Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine after he was fired from Metallica. The first line-up, in 1983, after their name change from Fallen Angels, featured Mustaine on guitar, drummer Richard Girod, vocalist Lor Kane, guitarist Greg Handevidt and bassist David Ellefson. The band's current line-up includes consistent member Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo (2006 to 2010, and since 2021), drummer Dirk Verbeuren (since 2016) and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari (since 2023).
History
Lor Kane, the band's first vocalist, would quickly leave the group. After playing with various vocalists, including Billy Bonds and John Cyriis, Mustaine ultimately took up lead vocals himself. Megadeth recorded Last Rites, a three-song demo, in 1984, which featured drummer Lee Rauch. Slayer guitarist Kerry King covered live dates at Ruthie's Inn and The Stone while a permanent replacement was sought. Jazz fusion drummer Gar Samuelson would go on to join the band. After playing a few shows as a three-piece, guitarist Chris Poland also joined. During Megadeth's 1985 tour promoting their debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, Poland left the band and was temporarily replaced by Mike Albert. On the tour, Mustaine offered the drummer position to Exciter drummer Dan Beehler, though he declined the offer. Poland then rejoined Megadeth in October of the same year, shortly before they began work on Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? After years of problems stemming from substance abuse, Mustaine fired both Poland and Samuelson before recording the third album So Far, So Good... So What! Poland was initially replaced by Jay Reynolds, who proved unable to perform the solos in-studio and was replaced by Jeff Young, his guitar instructor. Samuelson was replaced in 1987 by Chuck Behler, who was his drum tech.
During their world tour in support of So Far, So Good... in February 1988, Mustaine noticed problems developing with Behler. Six months later, Mustaine fired both Behler and Young. In July 1989, Nick Menza was hired to replace Behler on the drums. After a lengthy search for a new lead guitarist, Megadeth enlisted Marty Friedman, who officially joined in February 1990. The lineup remained unchanged for almost eight years, until Menza discovered a tumor on his knee, which forced him to leave the tour to undergo surgery. He was replaced by Jimmy DeGrasso, temporarily at first. Following the Ozzfest tour in 1998, however, DeGrasso replaced Menza permanently, after Mustaine claimed that Menza had "lied about having cancer". Following the release of Risk, the band began a new world tour in September 1999. Three months into the tour, Friedman announced that he would be leaving the band, citing "musical differences". Megadeth enlisted guitarist Al Pitrelli as Friedman's replacement in January 2000. In early 2002, Mustaine suffered several injuries, which led him to announce in a press release that Megadeth had disbanded. Following nearly a year of recovery, Mustaine began work on what was to be his first solo album. The new material was recorded with session musicians Vinnie Colaiuta and Jimmy Lee Sloas, but the project was put on hold when Mustaine agreed to remix and remaster Megadeth's eight-album back catalog with Capitol Records.
In May 2004, Mustaine returned to his newest recordings, intended as a solo effort, but because of outstanding contractual obligations with the band's European label EMI, he was forced to release one more album under the "Megadeth" name. Mustaine decided to reform the band, and contacted the Rust in Peace line-up to re-record backing tracks on his latest songs. While drummer Nick Menza initially signed on, Marty Friedman and David Ellefson were both unable to come to an agreement with Mustaine. Chris Poland was hired by Mustaine to contribute only with guitar solos to the new album. This marked the first time since the Rust in Peace demos that the two musicians had worked together.
Poland opted to serve as a studio musician only, as he wished to remain focused on his own jazz fusion project, Ohm. Megadeth began a world tour in October 2004, enlisting bassist James MacDonough and guitarist Glen Drover. While in rehearsal for the tour, newly returned drummer Nick Menza once again parted ways with the band, as he was unable to prepare for the physical demands of a full U.S. tour. He was replaced five days before the first show by Shawn Drover, brother of new guitarist Glen Drover. In February 2006, MacDonough left the band, citing "personal differences" for his decision, and was replaced by bassist James LoMenzo. Two years later, Dave Mustaine announced that Glen Drover had quit Megadeth to focus on his family. He was replaced by Chris Broderick. On February 8, 2010, David Ellefson rejoined the band, replacing James LoMenzo.
In late November 2014, Shawn Drover quit the band after ten years, wanting to pursue his own musical interests. This was quickly followed by the departure of Chris Broderick, due to artistic and musical differences. Ellefson denied rumors that the band would disband, and said he and Mustaine would continue working on new music. In early 2015, Megadeth announced that Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro was hired as the new guitar player for the band to record Megadeth's fifteenth studio album alongside Lamb of God's drummer, Chris Adler. On July 7, 2016, Soilwork's Dirk Verbeuren was announced as Megadeth's new drummer.
Ellefson was dismissed from Megadeth amid allegations of sexual misconduct on May 14, 2021. Months later, former bassist James LoMenzo returned to the line-up for the Metal Tour Of The Year. LoMenzo officially became the band’s new bassist in 2022.
In September 2023, Kiko Loureiro announced he would be taking a break from the tour in order to spend time with his children, with Teemu Mäntysaari filling in for the rest of the tour. However, in November 2023, Kiko stated he would be extending his break, entering an indefinite hiatus, while Mustaine confirmed that the band would go on with Mäntysaari as guitarist. That same month, Loureiro confirmed that he had left the band.
Members
Current
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Mustaine |
|
| All Megadeth releases | |
| James LoMenzo |
|
|
| |
| Dirk Verbeuren | 2016–present | drums |
| |
| Teemu Mäntysaari | 2023–present (touring 2023) |
| none |
Former
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Kisselstein | 1983 | bass | none | |
| Robbie McKinney | guitars | |||
| Greg Handevidt | ||||
| Lor Kane | vocals | |||
| Richard Girod | drums | |||
| David Ellefson |
|
| All Megadeth releases from Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985) to Rude Awakening (2002) and from Rust in Peace Live (2010) to Dystopia (2016) | |
| John Cyriis | 1983 | lead vocals | none | |
| Billy Bonds | ||||
| Brett Frederickson | 1983 (died 2019) | drums | ||
| Dijon Carruthers | 1983 | |||
| Lee Rauch | 1984 (died 2023) | Last Rites (contested) | ||
| Gar Samuelson | 1984–1987 (died 1999) |
| ||
| Chris Poland |
| guitars |
| |
| Mike Albert | 1985 | none | ||
| Jay Reynolds | 1987 | |||
| Chuck Behler | 1987–1989 | drums | So Far, So Good... So What! (1988) | |
| Jeff Young | guitars | |||
| Nick Menza |
|
| all Megadeth releases from Rust in Peace (1990) to Cryptic Writings (1997) | |
| Marty Friedman | 1990–2000 (guest at two shows in 2023) |
| all Megadeth releases from Rust in Peace (1990) to Risk (1999) | |
| Jimmy DeGrasso | 1998–2002 | drums |
| |
| Al Pitrelli | 2000–2002 |
|
| |
| Jimmie Lee Sloas | 2004 | bass | The System Has Failed (2004) | |
| Vinnie Colaiuta | drums | |||
| Glen Drover | 2004–2008 |
|
| |
| James MacDonough | 2004–2006 | bass |
| |
| Shawn Drover | 2004–2014 |
| all Megadeth releases from That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires (2005) to Countdown to Extinction: Live (2013) | |
| Chris Broderick | 2008–2014 |
| All Megadeth releases from Endgame (2009) to Super Collider (2013) | |
| Kiko Loureiro | 2015–2023 |
|
| |
| Chris Adler | 2015–2016 | drums | Dystopia (2016) |
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Other contributors
Session
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Jones | 1988 (guest) | guitar solo on "Anarchy in the U.K." | So Far, So Good... So What! (1988) | |
| Jimmie Wood | 1994 | harmonica on "Train of Consequences" and "Elysian Fields" | Youthanasia (1994) | |
| Bob Findley |
|
|
| |
| Heather Keckler | 2001 | spoken word on "The World Needs a Hero" and "1000 Times Goodbye" | The World Needs a Hero (2001) | |
| Suzie Katayama | 2001 | strings on "Promises" and "Losing My Senses" | ||
| Ken Mary | 2001 | Pro Tools | ||
| Chris Vrenna | 2001–2002 |
| ||
| Tim Akers | 2004 | keyboards | The System Has Failed (2004) | |
| Darien Bennet | additional vocals on "Blackmail the Universe" | |||
| Michael Davis | sound effects | |||
| Lance Dean | additional vocals | |||
| Scott Harrison | ||||
| Celeste Amber Montague | additional vocals on "Blackmail the Universe" | |||
| Justis Mustaine | backing spoken word vocals | |||
| Ralph Patlan |
| |||
| Robert Venable | additional vocals | |||
| Jonathan Yudkin |
| |||
| Eric Darken |
| percussion |
| |
| Charlie Judge |
|
|
| |
| Chris Rodriguez |
| backing vocals |
| |
| Axel Mackenrott | 2007 | keyboards | United Abominations (2007) | |
| Cristina Scabbia | backing vocals on "À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)" | |||
| Brett Caldas-Lima | spoken word vocals on "United Abominations" | |||
| Marie Soler | ||||
| Chris Clancy | 2009 | backing vocals | Endgame (2009) | |
| Mark Newby-Robson | keyboards on "The Hardest Part of Letting Go...Sealed with a Kiss" | |||
| David Draiman | 2013 | vocals on "Dance in the Rain" | Super Collider (2013) | |
| Yao Zhao | cello on "Dance in the Rain" | |||
| Tom Cunningham |
| |||
| The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band (Brian Costello, Sean Costello, Mary Kate Peterson) | bagpipes on "Built for War" | |||
| Electra Mustaine | backing vocals on "Forget to Remember" and "Beginning of Sorrow" | |||
| Sarah Phelps | backing vocals on "Beginning of Sorrow" | |||
| Willie Gee | guest speaker on "The Blackest Crow" | |||
| Farah Siraj | 2015 | vocals on "The Threat Is Real" and "Poisonous Shadows" | Dystopia (2016) | |
| Miles Doleac | voiceover in "Conquer or Die!" | |||
| Blair Masters |
| |||
| Steve Di Giorgio | 2021 | bass | The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! (2022) | |
| Ice-T | guest vocals on "Night Stalkers" | |||
| Sammy Hagar | guest vocals on "This Planet's on Fire" | |||
| Brandon Ray | additional vocals on "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!", "Life in Hell", "Sacrifice", "Junkie", "Killing Time", "Soldier On!", "Célebutante", "Mission to Mars" and "We'll Be Back" | |||
| Roger Lima |
| |||
| Luliia Tikhomirova | voices on "Dogs of Chernobyl" | |||
| Bill Elliot | voices on "Junkie" | |||
| John Clement | voices on "Soldier On!" and "Mission to Mars" | |||
| The Marching Metal Bastards | voices on "Soldier On!" | |||
| Maila Kaarina Rantanen | voices on "Mission to Mars" |
Live
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry King | 1984 | guitars | Slayer guitarist Kerry King performed with the band when Mustaine became lead singer but did not join full time due to his commitment to Slayer. | |
| Tony Laureano | 2015–2016 | drums | Laureano substituted for Chris Adler when the latter's schedule wouldn't permit him to play. | |
| Teemu Mäntysaari | 2023 |
| Mäntysaari covered for Loureiro from September 2023 when he took a break from the band to spend time with his family. He replaced Loureiro in November. |
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Timeline
Line-ups
| Period | Members | Studio releases |
|---|---|---|
| April – June 1983 (as Fallen Angels) |
| none - rehearsals only |
| June – July 1983 |
| |
| Summer 1983 |
| Unreleased demo |
| July – August 1983 |
| none - rehearsals only |
| August – September 1983 |
| |
| September – November 1983 |
| |
| 1983 |
| |
| November – December 1983 |
| |
| December 1983 − April 1984 |
| none - live shows and rehearsals |
| April – July 1984 |
| none - rehearsals only |
| July – October 1984 |
| |
| October – December 1984 |
| none - live shows only |
| December 1984 – July 1985 |
| |
| July – October 1985 |
| none – live shows only |
| October 1985 – June 1987 |
| |
| June – October 1987 |
| none - rehearsals only |
| October 1987 – January 1989 |
|
|
| January 1989 – July 1989 |
| Rust in Peace demos |
| July 1989 – November 1989 |
| "No More Mr. Nice Guy" cover (1989) (Shocker soundtrack) |
| November 1989 – February 1990 |
| Rust in Peace demos |
| February 1990 – July 1998 |
|
|
| July 1998 – January 2000 |
|
|
| January 2000 – April 2002 |
|
|
| Inactive from April 2002 – October 2003 | ||
| October 2003 – May 2004 |
| none – sessions only |
| May – July 2004 |
|
|
| July – September 2004 |
| none – rehearsals only |
| September – October 2004 |
| none – rehearsals only |
| October 2004 – February 2006 |
| none – live shows only |
| February – April 2006, January – November 2007 |
| |
| April 2006 – January 2007 |
|
|
| November 2007 – February 2010 |
|
|
| February 2010 – November 2011 |
|
|
| November 2011 – November 2014 |
|
|
| November 2014 – April 2015 |
| none – rehearsals only |
| 2014 |
| Dystopia demos |
| April – July 2015 |
|
|
| July 2015 – October 2015 |
| |
| May – July 2016 |
| none – live shows only |
| July 2016 – May 2021 |
| |
| May – June 2021 |
| |
| June – August 2021 |
| |
| August – December 2021 |
| |
| December 2021 – November 2023 |
| "Delivering the Goods" (single) (2023) |
| November 2023 – present |
| |