Dave Mustaine Wants to Write Music With James Hetfield

Could things perhaps come full circle at some point for Megadeth's Dave Mustaine? While his legendary career started off with Metallica before he was fired from the band, Mustaine revealed in a new interview that it's his hope that one day he could work with James Hetfield once more on music.

The Megadeth leader was speaking with Andrew Daly of Vinyl Writer Music when the subject of the keys to his longevity came up. After remarking that one of those keys "might just be stubbornness," Mustaine explained, "I have been secretly hoping there’d be a day where James [Hetfield] and I can write together again."

He continued, "I think the world really does want us to do that, and I think there is a pretty good possibility of it happening down the line. I do think that it’s possible that one day James is going to come around and that he and I are going to be able to do something together again. I guess that’s one of the things that has always kept me pushing forward. I think it’d be good for Megadeth, and it could be great for Metallica too.”

While Mustaine's exit from Metallica has been well covered territory, the Megadeth leader has seen the relationship with his former bandmates improve as they've gotten older. They've even toured together as part of the "Big 4" shows last decade. Any such collaboration between Mustaine and Hetfield would likely be amongst the most anticipated releases in metal history, but for now, it's something that remains just a hope for Mustaine.

Continuing his discussion about his longevity in the music industry, Mustaine also chalked it up to being what some have called "a perpetual badass." "When you’re not willing to give up, that’s when a lot of people can start to draw strength from you," says the Megadeth leader. "And there have been many of my friends who are tough guys, too, but occasionally, they need somebody they can turn to. These are tough, independent guys, but they’ll say, 'Dave, I need some advice,' or, 'I need someone to give me a hand here.' And the thing is – and a lot of people get this wrong – there’s nothing wrong with that; I do that all the time."

He adds, "In fact, I do it through prayer all the time, I do it almost daily through my profession, and I do it with some of my closest friends. I think it’s a good thing to give in relationships because it keeps the relationship flowing, and that’s why many of the songs I’ve written have been about relationships."

These days, Megadeth are onto their sixteenth studio album, The Sick, The Dying … and the Dead! Having headed up the Metal Tour of the Year earlier in 2022, Megadeth are currently rocking alongside Five Finger Death Punch on the road. Get tickets for the run here.

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