In recent years, Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has has been generally supportive of the Metallica as that decades-old beef finally fades into the background. In a new interview with Heavy Consequence Mustaine says his relationship with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich is currently the best it’s been “for a long time.”
“It took a while for James and Lars and I to kind of come around and become friends again, but I would say we’re probably better off now than we’ve been for a long time,” Mustaine comments, noting that there are ebbs and flows to their relationship.
He reasons, “I think the emotions between all of us, it’s probably understandable for a lot of people who break up with someone, it’s like a marriage and you part ways and sometimes you try and justify in your head the decision that you make. And sometimes the facts are all you need, and other times you feel compelled to kind of tell the story and you don’t really need to.”
Suggesting that the narrative between the Megadeth and Metallica camps has been distorted at times, Mustaine goes on, “And then there are people who tell the story and then add little salacious facts – like a tape recorder that has a feature to add stuff that never happened. So, I just look at that whole period with Metallica as something that was really great for me. And I wish them the best.”
READ MORE: Ex-Metallica Bassist – Dave Mustaine ‘Leaves the Rest of Us In the Dust’ on ‘No Life Til Leather’
Last September, Mustaine revealed that he sent a text message to Papa Het after the Metallica frontman openly spoke of his own insecurities onstage, feeling like due to his age that his playing wasn’t up to snuff.
“I love those guys [in Metallica]. I sent a text message to James just a couple of days ago after he admitted onstage that he was insecure about his guitar playing,” the Megadeth mainman said at the time. “I said, ‘James, I love you and I really like your playing.'”
Although Hetfield didn’t reply, that didn’t bother Mustaine, who said the purpose was simply to let him know he supported him.
Not long after, Mustaine floated the idea of one day making music again with Hetfield, saying he had been “secretly hoping” that the day will eventually come.
“I think the world really does want us to do that,” he said of the hopefuly collaboration, “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.”
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