Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo recently shared his perspective on the ongoing dynamic between Megadeth and Metallica, particularly regarding Dave Mustaine’s approach to addressing the band’s history. His comments were made during an interview with Jorge Botas.
LoMenzo’s remarks came in response to a question about Megadeth’s decision to include a version of “Ride The Lightning,” a song originally written by Dave Mustaine during his early days with the band.
When asked about his reaction to Mustaine’s decision to revisit this piece of history, LoMenzo expressed both surprise and approval.
“No, I was kind of I was delighted. I was surprised, you know, my eyebrows went up, but I was kind of delighted that he was going to even go there. Because there’s always that like that subliminal, you know, undercurrent tension between Metallica and Megadeth,” LoMenzo said.
The bassist went on to explain his view of Mustaine’s achievements and the strategic thinking behind addressing the band’s complete history.
“I always thought Dave won in a way because, you know, he’s built this giant thing all by himself, you know, and it made a lot of sense to me logically that it seemed like if this is the last thing we’re going to do, then we should go out and with a bang, but also kind of address the full history of this band. And that’s like step one. So I thought it was great in the end, but yes, my eyebrow went up when I heard him say that,” he continued.
LoMenzo also offered his perspective on what might have happened if Mustaine had remained with Metallica.
“I think if Dave had stayed in Metallica, it would have certainly, you know, been a lot more complex, but they would have not lost any energy that they had Metallica, you know,” he concluded.
LoMenzo’s comments come at a time when Mustaine has been dealing with significant business challenges behind the scenes. This adds another layer to his complex relationship with his musical legacy.
The “Ride The Lightning” track that LoMenzo referenced represents just one piece of Mustaine’s ongoing battle for recognition of his early contributions to Metallica. Arrow Lords of Metal reported that Mustaine has long pursued royalties for songs he wrote during his time with the band before his 1983 firing. This legal pursuit of his songwriting credits has been a recurring theme throughout his career, highlighting the lasting impact of his brief but influential stint with the metal giants.
Recent developments have added financial pressure to Mustaine’s situation. Music Radar revealed that Mustaine recently settled a lawsuit by paying former manager Cory Brennan and his management company 5B Artist Management $1.4 million. The settlement resolved Brennan’s claims after what he described as being “unexpectedly and unceremoniously terminated” from his role managing the Megadeth frontman.
The legal dispute centered around unpaid commissions from Brennan’s nine-year tenure managing Mustaine, which ended in 2023. Lambgoat noted that Brennan had credited himself with helping elevate Megadeth from small clubs to arenas during his management period. He oversaw the release of two hit albums and secured Mustaine’s first Grammy Award. Despite the settlement, Mustaine’s countersuit alleging mismanagement against Brennan continues to move forward through the legal system.
These business challenges provide additional context to LoMenzo’s observation about Mustaine “winning” against Metallica by building “this giant thing all by himself.” The bassist’s comments suggest that despite the ongoing legal and financial pressures, Mustaine’s independent success with Megadeth represents a form of vindication in the long-standing rivalry between the two thrash metal titans.
