In very sad news, Megadeth main man Dave Mustaine has been diagnosed with throat cancer. The singer-guitarist and thrash-metal pioneer revealed that he is already undergoing treatment. The diagnosis has forced Megadeth to cancel most of the band’s shows this year. Mustaine broke the news via his personal social media accounts.
Megadeth had been working on their highly anticipated 16th album, the follow-up to 2016’s Dystopia, which had originally been scheduled for release in 2019. In May, the band — Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson, guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren — announced that they had entered a studio in Franklin, Tennessee, along with Dystopia co-producer Chris Rakestraw, to begin pre-production of the album.
“I’ve been diagnosed with throat cancer,” Mustaine wrote in his post today, June 17th. “It’s clearly something to be respected and faced head on – but I’ve faced obstacles before. I’m working closely with my doctors, and we’ve mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate. Treatment has already begun.
“Unfortunately, this requires that we cancel most shows this year. The 2019 Megacruise will happen, and the band will be a part of it in some form. All up to date information will be at megadeth.com as we get it. Megadeth will be back on the road ASAP.
“Meanwhile, Kiko, David, Dirk and I are in the studio, working on the follow up to Dystopia – which I can’t wait for everyone to hear.
“I’m so thankful for my whole team – family, doctors, band members, trainers, and more.
“I’ll keep everyone posted.
See you soon,
Dave Mustaine.”
