In a recent interview with Loud TV, former Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro shared his views on leaving Megadeth.
“Let’s say if you’re 50 years old we going to live until 100. It’s like, ‘What can I do for the next half of my life?’ I made it the whole thing in Sepultura. It’s amazing but what can I do for my future? So it kind of connects with my decision to leave Megadeth,” he explained. “I did eight years nine years of Megadeth. Touring was amazing, great band great guys, and then you have some situations in life that is like you start reflecting. ‘Do I want to be another 10 years touring half of the year playing those songs?’ And they start reflecting who you want to be, who you are and then what’s the next step, and then you realize that you have the freedom to decide.”
The rocker apparently wanted to stop at his best. “It’s good to stop when you’re at your best. So that’s the last image the people don’t see you going down or doing mistakes. But it’s hard to do that because if you’re at your peak. You might think, ‘Oh this is going to be for another five years another 10 years.’ So you always believe that you can keep doing something but it’s never the case. Sometimes it’s good to give a break,” he added.
Loureiro left the band in late 2023 and hasn’t shied away from explaining why he decided to leave the band when asked about it numerous times.
The guitarist explained that his decision to leave the band was driven by the desire for ‘freedom.’ He shared with the Confere Rock website that he ‘needs freedom’ and had come to the United States in the early 2000s for the same reason. After more than eight years with Megadeth, he felt it was important to have that freedom. “And now, due to circumstances in my life, I have taken the liberty of choosing not to be in Megadeth,” he said. “Because it’s my option. Because freedom is having the choice between two viable options; that is freedom.”
He also revealed that he wanted to prioritize his family.
After Loureiro’s exit, Teemu Mäntysaari took his place. Megadeth played their first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico last year.
