Jeff Young

Jeffrey Young

“Jeff”

Jeff Young was Megadeth's lead guitarist during the tumultuous era of the album 'So Far, So Good... So What!' and its corresponding tour. Born in 1962 in Michigan, Jeff graduated from the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood in 1985, reflecting his solid theoretical and technical guitar background. He joined Megadeth in 1987 in an unconventional way: originally, Jay Reynolds was chosen to replace Chris Poland, but he couldn't record the album's solos and recommended his teacher, Jeff Young, to assist. Mustaine, impressed by Jeff's ability to transcribe and perfectly play Poland's solos, hired him immediately. With just two weeks to finish recording 'So Far, So Good...', Jeff Young contributed vibrant solos (for example, on 'In My Darkest Hour' and 'Hook in Mouth') and rhythm guitar lines full of nuance, as well as acoustic guitars in intros like 'Into the Lungs of Hell'. The album went platinum, but Young's tenure in the band was brief. After the 1988 tours, personal tensions arose and Mustaine decided to dismiss him in 1989 during preparations for the next album. Young then left the mainstream metal scene and took a diverse path: in 1998, he co-wrote and produced a world music album with Brazilian singer-songwriter Badi Assad titled 'Chameleon', which fuses styles and showcases his side beyond metal. He also wrote educational columns for magazines like Guitar for the Practicing Musician and focused on music teaching and local blues/world music performances. In 2022, Jeff Young returned to the metal spotlight by teaming up with David Ellefson to form Kings of Thrash, a tribute band that revives classic Megadeth material from the '80s and has even started composing original music. In this new phase, Young proves his talent remains intact, performing night after night the solos he recorded in the studio over 30 years ago. Jeff Young is, in retrospect, a versatile musician: from being inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame in 2023 for his historical contribution, to exploring musical fusions far from metal, and finally reconciling with his thrash roots. His chapter in Megadeth was brief but significant, leaving a unique album in the band's catalog and countless curiosities for fans.