Kerry King played with Megadeth alongside Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, and Lee Rausch during their first years. Ellefson recently shared some insights on King’s time with the band in a chat with the ‘Disturbing The Priest Podcast.’
He highlighted how the former Slayer member enjoyed his chance to work with Mustaine:
“When Kerry came in, he was my age – so he was kind of in the right age group. His skills were a little more polished, and he really ‘got’ Dave. He saw Dave play with Saxon at the Whisky or something with Metallica opening for them, and Kerry said it – that changed his life. It changed his musical arc, his whole career, and his guitar playing. He loved it – he loved being in a band with Dave.”
The Guitarist Worked Well With Mustaine, He Says
King’s stint with Megadeth was brief; he didn’t record any albums with them but played in their first five shows in 1984. During this time, he showed that he was as skilled a guitarist as Mustaine, as Ellefson explained:
“He could just recite these riffs right back. Dave would show him something, and he’d f**kin’ play it right back. I was like, ‘Jesus, man.’ This was cool. Because with my bass playing, we created a sound, we created a style – as bands should. Bands create something together. You create and carve out sort of a path forward.”
King Knew He Wouldn’t Stay Long
In a 2022 Loudwire interview, the guitarist himself also spoke about his time in Megadeth, reflecting on what the experience meant for him. About joining the band’s lineup after finding out that Mustaine was ‘inquiring’ about him, he said:
“At the end of the day, I thought, ‘This is a gigantic learning situation.’ And I also thought people would see me and know me from Slayer, and if they saw me, it would at least make them think [of] Slayer. So, I had Slayer’s best intentions in mind. I didn’t go and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be in Megadeth.'”
The artist then shared what it was like to work with the former Metallica member:
“I don’t know how anybody can be in Megadeth for more than a couple of hours—that guy’s crazy.”
King referred to his time with Megadeth as ‘good times’ but also explained that drugs and other activities guaranteed it wouldn’t last long.