We had previously reported that guitarist Kiko Loureiro was taking a break from Megadeth due to family issues and that this break would continue in 2024. Now we are taking a look at the situation from the point of view of his replacement, Wintersun’s Teemu Mäntysaari.
Now, the Wintersun and Megadeth guitarist Mäntysaari recently shared a Facebook announcement about his initial reaction to this replacement. By reposting the official statement made by Megadeth, he said:
“Thank you, everybody, for the supportive messages! Kiko, much love and respect, and all the best to your family. Dave and Kiko, thank you for all the guidance and your trust in me. I can’t wait to get back on stage and rock all over the world with Megadeth next year!”
Dave Mustaine Says Teemu Plays Like Marty
Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine spoke about the addition of guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari in an interview with Wes Styles in September. When asked how Teemu is working out so far, Dave said:
“He’s really great. And I’m super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it’s uncanny because he plays a lot like Marty (Friedman). And it’s really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set, and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs, and they’re not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I’ve played with over my career.”
We will all see how the new formation of Megadeth will perform in their next tour in 2024.
