Dave Mustaine: It's Unfair That the Future of Big Four Is Up to Lars Ulrich
By Andrew Magnotta
Metallica Fired Dave Mustaine on this date in 1983, as they were headed to record their debut album Kill ‘Em All.
Yes, the entire band drank, earning the famous nickname “Alcoholica.” However, Mustaine out drank them all and when he got hammered, he turned into a monster.
After several incidents and Mustaine’s alcoholism, drug abuse, overly aggressive behavior, and personality clashes taking their toll, Metallica fired him. Mustaine was shocked that he didn’t even get a warning, or a second chance.
He said all that he had was his mother and the band, and when the band let him go, he had nothing again. Mustaine was also upset by some of the comments made by band members about Mustaine after his release. That he was a loser, a drunk, he was only a temporary member anyway. Mustaine says he agrees that he was too much, and probably deserved it, but watching them rise higher and higher without him, didn’t feel good either. Even recently he still harbored ill will.
But, on that four day bus ride from New York back to California, Mustaine angrily wrote down thoughts and lyrics, and created the name for his next project based on the turmoil he was going through, describing it as “Megadeth.”