at a point where nothing really goes.”
Rolling Stone
There are many media outlets that are still intimidated by your name and the legacy of darkness you have cultivated over the years.
Dave Mustaine
“I think there are many things we are excluded from because of the legacy of darkness. I try to look at things in a very optimistic way, but that is how we are viewed. But some very positive things are happening to us with this album that are going to help eradicate that perspective. The name Megadeth itself is intimidating to people.”
Rolling Stone
Do you regret choosing the name Megadeth?
Dave Mustaine
“I don't necessarily regret it. If I had to do everything over again I probably would have thought about it a little more, but no one has a crystal ball. We didn't think we were going to reach this level where we are one of the biggest hard rock and heavy metal bands in the world. I am reaching 20 years of professional experience as a guitarist, and that is a long time. And I don't have to do one of those "Where are they now" shows (in reference to that T.V. program that shows old stars who are currently ruined).”