After Decades of Feuding with Metallica, Dave Mustaine Says He’s Open to Touring With the Former Band

Over its 44-year career, American thrash metal band Metallica has sold more than 163 million albums, won 9 Grammy Awards, and played on all 7 continents. However, being part of a team with musicians James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo means meeting high expectations. Even the most audacious rock stars need to be professional, in and out of the studio. Out of the four major lineup changes throughout Metallica's lifespan, no former member is more influential than ex-lead guitarist and current Megadeth frontman, Dave Mustaine. Although Mustaine harbored bittersweet feelings towards his ex-band mates, time seems to have healed some wounds — opening the possibility of a collaboration metalheads never expected to witness.

After nearly 43 years, Megadeth pulled the curtains with the release of their self-titled final album on January 23, 2026. Featuring 10 new tracks, Megadeth’s swan song (or album) features a full-circle moment with its bonus track: a newly recorded take on Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning.” Fans of Metallica’s early days may remember that Mustaine has songwriting credits on that particular song — one of the very last with Metallica before his sudden departure. Although fans may consider it as Mustaine having “the final word” on his work, speaking with Revolver, the musician explained that it had nothing to do with revenge. Rather, it was meant as a gesture of respect towards Hetfield, whom he had always regarded as a formidable songwriter.

When asked about his current relationship with Metallica, Mustaine expressed that he’s open to holding a Megadeth-Metallica joint tour.

“If the friendship was restarted, it wouldn’t bother me. I would accept, and I think it would be nice to revisit some of those times. But I just think because there was a lot of hurt and misunderstanding around our time together that it would be difficult to keep bringing up the past.

I think what needs to happen is there needs to be a Megadeth/Metallica tour. Period. That would, I’m sure, make everything right. We could hang out. Spend time together. But I know they don’t really tour like we do. I mean, when we go out on tour, we play many, many shows.”

Metallica Allegedly Fired Dave Mustaine Due to Substance Abuse Issues

In 1983, Metallica dismissed Mustaine just as the band was starting to gain traction in the heavy metal scene. The decision was made by Ulrich, Hetfield, and former bassist Cliff Burton — Burton was killed in a bus accident in the middle of Metallica’s 1986 tour. With many versions of the story, one of the more infamous reasons is because of Mustaine’s heavy drinking and aggressive behavior. According to Guitar magazine, tensions peaked after an incident in which Mustaine allegedly hit Hetfield following a dispute involving Hetfield’s dog.

Mustaine was told of his dismissal shortly after waking up and was sent from New York to Los Angeles on a one-way bus ticket paid for by the band. At the time, Mustaine did not know that Metallica had already chosen Hammett as his replacement, who would remain with the group for more than four decades. In a 2014 interview with Loudwire, Mustaine later said that alcohol made him hostile and confrontational, which played a role in his firing.

Dave Mustaine Has Official Songwriting Credits on "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride the Lightning"

Although Mustaine’s time with Metallica was short-lived, the musician played a crucial role in the band’s beginnings. As part of the original lineup, Mustaine has credits on a total of six songs. Apart from “Ride the Lightning,” often considered as the creme de la creme of Mustaine’s contributions, he’s also written the following: “The Four Horsemen,” “The Call of Ktulu,” “Metal Militia,” “Phantom Lord,” and “Jump in the Fire.” However, Mustaine allegedly got into a dispute with Ulrich over songwriting credits for their 1982 demo, No Life Till Leather. On Twitter, Mustaine explains that he passed on the opportunity of releasing a deluxe reissue due to Ulrich wanting two songs Mustaine “wrote every note and word to.”

Mustaine didn’t just leave a lasting impact on Metallica’s discography — his absence was something that the band had to cope with musically. Speaking with Total Guitar, in the aftermath of Mustaine’s firing, Hetfield had to step up as the main rhythm player, which became an obstacle in itself. Having to play along with the already super-fast drums, Hetfield had trouble with the rhythm guitar-playing technique. Although alternate picking was more efficient, it lacked the chunkiness of downpicking — a guitar-playing technique that’s tighter and heavier, but risks making too much palm noise if not careful.