Former Megadeth guitarist Greg Handevidt has shared his version of how the legendary metal band got its name. He challenged the commonly accepted narrative in an interview on the David Ellefson Show.
Handevidt detailed the moment he claims to have conceived the band’s iconic name. He described how it evolved from a political pamphlet about nuclear warfare.
“We were sitting down in our little apartment, and Dave had read a pamphlet by Senator Alan Cranston talking about the ‘arsenals of megadeath,’ and I think that really triggered something in him about nuclear war and just how devastating it was and everything,” Handevidt said. “And I remember thinking, ‘Holy shit, the arsenals of megadeath.’ And he had that line in the lyrics. And it just occurred to me, ‘Megadeath.'”
The guitarist explained his creative process in developing the name further. He included his concerns about its potential negative connotations.
“I’m, like, ‘That would be a cool name for a band.’ And I sat down, and at the time — and I still kind of feel this way, although my attitude about it sort of softened — but I was, like, ‘Do you really want the word ‘death’ in the name of your band? Do you really want that?’ It seemed kind of negative-karma-ey to me back then; that’s what sort of was in my head,” he continued.
Handevidt described the specific moment he modified the spelling to create the final version of the band name.
“So I sat down and I just wrote it out as one word and I dropped the ‘A’ out, and I just wrote it on a piece of paper and I was, like, ‘I think this is cool. We could call the band Megadeth. One word. We take out the ‘A’. It’s unique. It doesn’t have any sort of dark connotation around it. And I think people would see it and not be put off. It wouldn’t put people off,'” he said.
The former guitarist also reflected on the commercial considerations behind the name change. He suggested it was partly motivated by industry concerns.
“And I think at that point in time to break through in a commercial sense without just completely selling yourself out, I think there were barriers that would’ve… I’m not sure Capitol Records was ready to sign a band called ‘Death’ at the time. And maybe, maybe not,” Handevidt explained. “But even after all this, and I came back and I formed Kublai Khan and we were shopping demos around, we kept getting stuff back sent to us saying, ‘This is way too heavy. This isn’t commercially acceptable. We can’t sign you. This would never sell.'”
Handevidt’s account adds new context to the band’s formation story. Various sources have documented this story differently over the years.
KCRR reported that before adopting the name Megadeth, the band was originally called Fallen Angels. This reflected their initial formation in Los Angeles in 1983 shortly after Mustaine’s departure from Metallica. The pamphlet that inspired the name was written by California Senator Alan Cranston. He warned of the dangers of nuclear armament with the phrase “The arsenal of megadeath can’t be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to,” as Loudwire documented.
The term “megadeath” itself carries significant historical weight in nuclear warfare terminology. American Songwriter noted that the word refers to the death of one million people in the aftermath of nuclear war. This was a concept that hadn’t fully occurred to Mustaine before reading Cranston’s pamphlet. This nuclear theme would later become central to many of Megadeth’s lyrics and political messaging throughout their career.
The band’s early lineup included several musicians who had connections to Minnesota. This included bassist David Ellefson and Handevidt himself, who were neighbors of Mustaine during the band’s formative period in Los Angeles. Britannica confirmed that these early members contributed significantly to the fledgling band’s origins. They helped establish the foundation for what would become one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands.
Mustaine later repurposed Cranston’s original phrase in the lyrics of “Set the World Afire.” This demonstrated how the political pamphlet continued to influence the band’s creative output beyond just providing their name. This connection between political awareness and heavy metal music became a defining characteristic of Megadeth’s identity throughout their decades-long career.
This account provides a different perspective on one of metal’s most recognizable band names. It adds new details to the band’s early history.
